title: Mona Fandey

text: Mazlan was reported missing on 2 July 1993 after withdrawing RM 300,000 from a bank. After the murder, Mona was reported to have been on a shopping spree where she bought a Mercedes-Benz and had a facelift. It was alleged that the murder occurred between 10:00 PM and midnight on 18 July 1993 when Mona chopped his head off during a shamanistic ritual. On 22 July 1993, police found Mazlan's body; Mona, her husband Affandi and their assistant Juraimi were arrested and a highly publicised trial began. They were tried in Temerloh High Court by a 7-person jury (trial by jury was abolished from 1 January 1995). The High Court found all three of them guilty and sentenced them to death by hanging. Mona and the others filed appeals to the Federal Court and in 1999, the court dismissed their appeals and upheld the death sentence. Finally, the three convicts sought to obtain a pardon from the Pardons Board of Pahang, their final chance of redemption. However, the board refused to give clemency. The three were given a last meal of KFC on the night before their execution. Mona, Affandy and Juraimi were hanged on 2 November 2001 at Kajang Prison. A prison official said the trio expressed no remorse at the pre-dawn execution.


title: Mona Fandey

text: Throughout the trial, Mona exhibited strange behaviour including appearing cheerful, constantly smiling and posing for press photographers. She dressed extravagantly with bright and colourful designs on her dress. She also remarked, "looks like I have many fans". It was also reported that during her execution she uttered the words ""aku takkan mati"", meaning "I will never die", and was still calm and smiling.


title: Mona Fandey

text: Mona Fandey gained more notoriety than she had when she was still a pop singer. There was wide local and even international media coverage and plenty of public interest. Anti-death penalty movements including Amnesty International voiced their opposition to the execution of the trio. In 2002, Malaysian film director Amir Muhammad made a short film entitled "Mona" in his "shorts" series.


title: Mona Fandey

text: In 2006, a film by Dain Iskandar Said entitled "Dukun" was widely assumed to be based on Mona Fandey. The public screening of this highly anticipated film was constantly pushed back, most likely due to concerns relating to the contents of the film, the relationship with Mona Fandey, and the implications for her family. However, the movie was leaked online through Facebook on early February 2018. The movie was released in cinemas on 5 April 2018.


title: Mona Fandey

text: The crime was covered in a chapter called "Pop Singer Witch Doctor" in the best-selling "Malaysian Murders & Mysteries" book written by journalists Martin Vengadesan and Andrew Sagayam.


title: Mona Fandey

text: The Mona Fandey affair was one of the last jury trials to be conducted in Malaysia. The sensational nature of the case contributed toward the government's decision to discontinue the jury system. All trials by jury were abolished on 1 January 1995.


title: Consensual homicide

text: Consensual homicide refers to a case when one person kills another, with the consent of the person being killed.


title: Consensual homicide

text: The most common form of consensual homicide is assisted suicide, most commonly as euthanasia, in which terminally ill people seek assistance from their doctors (or family members) to alleviate their suffering by ending their lives. This practice is legal in some jurisdictions, but remains controversial because of the legal, ethical and practical issues it raises.


title: Consensual homicide

text: Suspected serial killer John Bodkin Adams claimed that his patient Edith Alice Morrell—whose murder he was tried for in 1957—had wanted to die. He was controversially found not guilty but later suspected of murdering up to 163 of his patients.


title: Consensual homicide

text: In 1996 a Maryland entrepreneur named Sharon Lopatka arranged for her own torture and strangulation over the Internet. In 2001, Armin Meiwes from Germany was found to have murdered and cannibalized a willing victim he found over the internet. These two cases attracted considerable media attention. Beyond their lurid sexual details, both cases introduce paradoxes about the respective responsibility of the parties, the legal differences between consensual homicide and suicide.


title: Consensual homicide

text: In 2005, Japan, Hiroshi Maeue lured three people using the internet with promises to assist in their suicides, and strangled them. They may have consented to their killings at first, but the method was different from his promise of death by carbon monoxide poisoning. Maeue had previous convictions and his motivation was clearly sexual. He was regarded as a serial killer and was sentenced to death.


title: Five Little Pigs

text: Five Little Pigs is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, first published in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in May 1942 under the title of Murder in Retrospect and in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in January 1943 although some sources state that publication occurred in November 1942. The UK first edition carries a copyright date of 1942 and retailed at eight shillings while the US edition was priced at $2.00.


title: Five Little Pigs

text: The book features detective Hercule Poirot investigating five people about a murder committed sixteen years earlier. Caroline Crale died in prison after being wrongfully convicted of murdering her husband, Amyas Crale, by poisoning him. In her final letter from prison, she claims to be innocent of the murder. Her daughter Carla Lemarchant asks Poirot to investigate this cold case, based on the memories of the people closest to the couple.


title: Five Little Pigs

text: The novel was received well at the time of publication, with two critics citing the "author's uncanny skill", saying that "(t)he answer to the riddle is brilliant,", and praising its "smashing last-minute showdown(s) . . .well up to the standard". Another said the author presented a "very pretty problem for the ingenious reader" and felt that the clue to the solution was "completely satisfying". Later reviewers praised the "murder-in-the-past plot" here as Christie's best use of that device, and said "(a)ll in all, it is a beautifully tailored book, rich and satisfying" and possibly her best novel. The solution of the mystery was "not only immediately convincing but satisfying as well, and even moving in its inevitability and its bleakness."


title: Five Little Pigs

text: Sixteen years after Caroline Crale was convicted for the murder of her husband Amyas, her daughter Carla Lemarchant approaches Hercule Poirot, asking him to investigate the case. When Carla was 21 she was given a letter from her late mother claiming she was innocent, and Carla believes this to be true. She fears that her fiancé will leave her if the truth behind the murder is not uncovered. Poirot agrees to her request. On the day of the murder at the Crales' home there were five other people present, whom Poirot dubs "the five little pigs" – stockbroker Philip Blake, amateur chemist Meredith Blake (Philip's brother), Caroline's young half-sister Angela Warren, Angela's governess Cecilia Williams, and Amyas's painting model Elsa Greer. The police found that Amyas was poisoned by coniine, found in a glass from which he had drunk. Caroline confessed to stealing the poison from Meredith's lab, intending to use it to commit suicide. She had brought a cold bottle of beer to Amyas and the police believed she had poisoned it. Amyas was having an affair with his model Elsa, which was believed to be Caroline's motive.


title: Five Little Pigs

text: Poirot interviews the five other suspects and notes that none has an obvious motive. Caroline's half-sister Angela is the only one who believes Caroline was innocent. He assembles them, along with Carla and her fiancé, and reveals that Caroline was innocent but chose not to defend herself because she believed Angela had committed the murder. Although Angela had handled the beer bottle she had added nothing to it before her sister took it to Amyas. Caroline later assumed that her sister had added something to the beer as a prank, causing Amyas's death. When the police charged Caroline with the murder she did not defend herself, believing that she was protecting Angela. When they were much younger, Caroline had thrown a paperweight at Angela, disfiguring her face, and saw this as a way to atone for that incident.


title: Five Little Pigs

text: Poirot states that the murderer was Elsa Greer. She had taken Amyas' promise to marry her seriously, unaware that he only wanted her to continue as his model until the painting was done. She overheard Amyas reassure his wife that he was not leaving her, felt betrayed and wanted revenge. She had seen Caroline take the poison from Meredith's lab, so she took it from Caroline's room and put it in a glass of warm beer that she gave Amyas. When Caroline later brought him a cold bottle of beer, he commented that "everything tastes foul today", and drank the cold beer from the bottle. This indicated to Poirot that the poison had been in the glass Elsa had given him. Poirot's explanation solves the case to the satisfaction of Carla and her fiancé. Although the chances of getting a pardon for Caroline or a conviction of Elsa are slim with circumstantial evidence, Poirot plans to present his findings to the police.


title: Five Little Pigs

text: Author and critic Maurice Willson Disher's review in "The Times Literary Supplement" of 16 January 1943 concluded, "No crime enthusiast will object that the story of how the painter died has to be told many times, for this, even if it creates an interest which is more problem than plot, demonstrates the author's uncanny skill. The answer to the riddle is brilliant."


title: Five Little Pigs

text: Maurice Richardson reviewed the novel in the 10 January 1943 issue of "The Observer", writing: "Despite only five suspects, Mrs Christie, as usual, puts a ring through the reader's nose and leads him to one of her smashing last-minute showdowns. This is well up to the standard of her middle Poirot period. No more need be said."


title: Five Little Pigs

text: J D Beresford in "The Guardian"'s 20 January 1943 review, wrote: "...Christie never fails us, and her "Five Little Pigs" presents a very pretty problem for the ingenious reader". He concluded that the clue as to who had committed the crime was "completely satisfying".


title: Five Little Pigs

text: Robert Barnard has strong praise for this novel and its plot. He remarked that it was "The-murder-in-the-past plot on its first and best appearance – accept no later substitutes. Presentation more intricate than usual, characterization more subtle." His judgment was that "All in all, it is a beautifully tailored book, rich and satisfying. The present writer would be willing to chance his arm and say that this is the best Christie of all."


title: Five Little Pigs

text: Charles Osborne praised this novel, saying that "The solution of the mystery in "Five Little Pigs" is not only immediately convincing but satisfying as well, and even moving in its inevitability and its bleakness."


title: Five Little Pigs

text: The novel's title is from a nursery rhyme, usually referred to as "This Little Piggy", which is used by Poirot to organise his thoughts regarding the investigation. Each of the five little pigs mentioned in the nursery rhyme is used as a title for a chapter in the book, corresponding to the five suspects. Agatha Christie used this style of title in other novels, including "One, Two, Buckle My Shoe," "Hickory Dickory Dock", "A Pocket Full of Rye", and "Crooked House."


title: Five Little Pigs

text: Hercule Poirot mentions the celebrated case of Hawley Harvey Crippen as an example of a crime reinterpreted to satisfy the public enthusiasm for psychology.


title: Five Little Pigs

text: "Romeo and Juliet" is a theme among characters recalling the trial, starting with solicitor Caleb Jonathan reading Juliet's lines from the balcony scene: "If that thy bent of love...". Jonathan compares Juliet to the character of Elsa Greer, for their passion, recklessness, and lack of concern about other people.


