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Shoaib Akhtar

Shoaib Akhtar (Urdu, ; ; born 13 August 1975) is a Pakistani former international cricketer and commentator. Nicknamed the "Rawalpindi Express", he is the fastest bowler in cricketing history, with an unbeaten 161.3 kmph delivery. Akhtar made his Test match debut in November 1997 as an opening fast bowler and played his first One Day International three months later. Post-retirement, he began a YouTube career by starting his own channel, where he gives reviews on International and league matches and Pakistani cricket.

Early and personal life
Akhtar was born into a Punjabi Gujjar family in the small town of Morgah in Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan.

His father, Mohammad Akhtar, whom Shoaib describes as very religious and “from a hardworking, economically unprivileged family of the Gujjar community”, worked as a night watchman at a petrol station belonging to the Attock oil refinery, and married his mother, Hameeda Awan, when she was a teenager, and they had five children: four sons, Shoaib being the fourth, followed by a daughter, while his name, which in Arabic means both “the one who brings people together” and “the one who separates”, was chosen by his mother.

He married Rubab Khan on 11 November 2014. In November 2016, they welcomed their first child, a son named Mohammad Mikaeel Ali, and in July 2019 they became parents a second time to another baby boy, Mujaddid. In March 2024, they welcomed a baby girl, Nooreh Ali.

Early career
A good student, Akhtar was admitted to the Asghar Mall College, but he disrupted his studies to attend trials for the PIA team's Karachi division to be held in Lahore. Lacking the money for a bus ticket, he waited for the bus to start and got onto the roof.

After some struggle, starting his List A career during the 1993/1994 season and his first-class career in 1994/1995, he caught the eye of Majid Khan, then the chief executive of the PCB, and after a good performance for the Pakistan A team's tour of England, in 1996, he was rewarded with his maiden Test cap against the West Indies in 1997.

International career
Considering his subsequent high profile in cricket, Akhtar's Test career started rather modestly. He was first picked to play on his home ground in Rawalpindi during the 2nd Test of the West Indies 1997/98 tour of Pakistan. He was subsequently included in the tour of South Africa during the winter of 1998, where he played in all three Tests. He was notably the spearhead of a depleted Pakistani bowling attack in the Peshawar Test against the visiting Australians later in 1998, where Mark Taylor scored his famous unbeaten 334 in Australia's first innings. Subsequently, after 8 Tests and 16 innings, Akhtar had accumulated only 18 wickets.

Akhtar's run of impressive performances started in 1999, during a pre-World Cup series against India. It was followed by outstanding bowling performances in Sharjah and later in the 1999 Cricket World Cup. His most significant performance was in India in 1999 when he captured eight wickets in the Asian Test championship match at Calcutta – including the wickets of Indian batsmen Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar when he bowled both batsmen off successive deliveries. It was the first ball he ever bowled to Tendulkar. He was also involved in Tendulkar's wicket in the 2nd innings of that same Test, when he was perceived as obstructing him from reaching the crease before he was run out by a long throw from substitute fielder Nadeem Khan, leading to rioting in the stands.

In 2002, he was selected for the Pakistan team against Australia and achieved a small amount of success. However, the team performed poorly during the 2003 Cricket World Cup and after the tournament he was dropped from the Pakistan squad. He was selected back into the Pakistan squad as they had no choice in the 2003 Test match series against New Zealand, but struggled in a losing Test series against India in 2004. The series ended with a controversy when he left the field citing an injury leading to suspicions by former Pakistan captain, Inzamam-ul-Haq, about his commitment to the team. As a result, his relationship with Inzamam-ul-Haq and former Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer deteriorated. A medical panel was set up by the Pakistan Cricket Board to investigate the nature of his injury, however Pakistan officials dispelled all suspicions.

In 2005, Akhtar regained his reputation as a fast bowler for his side. Playing in a three-Test home series against England, he made a series of impressive bowling performances. His effective use of slower deliveries proved to be unplayable by the English batsmen. Akhtar emerged as the highest wicket taker of the series with seventeen wickets. His comeback was also remarkable as prior to his return, he had been criticised from all corners; such as by the Worcestershire chairman John Elliot for his celebrity attitude and lack of commitment to the team. His performance was also acknowledged by the English captain Michael Vaughan, who remarked "I thought he (Shoaib) was a big difference between the two teams".

Throughout his career, he was regarded as one of the fastest bowlers in the history of international cricket. He achieved the record of the fastest recorded bowl to date at 161.3 km/h since 1998 when the bowling speed guns were introduced to international cricket with the new speed measuring method. He is also known as one of only three bowlers to have ever broken the 100 mph barrier in cricket history, with a delivery of 100.2 mph, during a one-day international against England at the 2003 World Cup.

Struggle for form and consistent injuries (2007–2009)
On 29 October 2007, Akhtar made his return to cricket after his 13-match ban and performed very well, taking 4 wickets for 43 runs against South Africa in the fifth and deciding match of the One Day International series in Lahore in Pakistan. Subsequently, he was included in the 16-man Pakistan squad for the 2007 tour of India.

Rehabilitation and final years (2010–2011)
Akhtar made a return to international cricket albeit in the shorter format of the game. In May 2010, PCB named him in a list of 35 probables for the Asia Cup. On 15 June 2010, Akhtar made his return, taking 3 wickets for 28 runs in the first match of the Asia Cup against Sri Lanka. He narrowly missed out a spot in the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 in place of the injured Umar Gul.

In July 2010, he was selected for the Twenty20 series against Australia but the selectors decided not to play him in the Test squad so that he would not get injured. He was subsequently selected for the ODI and Twenty20 series against England in September 2010.

Akhtar returned to the national side representing the country against England in the Twenty20 International. He bowled an impressive spell and returned with figures of 2 wickets for 23 runs. He continued to bowl well in the ODI series in the absence of regular fast-bowlers, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, who were suspended by the International Cricket Council amid allegations of Spot-fixing. Despite his relatively good bowling form, Pakistani coach Waqar Younis insisted that the bowling attack must not become reliant on Akhtar, as he was 35 years of age and fitness troubles continued to affect him. Akhtar was selected for the tour of New Zealand and started his campaign off well with 3 wickets on Boxing Day in the first of two Twenty20 Internationals against New Zealand.

Akhtar was selected in Pakistan's 15-man squad to play in the 2011 World Cup hosted by Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka in February to March. During the tournament, he announced that he would retire from international cricket at the end of the World Cup. He was dropped from the squad after group matches and was not included in the quarter final either.

England county cricket
Akhtar has played for three English county cricket clubs: Somerset in 2001, Durham in 2003 and 2004 and Worcestershire in 2005. He did achieve his moments of success, such as taking 5 wickets for 35 runs for Durham against Somerset in the National League in 2003 and claiming 6 wickets for 16 runs in the same competition for Worcestershire against Gloucestershire two years later, but he suffered from fitness problems, as well as a perception that he was less than interested in his task. This was particularly the case at Worcestershire: chairman John Elliott said "Players like that are no good to our club. In fact, Akhtar has been no good for any club he's been at."

Indian Premier League
Akhtar made a successful return to cricket in 2008 in his first game in the Indian Premier League, playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders against the Delhi Daredevils. Defending a low score of 133 runs, Akhtar took four top order wickets which ultimately led to the Daredevils being restricted to 110 runs. He ended with figures of 4 wickets for 11 runs from three overs, a performance which earned him the player of the match award. Akhtar denied that he had any point to prove with his performance, stating, "I just wanted to win the game." Knight Riders' captain Sourav Ganguly also acknowledged Akhtar's performance, "He came to the country with lots [of things] happening behind him...But he showed a lot of character."

Cricket controversies and injuries
Akhtar's career has been plagued with injuries, controversies and accusations of poor attitude. After Pakistan's poor performance in the 2003 Cricket World Cup, he got involved in a verbal conflict with former Pakistan captain and fast bowler Waqar Younis. Later on Akhtar was sacked along with other players, including Younis. In a triangular series in 2003 held in Sri Lanka, he was caught ball tampering making him the second player in cricket to be banned on ball tampering charges. The same year he was banned for one Test match and two One Day International matches for abusing South African spin bowler Paul Adams, during a match against South Africa. In the 2004 home series with India, he struggled with wrist and back injuries, which raised questions about his commitment to the team.

