Private military company

# Private military company

## Abstract

A private military company (PMC) or private military and security company (PMSC) is a private company providing armed combat or security services for financial gain. PMCs refer to their personnel as " security contractors " or " private military contractors ".

The services and expertise offered by PMCs are typically similar to those of governmental security, military, or police but most often on a smaller scale. PMCs often provide services to train or supplement official armed forces in service of governments, but they can also be employed by private companies to provide bodyguards for key staff or protection of company premises, especially in hostile territories. However, contractors that use armed force in a war zone may be considered unlawful combatants in reference to a concept that is outlined in the Geneva Conventions and explicitly stated by the 2006 American Military Commissions Act.

Private military companies carry out many missions and jobs. Some examples have included military aviation repair in East Africa, close protection for Afghan President Hamid Karzai and piloting reconnaissance airplanes and helicopters as a part of Plan Colombia. According to a 2003 study, the industry was then earning over $100 billion a year.

According to a 2008 study by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, private contractors make up 29% of the workforce in the United States Intelligence Community and cost the equivalent of 49% of their personnel budgets.

## History

### Cold War

Modern PMCs trace their origins back to a group of ex- SAS veterans in 1965 who, under the leadership of the founder of the SAS, David Stirling and John Woodhouse, founded WatchGuard International (formerly with offices in Sloane Street before moving to South Audley Street in Mayfair) as a private company that could be contracted out for security and military purposes.

The company's first assignment was to go to Yemen to report on the state of the royalist forces when a ceasefire was declared. At the same time, Stirling was cultivating his contacts in the Iranian government and exploring the chances of obtaining work in Africa. The company eventually operated in Zambia and in Sierra Leone, providing training teams and advising on security matters. Stirling also organised deals to sell weapons and military personnel to other countries for various privatised foreign policy operations. Contracts were mainly with the Gulf States and involved weapons supply and training. The company was also linked with a failed attempt to overthrow Colonel Muammar Gaddafi from power in Libya in 1971. Woodhouse resigned as Director of Operations after a series of disagreements and Stirling himself ceased to take an active part in 1972.

Stirling also founded KAS International (aka KAS Enterprises) and was involved in a collaboration with the World Wide Fund for Nature to forcibly reduce the illegal poaching and smuggling of elephant tusks in various countries of Southern Africa. Other groups formed by ex-SAS servicemen were established in the 1970s and '80s, including Control Risks Group and Defence Systems, providing military consultation and training.

#### UN Mercenary Convention

In 1989, the United Nations Mercenary Convention banning the use of mercenaries was initiated and entered into force on 20 October 2001. As of August 2021, the convention had been ratified by 37 states, and signed but not ratified by 9 states.

### Post–Cold War

Dramatic growth in the number and size of PMCs occurred at the end of the Cold War. The exodus of over 6 million military personnel from Western militaries in the 1990s expanded the recruiting pool for PMCs. Some of the larger corporations included Vinnell and Military Professional Resources Inc. in the United States; G4S and Keeni-Meeny Services in the United Kingdom; and Lordan-Levdan in Israel and Executive Outcomes in South Africa.

Some commentators have argued that there was an exodus from many special operations forces across the globe towards these private military corporations. Units that were allegedly severely affected included the British Special Air Service, the US Special Operations Forces and the Canadian Joint Task Force 2.

The Center for Public Integrity reported that since 1994, the Defense Department entered into 3,601 contracts worth $300 billion with twelve US-based PMCs, specifically during the initial response after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.

Domestic operations are generally under the auspice of state or federal agencies such as the Department of Energy or the Department of Homeland Security rather than the Department of Defense. Driven by increasing fears of domestic terror attacks and civil unrest and disruption in the wake of disasters, more conventional security companies are moving into operations arenas that would fall within the definition of a PMC. The United States State Department also employs several companies to provide support in danger zones that would be difficult for conventional US forces.

The October 2000 USS Cole bombing proved a pivotal moment for private military companies at sea and directly led to the first contract between Blackwater and the US military. Blackwater, and private military contractors in general, became notorious in the 21st century after their usage by the United States government in the American occupation of Iraq.