title: Five Little Pigs

text: Coniine (in the story, specifically coniine hydrobromide, derived from poison hemlock) was indeed the poison with which Socrates took his own life, as described by Phaedo, and has indeed been used to treat whooping cough and asthma. The "poisons act" referred to is the Pharmacy and Poisons Act 1933, now superseded by the Poisons Act 1972.


title: Five Little Pigs

text: The painting that is hung upon the wall of Cecilia Williams' room, described as a "blind girl sitting on an orange," is by George Frederic Watts and is called "Hope." In it, a blind girl is featured with a harp which, though it has only one string left, she does not give up playing. The description is by Oswald Bastable, a character in the third book in the Bastable series by E. Nesbit, titled "The New Treasure Seekers". The other identifiable prints are "Dante and Beatrice on a bridge", and "Primavera" by Botticelli.


title: Five Little Pigs

text: Amyas has two paintings in the Tate. Miss Williams remarks disparagingly that "So is one of Mr Epstein's statues," referring to American-born British sculptor Jacob Epstein.


title: Five Little Pigs

text: When Poirot approaches Meredith Blake, he introduces himself as a friend of Lady Mary Lytton-Gore, a character known from "Three Act Tragedy". This case is later referred to by Poirot many years later, in "Elephants Can Remember", published in 1972.


title: Five Little Pigs

text: "Take what you want and pay for it, says God" is referred to as an "old Spanish proverb" by Elsa. The same proverb is cited in "Hercule Poirot's Christmas". The proverb is mentioned in "South Riding" (1936), by Winifred Holtby, and in "Windfall's Eye" (1929), by Edward Verrall Lucas.


title: Five Little Pigs

text: The "interesting tombs in the Fayum" refers to the Fayum Basin south of Cairo, famous for Fayum mummy portraits.


title: Five Little Pigs

text: Angela Warren refers to Shakespeare, and quotes John Milton's "Comus": "Under the glassy, cool, translucent wave".


title: Five Little Pigs

text: In the UK version of the story "Five Little Pigs", Poirot refers to the novel "The Moon and Sixpence", by W. Somerset Maugham, when he asks Angela Warren if she had recently read it at the time of the murder. Poirot deduces that Angela must have read "The Moon and Sixpence" from a detail given in Philip Blake's account of the murder, in which he describes an enraged Angela quarrelling with Amyas and expressing the hope that Amyas would die of leprosy. The central character of "The Moon and Sixpence", Charles Strickland, is a stockbroker who deserts his wife and children to become an artist and eventually dies of leprosy.


title: Five Little Pigs

text: In 1960, Christie adapted the book into a play, "Go Back for Murder", but edited Poirot out of the story. His function in the story is filled by a young lawyer, Justin Fogg, son of the lawyer who led Caroline Crale's defence. During the course of the play, it is revealed that Carla's fiancé is an obnoxious American who is strongly against her revisiting the case, and in the end, she leaves him for Fogg. "Go Back for Murder" previewed in Edinburgh, Scotland. It later came to London's Duchess Theatre on 23 March 1960, but it lasted for only thirty-seven performances.


title: Five Little Pigs

text: "Go Back for Murder" was included in the 1978 Christie play collection, "The Mousetrap and Other Plays".


title: Five Little Pigs

text: "Five Little Pigs" was adapted for radio and broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1994, featuring John Moffatt as Poirot.


title: Five Little Pigs

text: The novel was first serialized in the US in "Collier's Weekly" in ten installments from 20 September (Volume 108, Number 12) to 22 November 1941 (Volume 108, Number 21) as "Murder in Retrospect" with illustrations by Mario Cooper.


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: The Insurgency in the Preševo Valley was a year-long armed conflict between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the ethnic Albanian separatists of the Liberation Army of Preševo, Medveđa and Bujanovac (UÇPMB). There were instances during the conflict in which the Yugoslav government requested KFOR support in suppressing UÇPMB attacks since they could only use lightly armed military forces as part of the Kumanovo Treaty that ended the Kosovo War, which created a buffer zone between FR Yugoslavia and Kosovo.


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: Before the insurgency Preševo Valley was home to approximately 100,000 people, of whom 70,000 were Albanians and another 30,000 Serbs. Albanians make up to 95% of Preševo, 55% of Bujanovac and 26% of Medveđa population. The region is sometimes referred to as Eastern Kosovo by Albanians.


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: From 1945 to 1946 Preševo and Bujanovac were a part of newly established Autonomous Oblast of Kosovo and Metohija inside the Federated State of Serbia. In 1946 they were transferred to Central Serbia in exchange for a part of Serb inhabited modern-day North Kosovo. During the breakup of Yugoslavia, on 1 and 2 March 1992 Albanians from Preševo Valley held the referendum about their future status in Serbia. The majority, 97% of voters demanded autonomy for the valley and the right to join Republic of Kosova. Serbian government rejected the referendum as unconstitutional and illegal.


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: The Kosovo War was a parallel conflict between the Yugoslav Army and the Kosovo Liberation Army. It began in February 1998 and ended on 10 June 1999 when the Kumanovo Agreement was signed. According to the agreement, KFOR troops, supervised by the United Nations, would enter as a peacekeeping force, while Yugoslav military forces were to withdraw. It was agreed that the KLA would disband by 19 September 1999. According to the agreement there would be a demilitarized zone around Kosovo. Serbs could only use police squads with up to 10 members. This buffer zone was used by Albanian guerrillas for attacks against Serbian forces. The Preševo valley conflict erupted in June 1999.


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: After the Kumanovo Agreement was signed, a 5 km (3 mi) deep demilitarized zone was established along the Kosovo border. The zone's length was 382 km. The purpose of this buffer was to prevent incidents between KFOR troops and the Yugoslav army. At the same time, an Air Safety Zone was set up. Its width was 20 km. Only lightly armed police in groups of up to ten were allowed to patrol, making it difficult to ensure order. It was prohibited for Yugoslavia to use planes, tanks or any other heavier weapons, so the area became a haven for drug smuggling and operations against Yugoslav forces. The Zone consisted of the following sectors:


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: Liberation Army of Preševo, Medveđa and Bujanovac (, UÇPMB) members were first seen during the funeral of brothers Shaqipi who were killed by the police in January 2000 in Dobrosin. They had around 1,600 active fighters and around 5,000 non-active. The Yugoslav government considered it a terrorist organization. The organization consisted of three zones. First was South zone commanded by Shaqir Shaqiri. After he was arrested in 2001, he was replaced by Mustafa Shaqiri. They had between 300 and 500 fighters. Center zone was commanded by Ridvan Qazimi, known as "Captain Lleshi", who had around 600 rebels. Lleshi was later killed in clashes near Oraovica. This zone was around Gjilan-Bujanovac regional road. In the north there was so-called Čar group, or North zone led by Muhamet Xhemajli. The highest commander was Shefket Musliu, a auto mechanic from Končulj. Rebels mostly had mine throwers and other light weapons. Those weapons were transported illegally from Kosovo throughout border with Serbia. The biggest Albanian village in Serbia, Veliki Trnovac, was the rebel center. According to Serbian Security Intelligence Agency it was full of bunkers, as well as laboratories and storehouses for heroin. PMBLA was operating in following villages:


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: After Kosovo Liberation Army disbanded according to the peace agreement that ended Kosovo War, its veterans and members founded Liberation Army of Preševo, Medveđa and Bujanovac in a village of Dobrosin. Their goal was the secession of three Albanian populated municipalities from Serbia and their annexation to Kosovo. Fighting between police and separatist began in June 1999 in the municipality of Kuršumlija, and later spread to Medveđa, Bujanovac and Preševo. The UÇPMB established many bases in mountains and plains around towns of Bujanovac and Preševo. Main center of militants was a village of Veliki Trnovac. Because of restricted movement in that area, police and army were unable to stop them. On 21 November two policeman were killed by land mine. Serbs responded on attacks with more checkpoints and patrols. During 1999 rebels did not enter an open conflict with the police. Instead, they battled them with the mortars from the distance, so Serbs were unable to respond.


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: Conflict escalated in 2000. On 16 January three Serbs civilians from village Pasjane were killed by rebels in a Ground Safety Zone on a road Gjilan – Preševo. After the overthrow of Slobodan Milošević, the new government requested that NATO and KFOR suspend the demilitarized zone around Kosovo, in fear that a new war could erupt. Vojislav Koštunica wanted the US to reduce or disband the zone. During November 2000, some Serb police retreated from the demilitarized zone after four policemen were kidnapped and killed and another two wounded. That gave a chance to Albanians to take all villages the Serbs had left. After this events, Božo Prelević, one of Serbia's three interior ministers, said Serbian police would return to the zone "with all available means" unless the attacks end. On 24 November a KFOR-mediated ceasefire was agreed to.


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: On 5 February the fiercest fighting in the Preševo valley happened since the end of the 1999 Kosovo conflict. The Yugoslav army exchanged artillery fire for several hours across the internationally imposed buffer zone next to the border with Kosovo. On 16 February near the border town of Podujevo seven Serb civilians were killed after Niš-Ekspres bus with refugees from Kosovo was blown up by PMBLA. After that, on 7 March 2001, KFOR agreed to allow Serb military to reoccupy buffer zone (called "Ground Safety Zone") section by section. In one village where the PMBLA still stood, a guerrilla fighter died in an accidental explosion. At the same time Albanian guerrillas started mutiny in Republic of Macedonia. During the March one-week ceasefire was agreed again, after four policeman were killed. Army first entered the section on a border with FYR Macedonia (section C East), in order to stop illegal arms smuggling. Afterwards KFOR allowed Serbs to return to zones C West and A on 25 March, and zone D on 14 April. On 21 May Albanian commanders signed Končulj agreement and agreed to disarm, but many continued to fight. Last section was around Preševo (sector B). On 24 May, the Serbian army entered the town, although Albanian fighters were attacking them. There, one of the rebel commanders, Ridvan Qazimi "Lleshi" was killed. It is not clear whether he was killed by police or by other insurgents. After the Serb victory, the UÇPMB agreed to disarm. During the 2001 insurgency in Macedonia, the PMBLA continuously funded and supported the NLA. They did that until there disarmament on 21 May, 2001. Some of its veterans joined newly formed National Liberation Army in Republic of Macedonia. Around 400 guerrillas surrendered in order to get the pardon from the Yugoslav government. PMBLA chief Shefket Musliu surrendered to KFOR on 26 May. Until August 2001 there were around 1,160 attacks on Serb police and civilians.