He was sent back from the 2005 Australia tour with a hamstring injury amid rumours of indiscipline, lack of commitment and attitudinal complaints. He was subsequently fined by the Pakistan Cricket Board for avoiding a late night curfew. The rest of his cricketing career was riddled with ankle and knee injuries which forced him to undergo a surgery in February 2006, until finally he was banned for two years for allegedly using performance-enhancing drugs.

Drug scandal
On 16 October 2006, Akhtar was suspended by the Pakistan Cricket Board, along with Mohammed Asif after they tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance nandrolone. They were consequently pulled out from the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy. Former Pakistan Cricket Board chairman later stated that he had always suspected Akhtar of substance abuse due to his consistent "reservations" to drug tests. Former Pakistan captain Inzamam ul-Haq had also previously complained about Akhtar's drug abuse but was not reported to the Pakistan Cricket Board. Akhtar immediately declared his innocence and he declined knowingly taking any performance-enhancing drugs. In a statement issued to the press, he claimed that he could never cheat teammates or opponents. During a hearing with the Pakistan Cricket Board Anti-Doping Committee, he along with Asif maintained taking non-steroidal dietary supplements. He, however, failed to convince the committee of his innocence. In its report submitted to the Pakistan Cricket Board, the Anti-Doping Committee recommended a two-year ban.

On 1 November 2006, the Pakistan Cricket Board handed down a two-year suspension to Akhtar and a one-year suspension to Asif, banning them from professional cricket during the period. Shoaib had subsequently been added to Pakistan Olympic Association list of doping offenders. However, on 5 December 2006 represented by his lawyer Abid Hassan Minto, Akhtar was cleared on appeal.

On 5 December 2006, Akhtar and Asif were acquitted by the tribunal appointed to review their appeals. After a clear hearing from Akhtar's lawyer Abid Hassan Minto, the three-man committee, voted two to one in favour of the acquittal. Justice Fakhruddin Ebrahim, committee head, and Haseeb Ahsan, former Test cricketer, were in favour of the acquittal. The third member, Danish Zaheer, differed. "Exceptional circumstances" were cited including discrepancies between the instantaneous offence charges of doping that were laid and the quick delivery of a very harsh verdict. The complete drug testing procedure was concluded to have been technically flawed as it did not follow standard procedures. Other established facts by the committee included that the duo were not aware of the banned drug to be present in their supplements because the Pakistan Cricket Board itself had not informed them of the dangers of contaminated supplements.

Akhtar and Asif, however, did not play in the subsequent Test match series against the West Indies because the Pakistan Cricket Board had recommended that they play domestic games first to recover form and fitness. On 1 March 2007 Akhtar and Asif were ruled out of the Pakistani squad for the 2007 Cricket World Cup by team officials, minutes before the squad was to depart for the West Indies. The team management along with the Pakistan Cricket Board said their injuries were too severe to risk taking them to the Caribbean. Since neither of the two had been declared fit they did not undergo official doping tests.

World Anti-Doping Agency ( WADA) challenged Pakistan's decision to lift bans on fast bowlers Akhtar and Asif by taking the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland. The ICC supported the WADA appeal adding that it was committed to a dope free game. On 2 July 2007, the Court of Arbitration for Sport dropped the case, ruling it had no jurisdiction to challenge the decision made by PCB.

Other controversies
In August 2007, Akhtar was reported to have used foul language against Pakistan Cricket Board protesting the imposing of fine of Rs. 300,000 for indiscipline during the national camp in Karachi. In the week before the inaugural World Twenty20, held in South Africa, Akhtar was rumoured to have hit Pakistani teammate Mohammad Asif with a bat after an argument in the dressing room. It started after Akhtar was ridiculed by Asif and Shahid Afridi for comparing himself with Imran Khan. After the initial inquiry, Akhtar was found to be at fault and was subsequently recalled from the Twenty20 World Cup squad and was sent home. He was also banned for 5 matches by the Pakistan Cricket Board. Akhtar later claimed that Afridi was responsible for the fight, saying "He made some ill remarks about my family. And I could not tolerate them." Afridi however, denied these allegations adding that Asif would have suffered more injuries but for his intervention. Even Asif chipped in saying that Akhtar was lying and that "Shahid Afridi had nothing to do with the fight", saying that "he has not apologised to me."

On 1 April 2008, Akhtar was banned for five years for violating the players' code of conduct. The ban extended to all cricket for and in Pakistan. Despite the ban not preventing him from playing in the Indian Premier League, the IPL governing council decided not to allow Akhtar to play in the tournament until the end of the ban or unless it is lifted. IS Bindra, a member of the council, was quoted as saying, "Even though they [the PCB] have cleared him to play for IPL, we felt that international discipline needs to be respected." Meanwhile, Akhtar vowed to go to great lengths to fight the ban, "I will appeal, as is my right. If that fails I will go to court, if that fails then I will go to the Supreme Court." On 3 April, Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Nasim Ashraf served a legal notice on Akhtar, calling on him to retract statements he made to a news channel, alleging the ban was punishment in return for refusing to give the chairman a share of his earnings from the Indian Premier League, Ashraf also sought damages of Rs 100 million (approximately US$1.6 million) for "defaming him personally" and an additional Rs 100 million to the Pakistan Cricket Board for "sullying the name of the Pakistan Cricket Board and the Pakistan Cricket team." A three-man appellate tribunal announced on 30 April that they had temporarily upheld Akhtar's five-year ban, deciding to revist the appeal hearing in June. Despite Akhtar's later retracting his claims and also issuing an unconditional apology for "any grief or embarrassment that may have been caused to the nation, particularly to the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf", Ashraf's legal counsel filed a Rs 220 million (approx US$3.37 million) defamation suit against Akhtar in a civil court in Lahore on 2 May. On 4 May, the Pakistan Cricket Board's appellate tribunal suspended the five-year ban for one month, until they reconvene on 4 June, allowing Akhtar to take part in the ongoing Indian Premier League. A day later, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced that they will no longer pursue the defamation suit following a reconciliation between Akhtar and chairman Nasim Ashraf at the house of Rehman Malik, a key political official, in Islamabad. "My honour has been vindicated and now the defamation lawsuit will not be pursued," Ashraf was quoted as saying.

On 4 September 2008, Akhtar was sent back home from Heathrow airport by British immigration officials on visa grounds; Akhtar only had a visit visa but not a working visa, which is required to play in county cricket. He subsequently obtained the necessary visa and returned to play with English county club Surrey.

On 21 May 2009, Akhtar was dropped from 2009 ICC World Twenty20 Pakistan squad because of genital viral warts.

In July 2012, Akhtar accused the PCB stating that there was too much "politics" in the Board and some of its officials did not want Pakistani team to win.

In February 2023, he was criticized for saying that Babar Azam was not a "brand" because he "lacks character" and was unable to speak good English, extending this criticism to other players as well.

Book
In September 2011, few months after his retirement from international cricket, he released his autobiography Controversially Yours, co-written with Indian social anthropologist and journalist Anshu Dogra.

It was met with positive reviews, observers noting the interest of having Shoaib's comments, nearly always critical, on issues pertaining to the administration of cricket in Pakistan, the controversies surrounding ball tampering and his views on cricketers, from Pakistan as well outside.

Hosting
In May 2017, at the beginning of Ramadan, he co-hosted the game show Geo Khelo Pakistan with Wasim Akram. The show ended in October 2017.

In February 2023, he launched his own The Shoaib Akhtar Show on the OTT platform UrduFlix.

YouTube
He owns a YouTube channel, in which he shares his opinions, interacts with his fans and talk with some of the current and past sports celebrities. The channel has been met with a positive response from the audience and as of August 2023 it has gained around 3.5 million subscribers.

