Ozark

Ozark

Ozark is an American crime drama web television series created by Bill Dubuque and Mark Williams for Netflix and produced by Media Rights Capital.[1][2][3] Jason Bateman stars as the lead character in the series; he has also directed four episodes in season 1 and two episodes in season 2.[4][5] The first season of ten episodes was released on July 21, 2017;[3][6] the second season of ten episodes was released on August 31, 2018,[7] and the series was renewed for a third season on October 10, 2018, which was released on March 27, 2020.[8][9]

Bateman plays financial planner Marty Byrde, and Laura Linney plays his wife Wendy, a public relations consultant on political campaigns who became a housewife before the family moved to the Ozarks.

Premise

Financial advisor Martin "Marty" Byrde suddenly relocates the family from the Chicago suburb of Naperville to the summer resort community of Osage Beach, Missouri,[12] after a money laundering scheme goes wrong, and he must make amends to a Mexican drug cartel by setting up a bigger laundering operation in the Ozarks. When the Byrdes arrive in Missouri, they become entangled with local criminals including the Langmores and Snells.[6]

Cast and characters

Main

Jason Bateman as Martin "Marty" Byrde, a self-employed financial advisor, based in Chicago before moving to the Ozarks. In 2007, he and his business partner began to launder money for a Mexican drug cartel.[4]

Laura Linney as Wendy Byrde (née Davis), Marty's wife, and Charlotte and Jonah's mother. Formerly a public relations operative for political campaigns, after moving to the Ozarks she becomes an advance person and stager for a local realtor, and then a lobbyist for Marty's proposal to construct a casino.[10]

Sofia Hublitz as Charlotte Byrde, Marty and Wendy's 15-year-old daughter, who strives to return to Chicago.[4]

Skylar Gaertner as Jonah Byrde, Marty and Wendy's 13-year-old son, who learns money laundering from Marty and has his fellow students pay him for doing their homework.

Julia Garner as Ruth Langmore, a 19-year-old woman who is part of a local criminal family[12]

Jordana Spiro as Rachel Garrison, owner of the Blue Cat hotel and bar, and Marty's reluctant business partner

Jason Butler Harner as Roy Petty, an FBI agent investigating Marty (seasons 1–2)

Esai Morales as Camino Del Rio ("Del"), a ruthless crime lord for a Mexican cartel for whom Marty launders money (season 1)

Peter Mullan as Jacob Snell, an established local crime lord (seasons 1–2)

Lisa Emery as Darlene Snell, Jacob's wife[13]

Charlie Tahan as Wyatt Langmore, Russ's elder son and Ruth's cousin (season 2–present; recurring season 1)

Janet McTeer as Helen Pierce, Chicago-based attorney who represents the cartel (season 3; recurring season 2)[13][14]

Tom Pelphrey as Ben Davis (season 3)[13]

Jessica Francis Dukes as Maya Miller (season 3)[13]

Recurring

Carson Holmes as Three Langmore, Russ's younger son, Wyatt's brother and Ruth's cousin

McKinley Belcher III as Trevor Evans, an FBI agent and Petty's ex-lover

Robert Treveiler as Sheriff John Nix, who is indebted to the Snells

Kevin L. Johnson as Sam Dermody, a real estate agent in the Ozarks

Evan George Vourazeris as Tuck, employee at the Blue Cat and Jonah's first friend in the Ozarks

Trevor Long as Cade Langmore, Ruth's father and brother of Russ and Boyd. Initially shown to be incarcerated, he is later paroled. (seasons 1–2)

Michael Mosley as Pastor Mason Young (seasons 1–2)

Harris Yulin as Buddy Dyker, the Byrdes' terminally ill tenant (seasons 1–2)

Michael Tourek as Ash, an enforcer for the Snells (seasons 1–2)

Marc Menchaca as Russ Langmore, Wyatt and Three's father, Ruth's uncle, and Boyd and Cade's brother (recurring season 1, guest season 2)

Josh Randall as Bruce Liddell, Marty Byrde's Chicago business partner (season 1)

Christopher James Baker as Boyd Langmore, uncle of Ruth, Wyatt and Three, and Russ and Cade's brother (season 1)

Adam Boyer as Bobby Dean, owner of the Lickety Splitz strip club (season 1)

Bethany Anne Lind as Grace Young, Pastor Mason Young's pregnant wife (season 1)

Sharon Blackwood as Eugenia Dermody, Sam's controlling, overbearing mother who works for her son's real estate business (season 1)

Joseph Melendez as Garcia, an enforcer for Del (season 1)

Darren Goldstein as Charles Wilkes, a wealthy businessman and political donor (season 2)

Damian Young as Jim, Wilkes' right-hand man (season 2)

Nelson Bonilla as Nelson, Pierce's enforcer (season 2)

Melissa Saint-Amand as Jade, a stripper who forms a bond with Sam (season 2)

Pedro Lopez as Jorge Mendoza, a member of the Navarro Cartel (season 2)

Joseph Sikora as Frank Cosgrove Jr. (season 3)[13]

Felix Solis as Omar Navarro (season 3)[13]

Madison Thompson as Erin (season 3)[15]

Production

The show is set at a modest waterfront resort at Lake of the Ozarks, inspired by the Alhonna Resort and Marina, where series creator Dubuque worked as a dock hand while attending college in Missouri during the 1980s.[16] Most of the shooting locations are in the Atlanta area at Lake Allatoona and Lake Lanier, rather than at the Lake of the Ozarks, because of tax breaks offered by the state of Georgia.[17][18] The film crew constructed a set in Georgia after extensively studying the Alhonna Resort property.[16] Some scenes are filmed at Chicago locations.[19] Only a few scenes of the pilot were shot in the city of Lake Ozark, Missouri; these include shots of the locally famous "Welcome To Lake Of the Ozarks" sign and the "Injun Joe Muffler Man" statue. Originally, Jason Bateman was supposed to be the sole director for the first season, but scheduling conflicts prevented it, so he directed only the first two and last two episodes.[20] The series was renewed for a 10-episode second season on August 15, 2017.[21] On October 10, 2018, the series was renewed for a 10-episode third season.[8]