#### Seaborne PMCs

Since the late 2000s, PMCs have become increasingly involved in anti-piracy measures in Somalia and other regions. PMCs remain active in this region, mainly providing security for private shipping through the Gulf of Aden and at times contracting to aid UN efforts. PMCs were hired to deter pirates from attacking vessels and taking the shipping crew and their transport hostage. While a large variety of international naval missions with the same goals such as the EU's Atalanta, NATO's Ocean Shield, and Combined Task Force 150 are and were active in this region, it is still necessary for the shipping companies to have security personnel on deck. Due to their decentralized nature, it can be difficult for the UN or other international organizations to provide effective oversight over what happens on the seas. Whereas the UN showed that, between 2010 and 2015, there were over fifty encounters between the national sovereign navies that participated in the missions, resulting in over 1,200 detained pirates, only one PMC published information over this period. Since the PMCs are so much more active in this area, covering a larger part of it through activities on board trading ships, this could be a low estimate. PMC presence in Somalia is an example of two violent non-state actors at sea engaged in combat with each other.

#### Airborne PMCs (2005)

On April 5, 2005, Jamie Smith, CEO of SCG International Risk announced the expansion of services from the traditional roles of PMCs of protection and intelligence to military aviation support. SCG International Air would provide air support, medevac (medical evacuation), rotary and fixed-wing transportation, heavy-lift cargo, armed escort, and executive air travel to "any location on earth." That marked an expansion of services to rival the capabilities of some countries' armies and air forces.

#### 2007 Uniform Code of Military Justice amendment

In 2007, the American Uniform Code of Military Justice was amended to allow for prosecution of military contractors deployed in a " declared war or a contingency operation."

#### International Code of Conduct (2008)

In 2008, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Swiss government, and contributors from private security companies and the civil society/ NGO sector developed and proposed the Montreux Document on Private Military and Security Companies, detailing international legal obligations and specific recommendations related to PSC services procurement practices and operational oversight, as well as clarifying the obligations of states pertaining to the hiring of such entities during armed conflicts. As of December 2018, fifty-four states had signed the Montreux Document.

#### NGO use of PMCs

As revealed in 2009 by Stoddard et al., the use of private security contractors by NGOs in dangerous regions is a highly sensitive subject. Quite often, the contractors hired are local companies and mostly are unarmed personnel guarding facilities; only rarely are international contractors or mobile armed security personnel used. Many NGOs have sought the services of private security contractors in dangerous areas of operation, such as Afghanistan, Somalia and Sudan, due to lack of knowledge, skills, and time to adequately meet the challenges of deteriorating security environments; and administrative costs of managing security in-house and potential to outsource the liability.

However, it has been argued that outsourcing security leaves NGOs reliant on contractors and unable to develop their own security thinking and make their own decisions. Perceived association of PSPs with state security, police or military services in turn compromises the ability of NGOs to claim neutrality, leading to increased risk. Moreover, outsourcing may not necessarily lead to lower costs, and the cost of middlemen may result in more poorly paid and poorly trained personnel, who turn over frequently and cannot adequately perform the job. Finally, NGOs have obligations beyond strictly legal liability that include political, ethical and reputational implications: If the organisation's responsibility to prevent and mitigate any possible negative outcomes is better achieved through in-house security, it is argued, this should be their choice.

The result is that many NGOs are not open about their use of PSPs and researchers at the Overseas Development Institute have found that sometimes statements at NGOs central headquarters contradict those given by local staff. This prevents informative knowledge sharing and debate on the subject needed to improve NGO decisions regarding this issue, though there have been some notable exceptions; namely, the Afghanistan NGO Security Office and the NGO Coordination Committee in Iraq.

The private security contractor fulfills many different needs in the private and public sectors. While some nations rely heavily on the input of governments of such nations as the United States, other countries do not trust the US, so they tend to look for private contractors who will have a fiduciary obligation to them.

#### ISO for PMSC (2012)

In 2012, were published the ISO/PAS 28007:2012 Guidelines for Private Maritime Security Companies.

## Activities elsewhere

### Afghanistan

- In December 2009, the Congressional Research Service, which provides background information to members of the United States Congress, announced that the deployment of 30,000 extra US troops into Afghanistan could be accompanied by a surge of "26,000 to 56,000" contractors. This would expand the presence of personnel from the US private sector in Afghanistan "to anywhere from 130,000 to 160,000." The CRS study said that contractors made up 69 percent of the Pentagon's personnel in Afghanistan in December 2008, a proportion that "apparently represented the highest recorded percentage of contractors used by the Defense Department in any conflict in the history of the United States." In September 2008, their presence had dropped to 62 percent, and the US military troop strength increased modestly.