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NFN

NFN may refer to:

 * Nafferton railway station (National Rail station code), England
 * National Froebel Network, set up by the National Froebel Foundation
 * Nepal Federatie Nederland, an advocacy organization for the relations between Nepal and the Netherlands
 * NFN_Open_%26_Bloot, nudist recreation federation in the Netherlands
 * "Normal for Norfolk", an example of medical slang

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

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Sion

Sion may refer to

 * an alternative transliteration of Zion

People

 * Sion (name) or Siôn, a Welsh and other given name and surname, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name
 * Shion or Sion, a Japanese given name

France

 * Sion, Gers, France
 * Sion, Saxon-Sion, Meurthe-et-Moselle department, France
 * Sion-les-Mines, Loire-Atlantique department, France
 * Sion-sur-l'Océan, Vendee department, France
 * Mont Sion, namesake of the Priory of Sion

India

 * Sion, Mumbai, India
 * Sion Causeway
 * Sion Creek
 * Sion Hillock Fort
 * Sion railway station (India)

Switzerland

 * Sion, Switzerland
 * Sion District
 * Sion Airport
 * Sion railway station (Switzerland)
 * Roman Catholic Diocese of Sion
 * Sion Cathedral

Elsewhere

 * Sion (Asia Minor), a former ancient city and bishopric, and present Latin Catholic titular see in Asian Turkey
 * Sion, Alberta, Canada
 * Sion, Czech Republic, a castle
 * Sion, Netherlands

Other uses

 * Sion (periodical), official organ of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem
 * Sion, a 1987 novel by Vojislav V. Jovanović
 * Sion College, a former college, guild of parochial clergy and almshouse in London
 * Sono Motors Sion, an electric car
 * FC Sion, a Swiss football team
 * Sion, an independent heavy metal band founded by Howard Jones and Jared Dines.

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1987 Fijian general election

General elections were held in Fiji between 4 and 11 April 1987. They marked the first electoral transition of power in Fijian history. Despite receiving just under 50% of the vote, the Alliance Party of longtime Prime Minister, Kamisese Mara was defeated by a coalition of the Fiji Labour Party (contesting a general election for the first time) and National Federation Party, which won 28 seats to the Alliance's 24. The Labour Party's Timoci Bavadra became Prime Minister.

Bavadra's 28-member parliamentary caucus included only seven ethnic Fijians, all of them elected with predominantly Indo-Fijian support from national constituencies. His fourteen-member cabinet included six Fijians, seven Indo-Fijians and one European. Effective Indo-Fijian control of the government caused widespread resentment among the ethnic Fijian community, and after less than a month in office, the new government was deposed on 14 May in a coup d'état led by Lieutenant-Colonel Sitiveni Rabuka.

Electoral system
The 52 members of the House of Representatives were elected from two types of constituency, with candidature in each limited to one of three ethnic groups; Fijians, Indo-Fijians and General electors, generally of European or Chinese descent.

Twenty-seven members were elected from communal constituencies (12 Fijians, 12 Indo-Fijians and 3 general) in which voters voted for someone of their own ethnicity, with the remaining twenty-five elected from national constituencies (10 Fijian, 10 Indo-Fijian and 5 general) in which candidature was limited by ethnicity but all registered voters in a constituency could vote for.

Aftermath
Following the elections Bavadra formed a fourteen-member cabinet.

title: 1987 Fijian general election


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List of airports in Turkey

This is a list of airports in Turkey, sorted by location.

title: List of airports in Turkey


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Preferred stock

Preferred stock (also called preferred shares, preference shares, or simply preferreds) is a component of share capital that may have any combination of features not possessed by common stock, including properties of both an equity and a debt instrument, and is generally considered a hybrid instrument. Preferred stocks are senior (i.e., higher ranking) to common stock but subordinate to bonds in terms of claim (or rights to their share of the assets of the company, given that such assets are payable to the returnee stock bond) and may have priority over common stock (ordinary shares) in the payment of dividends and upon liquidation. Terms of the preferred stock are described in the issuing company's articles of association or articles of incorporation.

Like bonds, preferred stocks are rated by major credit rating agencies. Their ratings are generally lower than those of bonds, because preferred dividends do not carry the same guarantees as interest payments from bonds, and because preferred-stock holders' claims are junior to those of all creditors.

Preferred equity has characteristics similar to preferred stock, but the term is typically used for investments in real estate or other private investments where the common stock is not publicly traded, so private equity has no public credit rating.

Features
Features usually associated with preferred stock include:

 * Preference in dividends
 * Preference in assets, in the event of liquidation
 * Convertibility to common stock
 * Callability (ability to be redeemed before maturity) at the corporation's option (possibly subject to a spens clause)
 * Nonvoting
 * Higher dividend yields

Preference in dividends
In general, preferred stock has preference in dividend payments. The preference does not assure the payment of dividends, but the company must pay the stated dividends on preferred stock before or at the same time as any dividends on common stock.

Preferred stock can be cumulative or noncumulative. A cumulative preferred requires that if a company fails to pay a dividend (or pays less than the stated rate), it must make up for it at a later time in order to ever pay common-stock dividends again. Dividends accumulate with each passed dividend period (which may be quarterly, semi-annually or annually). When a dividend is not paid in time, it has "passed"; all passed dividends on a cumulative stock make up a dividend in arrears. A stock without this feature is known as a noncumulative, or straight, preferred stock; any dividends passed are lost if not declared.

Other features or rights

 * Preferred stock may or may not have a fixed liquidation value (or par value) associated with it. This represents the amount of capital that was contributed to the corporation when the shares were first issued.
 * Preferred stock has a claim on liquidation proceeds of a stock corporation equal to its par (or liquidation) value, unless otherwise negotiated. This claim is senior to that of common stock, which has only a residual claim.
 * Almost all preferred shares have a negotiated, fixed-dividend amount. The dividend is usually specified as a percentage of the par value or as a fixed amount (for example, Pacific Gas & Electric 6% Series A Preferred). Sometimes, dividends on preferred shares may be negotiated as floating; they may change according to a benchmark interest-rate index (such as LIBOR).
 * Some preferred shares have special voting rights to approve extraordinary events (such as the issuance of new shares or approval of the acquisition of a company) or to elect directors, but most preferred shares have no voting rights associated with them; some preferred shares gain voting rights when the preferred dividends are in arrears for a substantial time. This is all variable on the rights assigned to the preferred shares at the time of incorporation.

The above list (which includes several customary rights) is not comprehensive; preferred shares (like other legal arrangements) may specify nearly any right conceivable. Preferred shares in the U.S. normally carry a call provision, enabling the issuing corporation to repurchase the share at its (usually limited) discretion.

Types
In addition to straight preferred stock, there is diversity in the preferred stock market. Additional types of preferred stock include:

 * Prior preferred stock—Many companies have different issues of preferred stock outstanding at one time; one issue is usually designated highest-priority. If the company has only enough money to meet the dividend schedule on one of the preferred issues, it makes the payments on the prior preferred. Therefore, prior preferreds have less credit risk than other preferred stocks (but usually offer a lower yield).
 * Preference preferred stock—Ranked behind a company's prior preferred stock (on a seniority basis) are its preference preferred issues. These issues receive preference over all other classes of the company's preferred (except for prior preferred). If the company issues more than one issue of preference preferred, the issues are ranked by seniority. One issue is designated first preference, the next-senior issue is the second and so on.
 * Convertible preferred stock—These are preferred issues that holders can exchange for a predetermined number of the company's common-stock shares. This exchange may occur at any time the investor chooses, regardless of the market price of the common stock. It is a one-way deal; one cannot convert the common stock back to preferred stock.
 * Cumulative preferred stock—If the dividend is not paid, it will accumulate for future payment.
 * Non-cumulative preferred stock—Dividends for this type of preferred stock will not accumulate if they are unpaid; very common in TRuPS and bank preferred stock, since under BIS rules preferred stock must be non-cumulative if it is to be included in Tier 1 capital.
 * Exchangeable preferred stock—This type of preferred stock carries an embedded option to be exchanged for some other security.
 * Participating preferred stock—These preferred issues offer holders the opportunity to receive extra dividends if the company achieves predetermined financial goals. Investors who purchased these stocks receive their regular dividend regardless of company performance (assuming the company does well enough to make its annual dividend payments). If the company achieves predetermined sales, earnings or profitability goals, the investors receive an additional dividend.
 * Perpetual preferred stock—This type of preferred stock has no fixed date on which invested capital will be returned to the shareholder (although there are redemption privileges held by the corporation); most preferred stock is issued without a redemption date.
 * Putable preferred stock—These issues have a "put" privilege, whereby the holder may (under certain conditions) force the issuer to redeem shares.
 * Monthly income preferred stock—A combination of preferred stock and subordinated debt.