Opening credits

Graphic designer Fred Davis created a white letter 'O', which is featured on a black background at the beginning of each episode. Within the quartered circle of the 'O' are four symbols which foreshadow the main plot points in that episode. Additionally, each of these hand-drawn symbolic images are formed to represent the remaining letters in "Ozark". For example, for episode one, a kneeling man represents "Z"; a building represents "A"; a gun represents "R"; and a falling man represents "K

دوا ليبا

دوا ليبا

دوا ليبا  (بالألبانية: Dua Lipa) (ولدت في 22 أغسطس 1995) مغنية ومؤلفة أغاني وعارضة أزياء إنجليزية من أصول ألبانية. كانت بداياتها الغنائية بعمر الرابعة عشر عندما بدأت بغناء أغاني منتشرة وقتها لفنانين مختلفين مثل كريستينا أغيليرا و نيللي فورتادو على يوتيوب. أصدرت في عام 2015 أول أغنية منفردة لها بعد فترة وجيزة من توقيعها عقد فني مع تسجيلات وارنر بروز. في  ديسمبر 2016، قامت مجلة ذا فيدار بالإعلان عن اعتزامها إنتاج وثائقي عن ليبا باسم (بالإنجليزية: See in Blue). في يناير 2017، اختار الجمهور دوا للفوز بجائزة EBBA. أصدرت ليبا ألبومها الغنائي الأول والذي يحمل إسمها في 2 يونيو 2017. يصنف صوت دوا ليبا بأنه كونترالتو.أهم أعمالها أغنية "كن المختار" (بالإنجليزية: Be the One) ونالت الأغنية إعجابا كبيرا من الناقدين .

النشأة

ولدت دوا ليبا في لندن في 22 أغسطس 1995 لوالدين ألبانيين من كوسوفو بعد تركهم لمدينة بريشتينا في التسعينيات. التحقت ليبا بمدرسة فنية بشكل جانبي، حتى انتقلت إلى كوسوفو مع عائلتها في عام 2008. وعمل والدها كمغني روك خلال تلك الفترة. بدأت دوا بتسجيل ونشر أغاني لها على يوتيوب لمغنييها المفضلين بعمر الرابعة عشر. عادت ليبا في سن السادسة عشر إلى لندن بحلم أن تصبح مغنية. وبعد فترة قصيرة من عودتها إلى لندن بدأت دوا بالعمل كعارضة.

Dua Lipa

Dua Lipa

Dua Lipa (/ˈduːə ˈliːpə/; Albanian pronunciation: [ˈdua ˈlipa]; born 22 August 1995)[6] is an English singer, songwriter and model. After working as a model, she signed with Warner Music Group in 2015 and released her eponymous debut album in 2017. The album reached number three on the UK Albums Chart, and yielded seven singles, including "Be the One" and "IDGAF", and the UK number-one single "New Rules", which also reached number six in the US. In 2018, Lipa won the Brit Awards for British Female Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act.

Released in April 2018, the single "One Kiss", with Calvin Harris, reached number one in the UK, and became the longest running number one single for a female artist in 2018. It won her the 2019 Brit Award for Song of the Year. In 2019, she also received the Grammy Award for Best New Artist, and "Electricity", a duet with Silk City, won her the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording. The success of the singles helped her self-titled album become one of the most-streamed albums on Spotify and achieve platinum certifications. Her second studio album, Future Nostalgia was released in March 2020, to critical acclaim. Its lead single "Don't Start Now" reached number two on the UK Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot 100.

Early life

Dua Lipa was born in Westminster, London, to Kosovo Albanian parents. Her father Dukagjin Lipa is a marketing manager who is also lead vocalist in a Kosovan rock band, Oda. Her mother Anesa Lipa (née Rexha) works in tourism. Her parents are originally from Kosovo[a] but left Pristina in 1992.[7][8] Her father Dukagjin is the son of historian Seit Lipa who was the head of the Kosovo Institute of History from 1990 to 1995. Lipa has a younger sister and a younger brother.[9] She attended Sylvia Young Theatre School part-time[10] before moving to Kosovo with her family in 2006 when her father had been offered a job.[5] There she attended the Mileniumi i Tretë school in Pristina,[11] and became a fan of hip hop artists, which would later influence her music style.[12] Her first name means "love" in Albanian. Lipa explained "Now I'm proud of it. Now I am. But when I was growing up, all I wanted was to be called Hannah, Sarah, Ella… anything normal. Because with Dua you had to explain: I'm from Kosovo."[13]

At the age of 14, Lipa began posting covers of her favourite songs by artists such as Pink and Nelly Furtado on YouTube.[14][15][16] At the age of 15, she moved back to London with aspirations of becoming a singer.[17] Lipa lived with a friend and studied at Parliament Hill School, returning to the Sylvia Young Theatre School on Saturdays.[18][19] In order to earn money for music sessions, Lipa had different jobs, such as hostessing restaurants and nightclubs.[20] She began working as a model for the online catalogue ASOS Marketplace when she was 16,[19] with the goal of meeting people who could help her with her music career.[14] However, she left after a manager told her to lose weight.[14] In 2013, she starred in a television advertisement for The X Factor.[21]