- Also in December 2009, a US House of Representatives oversight subcommittee stated that it had begun a wide-ranging investigation into allegations that American private security companies that were hired to protect Defense Department convoys in Afghanistan would be paying off warlords and the Taliban to ensure safe passage. That would mean that the United States unintentionally and indirectly engaged in a protection racket and might be indirectly funding the very insurgents it is trying to fight. A preliminary inquiry determined that the allegations warranted a deeper inquiry and focused initially on eight trucking companies that share a $2.2 billion Defense Department contract to carry goods and material from main supply points inside Afghanistan (primarily Bagram air base) to more than 100 forward operating bases and other military facilities in the country.

### Africa

- In 1994 and 1995, the South African-based PMC Executive Outcomes was involved in two military actions in Africa. In the first conflict, Executive Outcomes fought on behalf of the Angolan government against UNITA after a UN-brokered peace settlement broke down. In the second action, Executive Outcomes was tasked with containing a guerrilla movement in Sierra Leone, the Revolutionary United Front. Both missions involved personnel from the firm training four to five thousand combat personnel for the Angolan government and retaking control of the diamond fields and forming a negotiated peace in Sierra Leone.

- In 2000, ABC Television 's international affairs program Foreign Correspondent broadcast a special report, "Sierra Leone: Soldiers of Fortune", focusing on the exploits of South African pilot Neall Ellis and his Mi-24 Hind gunship. The report also investigated the failures of the UN Peacekeeping Force and the involvement of mercenaries/private military contractors in providing vital support to UN operations and British military Special Operations in Sierra Leone in 1999–2000.

- In mid-May 2006, police in the Democratic Republic of the Congo arrested 32 alleged mercenaries of different nationalities: 19 from South Africa, 10 from Nigeria and three from the United States. Half of them worked for the South African company Omega Security Solutions, and the Americans worked for AQMI Strategy Corp. The men were accused of plotting to overthrow the government, but charges were not pressed. The men were deported to their home countries.

- Due to strain of United States Armed Forces, the US State Department and The Pentagon have also outsourced the expanded military training in Africa to three companies: Military Professional Resources Inc., DFI International, and Logicon (now owned by Northrop Grumman).

- In 2015, STTEP International, (S pecialised T asks, T raining, E quipment & P rotection) was credited with providing support to the Nigerian military that has proved decisive in containing Boko Haram activities in Nigeria. The chairman of STTEP, Eeben Barlow, is the former CEO and founder of Executive Outcomes.

- The Central African-based park ranger organization African Wildlife Defence Force contracts former servicemen and law enforcement personnel to protect national parks and private game ranches in Africa. Candidates must undergo additional retraining to become park rangers. They are also referred to as Private Ranger Contractors or PRC.

- According to the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), since 2017, the Russian-based PMC, Wagner Group, has been operating continuously in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, as well as in other African countries. Under the guise of helping governments defeat violent insurgencies or fight Islamic extremist movements, the Russian Wagner Group is believed by several US and African government sources to be responsible for significant crimes against humanity. It is reported that hundreds of contractors from the Russian PMC enter these countries each year. The Wagner Group has been accused of extreme violence against African civilians and human rights violations by the US State Department and most European governments.

- According to the Washington Post, the South African PMC, Executive Outcomes (Founded in 1989), was committing atrocities in Sierra Leone up until the early 2000s, when they left the country and refocused their business on providing domestic security services in their native South Africa.

- In the mid-2000s, a group of self-proclaimed former ANC freedom fighters, known as the TRAKboys, began to emerge in fringe political circles within Johannesburg and Cape Town. They gained national attention in South Africa when they began calling upon leaders to demand an investigation by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development into the foreign and domestic activities of Executive Outcomes. Failed assassination attempts on several high-profile members of the TRAKboys, such as former Cape Town-based manufacturing tycoon, Dylan4K, have led to speculation, conspiracy theories and public outrage directed towards Apartheid-era, Afrikaner-owned PMCs operating in southern Africa.