Usage
Preferred stocks offer a company an alternative form of financing—for example through pension-led funding; in some cases, a company can defer dividends by going into arrears with a little penalty or risk to its credit rating, however, such action could hurt the company meeting the terms of its financing contract. With traditional debt, payments are required; a missed payment would put the company in default.

Occasionally, companies use preferred shares as a means of preventing hostile takeovers, creating preferred shares with a poison pill (or forced-exchange or conversion features) that is exercised upon a change in control. Some corporations contain provisions in their charters authorizing the issuance of preferred stock whose terms and conditions may be determined by the board of directors when issued. These "blank checks" are often used as a takeover defence; they may be assigned very high liquidation value (which must be redeemed in the event of a change of control), or may have great super-voting powers.

When a corporation goes bankrupt, there may be enough money to repay holders of preferred issues known as "senior" but not enough money for "junior" issues. Therefore, when preferred shares are first issued, their governing document may contain protective provisions preventing the issuance of new preferred shares with a senior claim. Individual series of preferred shares may have a senior, pari-passu (equal), or junior relationship with other series issued by the same corporation.

Users
Preferred shares are more common in private or pre-public companies, where it is useful to distinguish between the control of and the economic interest in the company. Government regulations and the rules of stock exchanges may either encourage or discourage the issuance of publicly traded preferred shares. In many countries, banks are encouraged to issue preferred stock as a source of Tier 1 capital.

A company may issue several classes of preferred stock. A company raising venture capital or other funding may undergo several rounds of financing, with each round receiving separate rights and having a separate class of preferred stock. Such a company might have "Series A Preferred", "Series B Preferred", "Series C Preferred", and corresponding shares of common stock. Typically, company founders and employees receive common stock, while venture capital investors receive preferred shares, often with a liquidation preference. The preferred shares are typically converted to common shares with the completion of an initial public offering or acquisition. An additional advantage of issuing preferred shares to investors but common shares to employees is the ability to retain a lower 409(a) valuation for common shares and thus a lower strike price for incentive stock options. This allows employees to receive more gains on their stock.

In the United States there are two types of preferred stocks: straight preferreds and convertible preferreds. Straight preferreds are issued in perpetuity (although some are subject to call by the issuer, under certain conditions) and pay a stipulated dividend rate to the holder. Convertible preferreds—in addition to the foregoing features of a straight preferred—contain a provision by which the holder may convert the preferred into the common stock of the company (or sometimes, into the common stock of an affiliated company) under certain conditions (among which may be the specification of a future date when conversion may begin, a certain number of common shares per preferred share, or a certain price per share for the common stock).

There are income-tax advantages generally available to corporations investing in preferred stocks in the United States. See Dividends received deduction.

But for individuals, a straight preferred stock, a hybrid between a bond and a stock, bears some disadvantages of each type of securities without enjoying the advantages of either. Like a bond, a straight preferred does not participate in future earnings and dividend growth of the company, or growth in the price of the common stock. However, a bond has greater security than the preferred and has a maturity date at which the principal is to be repaid. Like the common, the preferred has less security protection than the bond. However, the potential increase in the market price of the common (and its dividends, paid from future growth of the company) is lacking for the preferred. One advantage of the preferred to its issuer is that the preferred receives better equity credit at rating agencies than straight debt (since it is usually perpetual). Also, certain types of preferred stock qualify as Tier 1 capital; this allows financial institutions to satisfy regulatory requirements without diluting common shareholders. Through preferred stock, financial institutions are able to gain leverage while receiving Tier 1 equity credit.

If an investor paid par ($100) today for a typical straight preferred, such an investment would give a current yield of just over six percent. If, in a few years, 10-year Treasuries were to yield more than 13 percent to maturity (as they did in 1981) these preferreds would yield at least 13 percent; since the rate of dividend is fixed, this would reduce their market price to $46, a 54-percent loss. The difference between straight preferreds and Treasuries (or any investment-grade Federal-agency or corporate bond) is that the bonds would move up to par as their maturity date approaches; however, the straight preferred (having no maturity date) might remain at these $40 levels (or lower) for a long time.

Advantages of straight preferreds may include higher yields and—in the U.S. at least—tax advantages; they yield about 2 percent more than 10-year Treasuries, rank ahead of common stock in case of bankruptcy and dividends are taxable at a maximum rate of 15% rather than at ordinary-income rates (as with bond interest).

Canada
Preferred shares represent a significant portion of Canadian capital markets, with over C$11.2 billion in new preferred shares issued in 2016. Many Canadian issuers are financial organizations that may count capital raised in the preferred-share market as Tier 1 capital (provided that the shares issued are perpetual). Another class of issuer includes split share corporations. Investors in Canadian preferred shares are generally those who wish to hold fixed-income investments in a taxable portfolio. Preferential tax treatment of dividend income (as opposed to interest income) may, in many cases, result in a greater after-tax return than might be achieved with bonds.

Preferred shares are often used by private corporations to achieve Canadian tax objectives. For instance, the use of preferred shares can allow a business to accomplish an estate freeze. By transferring common shares in exchange for fixed-value preferred shares, business owners can allow future gains in the value of the business to accrue to others (such as a discretionary trust).

Germany
The rights of holders of preference shares in Germany are usually rather similar to those of ordinary shares, except for some dividend preference and no voting right in many topics of shareholders' meetings. Preference shares in German stock exchanges are usually indicated with V, VA, or Vz (short for Vorzugsaktie)—for example, "BMW Vz" —in contrast to St, StA (short for Stammaktie), or NA (short for Namensaktie) for standard shares. Preference shares with multiple voting rights (e.g., at RWE or Siemens) have been abolished.

Preferred stock may comprise up to half of total equity. It is convertible into common stock, but its conversion requires approval by a majority vote at the stockholders' meeting. If the vote passes, German law requires consensus with preferred stockholders to convert their stock (which is usually encouraged by offering a one-time premium to preferred stockholders). The firm's intention to do so may arise from its financial policy (i.e. its ranking in a specific index). Industry stock indices usually do not consider preferred stock in determining the daily trading volume of a company's stock; for example, they do not qualify the company for a listing due to a low trading volume in common stocks.

United Kingdom
Perpetual non-cumulative preference shares may be included as Tier 1 capital. Perpetual cumulative preferred shares are Upper Tier 2 capital. Dated preferred shares (normally having an original maturity of at least five years) may be included in Lower Tier 2 capital.

United States
In the United States, the issuance of publicly listed preferred stock is generally limited to financial institutions, REITs and public utilities. Because in the U.S. dividends on preferred stock are not tax-deductible at the corporate level (in contrast to interest expense), the effective cost of capital raised by preferred stock is significantly greater than issuing the equivalent amount of debt at the same interest rate. This has led to the development of TRuPS: debt instruments with the same properties as preferred stock. With the passage of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act in 2010, TRuPS will be phased out as a vehicle for raising Tier 1 capital by bank holding companies. Outstanding TRuPS issues will be phased out completely by 2015.