Career

2015–2018: Career beginnings and Dua Lipa

In 2013, Lipa signed a contract with Tap Management, directed by Ben Mawson and Ed Millett, while she worked as a waitress in a cocktail bar. They then offered her a monthly salary to leave her job and focus on recording music.[22] At one of those recording sessions, Lipa co-wrote the song "Hotter than Hell",[22] which would later help her to sign a record deal with Warner Music Group in the summer of 2015.[14][19][23] Regarding this decision, Millett said in an interview, "Dua was really smart – she signed to Warner Bros partly because they didn't have a big female pop artist and they needed one. They really wanted her, so she had the focus of the team from day one."[22] In August 2015, she released her first single "New Love",[24] produced by Emile Haynie and Andrew Wyatt.[14] She released her second single, "Be the One", in October 2015.[8][25] It achieved success across Europe, reaching number one in Belgium,[26] Poland and Slovakia, as well as charting within the top 10 in over eleven European territories. In Australia and New Zealand, the song became an airplay success, reaching numbers 6 and 20 respectively.[27] In November 2015, she was revealed as one of the acts on the BBC Sound of... 2016 long list.[15] Her first tour in the UK and Europe began in January 2016,[5] and concluded in November 2016.[28]

On 18 February 2016, Lipa released her third single "Last Dance", followed by "Hotter than Hell" on 6 May. The latter became a worldwide hit, especially in the UK, where it peaked at number 15.[29] On 26 August, her fifth overall single "Blow Your Mind (Mwah)" was released, peaking at number 30 in the UK.[29] It became the singer's first entry on the US Billboard Hot 100, debuting at number 72.[30] The song also topped the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart[31] and reached number 23 on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 chart.[32] Lipa was featured on Sean Paul's single "No Lie", released in November 2016,[33] which reached number ten in the UK.[34] The following month, a documentary about Lipa named See in Blue was commissioned by The Fader magazine.[35] In January 2017, Lipa won the EBBA Public Choice Award,[36] and released the single "Scared to Be Lonely", a collaboration with Martin Garrix, reaching number 14 in the UK.[37] In May 2017, she performed at the anniversary of Indonesian television channel SCTV and was awarded as Young and Promising International Artist at the SCTV Music Awards.[38][39]

Lipa's self-titled debut studio album was released on 2 June 2017.[40] Its sixth single, "New Rules", released in the following month, became Lipa's first number one in the UK,[29] and the first by a female solo artist to reach the top in the UK since Adele's "Hello" in 2015.[41] Her best-selling single to date, the song also charted in the top ten of other territories, including number two in Australia, number six in the US, and number seven in Canada.[42] Lipa performed at the Glastonbury Festival in June.[43] The following month, Lipa performed at the We the Fest, an Indonesian music festival in Jakarta.[44] She performed on BBC's Later... with Jools Holland in October.[45] In December, Lipa was named the most streamed woman of 2017 in the UK by Spotify.[46] She had four singles reach the UK top 10 in 2017, with "Be the One", "New Rules", "No Lie", and "Bridge over Troubled Water", a charity single for the families of the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire in London.[47][48]

In January 2018, Lipa received nominations in five categories at the Brit Awards, more nominations than any other artist that year. She was nominated for MasterCard British Album of the Year for Dua Lipa, British Single of the Year and British Video of the Year for "New Rules", British Female Solo Artist, and British Breakthrough Act, winning the latter two.[49] This was the first time that a female artist had received five nominations.[50][51] She performed at the awards ceremony held on 21 February at the O2 Arena in London.[49]

The singer collaborated with American DJ Whethan on the song "High" for the Fifty Shades Freed soundtrack, released in February 2018.[52] She started working on new material for her second album in March 2018.[53] On 6 April, Lipa and Calvin Harris released the single "One Kiss",[54] which topped the UK Singles Chart on 20 April, making it Lipa's second number one in the chart;[55] Lipa provided the vocals and is also credited as a writer. The single went on to become the biggest selling song in the UK of 2018 and topped the chart for eight consecutive weeks.[56] She performed in the opening ceremony of the 2018 UEFA Champions League Final in Kiev on 26 May.[57] It was reported that Lipa would be releasing collaborations with other artists coming out later in 2018, such as one with Mark Ronson and Diplo's newly-formed superduo Silk City.[58] Ronson later confirmed the song's title would be "Electricity".[59] The song was released on 9 September. Lipa was also featured in "If Only", a song from Italian singer Andrea Bocelli's sixteenth studio album Sì.[60]

Lipa performed at F1 Singapore Grand Prix in September.[61] In the same month, Lipa was chosen as the face of British car brand Jaguar's new electric car, I-PACE. The brand made a special remix of Lipa's song "Want To", and fans around the world can create their own version of Dua Lipa x Jaguar's song on the Join the Pace website, based on their own driving behaviour or the music they listen to, and share it on social media. Shortly after announcing the collaboration, Jaguar and Lipa set the world record for the "most remixed song ever".[62] In October, the singer released Dua Lipa: The Complete Edition, an expanded version of her debut album that includes three new songs, including the aforementioned "Want To", and her previous collaborations with other artists.[63] This included a collaboration with South Korean girl group Blackpink called "Kiss and Make Up".[64]

2019–present: Future Nostalgia

In January 2019, Lipa released "Swan Song", part of the soundtrack of the 2019 film Alita: Battle Angel.[65][66] In the same month, Lipa stated that she had been spending the past year in the writing process for an upcoming second studio album.[67] Whilst discussing the sound of the album, Lipa commented that it would be a "nostalgic" pop record that "feels like a dancercise class".[68] In August 2019, Lipa partnered with brand Yves Saint Laurent to become the face of their fragrance Libre.[69]

Following the release of lead single "Don't Start Now", Lipa's second album Future Nostalgia and its accompanying arena tour were announced in December, alongside the release of "Future Nostalgia", the first promotional single.[70][71][72] "Don't Start Now" peaked in the UK at number two and became Lipa's second top 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[34][30][73] It also peaked at number one on the US Billboard Mainstream Top 40 chart.[74] Lipa's third single leading up to the release of the album, was "Physical”.[75] The song was released on 30 January 2020 and was followed by the release of the song's energetic music video on 31 January 2020.[75] "Physical" debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 60.[76] A remix version of the song, featuring South Korean singer Hwasa was released on 17 March.[77] Future Nostalgia was released on 27 March, to critical acclaim,[78] following the release of the album's third single "Break My Heart" on 25 March.[79]