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: In July 2000 PMBLA launched an offensive in order to take the town of Bujanovac. The battle was conducted in the areas of Končulj, Dobrosin, Lučane and Devojačka Čuka as well as in the wider area around Mali Trnovac, Muhovac and Đorđevac. The PMBLA clashes with the Serbian security forces began in July 2000 and were aimed at conquering the communication Bujanovac-Gjilan and taking over the villages of the municipality of Bujanovac. The fighting was intensified in November 2000, when the police, under the influence of a threefold strength of the PMBLA, withdrew from the security checkpoints that were fought, occupying defensive positions closer to Bujanovac. The fighting broke into a pat-position at the end of November 2000 after the arrival of the JSO as well as military and police reinforcements to the south of Serbia. The conflicts were of low intensity, and were mainly reduced to occasional rebel attacks where the police only responded when the lives of its members were endangered. The offensive PMBLA in the battle near Bujanovac started on 21 November 2000, after two days of provocations and strong attacks on the positions of the police. That day, about 500 guerrillas, who were incomparably better armed than the police, were unhindered from Kosovo to the municipality of Bujanovac, and in addition to the presence of strong forces of the American KFOR contingent with the administrative line of Serbia and Kosovo.


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: In the period from 12.25 to 17.00 hours on 21 November, Albanians committed synchronized attacks on the Dobrosin security checkpoint, and on the positions of the police on the corners of Devojačka Čuka and Osoje.


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: At 12.25, 12.55 and 15.30, attacks on the Dobrosin puncture were made from mortars, automatic and sniper weapons and machine guns, when Gropi's observatory was hit on two occasions with more than 5 mines.


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: At 12.48 pm, an attack from mortars, infantry weapons, machine guns and brownies was carried out to local police positions at the Devojačka Čuka Corner, and at 13.30 hours the terrorists were also operating at the corner of Osoje with a fire from a mortar.


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: Due to strong actions, members of the Special Police Units from Gornji Milanovac were forced to withdraw from the communication Konculj – Lucane – Bujanovac, along the width of the road. Police withdrawal was hampered and slowed due to lack of knowledge of the terrain. During the withdrawal, a fierce infantry attack by Albanian rebels from the wider region of Tuštica and Visoko was followed when the observation post on the Gropi hill was occupied. In this attack, rebels captured three members of the MUP. They were taken to their camp in the territory of Kosovo where they were tormented by the religious leaders and eventually liquidated.


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: Around 17.00 hours the withdrawal of the people from the crisis zones was terminated because it was found that at the Dobrosin point there was a mortar of 60 millimeter, a sniper and automatic rifle, two combat ammunition kits, 6 inductor phones and more. Rebels then carry out another attack on the police patrol in Dobrosin. After this attack, police officers were withdrawn from the Municipality of Bujanovac in order to prevent further conflicts and reorganize police units. Thus, the rebels occupied the area around Dobrosin, Lucana, Konculja, Mali Trnovac and Breznica, as well as 4 police stations.


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: After the end of these conflicts, at night 21–22. In November, besides members of the American contingent of KFOR, about 1,000 rebels had been armed to their teeth, and entered the wider Bujanovac area. Among them were Albanians from Western European countries, from Albania and Kosovo, and the mujahedin from the Middle East. They immediately carried out the forced mobilization of Albanian military capable men over the age of 18. They took private vehicles and sent it all to the first combat ranks.


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: After establishing themselves, the following day they continued with armed attacks. In the period from 11.15 to 12.05 and from 12.30 to 15.30 on 22 November, from the direction of the villages of Dobrosin and Končulj, Albanian rebels carried out attacks from automatic weapons and mortars to the police in the village of Lučane. Later, in the period between 21:45 and 23:15 hours, the rebels carried out attacks on the police in the village of Djordjevac from mortars, hand grenades (fired 20–30 mines) and infantry weapons. The next day, on 23 November, around 10:00 am, Albanian terrorists carried out an attack with 5 mines from mortars and brownies to the police patrol in the village of Djordjevac.


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: In response to these conflicts, the FRY demanded an urgent session of the UN Security Council to condemn the attacks. FRY President Vojislav Koštunica wrote to NATO Secretary General George Robertson with the expectation that KFOR will no longer allow incursions to southern Serbia and similar incidents. At its headquarters in Brussels, NATO emphasized that it opposed the PMBLA's downfall, while KFOR on the other announced that it would not tolerate the possible effects of the VJ in the Ground Safety Zone.


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: KFOR kept all the roads leading to Dobrosin, the village where the terrorists were concentrated, were blocked. During this blockade, on one track, a truck driver was arrested who tried to smuggle weapons and ammunition for terrorists through the US checkpoint. In the fireplace were mortars, anti-personnel mines, machine guns and 5,000 bullets. Searching terrain KFOR found a 62 mm mortar, 16 mortar shells, one hand grenade, one automatic rifle with 2200 bullets and 25 bullets for a pistol. This hidden weapon belonged to rebels who carried out attacks from the territory of Kosovo without crossing the administrative line. There were also 10 unarmed rebels in black uniforms who tried to illegally enter the south of Serbia.


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: In February 2001, Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia and Head of Coordination Center for Southern Serbia Nebojša Čović proposed the plan for resolving the crisis in Preševo Valley. The plan calls for joint police forces of local ethnic Albanians and Serbs, in proportion to the ethnic groups' populations in the area. The proposal calls for integrating the valley's ethnic Albanian population into mainstream Serbian political and social life. It also offers civil rights guarantees and promises of economic development. The plan doesn't provide autonomy for the region or possible annexation to Kosovo. Instead, it is providing decentralization to local authorities. The plan also calls for demilitarization of the Preševo Valley and disbandment of PMBLA. All rebel controlled areas should be returned to Serbia. Every rebel that surrenders will be promised a pardon from the Yugoslav government. The plan was accepted, and Albanians signed the demilitarization agreement in a village of Končulj.


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: At 6.30 am on 14 March 2001, the return of the United Security Forces to the GSZ, Sector C (East Charlie), from the outer line of this zone, started. The Yugoslav forces were deployed west, from the Preševo-Miratovac line, in three directions: towards the villages of Miratovac, Norča and Trnava. Lieutenant-General Lieutenant-General Ninoslav Krstić was led by Lieutenant-General Lieutenant-Colonel Ninoslav Krstic. The Chief of the General Staff of the VJ, Lieutenant-General Nebojsa Pavković, Commander of the Third Army, Lieutenant General Vladimir Lazarević, Commander of the Priština Corps Major General Radojko Stefanović, General Obrad Stevanović and several other Yugoslav Army officers. The return operation was followed by the President of the FRY Coordination Body for South Serbia Nebojša Čović and members of the Coordination Body Mica Markovic and Milovan Čogurić. Entering sector C, on the triple border of Serbia, Macedonia and Kosovo, it was free of incidents. Already at 07.20, Nebojša Pavković told FRY President Vojislav Koštunica that the operation is taking place successfully. There were no land mines on the ground, nor did they see armed groups of Albanian terrorists. In the sky above Macedonia, several Cobra KFOR helicopters were observed that supervised the operation. In Sector C – East, the first units that entered were engineering units that were tasked with examining the whole field and eliminating the danger of the set mines. Soon, simultaneously with them, other members of the Army entered the zone led by General Pavković and other commanders. When Pavković entered the part of the C sector, Lieutenant Colonel David Olvein, a military attaché of the US Embassy, was watching events with extreme care, but at the same time he was very surprised when he received information that the planned time of 10 hours, ended up taking positions in just 2 hours.


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: After entering the eastern part of sector C, on 22 March 2001, the KFOR command led by General Kabigoszu, in a meeting with Yugoslav representatives in Merdare, approved the entry of the Yugoslav Army into the western part of Sector C (along the border of Montenegro and Kosovo) and sector A (to the border line with the municipality of Medveđa). The return to these parts of the GSZ, carried out by the Second Army of the YA, started at 07:00 on 25 March. According to Colonel Radosav Mihailović, the on-site operation, the operation was carried out without incidents and according to the foreseen plan, followed by members of the Coordination Body, KFOR representatives as well as EU observers. This operation restored the state sovereignty of the FRY over the border belt of municipalities: Plav, Berane, Rožaje, Tutin, Novi Pazar, Raška, Brus and Kuršumlija. The total length of the western part of Sector C and Sector A was 263 km, and the width was 5 km, that is, in total, about 1300 km.


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: The preparations of the Yugoslav Army to enter Sector D of the Ground Security Zone (the border region of Medveđa municipality) began after the meeting of General Ninoslav Krstić with the representative of KFOR in Merdare near Kuršumlija on 2 April 2001. The agreement on entry into sector D was signed in Merdare on 12 April by Ninoslav Krstić and Nebojša Čović, as well as representatives of KFOR. Earlier, Albanian rebels attacked police positions in the village of Marovac, the municipality of Medveđa, with two mortar shells, and attacked members of the local police in Beli Kamen, municipality of Medveđa. It was precisely in these regions that there were representatives of the Coordination Body who were preparing for the occupation of the sector D. After the preparations, Yugoslav forces from the outer circumference of sector D made a move from the starting positions and entry into sector D early in the morning of 14 April. The operation was monitored by KFOR teams, EU observers and numerous journalists. After a successful operation during which there was no conflict, General Ninoslav Krstić praised the members of Operation Group South and especially praised the members of the battle group of police who occupied the Ravna Banja region – Moravce sector D. The situation in this sector after the entry of the Yugoslav Army was a staple and there were no provocations by Albanian rebels.