However, with a qualified dividend tax rate of 23.8% (compared to a top ordinary interest marginal tax rate of 40.8%), $1 of dividend income taxed at this rate provides the same after-tax income as approximately $1.30 in interest income. The size of the preferred stock market in the United States has been estimated as $100 billion, compared to $9.5 trillion for equities and US$4.0 trillion for bonds. The amount of new issuance in the United States was $34.1 billion in 2016.

Other countries

 * In Nigeria, preferred shares make up a small percentage of a company's stock with no voting rights except in cases where they are not paid dividends; owners of preferred shares are entitled to a greater percentage of company profits.
 * Czech Republic—Preferred stock cannot be more than 50 percent of total equity.
 * France—By a law enacted in June 2004, France allows the creation of preferred shares.
 * South Africa—Dividends from preference shares are not taxable as income when held by individuals.
 * Brazil—In Brazil, up to 50 percent of the capital stock of a company may be composed of preferred stock. The preferred stock will have at least one less right than the common stock (normally voting power), but will have a preference in receiving dividends.
 * Russia—No more than 25% of capital may be preferred stock. Voting rights are limited, but if dividends are not fully paid, shareholders obtain full voting rights.

title: Preferred stock


text:
Artix

Artix may refer to:

 * Artix, Ariège, a commune in France
 * Artix, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, a commune in France
 * Artix ESB, software product of IONA Technologies
 * Artix Entertainment, an independent video game developer
 * Artix Linux, a Linux distribution

title: Artix


text:
Cheesecake

Cheesecake is a dessert made with a soft fresh cheese (typically cottage cheese, cream cheese, quark or ricotta), eggs, and sugar. It may have a crust or base made from crushed cookies (or digestive biscuits), graham crackers, pastry, or sometimes sponge cake. Cheesecake may be baked or unbaked, and is usually refrigerated.

Vanilla, spices, lemon, chocolate, pumpkin, or other flavors may be added to the main cheese layer. Additional flavors and visual appeal may be added by topping the finished dessert with fruit, whipped cream, nuts, cookies, fruit sauce, chocolate syrup, or other ingredients.

Culinary classification
Modern cheesecake is not usually classified as an actual "cake", despite the name (compare with Boston cream "pie"). Some people classify it as a torte due to the usage of many eggs, which are the sole source of leavening, as a key factor. Others find compelling evidence that it is a custard pie, based on the overall structure, with the separate crust, the soft filling, and the absence of flour. Other sources identify it as a flan, or tart.

Savoury cheesecakes
Smoked salmon cheesecake is a savoury form, containing smoked salmon. It is most frequently served as an appetizer or a buffet item. A smoked salmon cheesecake was a prize-winning recipe in 1996 in Better Homes and Gardens' Prize Tested Recipe Contest. The recipe called for the use of Swiss cheese along with the more usual (for cheesecakes) ricotta.

History
An ancient form of cheesecake may have been a popular dish in ancient Greece even prior to Romans' adoption of it with the conquest of Greece. The earliest attested mention of a cheesecake is by the Greek physician Aegimus (5th century BCE), who wrote a book on the art of making cheesecakes (πλακουντοποιικόν σύγγραμμα—). The earliest extant cheesecake recipes are found in Cato the Elder's De Agri Cultura, which includes recipes for three cakes for religious uses: libum, savillum and placenta. Of the three, placenta cake is the most like modern cheesecakes: having a crust that is separately prepared and baked.

A more modern version called a sambocade, made with elderflower and rose water, is found in Forme of Cury, an English cookbook from 1390. On this basis, the English chef Heston Blumenthal argues that cheesecake is an English invention.

The modern cheesecake
The English name cheesecake has been used only since the 15th century, and the cheesecake did not evolve into its modern form until somewhere around the 18th century. Europeans began removing yeast and adding beaten eggs to the cheesecake instead. With the overpowering yeast flavor gone, the result tasted more like a dessert treat. The early 19th-century cheesecake recipes in A New System of Domestic Cookery by Maria Rundell are made with cheese curd and fresh butter. One version is thickened with blanched almonds, eggs and cream, and the cakes may have included currants, brandy, raisin wine, nutmeg and orange flower water.

Modern commercial American cream cheese was developed in 1872, when William Lawrence, from Chester, New York, was searching for a way to recreate the soft, French cheese Neufchâtel. He discovered a way of making an "unripened cheese" that is heavier and creamier; other dairymen came up with similar creations independently.

Modern cheesecake comes in two different types. Along with the baked cheesecake, some cheesecakes are made with uncooked cream cheese on a crumbled-cookie or graham cracker base. This type of cheesecake was invented in the United States.

National varieties
Cheesecakes can be broadly categorized into two basic types: baked and unbaked. Some do not have a crust or base. Cheesecake comes in a variety of styles based on region:

South Africa
One popular variant of cheesecake in South Africa is made with whipped cream, cream cheese, gelatin for the filling, and a buttered digestive biscuit crust. It is not baked, and is sometimes made with Amarula liqueur. This variant is very similar to British cheesecake. This cheesecake is more common in British South African communities.

Japan
Japanese cheesecake, or soufflé-style or cotton cheesecake, is made with cream cheese, butter, sugar, and eggs, and has a characteristically wobbly, airy texture, similar to chiffon cake. No-bake cheesecakes are known as rare cheesecake (Japanese: レアチーズケーキ).

Philippines
The most prominent version of cheesecake in the Philippines is ube cheesecake. It is made with a base of crushed graham crackers and an upper layer of cream cheese and ube halaya (mashed purple yam with milk, sugar, and butter). It can be prepared baked or simply refrigerated. Like other ube desserts in the Philippines, it is characteristically purple in color.

Italy
Crostata di ricotta is a traditional Italian baked cheesecake, made with ricotta cheese, chocolate chips and eggs. Also many cakes and desserts are filled with ricotta, like cassata Siciliana and pastiera Napoletana.

Poland
The Krakow cheesecake ("sernik Krakowski") is a baked variety of cheesecake or sernik which uses quark or cottage cheese.

Spain
Basque cheesecake was created in 1990 by Santiago Rivera of the La Viña restaurant in the Basque Country, Spain. It is composed of burnt custard and no crust. It achieved popularity online in the 2010s, helped by a recipe published by the British food writer Nigella Lawson. The Spanish chef Nieves Barragán Mohacho serves hers with a liquorice sauce, which Lawson included in her recipe.

In 2021, Basque cheesecake was widely shared on Instagram and became "ubiquitous" in the UK. In 2023, the British restaurant critic Jay Rayner complained that Basque cheesecake had become overabundant in London.

Switzerland
Swiss Chäschüechli (ramequin in French-speaking parts of the country) are small cheesecake tartlets, savory rather than sweet.

United States
The United States has several different recipes for cheesecake and this usually depends on the region in which the cake is baked, as well as the cultural background of the person baking it.

Chicago
Chicago-style cheesecake is a baked cream cheese version that is firm on the outside with a soft and creamy texture on the inside. These cheesecakes are often made in a greased cake pan and are relatively fluffy in texture. The crust used with this style of cheesecake is most commonly made from shortbread that is crushed and mixed with sugar and butter. Some frozen cheesecakes are Chicago-style.

New York

New York–style cheesecake uses a cream cheese base, also incorporating heavy cream or sour cream. The typical New York cheesecake is rich and has a dense, smooth, and creamy consistency.

title: Cheesecake


text:
London College of Fashion

The London College of Fashion is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London, a public art university in London, England. The college offers undergraduate and postgraduate study, short courses, study-abroad courses and business training in fashion and related topics. The patron is Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh. The current head of college is Professor Andrew Teverson.

History
The origins of the London College of Fashion are in three early London trade schools for women: the Shoreditch Technical Institute Girls School, founded in 1906; the Barrett Street Trade School, founded in 1915; and the Clapham Trade School, founded in 1927. All were set up by the technical education board of the London County Council to train skilled labour for trades including dressmaking, millinery, embroidery, women's tailoring and hairdressing; to these, furriery and men's tailoring were later added. Graduates of the schools found work either in the garment factories of the East End, or in the skilled dressmaking and fashion shops of the West End of London.