Artistry

Dua Lipa's music is primarily pop.[80] Lipa describes her musical style as "dark pop".[25][81] Her music has also been described as dance-pop,[3] synth-pop, R&B,[82] dream pop[5] and alternative pop.[83] She is also known for singing in a "distinct, husky, low register",[18] and her "sultry" tone.[84] During writing sessions, Lipa states she usually comes to the studio with a concept and starts developing the song with her co-writers.[12][16] She cites Nelly Furtado, Pink, Kendrick Lamar and Chance the Rapper as her biggest musical influences.[85]

Personal life

In 2016, Lipa and her father set up the Sunny Hill Foundation in Pristina to donate to the citizens of Kosovo, her parents' home country.[86] In August 2018, Lipa hosted her own festival to raise money for the Sunny Hill Foundation, called the SunnyHill Festival where she also performed. The Mayor of Pristina, Shpend Ahmeti then awarded Lipa the Key to Pristina the first time such an honour had ever been granted.[87] She hosted the festival for the second year in a row in 2019, with Miley Cyrus as one of the performers.[88]

On 26 November 2019, an earthquake struck Albania and Lipa appealed to fans for support and donations to the relief effort.[89][90] Lipa has 15 tattoos, including one in honour of Sunny Hill.[91]

Political views

In November 2019, Lipa endorsed the Labour Party in the 2019 UK general election. She broke down the policies of both Labour and the Conservatives on various issues in an Instagram post and wrote that it was "the most important election in a generation", urging people to vote for Labour.[92] In March 2020, she endorsed Bernie Sanders for Democratic nominee for US President.

Friday Night Dinner

Friday Night Dinner

Friday Night Dinner is a British television sitcom written by Robert Popper and starring Tamsin Greig, Paul Ritter, Simon Bird, Tom Rosenthal, and Mark Heap.[1] The comedy is focused on the regular dinner experience of the British Jewish Goodman family every Friday night. It began airing on 25 February 2011 on Channel 4. The fifth series concluded on 8 June 2018. The show received two BAFTA nominations in 2012. The first series was nominated for Best Situation Comedy, while Tamsin Greig was nominated for Best Female Comedy Performance.

On 13 May 2019, Channel 4 confirmed that the show would return for a sixth series, which will begin broadcasting on 27 March and conclude on 1 May 2020.

Premise

Friday Night Dinner depicts Shabbat dinner in the middle-class secular Jewish Goodman family, reflecting writer and producer Robert Popper's own secular Jewish upbringing.[2] It is set in suburban North London, and filmed there, in Mill Hill.[3] The family consists of mother Jackie Goodman (Tamsin Greig), father Martin (Paul Ritter), elder son and musician Adam (Simon Bird), and younger son and estate agent Jonny (Tom Rosenthal). The episodes follow the family as the sons arrive at the family home and proceed to their dinner, which is often interrupted by numerous things. Most frequently, it is disrupted by Adam and Jonny pranking each other, Martin's oddities and their strange neighbour Jim Bell (Mark Heap), who is attracted to Jackie. Jackie's best friend, Valerie "Auntie Val" Lewis (Tracy-Ann Oberman), is also a frequent visitor, as was Jackie's mother, Eleanor "Nelly" Buller (Frances Cuka). Martin's mother, Cynthia Goodman (Rosalind Knight), referred to as "Horrible Grandma", is an occasional guest to the Goodman household.

Cast and characters

Main characters

Tamsin Greig as Jacqueline "Jackie" Goodman, the mother of the family.

Paul Ritter as Martin Goodman, the father of the family.

Simon Bird as Adam Goodman, the eldest son of the family.

Tom Rosenthal as Jonathan "Jonny" Goodman, the younger son.

Mark Heap as Jim Bell, the Goodmans' bizarre neighbour

Recurring

Frances Cuka as Eleanor "Nelly" Buller, the mother of Jackie Goodman and sometimes comes over to join the family for Friday Night Dinner.

Tracy-Ann Oberman as Valerie 'Val' Lewis, Jackie's neurotic best friend and known as 'Auntie Val' to the boys.

Rosalind Knight as Cynthia Goodman, Martin's mother who is known by the family as Horrible Grandma.

American remake

In September 2011, Deadline Hollywood announced that Greg Daniels, who had adapted The Office for American television, would spearhead an American remake of the series for the broadcast network NBC.[4] The remake was picked up for a pilot, written by Daniels and directed by Ken Kwapis[5] and starring Allison Janney and Tony Shalhoub as the mother and father.[6] The pilot did not go to series.

Pangolin

Pangolin

Pangolins, or scaly anteaters,[2] are mammals of the order Pholidota (from Ancient Greek φολῐ́ς, "horny scale"). The one extant family, Manidae, has three genera: Manis, Phataginus and Smutsia. Manis comprises the four species found in Asia, while Phataginus and Smutsia each include two species living in Sub-Saharan Africa.[3] These species range in size from 30 to 100 cm (12 to 39 in). A number of extinct pangolin species are also known.

Pangolins have large, protective keratin scales covering their skin; they are the only known mammals with this feature. They live in hollow trees or burrows, depending on the species. Pangolins are nocturnal, and their diet consists of mainly ants and termites, which they capture using their long tongues. They tend to be solitary animals, meeting only to mate and produce a litter of one to three offspring, which they raise for about two years.