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: PMBLA Commander Sefket Musliu, Ridvan Qazmi-Lleshi and Mustafa Shaqiri, signed a demobilization and demilitarization agreement of the PMBLA on 21 May in Končulj, guaranteeing the safe and peaceful entry of the Yugoslav Army into Sector B of the Ground Safety Zone according to the following schedule: Zone B South until 22 May, Zone B Center until 31 May, while Zone B North was not under the control of rebels. The agreement was signed in the presence of Sean Sullivan, head of the NATO office for Yugoslavia. On the same day, the commander of the United Security Forces, General Ninoslav Krstić, met with the KFOR Commander in Merdare and on that occasion a document on the return of the VJ to Sector B. was signed. To accomplish this task, new special anti-terrorist and anti-trust units of the United Security Forces have been engaged. The action was carried out with the coordination of KFOR and by 24 May, the Army had occupied 90 percent of the B-South and B North zones without encountering any resistance from rebels. The operation was continued to remove mines and seize weapons, ammunition and military equipment. During the occupation of the northern zone of sector B on 24 May, during the exchange of fire between the VJ and the PMBLA, the rebel commander Ridvan Qazimi, in the area of the Guri Gat Hill (Black Stone) near Veliki Trnovac, was killed. The conflict lasted from 11.30 to 15.00. Qazimi was in custody with three other extremists, and when he got up and went to his jeep, he was hit in the head. It was later revealed that he had been killed by a sniper. After the death of Qazimi, various stories began to circulate in the south of Serbia, from killing the infected PMBLA faction members about the distribution of the remaining plunder, to escaping to Kosovo and then to Albania. At the press conference, Nebojša Čović denounced the information that Qazimi was with Sean Sullivan at the time, and he removed doubts about the fate of Ridvan Qazimi, saying he was killed in a confrontation with Serbian security forces. He also praised the way B South and B North were occupied, adding that the Army will not enter Zone B Center, where the highest concentration of terrorists is located, until 31 May. The Yugoslav Army performed the last operation during the GSZ's occupation on 31 May, entering the B Center zone. The return of members of the Yugoslav Army to the central part of the sector has been restored sovereignty over this part of the territory of the FRY, and the entire action was completed by 12.00, when the Serbian security forces entered the administrative line with Kosovo. During the operation, there were no conflicts or provocations by terrorists or Albanian civilians. After entering the village of Dobrosin, the center of the terrorists, police carried out an inspection of 14 abandoned accommodation facilities. In the presence of the President of the Local Community Dobrosin, Reshat Salihi, they found 2 anti-personnel mines, uniforms and military equipment, three radio stations, 100 medical items and others. During the deployment of the Yugoslav Army along the left border of the central part of Sector B, at the Visoko Bilo, sergeant Bratislav Milinković (1957), a member of the 63rd Parachute Brigade from Niš, aimed at a counter-attack mine and received a severe injury to his left leg. He was taken to the military hospital in Bujanovac and then transferred to further treatment in Niš. With the entry of the United Security Forces in the Zone B Center, Operation Return was completed and control over the entire Ground Safety Zone was restored, ending the conflicts in southern Serbia.


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: The Battle of Oraovica was a conflict between Army and Police of FR Yugoslavia and Albanian militant group before Serbs entered last sector of Ground Security Zone. Since the village was outside GSZ, Yugoslav forces were allowed to use heavier weapons, such as M-84 tank. On 14 May Yugoslav forces launched an attack on UÇPMB stronghold in this Albanian-populated place near the border with Kosovo.


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: Fighting began on 14 May at 06.10 AM by an attack on Yugoslav forces. At 07.00 AM guerrillas attacked Serbian police and army again and fired three rocket towards the village. More incidents happened during the day until 08.00 PM. On 15 May Serbian forces captured Oraovica although UÇPMB attacked them at 02.15 PM.


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: Deabtes were high on how many casualties there were. Yugoslav troops sustained no casualties. While the UCPMB had 2 casualties. Yugoslavia claims that 14-20 were killed, 8 wounded and that 80 were captured.


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: The Demilitarization Statement, or the Končulj Agreement, was a ceasefire signed between the FR Yugoslavia and the UÇPMB on May 20, 2001. The Končulj Agreement was the first agreement related to this part of Serbia (Preševo, Medveđa, and Bujanovac). The agreement ended the conflicts that spilled over from Kosovo, with political representatives from the local Albanians, Serbia and Kosovo committing to demilitarization.


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: It sought for the full demilitarization, demobilization and disarmament of the Liberation Army of Preševo, Medveđa and Bujanovac (UCPMB). It also calls for integration of ethnic Albanians into governmental, civic, economic and police structures, and support from the international community to implement the so-called Covic Plan. The agreement was signed by Serbian president Vojislav Koštunica and Shefket Musliu, the highest UÇPMB commander who surrendered.


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: According to the agreement, Yugoslav troops were allowed safe access to Sector B of Preševo. NATO representative Sean Sullivan witnessed the agreement as a broker of the talks in absence of direct communication between the UCPMB and the FRY government. "It's time to use other means than weapons," says Shefket Musliu, the highest commander of one of fractions of the PMBLA (UÇPMB), as he signed the Končulj agreement to lay down his arms.


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: About 400 Albanians surrendered to KFOR and another 150 to Serbian police. They were not charged for war crimes according to the Čović plan and Končulj agreement. Most of PMBLA members joined NLA's war in Macedonia, while others joined newly formed Liberation Army of Eastern Kosovo. Because of lack of members LAEK isn't active. Several attacks on the Serb forces and civilians were recorded after the end of the war.


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: After reoccupation of Ground Safety Zone, Serbia separated it into 3 sectors. The sector B is stretching from Medveđa to the border with Republic of Macedonia. It is controlled by 4th Land Force Brigade situated in the city of Vranje. There are about eleven bases in this area. In 2009 largest military base in Serbia, Cepotina, was opened 5 km from Bujanovac.


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: In 2002 in Preševo, Medveđa and Bujanovac had 57,595 ethnic Albanians. However, they boycotted the 2011 census, so only 6,000 people were recorded. It is estimated that Preševo Valley today has around 50,000 Albanians.


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: During the conflict, 18 members of the Yugoslav security forces were killed and 68 were wounded. Eight civilians were also killed. Some of the deaths were caused by mines.


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: In 2013, UÇPMB veterans erected a memorial with the names of 27 insurgents who were killed in the conflict. A further 400 were reported to have surrendered to KFOR. Seven ethnic Albanian civilians were also killed.


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: Several attacks on army were recorded in this period, such as: attack on watchtower in Čarska kula, sabotage on the pillar through which is powered the base of near Dobrosin and the stoning of a military motor vehicle in the village of Lučane.


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: On 9 July 2009, two members of Serbian Gendarmery were wounded after unnamed 'terrorists' attacked their Land Rover near the village of Lučane. On 14 July bomb exploded near the entrance of a building in Preševo where ethnic Albanian member of Gendarmery lived with his family. His wife and son were injured. Minister of Internal Affairs Ivica Dačić described this attacks as a terrorist act. Same night police conducted an operation on a border with Kosovo, cutting illegal arms smuggling to central Serbia. Minister Dačić also said they found large amounts of weapons and ammunition in village Norča near Preševo. The Government of Serbia accused former Liberation Army of Preševo, Medveđa and Bujanovac high-ranking member Lirim Jakupi, known as "Commander Nazi". He was also wanted by Macedonia for attacks on police in 2005.


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: In November 2012, a monument dedicated to the 27 killed PMBLA fighters, was erected in Preševo's main square. The Government of Serbia was against it, therefore, they enforced an ultimatum to the local government to remove it. On 16 May the deadline expired. On 20 May, the Serbian Gendarmery surrounded the city with 200 men, backed up by heavly armored vehicles and bulldozers, started removing the monument with a bagger at 7:00 AM. At least 2,000 ethnic Albanians protested in the southern Serbian town of Preševo to protest against the removal of a memorial to fallen Albanian guerrillas. The operation was led by general Bratislav Dikić. This crisis raised the tension in the Preševo Valley once again.


title: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

text: On 25 January 2014 a Norwegian citizen suspected to be a Wahhabi member attacked Gendarmery in Preševo. He was killed in a crossfire with the police. His motive was unknown.


title: Breast reduction

text: Reduction mammoplasty (also breast reduction and reduction mammaplasty) is the plastic surgery procedure for reducing the size of large breasts. In a breast reduction surgery for re-establishing a functional bust that is proportionate to the woman's body, the critical corrective consideration is the tissue viability of the nipple–areola complex (NAC), to ensure the functional sensitivity and lactational capability of the breasts. The indications for breast reduction surgery are three-fold – physical, aesthetic, and psychological – the restoration of the bust, of the woman's self-image, and of her mental health.


title: Breast reduction

text: In corrective practice, the surgical techniques and praxis for reduction mammoplasty also are applied to mastopexy (breast lift).


title: Breast reduction

text: The woman with macromastia presents heavy, enlarged breasts that sag and cause her chronic pains to the head, neck, shoulders, and back; an oversized bust also causes her secondary health problems, such as poor blood circulation, impaired breathing (inability to fill the lungs with air); chafing of the skin of the chest and the lower breast (inframammary intertrigo); brassière-strap indentations to the shoulders; and the improper fit of clothes.


title: Breast reduction

text: In the woman affected by gigantomastia (>1,000 gm overweight per breast), the average breast-volume reduction diminished her oversized bust by three brassière cup-sizes. The surgical reduction of abnormally enlarged breasts resolves the physical symptoms and the functional limitations that a bodily disproportionate bust imposes upon a woman; thereby it improves her physical and mental health. Afterwards, the woman's ability to comfortably perform physical activities previously impeded by oversized breasts improves her emotional health (self-esteem) by reducing anxiety and lessening psychological depression.


title: Breast reduction

text: The medical history records the woman's age, the number of children she has borne, her breast-feeding practices, plans for pregnancy and nursing of the infant, medication allergies, and tendency to bleeding. Additional to the personal medical information, are her history of tobacco smoking and concomitant diseases, breast-surgery and breast-disease histories, family history of breast cancer, and complaints of neck, back, shoulder pain, breast sensitivity, rashes, infection, and upper extremity numbness.


title: Breast reduction

text: The physical examination records and establishes the accurate measures of the woman's body mass index, vital signs, the mass of each breast, the degree of inframammary intertrigo present, the degree of breast ptosis, the degree of enlargement of each breast, lesions to the skin envelope, the degree of sensation in the nipple–areola complex (NAC), and discharges from the nipple. Also noted are the secondary effects of the enlarged breasts, such as shoulder-notching by the brassière strap from the breast weight, kyphosis (excessive, backwards curvature of the thoracic region of the spinal column), skin irritation, and skin rash affecting the breast crease (IMF).