After the Second World War the minimum school leaving age was 15; junior level courses at the colleges were scrapped. Barrett Street Trade School became Barrett Street Technical College, and the Shoreditch and Clapham schools were merged to form Shoreditch College for the Garment Trades. Both had the status of technical colleges, and began to take male students also. In 1967 the two colleges were merged to form the London College for the Garment Trades. This was renamed London College of Fashion in 1974.

In 1986 the London College of Fashion became part of the London Institute, which was formed by the Inner London Education Authority to bring together seven London art, design, fashion and media schools. The London Institute became a legal entity in 1988, could award taught degrees from 1993, was granted University status in 2003 and was renamed University of the Arts London in 2004.

In August 2000 Cordwainers College, a specialist school for leather-working, shoemaking and saddlery, was merged with the London College of Fashion. It was founded in Bethnal Green in 1887 as the Leather Trade School. The name was changed to Cordwainers Technical College in about 1914, and then to Cordwainers College in 1991.

The college moved to Stratford in east London in 2023.

It is one of six constituent colleges of the University of the Arts London, the others being Camberwell College of Arts, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, Chelsea College of Art and Design, London College of Communication and Wimbledon College of Art.

Campus
Until 2023, when it moved to new premises in Stratford, the main building was in John Prince's Street, just north of Oxford Circus, with other campuses at 272 High Holborn, 40 Lime Grove in Shepherd's Bush, and – in east London – 182 Mare Street, 100 Curtain Road and Golden Lane.

The new building, at 105 Carpenters Road in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, was purpose-built to designs by Allies and Morrison, which were intended to reflect nineteenth-century mill buildings.

Alumni
Among the alumni of the college are Jimmy Choo, shoe designer, Ioana Ciolacu, fashion designer, and Driss Jettou, former prime minister of Morocco.

title: London College of Fashion


text:
City, University of London

City, University of London is a public research university in London, United Kingdom, and a member institution of the federal University of London. It was founded in 1894 as the Northampton Institute, and became a university when The City University was created by royal charter in 1966. The Inns of Court School of Law, which merged with City in 2001, was established in 1852, making it the university's oldest constituent part. City joined the federal University of London on 1 September 2016, becoming part of the eighteen colleges and ten research institutes that then made up that university. In August 2024, City will merge with St George's, University of London to form City St George's, University of London.

City has strong links with the City of London, and the Lord Mayor of London serves as the university's rector. The university has its main campus in Central London in the London Borough of Islington, with additional campuses in Islington, the City of London, the West End and East End. It is organised into six schools, within which there are around forty academic departments and centres, including the Department of Journalism, Bayes Business School (formerly Cass Business School), and City Law School which incorporates the Inns of Court School of Law. The annual income of the institution for 2021–22 was £262.1 million, of which £12.9 million was from research grants and contracts, with an expenditure of £328.2 million.

City is a founding member of the WC2 University Network which developed for collaboration between leading universities of the heart of major world cities particularly to address cultural, environmental and political issues of common interest to world cities and their universities. The university is a member of the Association of MBAs, EQUIS and Universities UK. Alumni of City include Mahatma Gandhi, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, members of Parliament of the United Kingdom, governors, politicians and CEOs.

Origins
City traces its origin to the Northampton Institute and the City Law School (established in 1852). The first was named after the Marquess of Northampton who donated the land on which the institute was built, between Northampton Square and St John Street in Islington. The institute was established to provide for the education and welfare of the local population. It was constituted under the City of London Parochial Charities Act (1883), with the objective of "the promotion of the industrial skill, general knowledge, health and well-being of young men and women belonging to the poorer classes".

Northampton Polytechnic Institute was an institute of technology in Clerkenwell, London, founded in 1894. Its first Principal was Robert Mullineux Walmsley.

Alumni include Colin Cherry, Stuart Davies and Anthony Hunt. Arthur George Cocksedge, a British gymnast who competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics, was a member of the Northampton Polytechnic Institute's Gymnastics Club and was Champion of the United Kingdom in 1920. In 1937 Maurice Dennis of the (Northampton Polytechnic ABC) was the 1937 ABA Middleweight Champion. Frederick Handley Page was a lecturer in aeronautics at the institute. The Handley Page Type A, the first powered aircraft designed and built by him, ended up as an instructional airframe at the school. The novelist Eric Ambler studied engineering at the institute.

The six original departments at the institute were Applied Physics and Electrical Engineering; Artistic Crafts; Domestic Economy and Women's Trades; Electro-Chemistry; Horology (the science of time and art of clock-making); and Mechanical Engineering and Metal Trades.

20th century
A separate technical optics department was established in 1903–04. In 1909, the first students qualified for University of London BSc degrees in engineering as internal students. The Institute had been involved in aeronautics education since that year, and the School of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences celebrated the centenary of aeronautics at City in 2009. The institute was used for the 1908 Olympic Games; boxing took place there.

In 1957, the institute was designated a "College of Advanced Technology".

The institute's involvement in information science began in 1961, with the introduction of a course on "Collecting and Communicating Scientific Knowledge". City received its royal charter in 1966, becoming "The City University" to reflect the institution's close links with the City of London. The Apollo 15 astronauts visited City in 1971, and presented the Vice-Chancellor, Tait, with a piece of heat shield from the Apollo 15 rocket.

In October 1995, it was announced that City University would merge with both the St Bartholomew School of Nursing & Midwifery and the Charterhouse College of Radiography, doubling the number of students in City's Institute of Health Sciences to around 2,500.

21st century
The university formed a strategic alliance with Queen Mary, University of London, in April 2001. In May 2001, a fire in the college building gutted the fourth-floor offices and roof. In August 2001 City and the Inns of Court School of Law agreed to merge. Following a donation from Sir John Cass's Foundation, a multimillion-pound building was built at 106 Bunhill Row for the Business School.

A new £23 million building to house the School of Social Sciences and the Department of Language and Communication Science was opened in 2004. The reconstruction and redevelopment of the university's Grade II listed college building (following the fire in 2001) was completed in July 2006.

In 2007 the School of Arts received a £10m building refurbishment. A new students' union venue opened in October 2008 called "TEN squared", which provides a hub for students to socialise in during the day and hosts a wide range of evening entertainment including club nights, society events and quiz nights.

In January 2010, premises were shared with the University of East Anglia (UEA) London, following City's partnership with INTO University Partnerships. Since then City has resumed its own International Foundation Programme to prepare students for their pre-university year. City was ranked among the top 30 higher education institutions in the UK by the Times Higher Education Table of Tables.

In April 2011, it was announced that the current halls of residence and Saddler's Sports Centre will be closed and demolished for rebuilding in June 2011. The new student halls and sports facility, now known as CitySport, opened in 2015.

In September 2016 The City University became a member institution of the federal University of London and changed its name to City, University of London.

In 2023, a merger was proposed between City and St George's, University of London. In 2024, the merger was approved by both institutions with a new joint institute called City St George's to commence operations on 1st August 2024.

Campus
City has sites throughout London, with the main campus located at Northampton Square in the Finsbury area of Islington. The Rhind Building which houses the School of Arts and Social Sciences is directly west of Northampton Square. A few buildings of the main campus are located in nearby Goswell Road in Clerkenwell.

Other academic sites are:
 * The City Law School (incorporating the former Inns of Court School of Law) on Sebastian Street, Islington.
 * Bayes Business School in St Luke's, Islington, and at 200 Aldersgate in Smithfield, City of London
 * INTO City in Spitalfields, Tower Hamlets

Organisation and administration
The rector of City, University of London, is ex officio the Lord Mayor of the City of London. The day-to-day running of the university is the responsibility of the president. The current president is Sir Anthony Finkelstein.