Pangolins are threatened by poaching (for their meat and scales, which are used in Chinese traditional medicine for a variety of ailments including excessive anxiety and hysterical crying in children, women thought to be possessed by devils and ogres, malarial fever, and deafness[4]) and heavy deforestation of their natural habitats, and are the most trafficked mammals in the world.[5] As of January 2020, of the eight species of pangolin, three (Manis culionensis, M. pentadactyla and M. javanica) are listed as critically endangered, three (Phataginus tricuspis, Manis crassicaudata and Smutsia gigantea) are listed as endangered and two (Phataginus tetradactyla and Smutsia temminckii) are listed as vulnerable on the Red List of Threatened Species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.[6]

In February 2020, university researchers in China employing genomic sequencing found a 99% match between a coronavirus found in pangolins and SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic.[7] Though a 99% similarity is not necessarily enough to link them, a subsequent whole-genome comparison found that the pangolin and human viruses in fact share only 90.3% of their RNA, thus ruling out the animals as a direct source.[8] The initial speculation about pangolins being the origin of the virus may have led to mass slaughters, similar to what happened to civets during the SARS outbreak

Etymology

The name pangolin comes from the Malay word pengguling, meaning "one who rolls up".[10] However, the modern name in Standard Malay is tenggiling; whereas in Indonesian it is trenggiling; and in the Philippine languages it is goling, tanggiling, or balintong (with the same meaning).[11]

The etymologies of the three generic names Manis (Linnaeus, 1758), Phataginus (Rafinesque, 1821), and Smutsia (Gray, 1865) are sometimes misunderstood.

Carl Linnaeus (1758) invented the Neo-Latin generic name Manis apparently as a feminine singular form of the Latin masculine plural Manes, the Ancient Roman name for a type of spirit, after the animal's strange appearance.[12]

Constantine Rafinesque (1821) formed the Neo-Latin generic name Phataginus from the French term phatagin, adopted by Count Buffon (1763) after the reported local name phatagin or phatagen used in the East Indies.

The British naturalist John Edward Gray named Smutsia for the South African naturalist Johannes Smuts (1808–1869),[13][14] the first South African to write a treatise on mammals in 1832 (in which he described the species Manis temminckii

The physical appearance of a pangolin is marked by large hardened overlapping plate-like scales, which are soft on newborn pangolins, but harden as the animal matures.[19] They are made of keratin, the same material from which human fingernails and tetrapod claws are made, and are structurally and compositionally very different from the scales of reptiles.[20] The pangolin's scaled body is comparable in appearance to a pine cone. It can curl up into a ball when threatened, with its overlapping scales acting as armor, while it protects its face by tucking it under its tail. The scales are sharp, providing extra defense from predators.[21]

Pangolins can emit a noxious-smelling chemical from glands near the anus, similar to the spray of a skunk.[22] They have short legs, with sharp claws which they use for burrowing into ant and termite mounds and for climbing.[23]

The tongues of pangolins are extremely long and – like those of the giant anteater and the tube-lipped nectar bat – the root of the tongue is not attached to the hyoid bone, but is in the thorax between the sternum and the trachea.[24] Large pangolins can extend their tongues as much as 40 cm (16 in), with a diameter of only 0.5 cm (0.20 in).[25]

Behavior

Most pangolins are nocturnal animals[26] which use their well-developed sense of smell to find insects. The long-tailed pangolin is also active by day, while other species of pangolins spend most of the daytime sleeping, curled up into a ball.[25]

Arboreal pangolins live in hollow trees, whereas the ground-dwelling species dig tunnels to a depth of 3.5 m (11 ft).[25]

Some pangolins walk with their front claws bent under the foot pad, although they use the entire foot pad on their rear limbs. Furthermore, some exhibit a bipedal stance for some behaviour and may walk a few steps bipedally.[27] Pangolins are also good swimmers.[25]

DietPangolins are insectivorous. Most of their diet consists of various species of ants and termites and may be supplemented by other insects, especially larvae. They are somewhat particular and tend to consume only one or two species of insects, even when many species are available to them. A pangolin can consume 140 to 200 g (4.9 to 7.1 oz) of insects per day.[28] Pangolins are an important regulator of termite populations in their natural habitats.[29]

Pangolins have very poor vision, so they rely heavily on smell and hearing. Pangolins also lack teeth; therefore they have evolved other physical characteristics to help them eat ants and termites. Their skeletal structure is sturdy and they have strong front legs that are useful for tearing into termite mounds.[30] They use their powerful front claws to dig into trees, ground, and vegetation to find prey,[31] then proceed to use their long tongues to probe inside the insect tunnels and to retrieve their prey.

The structure of their tongue and stomach is key to aiding pangolins in obtaining and digesting insects. Their saliva is sticky,[30] causing ants and termites to stick to their long tongues when they are hunting through insect tunnels. Without teeth, pangolins also lack the ability to chew;[32] however, while foraging, they ingest small stones (gastroliths) which accumulate in their stomachs to help to grind up ants.[33] This part of their stomach is called the gizzard, and it is also covered in keratinous spines.[34] These spines further aid in the grinding up and digestion of the pangolin's prey.

Some species, such as the tree pangolin, use their strong, prehensile tails to hang from tree branches and strip away bark from the trunk, exposing insect nests inside.[35]

Reproduction

Pangolins are solitary and meet only to mate. Males are larger than females, weighing up to 40% more. While the mating season is not defined, they typically mate once each year, usually during the summer or autumn. Rather than the males seeking out the females, males mark their location with urine or feces and the females will find them. If there is competition over a female, the males will use their tails as clubs to fight for the opportunity to mate with her.[36]

Gestation periods differ by species, ranging from roughly 70 to 140 days.[37] African pangolin females usually give birth to a single offspring at a time, but the Asiatic species may give birth to from one to three.[25] Weight at birth is 80 to 450 g (2.8 to 15.9 oz) and the average length is 150 mm (5.9 in). At the time of birth, the scales are soft and white. After several days, they harden and darken to resemble those of an adult pangolin. During the vulnerable stage, the mother stays with her offspring in the burrow, nursing it, and wraps her body around it if she senses danger. The young cling to the mother's tail as she moves about, although in burrowing species, they remain in the burrow for the first two to four weeks of life. At one month, they first leave the burrow riding on the mother's back. Weaning takes place around three months of age, at which stage the young begin to eat insects in addition to nursing. At two years of age, the offspring are sexually mature and are abandoned by the mother.[38]