title: Breast reduction

text: A woman develops large breasts usually during thelarche (the pubertal breast-development stage), but large breasts can also develop postpartum, after gaining weight, at menopause, and at any age. Whereas macromastia usually develops in consequence to the hypertrophy (overdevelopment) of adipose fat, rather than to milk-gland hypertrophy. Moreover, many women are genetically predisposed to developing large breasts, the size and weight of which often are increased either by pregnancy or by weight gain, or by both conditions; there also exist iatrogenic (physician-caused) conditions such as post–mastectomy and post–lumpectomy asymmetry. Nonetheless, it is statistically rare for a young woman to experience virginal mammary hypertrophy that results in massive, oversized breasts, and recurrent breast hypertrophy.


title: Breast reduction

text: The abnormal enlargement of the breast tissues to a volume in excess of the normal bust-to-body proportions can be caused either by the overdevelopment of the milk glands or of the adipose tissue, or by a combination of both occurrences of hypertrophy. The resultant breast-volume increases can range from the mild (<300 gm) to the moderate (ca. 300–800 gm) to the severe (>800 gm). Macromastia can be manifested either as a unilateral condition or as a bilateral condition (single-breasted enlargement or double-breasted enlargement) that can occur in combination with sagging, breast ptosis that is determined by the degree to which the nipple has descended below the inframammary fold (IMF).


title: Breast reduction

text: Breast hypertrophy (macromastia and gigantomastia) does not respond to medical therapy; yet a weight-reduction regimen for the over-weight woman can alleviate some of the excessive size and volume of her abnormally enlarged breasts. Physical therapy provides some relief for neck, back, or shoulder pain. Skin care will diminish breast crease inflammation and lessen the symptoms caused by moisture, such as irritation, chafing, infection, and bleeding.


title: Breast reduction

text: The traditional surgical techniques for breast reduction remodel the breast mound using a skin and glandular (breast tissue) pedicle (inferior, superior, central), and then trim and re-drape the skin envelope into a new breast of natural size, shape, and contour; yet it produces long surgical scars upon the breast hemisphere. In response, L. Benelli, in 1990, presented the round block mammoplasty, a minimal-scar periareolar incision technique that produces only a periareolar scar – around the NAC, where the dark-to-light skin-color transition hides the surgical scar.


title: Breast reduction

text: A reduction mammoplasty to re-size enlarged breasts and to correct breast ptosis resects (cuts and removes) excess tissues (glandular, adipose, skin), overstretched suspensory ligaments, and transposes the NAC higher upon the breast hemisphere. During puberty, the breast grows in consequence to the influences of the hormones estrogen and progesterone; as a mammary gland the breast is composed of lobules of glandular tissue, each of which is drained by a lactiferous duct that empties to the nipple. Most of the volume (ca. 90%) and rounded contour of the breasts are conferred by the adipose fat interspersed amongst the lobules – except during pregnancy and lactation, when breast milk constitutes most of the breast volume.


title: Breast reduction

text: Surgically, the breast is an apocrine gland overlaying the chest – attached at the nipple and suspended with ligaments from the chest – which is integral to the skin, the body integument of the woman. The dimensions and weight of the breasts vary with her age and habitus (body build and physical constitution); hence small-to-medium-sized breasts weigh approximately 500 gm, or less, and large breasts weigh approximately 750–1,000 gm. Anatomically, the breast topography and the hemispheric locale of the NAC are particular to each woman; thus, the desirable, average measurements are a 21–23 cm sternal distance (nipple to sternum-bone notch), and a 5–7 cm inferior-limb distance (NAC to IMF).


title: Breast reduction

text: The arterial blood supply of the breast has medial and lateral vascular components; it is supplied with blood by the internal mammary artery (from the medial aspect), the lateral thoracic artery (from the lateral aspect), and the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th intercostal perforating arteries. Drainage of venous blood from the breast is by the superficial vein system under the dermis, and by the deep vein system parallel to the artery system. The primary lymph drainage system is the retromammary lymph plexus in the pectoral fascia. Sensation in the breast is established by the peripheral nervous system innervation of the anterior and lateral cutaneous branches of the 4th, 5th, and 6th intercostal nerves, and thoracic spinal nerve 4 (T4 nerve) innervates and supplies sensation to the NAC.


title: Breast reduction

text: In realizing the breast-reduction corrections, the plastic surgeon takes anatomic and histologic account of the biomechanical, load-bearing properties of the glandular, adipose, and skin tissues that compose and support the breast; among the properties of the soft tissues of the breast is near-incompressibility (Poisson's ratio of ~0.5).


title: Breast reduction

text: Reduction mammoplasty, either surgery or lipectomy, proportionately re-sizes the enlarged, sagging breasts of a woman affected either with macromastia (>500 gm increase per breast) or with gigantomastia (>1,000 gm increase per breast). Breast reduction surgery has two technical aspects: (i) the skin-incision pattern and the skin- and glandular-tissue excision technique applied for access to and removal of breast parenchyma tissue. The incision pattern and the area of skin-envelope tissue to be removed determine the locales and the lengths of the surgical scars; (ii) the final shape and contour of the reduced breast are determined by the area of the tissues remaining in the breast, and that the skin- and glandular-tissue pedicle has a proper supply of nerves and blood vessels (arterial and venous) that ensure its tissue viability.


title: Breast reduction

text: The specific reduction mammoplasty procedure is determined by the volume of breast tissues (glandular, adipose, skin) to be resected (cut and removed) from each breast, and the degree of breast ptosis present: Pseudoptosis (sagging of the inferior pole of the breast; the nipple is at or above the inframammary fold); Grade I: Mild ptosis (the nipple is below the IMF, but above the lower pole of the breast); Grade II: Moderate ptosis (the nipple is below the IMF; yet some lower-pole breast tissue hangs lower than the nipple); Grade III: Severe ptosis (the nipple is far below the IMF; no breast tissue is below the nipple). The full, corrective outcome of the surgical re-establishment of a bodily proportionate bust becomes evident at 6-months to 1-year post-operative, during which period the reduced and lifted breast tissues settle upon and into the chest. The post-operative convalescence is weeks long, depending upon the corrections performed; and some women might experience painful breast-enlargement during the first post-operative menstruation.


title: Breast reduction

text: Breast reduction surgery cannot be performed if the woman is lactating, or has recently ceased lactating; if her breasts contain unevaluated tissue masses, or unidentified microcalcifications; if she has a systemic illness; if she is unable to understand the technical limitations of the plastic surgery; and her inability to accept the possible medical complications of the procedure. Additionally, recent research has indicated that mammograms should not be done with any increased frequency in patients undergoing breast surgery, including breast augmentation, mastopexy, and breast reduction.


title: Breast reduction

text: The inferior pedicle (central mound) features a blood vessel supply (arterial and venous) for the NAC from an inferior, centrally-based attachment to the chest wall. The skin pedicle maintains the innervation and vascular viability of the NAC, which produces a reduced, sensitive breast with full lactational capability and function. The volume and size reduction of hypertrophied breasts is performed with a periareolar incision to the NAC, which then extends downwards, following the natural curve of the breast hemisphere. After cutting and removing the requisite quantities of tissue (glandular, adipose, skin), the NAC is transposed higher upon the breast hemisphere; thereby the inferior pedicle technique produces an elevated bust with breasts that are proportionate to the woman's person. Nonetheless, breast-reduction with an inferior pedicle, occasionally produces breasts that appear squared; yet, the technique effectively reduces the very enlarged breasts of macromastia and gigantomastia.


title: Breast reduction

text: The breast reduction performed with the vertical-scar technique usually produces a well-projected bust featuring breasts with short incision scars and a NAC elevated by means of a pedicle (superior, medial, lateral) that maintains the biologic and functional viability of the NAC. The increased projection of the reduced bust is achieved by medially gathering the folds of the skin-envelope and suturing the inner and outer portions of the remaining breast gland to provide a support pillar, and upward projection of the NAC . The vertical-scar reduction mammoplasty is best suited for removing small areas of the skin envelope and small volumes of internal tissues (glandular, adipose) from the lateral and the inferior portions of the breast hemisphere; thus the short incision scars.


title: Breast reduction

text: The breast reduction performed with the horizontal-scar technique features a horizontal incision along the inframammary fold (IMF) and a NAC pedicle. To elevate the NAC, the technique usually employs either an inferior pedicle or an inferior-lateral pedicle, and features no vertical incision (like the anchor pattern). The horizontal-scar technique best applies to the woman whose oversized breasts are too large for a vertical-incision technique (e.g. the lollipop pattern); and it has two therapeutic advantages: no vertical incision-scar to the breast hemisphere, and better healing of the periareolar scar of the transposed NAC. The potential disadvantages are box-shaped breasts with thick (hypertrophied) incision scars, especially at the inframammary fold.


title: Breast reduction

text: The breast reduction performed with the free nipple-graft technique transposes the NAC as a tissue graft without a blood supply, without a skin and glandular pedicle. The therapeutic advantage is the greater volume of breast tissues (glandular, adipose, skin) that can be resected to produce a proportionate breast. The therapeutic disadvantage is a breast without a sensitive NAC, and without lactational capability. The medically indicated candidates are: the woman whose health presents a high risk of ischemia (localized tissue anemia) of the NAC, which might cause tissue necrosis; the diabetic woman; the woman who is a tobacco smoker; the woman whose oversized breasts have an approximate NAC-to-IMF measure of 20 cm; and the woman who has macromastia, requiring much resecting of the breast tissues.


title: Breast reduction

text: The breast reduction performed with the liposuction-only technique usually applies to the woman whose oversized breasts require the removal of a medium volume of internal tissue; and to the woman whose health precludes her being under the extended anaesthesia usual to surgical breast-reduction operations. The ideal lipectomy candidate is the woman whose low-density breasts are principally composed of adipose tissue, have a relatively elastic skin envelope, and manifest mild ptosis. The therapeutic advantages of the liposuction-only technique are the small incision-scars required for access to the breast interior, hence, a shorter post-operative healing period for the incision scars; the therapeutic disadvantage is limited breast-reduction volumes.