### Balkans

- In 1995, both Croatia and Bosnia hired Military Professional Resources Inc. (MPRI) to equip, train, and professionalize their armed forces.

- In 1999, an incident involving DynCorp in Bosnia was followed by a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) lawsuit being filed against DynCorp employees stationed in Bosnia. It alleged that "employees and supervisors from DynCorp were engaging in perverse, illegal and inhumane behavior and were illegally purchasing women, weapons, forged passports and participating in other immoral acts."

### Iraq

In December 2006, there were estimated to be at least 100,000 contractors working directly for the United States Department of Defense in Iraq which was a tenfold increase in the use of private contractors for military operations since the Persian Gulf War, just over a decade earlier. The prevalence of PMCs led to the foundation of trade group the Private Security Company Association of Iraq. In Iraq, the issue of accountability, especially in the case of contractors carrying weapons, was a sensitive one. Iraqi laws do not hold over contractors.

On 5 December 2005, US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld justified the use of PMCs in Iraq on the basis that they were cost effective and useful on the ground. He also affirmed that they were not subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

Two days before he left Iraq, L. Paul Bremer signed " Order 17 " giving all Americans associated with the CPA and the American government immunity from Iraqi law. A July 2007 report from the American Congressional Research Service indicates that the Iraqi government still had no authority over private security firms contracted by the US government.

In 2007, the Uniform Code of Military Justice was amended to allow for prosecution of military contractors who are deployed in a " declared war or a contingency operation."

After the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, the US State Department is reportedly planning to more than double the number of its private security guards, up to as many as 7,000. Defending five fortified compounds across the country, the security contractors would operate radars to warn of enemy rocket attacks, search for roadside bombs, fly reconnaissance drones and even staff quick reaction forces to aid civilians in distress. Its helicopter fleet, which will be piloted by contractors, will grow from 17 to 29.

PMCs supplied support to US military bases throughout the Persian Gulf, from operating mess halls to providing security. They supplied armed guards at a US Army base in Qatar, and they used live ammunition to train soldiers at Camp Doha in Kuwait. They maintained an array of weapons systems vital to the invasion of Iraq. They also provided bodyguards for VIPs, guard installations, and escort supply convoys from Kuwait. All these resources were called upon constantly.

In 2010, several Blackwater PMC employees "were indicted on unlawful killing charges in connection with their work as US government contractors during the Iraq War "; founder Erik Prince sold the company and departed soon thereafter.

#### List of defective occurrences

- Employees of private military company CACI and Titan Corp. were involved in the Iraq Abu Ghraib prison scandal in 2003, and 2004. The US Army "found that contractors were involved in 36 percent of the proven incidents and identified 6 employees as individually culpable", although none have faced prosecution unlike US military personnel.

- On March 31, 2004, four American private contractors belonging to the company Blackwater USA were killed by insurgents in Fallujah as they drove through the town. They were dragged from their car in one of the most violent attacks on US contractors in the conflict. Following the attack, an angry mob mutilated and burned the bodies, dragging them through the streets before they were hung on a bridge. (See also: 31 March 2004 Fallujah ambush, Operation Vigilant Resolve)

- On March 28, 2005, 16 American contractors and three Iraqi aides from Zapata Engineering, under contract to the US Army Corps of Engineers to manage an ammunition storage depot, were detained following two incidents in which they allegedly fired upon US Marine checkpoint. While later released, the contractors have levied complaints of mistreatment against the Marines who detained them.

- On June 5, 2005, Colonel Theodore S. Westhusing committed suicide, after writing a report exonerating US Investigations Services of allegations of fraud, waste and abuse he received in an anonymous letter in May.

- On October 27, 2005, a "trophy" video, complete with post-production Elvis Presley music, appearing to show private military contractors in Baghdad shooting Iraqi civilians sparked two investigations after it was posted on the Internet. The video has been linked unofficially to Aegis Defence Services. According to the posters, the man who is seen shooting vehicles on this video in Iraq was a South African employee of Aegis Victory team named Danny Heydenreycher. He served in the British military for six years. After the incident, the regional director for Victory ROC tried to fire Heydenreycher, but the team threatened to resign if he did. Aegis, the US Army, and the US State Department each conducted a formal inquiry into the issue. The Army determined that there was no "probable cause to believe that a crime was committed."