Threats

Pangolins are in high demand for Chinese traditional medicine in southern China and Vietnam because their scales are believed to have medicinal properties. Their meat is also considered a delicacy.[40][41][42][43] 100,000 are estimated to be trafficked a year to China and Vietnam,[44] amounting to over one million over the past decade.[45][46] This makes it the most trafficked animal in the world.[45][47] This, coupled with deforestation, has led to a large decrease in the numbers of pangolins. Some species, such as Manis pentadactyla have become commercially extinct in certain ranges as a result of overhunting.[48] In November 2010, pangolins were added to the Zoological Society of London's list of evolutionarily distinct and endangered mammals.[49] All eight species of pangolin are assessed as threatened by the IUCN, while three are classified as critically endangered.[6] All pangolin species are currently listed under Appendix I of CITES which prohibits international trade, except when the product is intended for non-commercial purposes and a permit has been granted.[1]

Pangolins are also hunted and eaten in Ghana and are one of the more popular types of bushmeat, while local healers use the pangolin as a source of traditional medicine.[50]

Though pangolins are protected by an international ban on their trade, populations have suffered from illegal trafficking due to beliefs in East Asia that their ground-up scales can stimulate lactation or cure cancer or asthma.[52] In the past decade, numerous seizures of illegally trafficked pangolin and pangolin meat have taken place in Asia.[53][54][55][56] In one such incident in April 2013, 10,000 kg (11 short tons) of pangolin meat were seized from a Chinese vessel that ran aground in the Philippines.[57][58] In another case in August 2016, an Indonesian man was arrested after police raided his home and found over 650 pangolins in freezers on his property.[59] The same threat is reported in Nigeria, where the animal is on the verge of extinction due to overexploitation.[60] The overexploitation comes from hunting pangolins for game meat and the reduction of their forest habitats due to deforestation caused by timber harvesting.[61] The pangolin are hunted as game meat for both medicinal purposes and food consumption.[61]

COVID-19 infection

Nucleic acid sequences of viruses taken from pangolins had initially been found to be a 99% match with SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus which causes COVID-19, and responsible for the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic.[62][63] The working theory of researchers in Guangzhou, China, was that SARS-CoV-2 had originated in bats and, prior to infecting humans, was circulating among pangolins. The illicit Chinese trade of pangolins for use in traditional Chinese medicine was suggested as a vector for human transmission.[62][64] However, pangolins were eventually ruled out as the definitive source of (SARS-CoV-2), namely being the bridge that the virus used to jump from bats to humans, after it emerged that the 99% match did not actually refer to the entire genome, but to a specific site known as the receptor-binding domain (RBD).[65] A whole-genome comparison found that the pangolin and human viruses share only 90.3% of their DNA (at least 99.8% is needed for a conclusive match)[65] Ecologists worried that the early speculation about pangolins being the source may have led to mass slaughters, endangering the animals further, which was similar to what happened to civets during the SARS outbreak.[65][66]

Claims about medical efficacy

In traditional Chinese medicine, the claim for the medical efficacy of pangolin scales is based on wordplay and nothing else. In the Compendium of Materia Medica (printed in Nanjing in 1596, Li Shizhen states that "Pangolin scales (chuan shang jia, the name means "mountain-penetrating scales") are able to penetrate mountains, accordingly they can also pass through in the meridians." In other words, medical formulations made from the scales are able to pass through and clear blockages in the meridians that supposedly conduct qi through the body.[67]

Conservation

As a result of increasing threats to pangolins, mainly in the form of illegal, international trade in pangolin skin, scales, and meat, these species have received increasing conservation attention in recent years. As of January 2020, the IUCN considered all eight species of pangolin on its Red List of Threatened Species as threatened.[6] Also, the IUCN SSC Pangolin Specialist Group launched a global action plan to conserve pangolins, dubbed "Scaling up Pangolin Conservation" in July 2014. This action plan aims to improve all aspects of pangolin conservation with an added emphasis on combating poaching and trafficking of the animal, while educating communities in its importance.[45] Another suggested approach to fighting pangolin (and general wildlife) trafficking consists in "following the money" rather than "the animal", which aims to disrupt smugglers' profits by interrupting money flows. Financial intelligence gathering could thus become a key tool in protecting these animals, although this opportunity is often overlooked.[44] In 2018, a Chinese NGO launched the Counting Pangolins movement, calling for joint efforts to save the mammals from trafficking.[68][69][70] Wildlife conservation group TRAFFIC has identified 159 smuggling routes used by pangolin traffickers and aims to shut these down.[71]

Many attempts have been made to reproduce pangolins in captivity, but due to their reliance on wide-ranging habitats and very particular diets, these attempts are often unsuccessful.[37][72] Pangolins have significantly decreased immune responses due to a genetic dysfunction, making them extremely fragile.[73] They are susceptible to diseases such as pneumonia and the development of ulcers in captivity, complications which can lead to an early death.[37] In addition, pangolins rescued from illegal trade often have a higher chance of being infected with parasites such as intestinal worms, further lessening their chance for rehabilitation and reintroduction to the wild.[37] Recently, researchers have been able to improve artificial pangolin habitats to allow for reproduction of pangolins, providing some hope for future reintroduction of these species into their natural habitats.[19]

The idea of farming pangolins to reduce the amount being illegally trafficked is being explored with little success.[74] The third Saturday in February is promoted as World Pangolin Day by the conservation NPO Annamiticus.[75]

In 2017, Jackie Chan made a public service announcement called WildAid: Jackie Chan & Pangolins (Kung Fu Pangolin).[76]

Taiwan

Taiwan is one of the few conservation grounds for pangolins in the world after the country enacted the 1989 Wildlife Conservation Act.[77] The introduction of Wildlife Rehabilitation Centers in places like Luanshan (Yanping Township) in Taitung and Xiulin townships in Hualien became important communities for protecting pangolins and their habitats and has greatly improved the survival of pangolins. These centres work with local aboriginal tribes and forest police in the National Police Agency to prevent poaching, trafficking, and smuggling of pangolins, especially to black markets in China. These centres have also helped to reveal the causes of death and injury among Taiwan's pangolin population.[78]

Today, Taiwan has the highest population density of pangolins in the world.