title: Breast reduction

text: The medical treatment records for the reduction mammoplasty are established with pre-operative, multi-perspective photographs of the oversized breasts, the sternal-notch–to-nipple distances, and the nipple-to–inframammary-fold distances. The woman is instructed about the purposes of the breast reduction surgery, the achievable corrections, the expected final size, shape, and contour of the reduced breasts, the expected final appearance of the breast reduction scars; possible changes in the sensation of the NAC, possible changes in her breast-feeding capability, and possible medical complications. The woman also is instructed about post-operative matters such as convalescence and the proper care of the surgical wounds to the breasts.


title: Breast reduction

text: Incision-plan delineation: to the breasts of the standing patient, the plastic surgeon delineates the mosque dome skin-incision plan, and the area representing the superior pedicle (composed of skin and glandular tissues), the breast midline, the inframammary fold (IMF), and the vertical axis of the breast, beneath the IMF. The upper edge of the (future) NAC is marked slightly below the IMF-level, and a semicircle of 16-cm maximum diameter. In relation to the vertical axis, the mosque dome incision plan displaces the breast to the middle and to the side; the peripheral limbs of the incision plan are marked so that they approximate (join) at no less than 5-cm above the inframammary fold. The circumference of the (future) NAC is delineated around the nipple, and a superior pedicle (10-cm wide minimum) is delineated at the upper-border of the future NAC circumference; the incision-plan delineation continues down as a cone, and around the marked circumference.


title: Breast reduction

text: The patient is laid supine upon the operating table so that the surgeon can later raise them to a sitting position that will allow visual comparison of the drape of the breasts, and an accurate assessment of the post-operative symmetry of the reduced and lifted bust. Afterwards, the pedicle epidermis surrounding the NAC is cut, and adipose tissue is liposuctioned from the breast. The medial, lower, and lateral segments of the breast are resected (cut and removed), by undermining the skin below the lower curved line. Then, the NAC is transposed higher upon the breast hemisphere. The pillars of parenchymal tissue are approximated (joined), and the skin envelope is sutured.


title: Breast reduction

text: The woman is instructed to resume her normal life activities, and to eat a light diet, post-operative, on the day of the breast reduction surgery; to resume washing in a shower at 1-day post-operative; to avoid strenuous physical activity, and to wear a sports brassière; the convalescence regimen is for 3-months post-operative. She is also informed that the wrinkles at the bottom of the vertical limb of the scar usually resolve and fade within 1–6 months post-operative; yet some cases might require surgical revision of the vertical scar. Scheduled follow-up consultations ensure a satisfactory outcome to the breast reduction surgery, and facilitate the early identification and management of medical complications.


title: Breast reduction

text: There is limited evidence in showing wound drains have no significant benefit after reduction mammoplasty.


title: Breast reduction

text: The post-operative complications occurred included seroma, wound dehiscence, hematoma; whereas partial NAC necrosis occurred in 10 per cent of the reduced breasts; yet, after refinement of the Lejour technique, the study "Vertical Mammaplasty: Early Complications After 250 Personal Consecutive Cases" (1999), reported a reduced incidence rate of 7.0 per cent in the 324 breast reductions performed in 167 patients. Moreover, the incidence of such post-operative complications is greater among the women whose breasts required large-volume resection of the parenchyma; in women who were obese; in women who were tobacco smokers; and in young women. Furthermore, wound dehiscence, epidermolysis, adipose tissue necrosis, and infection occur less among women who undergo Lejour-technique breast reduction, than among women who undergo a periareolar, anchor pattern breast-reduction, or an inferior-pedicle breast reduction. Nonetheless, bottom-edge asymmetry occurs more among Lejour-technique patients; the revision surgery rates can be up to 10 per cent. Moreover, the liposuctioning of the breast does not increase the rate of local medical complications; decreased NAC sensitivity occurs in 10 per cent of the women; and total NAC insensitivity occurs in 1.0 per cent of women.


title: Breast reduction

text: The reliability of the lipectomy procedure was confirmed in two studies. The first, " Tumescent Technique, Tumescent Anesthesia & Microcannular Liposuction" (2000) reported that tumescent liposuction is a reliable reduction mammoplasty procedure, which yields consistent results of size, appearance, and texture of the reduced-volume breasts. The second study by Daniel Lanzer, "Breast Reduction with Liposuction" (2002), about a 250-woman cohort, reported that the application of tumescent liposuction, as the sole reduction-mammoplasty procedure, yielded consistent results wherein none of the patients had loose breast-skin envelopes, irregular breast-shape, permanent loss of sensation (either glandular, dermal, or of the NAC), scars, tissue necrosis, or infection.


title: Breast reduction

text: After fat cells are suctioned away via liposuction, it was quoted in the Obesity journal that overall body fat generally returned to the same level as before treatment. This is despite maintaining the previous diet and exercise regimen. While the fat returned somewhat to the treated area, most of the increased fat occurred in the abdominal area. Visceral fat - the fat surrounding the internal organs - increased, and this condition has been linked to life-shortening diseases such as diabetes, stroke, and heart attack.


title: Breast reduction

text: The reduction of oversized breasts by liposuction only (lipectomy) is indicated when a minor-to-moderate volume-reduction is required, and there is no breast ptosis to correct. However, in a 2001 study of 250 patients, nipple and breast elevation of between 3 cm and 15 cm was reported. Further indications for lipectomy are presented by: (i) the woman who requires a large-volume reduction, and wants un-scarred, sensate breasts, yet will accept a degree of ptosis; (ii) the woman who requires a secondary mammoplasty to correct an asymmetric breast, by up to one brassière cup-size; and (iii) the girl affected by virginal breast hypertrophy, as a temporary procedure performed before the conclusion of her thelarche (the pubertal breast-growth phase), given the hypertrophy's high rate of recurrence.


title: Breast reduction

text: Breast reduction by liposuction only cannot be performed upon a woman whose mammogram indicates that the oversized breast is principally composed of hypertrophied milk glands. Furthermore, liposuction mammoplasty also is contraindicated for any woman whose mammograms indicate the presence of unevaluated neoplasms; likewise, the presence of a great degree of breast ptosis, and an inelastic skin envelope.


title: Breast reduction

text: Consultation: the plastic surgeon evaluates the elasticity of the skin envelope of each breast, and determines the degree of breast ptosis present. The woman is informed of the alternative, surgical reduction techniques available for diminishing her oversized breasts; of the consequent surgical scars; of the possible loss of breast sensation; of the possible impairment of lactation capability; and of the possible impairment of breast-feeding functions. The woman is further informed of the possible medical complications, and is shown surgical photographic records of the average outcomes of breast-reduction surgery. The surgeon answers the woman's questions to assist her in establishing realistic expectations (self-image) about the breast-reduction outcome possible with a lipectomy procedure; and that, should lipectomy not satisfactorily reduce the volume of her breasts, a secondary, surgical breast-reduction procedure can be performed later.


title: Breast reduction

text: The measures of the bust: a liposuction mammoplasty procedure does not feature a surgical-incision plan delineated upon the woman's breasts, chest, and torso. Yet the measures of the bust are established in order to determine the required degree(s) of correction; thus, with the patient sitting erect, for each breast, the surgeon records the jugular-notch-to-nipple distances, the nipple-to-inframammary-fold distances, and any asymmetries. Afterwards, the anaesthetized patient is laid supine upon the operating table, with her arms laterally extended (abducted) in order to fully expose the breasts.


title: Breast reduction

text: Anaesthestic preparation: to limit bleeding during the liposuction, the proper degree of vasoconstriction of the breast's circulatory system is established with an anaesthetic solution (lidocaine + epinephrine in saline solution) that is infiltrated to the deep and the superficial plains of each breast. Using a blunt-tip, multi-perforation cannula, the anaesthetic infiltration begins at the deep plane of the breast, and continues as the cannula is withdrawn towards the superficial plane of the breast. The entire area of the breast is infiltrated with the anaesthetic solution until the tissues become tumescent (firm). Moreover, as required by the patient's physique, an intravenous (IV) pressure bag can be applied to hasten the infiltration; after the anaesthetic has numbed the breast, the plastic surgeon begins the lipectomy breast-reduction.


title: Breast reduction

text: The surgeon effects a stab incision just above the lateral aspect of the inframammary fold (IMF), piercing the skin 2-cm above the inframammary fold, in the midline. The pre-tunnelling is performed with the blunt-tip, multi-perforation cannula used to infiltrate the anaesthetic solution to the breast tissues. A blunt-tip, 4-mm cannula, connected either to a medical-grade vacuum pump or to a syringe, is used to aspirate the adipose fat. The cannula is maneuvered laterally (in fanning movements), beginning in the deep plane of the breast and concluding in the superficial plane of the breast; the adipose fat sucked from the breast is a yellow, fatty, bloodless fluid; the liposuction concludes upon drawing the required volume of fat, or when the fat becomes bloody.


title: Breast reduction

text: After the liposuction, the superficial layer of adipose fat is undermined with a blunt-tip, 3-mm cannula (which is not connected to a vacuum pump). The breast ptosis is corrected by stimulating the controlled retraction of the incision scar, by undermining the superficial fat of the medial and the lateral upper areas of the breast; the maneuver tightens (retracts) the skin envelope of the breast. Procedurally, the liposuction-only breast reduction procedure concludes with the application of an elastic, foam-tape dressing that molds the reduced breast into its new shape, and lifts it higher upon the chest.


title: Breast reduction

text: Technical note: for the reduction of very enlarged breasts, the plastic surgeon makes a supplementary incision just above the medial aspect of the inframammary fold. Procedurally, the placement of this incision later allows converting the lipectomy breast-reduction procedure into an inferior-pedicle breast reduction surgery, if liposuction proved inadequate to satisfactorily reducing the volume of the very enlarged breasts.


title: Breast reduction

text: The patient is discharged from hospital either the same day or the day after the breast reduction operation. Because the liposuction-only procedure featured only a few, small, surgical incisions, the woman quickly recovers her health, usually resuming daily life activities at 14 to 28 days post-operative – when the breast-molding dressings are changed; she also resumes her personal hygiene regimen to include washing under a water shower. In the initial convalescence period, the surgical-incision wounds are inspected at 1-week post-operative, during which time the woman has continuously worn a strapless brassière to contain and immobilize her corrected breasts; afterwards, she continuously wears a strapped brassière for 30 days after the breast-reduction operation.