Schools
City, University of London, is organised into six schools:
 * The City Law School, incorporating The Centre for Legal Studies and the Inns of Court School of Law
 * School of Health & Psychological Sciences, incorporating St Bartholomew School of Nursing & Midwifery
 * School of Communication & Creativity, including the Department of Journalism
 * School of Policy and Global Affairs
 * School of Science & Technology
 * Bayes Business School (formerly Cass Business School)

Finances
In the financial year ended 31 July 2011, City had a total income (including share of joint ventures) of £178.6 million (2008/09 – £174.4 million) and total expenditure of £183.62 million (2008/09 – £178.82 million). Key sources of income included £39.58 million from Funding Council grants (2008/09 – £39.52 million), £116.91 million from tuition fees and education contracts (2008/09 – £104.39 million), £7.86 million from research grants and contracts (2008/09 – £9.29 million), £1.04 from endowment and investment income (2008/09 – £1.83 million) and £15.05 million from other income (2008/09 – £19.37 million).

During the 2010/11 financial year, City had a capital expenditure of £9.77 million (2008/09 – £16.13 million).

At year end, City had reserves and endowments of £112.89 million (2009/10 – £110.05 million) and total net assets of £147.64 million (2008/09 – £147.27 million).

Courses and rankings
City, University of London, offers Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees as well as certificates and diplomas at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. More than two-thirds of City's programmes are recognised by the appropriate professional bodies such as the BCS, BPS, CILIP, ICE, RICS, HPC etc. in recognition of the high standards of relevance to the professions. The university also has an online careers network where over 2,000 former students offer practical help to current students.

The City Law School offers courses for undergraduates, postgraduates, master graduates and professional courses leading to qualification as a solicitor or barrister, as well as continuing professional development. Its Legal Practice Course has the highest quality rating from the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

The Department of Radiography (part of the School of Community and Health Sciences) offers two radiography degrees, the BSc (Hons) Radiography (Diagnostic Imaging) and BSc (Hons) Radiography (Radiotherapy and Oncology), both of which are recognised by the Health Professions Council (HPC).

CETL
Queen Mary, University of London, and City, University of London, were jointly awarded Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) status by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) in recognition of their work in skills training for 3,000 students across six healthcare professions.

City of London
City, University of London, has links with businesses in the City of London. City has also joined forces with other universities such as Queen Mary and the Institute of Education (both part of the University of London) with which it jointly delivers several leading degree programmes.

LCACE
London Centre for Arts and Cultural Exchange is a consortium of nine universities. It was established in 2004 to foster collaboration and to promote and support the exchange of knowledge between the consortium's partners and London's arts and cultural sectors. The nine institutions involved are: University of the Arts London; Birkbeck, University of London; City, University of London; The Courtauld Institute of Art; Goldsmiths, University of London; Guildhall School of Music & Drama; King's College London; Queen Mary, University of London, and Royal Holloway, University of London.

WC2 University Network
City is a founding member of the WC2 University Network, a network of universities developed with the goal of bringing together leading universities located in the heart of major world cities in order to address cultural, environmental and political issues of common interest to world cities and their universities. In addition to City, University of London, the founding members of WC2 members are: City University of New York, Technische Universität Berlin, Universidade de São Paulo, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana, Saint Petersburg State Polytechnical University, Politecnico di Milano, University of Delhi, Northeastern University Boston and Tongji University.

Erasmus Mundus MULTI
City was selected as the sole British university to take part in the selective Erasmus Mundus MULTI programme, funded by the European Commission to promote scientific exchange between Europe and the industrialised countries of South-East Asia. It is the first Erasmus program to involve universities outside of Europe. In addition to City, the partner universities are: Aix-Marseille University (France), Univerzita Karlova v Praze (Czech Republic), Freie Universität Berlin (Germany), Universität des Saarlandes (Germany), Università di Pisa (Italy), Universidad de Sevilla (Spain), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Hong Kong, SAR China), Universiti Brunei Darussalam (Brunei), University of Macau (Macau, SAR China), Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), and National Taiwan University (Taiwan).

UCL Partners
City has joined the executive group of UCL Partners, one of five accredited academic health science groups in the UK. City was invited to join the partnership in recognition of its expertise in nursing, allied health, health services research and evaluation and health management.

City Research Online
City Research Online provides open access to, and reliable information about, research produced by City staff and research students, as permitted by publishers and copyright law, of content and metadata.

These include:
 * Articles (submitted, accepted and published versions)
 * Working papers
 * Books
 * Book chapters
 * Conference papers
 * Multimedia
 * Doctoral theses

Students' Union
The City Students' Union is run primarily by students through four elected sabbatical officers, the chief executive and an elected assembly (composed of current students), with oversight by a trustee board. The Students' Union provides support, representation, facilities, services, entertainment and activities for its members. It is run for students, by students.

The Students' Union manages most aspects relating to students' societies, such as booking spaces for events on campus, holding funds and distributing grants, and providing training to their committees.

Student media
City currently has two student-run media outlets, including Carrot Radio, which was co-founded by journalism postgraduates Jordan Gass-Pooré and Winston Lo in the autumn of 2018. Carrot Radio currently records weekday podcasts. The second is the student-led online magazine, Carrot Magazine. They released their first print magazine in December 2017.

Other
For a number of years, City students have taken part in the annual Lord Mayor's Show, representing the university in one of the country's largest and liveliest parades.

Sustainability ranking
City ranked joint 5th out of the 168 universities surveyed in the 2019 People & Planet league table of the most sustainable UK universities having climbed from 7th place in the 2016 league. In both the 2016 and 2019 rankings, it was the highest ranking University of London institution, and one of only four London institutions in the top twenty.

The league table's Fossil Free Scorecard report, drawn from Freedom of Information requests, found that £800,000 (6.4%) of City's £12.5m endowment was invested in fossil fuels, and that the institution had not made a public commitment to fossil fuel divestment. It also noted nearly £1m of research funding into renewables since 2001 with just £64k of total funding from fossil fuel companies; and no honorary degrees or board positions held by fossil fuel executives.

City announced on 4 July 2023 that it was divesting its investments from fossil fuel producers.

Government, politics and society

 * Muhammad Ali Jinnah – founder of Pakistan, first Governor-General of Pakistan graduated from the Inns of Court School of Law (now part of The City Law School)
 * Clement Attlee – Labour Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951
 * H. H. Asquith – Liberal Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916
 * Sir Tony Blair – Labour Party Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007, graduated from the Inns of Court School of Law (now part of The City Law School)
 * Christos Staikouras – Finance Minister of Greece from 2019 to present
 * Roderic Bowen – Welsh Liberal Party politician
 * Robert Chote – chief of the Office for Budget Responsibility; former director of Institute for Fiscal Studies
 * Ali Dizaei – former police commander
 * Sir James Dutton – Royal Marine general and former deputy commander of the International Security Assistance Force
 * Chloë Fox – Australian politician, former Labor MP for the South Australian electoral district of Bright
 * Mahatma Gandhi – Leader of the Indian Independence Movement, graduated in 1891 from the Inns of Court School of Law (now part of The City Law School)
 * Syed Sharifuddin Pirzada – Noted Pakistani lawyer & Politician. Also served as 5th secretary general of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
 * James Hart – Commissioner of the City of London Police
 * David Heath – Politician and Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Somerton and Frome
 * Syed Kamall – Conservative Party politician and Member of the European Parliament for the London European Parliament constituency
 * David Lammy – Labour MP for Tottenham
 * Sandro Marcos – Member of the Philippine House of Representatives, eldest son of Bongbong Marcos, President of the Republic of the Philippines
 * Barbara Mensah – Judge
 * Liu Mingkang – Chinese Politician and Businessman, current Chairman of the China Banking Regulatory Commission, former Vice-Governor of the China Development Bank
 * Jawaharlal Nehru – First Prime Minister of the Republic of India
 * Houda Nonoo – Bahraini Ambassador to the United States
 * Patrick O'Flynn – UK Independence Party MEP
 * Stav Shaffir – Youngest member of the Israeli Knesset, leader of the social justice movement
 * Aris Spiliotopoulos – Minister of Greek Tourism
 * Margaret Thatcher – Conservative Party Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990, graduated from the Inns of Court School of Law (now part of The City Law School)
 * Ivy Williams – First woman to be called to the English bar