MARTIN LEWIS

MARTIN LEWIS

Martin Steven Lewis OBE (born 9 May 1972 in Manchester, England) is an English journalist and television presenter. He founded the website MoneySavingExpert.com.

Early life and education

Lewis was born at Withington Hospital in Manchester in 1972. His family lived in the Manchester suburb of Didsbury. While still a child, Lewis moved with his family to the village of Norley near Delamere Forest in rural Cheshire where his father was appointed headmaster of Delamere Forest School; a Jewish school for students with special educational needs.[1] He lost his mother in a car accident during his childhood, and in later life became a patron of the children's bereavement charity Grief Encounter and an advocate for life insurance.[2]

Lewis attended the King's School, a private school in Chester.[3] Lewis went on to read government and law at the London School of Economics. In 1997, Lewis became a postgraduate student in broadcast journalism at Cardiff University's Centre for Journalism Studies. In 2013, Lewis was given an honorary doctorate in business administration from the University of Chester.

Career

Early career

After graduating, Lewis was the general secretary of the LSE Students' Union. He then went to work in the City of London for the Brunswick Group, a financial communications consultancy.[4]

Lewis also tried stand-up comedy, with material written by his university friend Gary Delaney.

TV and radio

After graduating in journalism at Cardiff University, Lewis became a producer for the BBC Business Unit working on the BBC Radio Five Live business programmes and as an editor of BBC Radio 4's Today programme business slot.[4][5]

Lewis then moved to satellite channel Simply Money, fronted by Angela Rippon, where he cultivated his "Money Saving Expert" persona.[5] From the outset, the channel suffered poor viewing figures and its main backer, Invest TV Resources, withdrew their support in March 2001. Almost all of its 51 staff, including Lewis, lost their jobs.[6]

After the collapse of Simply Money, Lewis contributed to a "Deal of the Week" column in the Sunday Express. Lewis also presented "Money Saving Expert" slots on Channel 5's daytime show, Open House with Gloria Hunniford.

Lewis returned to the BBC to work as a business and personal finance reporter for the Corporation's BBC One Breakfast News.[7]

In 2005, Lewis presented a daytime television series on ITV called Make Me Rich and in 2008 and a peak time programme on Five called It Pays to Watch!.[8] Lewis has also presented money special editions for ITV's Tonight and has featured as a "Money Saving Expert" on several other magazine programmes including Good Morning Britain and Lorraine.

Lewis currently appears on ITV's This Morning, Channel 5's The Wright Stuff and as an occasional guest on other news and magazine programmes. In 2012, he began co-presenting The Martin Lewis Money Show, alongside Saira Khan.

Money Saving Expert

In October 2002, Martin appeared in the Meridian Trust's (now Public Service Broadcasting Trust) live Spotlight Programme "Save yourself a fortune" on ITV Meridian as their Money Saving Expert for the first time. The programme subsequently won the Royal Television Society Educational Award – 2002 Campaigns and Seasons.[9]

Lewis created and runs the website MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE), which was originally designed for a cost of just £100 in February 2003.[10] In September 2012 he sold the website to the Moneysupermarket.com group for up to £87m, while remaining editor-in-chief. The deal saw Lewis receive £35m cash upfront in addition to 22.1m shares in Moneysupermarket.com and £27m in future payments.[11] He simultaneously announced his intention to give £10m to charity, of which £1m would go to Citizens Advice.[12]

In July 2015 Lewis sold just over half his shareholding in Moneysupermarket.com, obtained in the sale of Money Saving Expert, for £25.2 million.[13] On the back of this, he donated a further £1m to Citizens Advice and £500,000 each to The Trussell Trust and the Personal Finance Education Group to fund financial triage and education work.[14]

On 23 April 2018 it was announced that Lewis would be suing social media giant Facebook for defamation over fake adverts using his face and name, mostly promoting "bitcoin" and "investing".

Writing career

Newspapers

Lewis has a fortnightly column in The Sunday Post and a regional syndicated column in The Yorkshire Post, the Manchester Evening News and the Express & Star amongst others. He has been a columnist for The Sunday Times, News of the World, The Guardian and the Sunday Express. All his columns are on the theme of saving money.

Controversy

Unauthorised business promotion

In 2010, Martin Lewis was a presenter on GMTV with Lorraine, a weekday morning chat show. The programme includes a regular feature called "Deals of the Week". Ofcom investigated a complaint that the programme promoted MoneySavingExpert.com, a website owned and run by Lewis as a commercial enterprise.

Lewis denied any wrongdoing, and continues to do so. However, the Ofcom report concluded: "By inviting viewers to obtain further information and vouchers on the GMTV website, and then re-directing them to Martin Lewis' commercial website to obtain that information, the programme was effectively promoting his business. As a result of this promotion, the programme was in breach of Rule 10.3 of the Code."[15][16]

No action was taken against Lewis.