title: Breast reduction

text: Early complications include infection and hematoma (blood outside the vascular system); late complications include an unsatisfactory breast-volume reduction that might require either surgical or liposuction revision. As with other liposuction procedures, the final result of a liposuction-only breast reduction becomes evident at 6-months post-operative; although the edema usually subsides at 2–3 weeks post-operative. To date, no incidence of tissue necrosis has been reported; likewise, there have been few reports of lessened nipple sensation. Generally, the long-term rate of patient-satisfaction is high, provided that the indications for the liposuction-only technique are abided with proper patient selection.


title: Joji discography

text: Joji is a Japanese singer and songwriter who has released three studio albums, one mixtape, two extended plays and fourteen singles, with three of those projects released under the name "Pink Guy", a comedic alter-ego created on the entertainment platform YouTube.


title: Joji discography

text: His debut studio album as Joji, titled "Ballads 1", was released on 26 October 2018 and was his second project under the name, with the first being the "In Tongues" extended play. After a delay of several months, Joji released his second studio album "Nectar" on 25 September 2020. Joji's third studio album "Smithereens" was released on November 4, 2022, and was preceded by the singles "Glimpse of Us" and "Yukon (Interlude)".


title: Krish Jagarlamudi

text: Radha Krishna Jagarlamudi (born 11 November 1978), better known as Krish Jagarlamudi or Krish, is an Indian film director and screenwriter who works predominantly in Telugu cinema in addition to Hindi and Tamil films. He has earned numerous accolades throughout his career including a National Film Award and two Filmfare Awards South.


title: Krish Jagarlamudi

text: Krish began his career in 2008 with the road film "Gamyam" and followed it up with the hyperlink film "Vedam" in 2010, both of which gained critical acclaim and big accolades. In 2015, he helmed the period war drama "Kanche" set in Nazi Germany, which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu.


title: Krish Jagarlamudi

text: His other notable films include "Vaanam" (2011), "Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum" (2012), "Gabbar Is Back" (2015), "Gautamiputra Satakarni" (2017) and "" (2019). In 2019, he also directed the back-to-back filmed biographical dramas "" and "" both of which were all time box-office disasters.


title: Krish Jagarlamudi

text: Krish Jagarlamudi was born on 11 November 1978 in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India. He completed his higher education in the U. S. in pharmacy and computer science and worked there, before returning to India to pursue a full time career in the film industry.


title: Krish Jagarlamudi

text: In 2008, Krish Jagarlamudi made his debut with "Gamyam", starring Allari Naresh, Sharwanand, and Kamalinee Mukherjee. The film was produced by his father Jagarlamudi Saibaba along with his brother-in-law Bibo Srinivas, and his friend Rajeev Reddy who came forward after Krish vainly tried to convince many notable Telugu film producers. The film went on to become a big hit at the box office, and won several awards, including the Best Picture and Best Director awards at the 2009 South Filmfare Award.


title: Krish Jagarlamudi

text: Krish's next film, "Vedam" (2010) is anthology starring Allu Arjun, Anushka Shetty and Manoj Manchu. It was well received by both critics and the audience, winning four major awards at the 58th Filmfare Awards South, with Krish receiving his second Filmfare Award for Best Director. "Vedam" was also the second film to win all the four major awards (Best Movie, Best Director for Krish, Best Actor for Allu Arjun and Best Actress for Anushka Shetty), after "Jeevana Jyothi" in 1975 and had a good run at the box office as well.


title: Krish Jagarlamudi

text: Following the success of "Vedam", Krish was signed on to direct its Tamil remake, titled "Vaanam", starring Silambarasan Rajendar, Bharath, and Anushka Shetty, reprising her role. Like its original version, "Vaanam" too released to critical acclaim. His next film is "Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum" (2012) starring Rana Daggubati and Nayantara. Krish made his Hindi debut film with "Gabbar Is Back ("2015). It stars Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor and Shruti Haasan.


title: Krish Jagarlamudi

text: His World war II war directorial starring Varun Tej named "Kanche", released on 22 October, on the occasion of Dasara. It received positive reviews from critics and was successful at the box office. "Kanche" was selected for the "Indiwood Panorama Competition section" at the 2nd edition of "Indiwood Carnival 2016" in Hyderabad. He next directed Nandamuri Balakrishna's 100th film, "Gautamiputra Satakarni" (2017), based on emperor Gautamiputra Satakarni. The film was commercially successful.


title: Krish Jagarlamudi

text: Krish, next started directing , then after with the personal request of Nandamuri Balakrishna, Krish collaborated with Balakrishna once again for the "NTR" duology, based on the life of N. T. Rama Rao. Both the parts, "" and "", were critical and commercial failures.


title: Vehicle registration plates of California

text: The U.S. state of California first required its residents to register their motor vehicles in 1905. Registrants provided their own license plates for display until 1914, when the state began to issue plates. Plates are currently issued by the California Department of Motor Vehicles.


text: Front and rear plates are required on most types of vehicle in California, including all passenger vehicles. On motorcycles and some other non-passenger types, only rear plates are required. On all vehicle types, registration validation stickers are also required, to be displayed on the rear plate.


text: In 1956, the United States, Canada, and Mexico came to an agreement with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, the Automobile Manufacturers Association and the National Safety Council that standardized the size for license plates for vehicles (except those for motorcycles) at in height by in width, with standardized mounting holes. The 1955 (dated 1956) issue was the first California license plate that complied with these standards.


text: All plates from 1963 until present are still valid, provided they are displayed on the vehicle to which they were originally issued and the vehicle has been continuously registered. Along with the pre-1963 plates above, these plates can be used for the year-of-manufacture program, with appropriate year sticker.


text: The current 1ABC123 serial format was introduced in 1980. In this format, the ABC123 portion of the serial progresses from AAA000 to ZZZ999, before the leading digit advances by one and the progression begins again. All letters are used, although I, O and Q are only used as the second letter (third digit). Series 1SWD000 through 1TZZ999 and 1WAA000-1YZZ999 have not been issued, while others have been reserved for non-passenger and optional plates, such as 1ZZA through 1ZZZ and 3ZZA through 3ZZG for Livery plates, and 1UAA through 1VZZ for Lake Tahoe, Yosemite and Coastal Protection ("Whale Tail") plates.


text: It is expected that when 9ZZZ999 is reached, the next serial format will be 123ABC1, maintaining the DMV's practice since the 1960s of reversing serial formats at exhaustion.


text: On each occupational plate type, the full-size number is constant for each distributing entity, while the small suffix (or prefix on the Special Equipment Dealer/Manufacturer plate) varies. Only rear plates are required for each type.


text: See the Passenger Baseplates section above for the 1982–87 "Golden State" plate, which was briefly issued as the standard passenger base.


text: The use of year-of-manufacture (YOM) plates is authorized by Section 5004.1 of the California Motor Vehicle Code. It is a law that allows vintage cars to be registered to use vintage license plates. Any officially manufactured California license plates which were produced prior to 1963 can be used on a currently registered vehicle or trailer of a corresponding model year. If used on the original plate, a sticker or metal tab that corresponds to the year of the vehicle is required.


text: In July 2009, California extended its YOM program to include passenger vehicles from 1963 to 1969, and commercial vehicles (pick-ups, etc.) through 1972. Any black-and-gold plate from this era may be used on these vehicles, as long as they are "clear" with the DMV (i.e., not used, reported stolen, or any records found, for the last 10 years). A valid sticker must be attached to the plate corresponding to the year of the vehicle that is to be registered.


text: , in very rare cases, California has extended custom license plates to allow more than seven digits, but not to exceed nine characters. However, most plates are limited to seven-and-a-half characters (the half-character is a half-space).


text: In August 2016, California extended the year-of-manufacture license plate program to include vehicles through the 1980 model year.


text: The California Legacy License Plate program offers vehicle owners the opportunity to purchase replicas of California license plates similar to those issued in the 1960s. California proposed issuing plates similar to those of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. The original plan was to restrict the plate colors to what would have been issued to the vehicle when purchased new. After a few months, the program was opened to all model years. Only the 1960s (gold on black) plate reached the required 7,500 minimum orders before January 1, 2015. The 1950s (black on gold) and 1970s (gold on blue) plates did not achieve the required 7,500 minimum orders. The plates were issued from late spring through summer 2015 and, as of 2021, are still available for order from the DMV website. Additional time is required for personalized plates.


text: Prior to 2019, California was the last U.S. state to not require the display of any form of temporary license plate on new vehicles. New motor vehicle dealers were still required to electronically report sales of new vehicles to the DMV, but they were only required to print out a DMV report-of-sale form on regular paper at the time of sale. The dealer was then only required to attach the DMV report-of-sale form to the inside of the car windshield in the lower right corner (from the driver's perspective). Before 2019, it was common for a newly purchased vehicle to be driven around for a month (or more) with nothing but a dealer's advertisement or logo on paper plate inserts in the mounting brackets where the owner was supposed to promptly install front and rear license plates when they arrived in the mail from the DMV.


text: California's lack of a temporary license plate requirement was mocked as the "Steve Jobs loophole," due to the Apple founder's habit of continuously signing a series of six-month leases of Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMGs on a rolling basis for the specific purpose of avoiding the state requirement of having to install permanent license plates on his cars. The DMV report-of-sale forms were printed in regular type not intended to be read at a distance, meaning that it was legible only to persons leaning closely over the windshield when the car was standing still. This made the new vehicle untraceable through casual visual observation by passerby (especially for the common car models and colors), as well as automated means such as license-plate reading systems, red light cameras, and automatic number plate recognition. Thus, drivers of newly purchased vehicles who deliberately failed to carry a FasTrak electronic toll collection transponder could evade toll collection (on tolled Express Lanes, toll bridges, and toll roads where a transponder system was used instead of toll booths), causing the state to lose $15–19 million per year. Vehicle owners who failed to immediately attach permanent metal license plates upon receipt might eventually get cited one way or another for that infraction, but there was no way at that point to retroactively link such vehicle owners to unpaid tolls. This loophole was also deliberately exploited by criminals, who knew that a car with dealer paper inserts was untraceable and in and of itself would not raise suspicion.


text: The hit-and-run death of a pedestrian who was struck by an unidentifiable car with dealer paper inserts sparked the enactment of new legislation in 2016 to require temporary license plates in California beginning in 2019. The DMV's reporting system was modified to enable dealers to print out temporary license plates on special paper, and dealers are now required to attach such temporary paper plates to a vehicle that does not already have license plates. The series that the temporary license plates use is AB12C34, and it will apply to all newly purchased vehicles in the state of California starting in 2019.