- On September 17, 2007, the Iraqi government announced that it was revoking the license of the American security firm Blackwater USA over the firm's involvement in the deaths of seventeen Iraqis in a firefight that followed a car bomb explosion near a State Department motorcade. The company was allowed to continue to operate in Iraq until January 2009 when the US–Iraq Status of Forces Agreement took effect. Blackwater was one of the most high-profile firms operating in Iraq, with around 1,000 employees as well as a fleet of helicopters in the country. In 2014, four Blackwater employees were tried and convicted in US federal court over the incident; one of murder, and the other three of manslaughter and firearms charges.

- On March 12, 2017, Sallyport Global fired two investigators who alleged sex trafficking, alcohol smuggling, and security lapses by Sallyport employees at Balad Air Base in Iraq.

### Middle East

- On March 27, 2006, J. Cofer Black, the vice chairman of Blackwater USA, announced to attendees of a special operations exhibition in Jordan that his company could now provide a brigade -size force for low-intensity conflicts. According to Black, "There is clear potential to conduct security operations at a fraction of the cost of NATO operations." Those comments were later denied. In March 2024, Intelligence Online reported that an ad was being circulated by former French special forces soldiers for around 3000–4000 foreign recruits. The ad was backed by Abu Dhabi-based Manar Military Company (MMC), which is run by a former French special forces officer, and is financially linked to a politically influential and wealthy Abu Dhabi family. The ad suggested that the UAE aimed to establish an elite foreign legion. Despite MMC claiming that the project was canceled and the ad was disinformation, experts said an Emirati foreign legion could be real. Since 2009, the UAE had been utilizing PMSCs, initially with Erik Prince. Investigations also revealed the UAE's involvement in hiring mercenaries for assassinations in Yemen and for supporting the Wagner Group.

### Latin America

- In 2006, a US congressional report listed a number of PMCs and other enterprises that have signed contracts to carry out anti-narcotics operations and related activities as part of Plan Colombia. DynCorp was among those contracted by the State Department, and others signed contracts with the Defense Department. Other companies from different countries, including Israel, have also signed contracts with the Colombian Defense Ministry to carry out security or military activities.

### Ukraine

The Russian Wagner Group have been deployed in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, fighting alongside the Russian Armed Forces since early 2022. In February 2023 it was reported that Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a decree which allowed Gazprom to launch "a mercenary army". Several other mercenary groups have been in evidence, such as "Redut" and the ministerial-affiliated "Patriot" group.

### Yemen

- Since 2015, the United Arab Emirates hired an estimated 1,800 Latin American contractors and 400 Eritrean troops for training and combat to support the Yemeni government 's efforts against the Houthi rebels during the Yemeni Civil War.

### China

- Contractors from the Hong Kong -incorporated Frontier Services Group (FSG) like Erik Prince have established close ties with Chinese state-owned firms since 2014 by providing security, logistics, and aviation for Chinese companies in dozens of countries across Asia, Africa, and Europe in connection with China's Belt and Road Initiative.

- In November 2018, FSG or its founder, incorporated a subsidiary in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with "a mandate to extract minerals and timber and conduct financial operations."

- FSG is favoured by CITIC, as of 2019 China's premier state-owned enterprise, with one of the largest pools of foreign assets in the world.

- In February 2019, FSG signed a preliminary deal with the Chinese government to establish a training base in Kashgar, Xinjiang.

### Russia

The Constitution of the Russian Federation was adopted by national referendum on 12 December 1993, and entered into force on 25 December 1993. Article 13.5 reads: "The establishment and activities of public associations whose goals and activities are aimed at the forcible changing of the basis of the constitutional order and at violating the integrity of the Russian Federation, at undermining its security, at creating armed units, and at instigating social, racial, national and religious strife shall be prohibited." In addition, it has been illegal since at least the 1996 edition under Article 359 of the Russian criminal code to recruit, train or finance a mercenary. Also the use of him in an armed conflict or hostilities shall be punished.

Eeben Barlow apparently brought the idea of PMCs to Russia in 2010; there he gave an invited talk to the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, as well as presented the PMC concept to representatives of the General Staff of the AFRF. At the time he proposed forming PMCs from retired military personnel and contractors.