Campaigns

Bank charges

In late 2005, campaigns against what were claimed to be unfair bank charges gained momentum and a few small websites started to highlight the issue. Lewis was at the forefront of the media campaign to reclaim what he states are unfair and unlawful fees charged by UK banks. He presented the first mainstream television programme on how to get your money back (ITV1's Tonight) and in November 2006 published a step-by-step guide, including template letters as well as regularly appearing across the media to champion the issue.[17]

His campaign suffered a major setback in November 2009 when the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom ruled that the charges imposed by banks formed part of their fees for current account services and could not be assessed for fairness under the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations.[18] Lewis, along with and other consumer groups, hired Ray Cox QC (a barrister with previous experience of banking cases)[19] to look into new legal arguments for account holders wishing to reclaim charges, which might possibly use regulation 5 of the Unfair Terms act as suggested by the Supreme Court Judgement.[20] This attempt suffered a further setback when, on 22 December 2009, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) issued a statement saying that it had decided against taking forward such an investigation because it "would have a very limited scope and low prospects of success".[21] Lewis published updated template letters allowing individuals to attempt to recover bank charges on financial hardship grounds on 2 February 2010,[22] and information regarding claims on legal grounds made via courts was published on 24 February 2010.

Energy bills

In summer 2008, Lewis appeared on several television and radio programmes exhorting consumers to "cap your energy bills now", based on the prediction that there would be a further round of price increases at the end of 2008.[23] "Capping prices" involved consumers locking themselves into rates higher than prevailing un-capped rates. After that point British Gas announced an increase of 30% on its un-capped prices, though in January 2009 UK energy companies' un-capped prices were reduced by up to 10%.

Information published by uSwitch, a price comparison site whose business motivation is to encourage frequent switching between energy suppliers, after the price cuts, in February 2009, suggested that "Those who were savvy enough to sign up to a competitive fixed-price plan last summer, before some increases in wholesale energy were passed on, are sitting pretty as prices would need to drop by 16% on average before it would be worth moving"[24] but failed to be clear about which specific capped deals it was basing this assertion on, and when it was sensible to have committed to a capped rate deal.

Student finance

In 2011, Lewis launched the Independent Taskforce on Student Finance Information with former National Union of Students president Wes Streeting and backed by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, to provide information to potential students about the changes to tuition fees and student loans resulting from the Browne Review.[25] After subtle changes to student loan repayments were announced in the Autumn Statement of 2015, Lewis appealed directly to the Prime Minister and engaged lawyers to investigate. He asserted that freezing the repayment threshold would represent a retroactive hike in student loan costs that could "destroy any trust" that students have in the student finance and political systems.[26]

Mental health and debt

In 2016, Lewis launched and provided funding for the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, a think tank directed by former Liberal Democrat adviser Polly Mackenzie to study the link between mental health issues and debt.[27]

Others

Lewis's other large scale campaigns, with ensuing television programmes, include reclaiming payment protection insurance (it is predicted that this may grow to the same scale as bank charge reclaiming).[28]

Recognition

Lewis became a Governor of the London School of Economics in 2008. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2014 Birthday Honours for services to consumer rights and to charitable services through the MSE Charity Fund.[29][30]

Personal life

Lewis is married to long-time partner, former 5 News weather presenter Lara Lewington.[31] They were married on 31 May 2009. She gave birth to their daughter in November 2012.[32]

Lewis is Jewish and practises the Jewish faith.[31][33]

Bibliography

(2005) The Money Diet: The Ultimate Guide to Shedding Pounds Off Your Bills and Saving Money on Everything!, Vermilion

(ed 2006) Thrifty Ways for Modern Days, Vermilion

(2008) The Three Most Important Lessons You've Never Been Taught: MoneySavingExpert.Com, Vermilion

Carrie Symonds

Carrie Symonds

Carrie Symonds (born 17 March 1988) is a senior advisor to ocean conservation charity Oceana[3] who previously served as head of communications for the Conservative Party headquarters.[4]

She is the fiancée of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson.[5][6] She is the first unmarried partner of a prime minister to reside in 10 Downing Street.[7] Symonds first became prominent when her affair with Johnson became public. At the time, Johnson was married to his second wife, Marina Wheeler. On 29 February 2020, Symonds and Johnson announced that they are engaged and expecting a baby in mid-2020

Early life and education

Symonds was born on 17 March 1988 to Matthew Symonds, co-founder of The Independent, and Josephine Mcaffee, a lawyer working for the paper.[9] Her paternal grandfather was John Beavan, Baron Ardwick, a Labour Party MEP in the 1970s and a newspaper editor, and her paternal grandmother was Anne Symonds, a BBC World Service journalist.[10][11]

Symonds grew up in South West London, and between 1999 and 2006 attended Godolphin and Latymer School, an independent day school for girls. She went on to the University of Warwick, where she studied art history and theatre studies and completed her degree in 2009.[2]

Career

In 2009, Symonds joined the Conservative Party as a press officer.[12] She worked at Conservative Campaign Headquarters,[1] and later campaigned for Boris Johnson in the 2010 London Conservative Party mayoral selection. She has also worked for Conservative MPs Sajid Javid (as a media special adviser) and John Whittingdale.[9]

Symonds became the Conservative Party's head of communications in 2018, but left that position later that year[13] and took up a job in public relations for the Oceana project.[14][9]

Public life

In July 2019, Boris Johnson became prime minister and both he and Symonds officially moved into 10 Downing Street.[15][16] The following month, she was barred from entering the United States as her visa application was rejected due to a previous visit to Somaliland, which the US considers to be part of immigration-restricted Somalia.[17] On 16 August 2019, she made her first public appearance since entering 10 Downing Street, when she addressed what she called the "gigantic" climate crisis.[18][19]

John Worboys case

In 2007, aged 19, Symonds was driven home from a King's Road nightclub by taxi-driver John Worboys, who in 2009 was convicted of multiple sexual assaults on his passengers. She later recalled Worboys offering her champagne and vodka, which she believed was spiked and, after returning home, "vomiting and laughing hysterically before passing out until 3pm the next day". Symonds was one of fourteen women who testified against Worboys at his trial. She subsequently told The Telegraph that he was "a sad, wicked man who is a danger to society. I feel so angry that he pleaded not guilty and made us go through the pain of giving evidence in court