title: Great Hall of the People

text: The Great Hall of the People is a state building located at the western edge of Tiananmen Square in Beijing. It is used for legislative and ceremonial activities by the government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the ruling Chinese Communist Party. The People's Great Hall functions as the meeting place for the full sessions of the National People's Congress (NPC), the Chinese legislature, which occurs every year during March along with the national session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), a political advisory body. It is also the meeting place of the National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, which, since 12th conference in 1982, has occurred once every five years and the party's Central Committee which meets approximately once a year.


title: Great Hall of the People

text: The Hall is also used for many special events, including national level meetings of various social and political organizations, large anniversary celebrations, as well as the memorial services for former leaders. The Great Hall of the People is also a popular attraction in the city frequented by tourists visiting the capital.


title: Great Hall of the People

text: The Great Hall of the People was opened in September 1959 as one of the "Ten Great Constructions" completed for the 10th Anniversary of the PRC. The decision to build the Hall was made by the politburo in August 1958. Zhou Enlai believed the final design should give the message that "the people are the masters of the country". After design proposals were submitted, a group of architects from across the country chose the winning design by Zhao Dongri and Shen Qi. Zhang Bo was appointed as the chief architect. The construction took 10 months, 7,785 workers and was fashioned with military-like strategies that emulated the Great Leap Forward.


title: Great Hall of the People

text: Designed to symbolize the national unity and ethnic equality of the nation, the Great Hall embodied the new Chinese character of time in its features, proportion and details. The building covers 171,801 square metres (1,849,239 sq ft) of floor space, it is 356 metres in length and 206.5 metres in width. The centre's highest point reaches 46.5 metres. At the eaves of the main gate hangs the national emblem of the PRC.


title: Great Hall of the People

text: Among them, the central hall covers an area of 3,600 square meters. The retaining walls and floor are paved with colored marble. There are 20 white marble pillars around. There is a 12-meter-wide corridor on the middle floor. There are 6 main entrances leading to the Great Hall of Ten Thousands.


title: Great Hall of the People

text: Each province, special administrative region, autonomous region of China has its own hall in the Great Hall, such as Beijing Hall, Hong Kong Hall and Hainan Hall. Each hall has the unique characteristics of the province and is furnished according to the local style.


title: Great Hall of the People

text: Upon its completion, the Great Hall became China's largest auditorium which had previously been the Sun Yat-sen Auditorium. The Great Auditorium, with volume of 90,000 cubic metres, seats 3,693 in the lower floor, 3,515 in the balcony, 2,518 in the gallery and 300 to 500 on the dais. Government leaders make their speeches; and the representatives do much of their business. It can simultaneously seat 10,000 representatives. The ceiling is decorated with a galaxy of lights, with a large red star is at the centre of the ceiling, and a pattern of a water waves nearby represents the people. Its facilities equipped with audio-visual and other systems adaptable to a variety of meeting types and sizes. A simultaneous interpretation system is also provided with a language booth.


title: Great Hall of the People

text: The State Banquet Hall with an area of 7,000 square meters can entertain 7,000 guests, and up to 5,000 people can dine at one time (as was done on the occasion of Richard Nixon's 1972 visit to China). Smaller gatherings can be held in the Main Auditorium, with larger groups having the use of one or more of the conference halls, such as Golden Hall and North Hall, and the smallest assemblies accommodated in one or more of the over 30 conference halls that are named after provinces and regions in China.


title: Great Hall of the People

text: The Great Hall of the People is the political hub of Beijing and home of the National People's Congress. Every year, in March, the Great Hall of the People plays host to the "liang hui" (literally means "two meetings") event, where both the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the National People's Congress (NPC) meet in sessions lasting for two to three weeks at the Great Auditorium. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) also holds its National Congress every five years in the Great Hall of the People.


title: Great Hall of the People

text: The Great Hall has been used for meetings with foreign dignitaries on state or working visits, as well as large anniversary celebrations attended by top leaders.


title: Great Hall of the People

text: The Great Hall has been used for the state funerals and memorial services for several top leaders. Former President Liu Shaoqi was purged during the Cultural Revolution and died in the ensuing struggles. He was posthumously rehabilitated after 1978. In 1982 Liu was granted a state funeral held at the Great Hall. The Great Hall also held the funerals of General Secretary Hu Yaobang in 1989 during the Tiananmen Square protests, as well as the state funerals for paramount leader Deng Xiaoping in 1997, and Jiang Zemin in 2022.


title: Great Hall of the People

text: The building and its main "Great Auditorium" is open to the public as a tourist attraction when it is not in use. Some non-political conventions and concerts have also been held in the Great Hall.


title: Great Hall of the People

text: In October 2003, Riverdance, the Irish music and dance entertainment phenomenon, was the first show from the West to perform in the Great Hall of the People, Beijing, with eleven sold-out performances. The Riverdance performances recorded a spontaneous reaction with standing ovations at each show which was uncharacteristic for a Chinese audience. Riverdance was officially invited to perform in the Great Hall of the People by former premier of the People's Republic of China, Zhu Rongji during his state visit to Ireland in September 2001.


title: Great Hall of the People

text: In January 2009, American country music trio Lucy Angel became the first American group to be invited to perform at the Great Hall of the People, doing so before an audience of dignitaries and government officials.


title: Spasm

text: A spasm is a sudden involuntary contraction of a muscle, a group of muscles, or a hollow organ such as the bladder.


title: Spasm

text: A spasmodic muscle contraction may be caused by many medical conditions, including dystonia. Most commonly, it is a muscle cramp which is accompanied by a sudden burst of pain. A muscle cramp is usually harmless and ceases after a few minutes. It is typically caused by ion imbalance or muscle overload.


title: Spasm

text: There are other causes of involuntary muscle contractions, and some of these may cause a health problem.


title: Spasm

text: A spasm may be a muscle contraction caused by abnormal nerve stimulation or by abnormal activity of the muscle itself.


title: Spasm

text: A spasm may lead to muscle strains or tears in tendons and ligaments if the force of the spasm exceeds the tensile strength of the underlying connective tissue. This can occur with a particularly strong spasm or with weakened connective tissue.


title: Spasm

text: A hypertonic muscle spasm is a condition of chronic, excessive muscle tone (i.e., tension in a resting muscle). This is the amount of contraction that remains when a muscle is not working. A true hypertonic spasm is caused by malfunctioning feedback nerves. This is much more serious and is permanent unless treated. In this case, the hypertonic muscle tone is excessive, and the muscles are unable to relax.


title: Spasm

text: A subtype of spasm is colic. This is an episodic pain caused by spasm of smooth muscle in a particular organ (e.g., the bile duct). A characteristic of colic is the sensation of having to move about, and the pain may induce nausea or vomiting.


title: Styles of house music

text: These genres have origins partly in house music, and may have 'house' in the title, but they belong to other genres of electronic music.


title: Tom Crean (basketball)

text: Thomas Aaron Crean (born March 25, 1966) is a college basketball coach. Most recently, he was the head coach for the University of Georgia men's basketball team. Crean was previously the head coach of Indiana University. Prior to that, he served as head coach at Marquette University (1999–2008), where his team reached the 2003 NCAA Final Four.


title: Tom Crean (basketball)

text: Crean's basketball philosophy emphasizes fast breaks and transition offense. His guidance of the Indiana program to success from "unthinkable depths" was regarded as one of the most remarkable rebuilding projects in NCAA basketball history. In 2012, he was named the mid-season Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year, the "Sporting News" Big Ten Coach of the Year, and the ESPN.com National Coach of the Year. In 2016, Crean was named by the coaches and media the Big Ten Coach of the Year after coaching Indiana to their second outright Big Ten regular-season championship in four years.


title: Tom Crean (basketball)

text: Crean was born and raised in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, where he played basketball for four years. According to Crean, "I didn't play a lot, although my coach called me his biggest tool, but I knew I wanted to coach." While a student at Central Michigan University, Crean was an assistant coach at Mount Pleasant High School for five seasons, and at Alma College. Crean received his bachelor's degree in parks-and-recreation studies from Central Michigan in 1989.


title: Tom Crean (basketball)

text: Crean is married to Joani Harbaugh, whom he met while an assistant to Ralph Willard at Western Kentucky University (WKU) through a mutual friend, Ron Burns, at a gym where she was working as an aerobics instructor. Her father, Jack Harbaugh, was the head football coach at WKU at the time Crean was an assistant basketball coach there. She is also the sister of the first pair of brothers in NFL history to serve as head coaches: Baltimore Ravens head football coach John Harbaugh and former San Francisco 49ers head football coach and current University of Michigan Wolverines head football coach Jim Harbaugh. Crean and his wife have three children: Megan, Riley, and Ainsley. Riley was a right handed pitcher for the Georgia Bulldogs baseball team in 2019. Crean is a Christian.


title: Tom Crean (basketball)

text: Crean spent two stints at Michigan State, first during the 1989-1990 season as a graduate assistant under then head coach Jud Heathcote at the behest of then assistant coach Tom Izzo, whom Crean had befriended on the summer camp circuit. From 1990 to 1994 Crean served as the associate head coach under Ralph Willard at Western Kentucky. When Willard left Western Kentucky to become head coach at Pittsburgh in 1994, Crean was considered to replace him as head coach. Ultimately Crean followed Willard to Pittsburgh, serving as associate head coach for one year.


title: Tom Crean (basketball)

text: In 1995, Crean returned to Michigan State as assistant coach under the leadership of Tom Izzo. Izzo and Crean became such good friends that Crean lived in Izzo's house and Izzo was an usher in Crean's wedding. According to Crean at the time, "It was a great opportunity for me to go back home. We've been friends a long time. I don't think I would have left Ralph for anything else." During this period Crean served at various times as recruiting coordinator and, for the last two seasons, associate head coach. In each of Crean's four seasons, Michigan State's win total increased, culminating with a 33-5 season and a 15-1 Big Ten ledger in 1999. Michigan State later went on to honor Crean with a 2000 National Championship ring; even though he wasn't on the staff at the time, he'd helped recruit and develop many of the players on the title team.