Arts, science and academia

 * Darshana Rajendran - Indian Actress
 * L. Bruce Archer – British mechanical engineer and Professor of Design Research at the Royal College of Art
 * Susan Bickley – Mezzo-soprano in opera and classical music
 * George Daniels – Horologist, regarded as the greatest watchmaker of modern times and inventor of the coaxial escapement
 * Jerry Fishenden – Technologist, former Microsoft National Technology Officer for the UK
 * Julia Gomelskaya – Ukrainian contemporary music composer, professor of Odesa State Music Academy in Ukraine
 * Norman Gowar – Professor of Mathematics at the Open University and Principal of Royal Holloway College, University of London
 * Clare Hammond – Concert pianist
 * David Hirsh – Academic and sociologist
 * Muhammad Iqbal – Muslim poet, philosopher and politician, born in present-day Pakistan, graduated from the Inns of Court School of Law and University of Cambridge
 * John Hodge – Aeronautical Engineer who played a key role in NASA and America's space race.
 * John Loder – Sound engineer, record producer and founder of Southern Studios, as well as a former member of EXIT
 * Sharon Maguire – Director of Bridget Jones's Diary
 * Rhodri Marsden – Journalist, musician and blogger; columnist for The Independent
 * Robin Milner – Computer scientist and recipient of the 1991 ACM Turing Award
 * Bernard Miles – Actor and founder of the Mermaid Theatre.
 * John Palmer – Instrumental and electroacoustic music composer
 * Ziauddin Sardar – Academic and scholar of Islamic issues, Commissioner of the Equality and Human Rights Commission
 * Theresa Wallach – Pioneer female engineer, motorcycle adventurer, author, educator and entrepreneur, holder of Brooklands Gold Star.

Business and finance

 * Winston Set Aung – Politician, Economist and Management Consultant, incumbent Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Myanmar
 * Brendan Barber – former General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress
 * Jonathan Breeze – Founder and CEO of Jet Republic, private jet airline company in Europe
 * Michael Boulos – Associate director of Callian Capital Group, and partner of Tiffany Trump
 * William Castell – Former Chairman of the Wellcome Trust and a Director of General Electric and BP, former CEO of Amersham plc
 * Peter Cullum – British entrepreneur
 * James J. Greco – Former CEO and President of Sbarro
 * Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou – Founder of easyGroup
 * Tom Ilube – CBE, British entrepreneur and Chair of the RFU
 * Bob Kelly – Former CEO of Bank of New York Mellon and CFO of Mellon Financial Corporation and Wachovia Corporation
 * Muhtar Kent – Former CEO and chairman of The Coca-Cola Company
 * William Lewis – Former CEO Dow Jones Publisher, The Wall Street Journal
 * Ian Livingstone – chairman and co-owner, London & Regional Properties
 * Liu Mingkang – Former Chairman of the China Banking Regulatory Commission
 * Dick Olver – Former Chairman of BAE Systems, member of the board of directors at Reuters
 * Syed Ali Raza – Former president and Chairman of the National Bank of Pakistan
 * Martin Wheatley – Former CEO of the Financial Conduct Authority
 * Brian Wynter – Governor of the Bank of Jamaica
 * Durmuş Yılmaz – Governor of the Central Bank of Turkey

Media and entertainment

 * Samira Ahmed – Channel 4 News presenter, BBC News presenter, writer and journalist
 * Decca Aitkenhead – Journalist
 * Joanna Blythman – Non-fiction writer, Britain's leading investigative food journalist
 * Emily Buchanan – BBC World Affairs correspondent
 * Sally Bundock – BBC presenter
 * Ellie Crisell – BBC presenter
 * Joe Crowley - Journalist and presenter
 * Imogen Edwards-Jones – Novelist
 * Gamal Fahnbulleh – Sky News presenter and journalist
 * Mimi Fawaz, BBC presenter and journalist
 * Michael Fish – BBC weatherman
 * Adam Fleming – CBBC reporter
 * Lourdes Garcia-Navarro – Journalist, Jerusalem foreign correspondent for National Public Radio (NPR)
 * Alex Graham – chairman of PACT and the Scott Trust
 * Michael Grothaus – Novelist and journalist; author of Epiphany Jones
 * Rachel Horne – BBC and Virgin Radio presenter and journalist
 * Faisal Islam – BBC News economics editor
 * Gillian Joseph – Sky News presenter
 * Kirsty Lang – BBC presenter and journalist
 * Ellie Levenson – Freelance journalist and author
 * William Lewis – Journalist and editor of The Daily Telegraph
 * Donal MacIntyre – Investigative journalist
 * Sharon Maguire – Writer and director, directed Bridget Jones's Diary
 * Rhodri Marsden – Journalist, musician and blogger; columnist for The Independent
 * Sharon Mascall – Journalist, broadcaster and writer; lecturer at the University of South Australia
 * Lucrezia Millarini – Freelance journalist and ITV newsreader
 * Dermot Murnaghan – Presenter on Sky News
 * Tiff Needell – Grand Prix driver, presenter of Fifth Gear on Five
 * Maryam Nemazee – presenter for Al Jazeera London
 * Linda Papadopoulos – psychologist, appearing occasionally on TV
 * Lilah Parsons - freelance broadcast journalist for BBC News
 * Sebastian Payne – Journalist
 * Catherine Pepinster – journalist, religion writer
 * Raj Persaud – British consultant psychiatrist, broadcaster, and author on psychiatry
 * Richard Preston – Novelist
 * Gavin Ramjaun – Television presenter and journalist
 * Sophie Raworth – Newsreader, presenter on BBC One O'Clock News
 * Apsara Reddy – Journalist
 * Joel Rubin – World-renowned klezmer clarinetist
 * Ian Saville – British magician
 * Barbara Serra – Presenter for Al Jazeera London
 * Sarah Walker – BBC Radio 3 presenter
 * Josh Widdicombe – Comedian and presenter

Notable faculty and staff

 * Rosemary Crompton – Professor of Sociology
 * Roy Greenslade – Journalist
 * Steven Haberman – Professor of Actuarial Science at City, University of London
 * Corinna Hawkes – Professor of Food Policy
 * Rosemary Hollis – Professor of International Politics at City, University of London
 * Jamal Nazrul Islam – Physicist, Mathematician, Cosmologist, Astronomer
 * Ernest Krausz (1931-2018) - Israeli professor of sociology and President at Bar Ilan University
 * David Leigh – Journalist
 * David Marks – Psychologist
 * Penny Marshall – Journalist
 * Stewart Purvis – Broadcaster
 * Denis Smalley – Composer
 * Bill Thompson – Journalist
 * David Willets – Conservative Member of Parliament for Havant; Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Skills

Vice-Chancellors (Pre-2016) / Presidents (Post-2016)

 * 1966–1974: Sir James Sharp Tait
 * 1974–1978: Sir Edward W. Parkes
 * 1978–1998: Raoul Franklin
 * 1998–2007: David William Rhind
 * 2007–2009: Malcolm Gillies
 * 2009–2010: Julius Weinberg (acting)
 * 2010–2021: Sir Paul Curran
 * 2021–Present: Sir Anthony Finkelstein

In popular culture
City University's Bastwick Street Halls of Residence in Islington was the first home of MasterChef following its 2005 revival.

title: City, University of London


text:
Príncipe Pío (hill)

The montaña del Príncipe Pío is a hill in the western part of Madrid, Spain.

Background
It is named after prince Francisco Pío de Saboya, a member of the Italian Pio di Savoia family, whose mother Juana de Moura owned property there. Later, barracks (Cuartel de la Montaña) were constructed there. The Madrilene rebels who fought the Napoleonic invaders were executed there on the morning of 3 May 1808, as painted by Francisco de Goya.

Around the 1960s, the barracks were demolished to make room for the Parque del Oeste. The former location of the barracks is now the site of the Temple of Debod, a Nubian temple given by the Egyptian government to Spain in gratitude for Spanish help in saving antiquities during the building of the Aswan Dam.

title: Príncipe Pío (hill)