The existence of Russian PMCs seems to go as far back as 2011, when the Syrian Civil War kicked off and violent unrest was felt in Libya before Muammar Gaddafi was eliminated in October. Russians had big investments in both of these countries. State-owned enterprise Rostec and its subsidiaries Rosboronexport and Technopromexport, as well as privately owned StroyTransGaz (STG) and Tatneft have billions of dollars invested in international affairs and like to hire from the Russian PMC sector.

In 2012, Vladimir Putin suggested to the State Duma to consider the legalization of PMCs, although owners of Russian PMCs have claimed that because Russia inherited its legal system from the Byzantine Empire, anything that is not explicitly prohibited is allowed.

The Syrian gains of ISIS in 2012 caused the Russian contingent to hire PMCs from the Moran Security Group (MSG) headed by Alexey Badikov, Slavonic Corps, Patriot PMC and Vega PMC. The MSG crew aboard the Myre Seadiver was arrested in October 2012 while in Nigeria.

Oleg Krinitsyn heads the RSB-Group, reportedly in 2013 Russia's largest PMC. The Moscovite MSG was the focus of attention in 2013 for its failed and bloody Syrian involvement. It contracted employees through the Slavonic Corps shell company owned by Vadim Gusev and based in Hong Kong to work for the régime of Bashar al-Assad, but the latter failed "to fulfill their financial obligations, which caused problems with the housing and feeding of the fighters from Slavonic Corps." Meanwhile, 100 of the 267 men hired in spring 2013 by Slavonic Corps perished in October 2013 in a firefight with ISIS. Out of the ashes of the Slavonic Corps was born the Wagner Group.

Two recruiters for the Slavonic Corps were ultimately jailed in October 2014 for their violation of Article 359. They faced up to eight years imprisonment but were convicted for three. Regular squad members were reportedly unpaid and faced no prosecution in Russia.

Not long after the Slavonic Corps fiasco, the Wagner Group PMC made its appearance on the scene. Near the end of 2014, Wagner was given the instructional role of local Basharite militias. Prior to September 2015, the PMCs were Russia's only pseudo-military presence in Syria.

Wagner and Moran both contributed in 2014 to the Russian War in Donbass; Wagner is known to have fought in Syria since late 2015. One manner of payment to the group is from 25% of the proceeds from captured and secured oil and gas infrastructure in Syria.

In January 2018, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said of PMC employees that legislation was needed to "protect these people", while Duma member Mikhail Yemelyanov authored a bill to do just that "because private military companies are legal in many countries"; continuing: "We wrote in the bill that the defence ministry would coordinate and that participation in armed conflicts would only be with their permission."

In February 2023, it was reported that Gazprom would form a PMC of its own called Fakel. The law "On the Security of Fuel and Energy Facilities" appears now to state that companies in this field "may be granted the right to establish a private security organisation".

The organisation Molfar has investigated 37 private military companies in Russia, and found that all of them are or have been connected to Kremlin. Most of them are also funded by Kremlin. More than half of them are participating in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. In total, they have activities in 34 different countries. Russian PMCs are involved in oil and mining operations in 19 countries in Africa.

## Other miscellany

### Fatalities

By the end of 2012, the number of contractors who had died in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait had reached 3,000. Scholars have studied whether contractor deaths have an effect on the public's "casualty sensitivity" when substituted for military fatalities. Casualty sensitivity refers to the inverse relationship between military deaths and public support for a sustained military engagement. Contractor deaths may account for nearly 30% of total US battlefield losses since the beginning of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

### UN mercenary report

In October 2007, the United Nations released a two-year study that reported that, although hired as "security guards", private contractors performed military duties. A spokesman for the American mission to the UN office in Geneva (UNOG) said that "Accusations that US government-contracted security guards, of whatever nationality, are mercenaries is inaccurate." An observer noted that the difficulty in separating private from public troops means that legal proceedings against these violent non-state actors can be complicated, and stated that contracted combatants carry the legitimacy of the state that hires them.

Demands for specific PSC services have grown to record levels in recent decades, and private firms' capabilities now include an array of services that are vital to the success of on-the-ground war fighting as well as other more traditional stability operations and contingency contracting. While past calls for corporate responsibility have heralded successes such as the Kimberley Process and the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative in widespread international operations, there has also been a move within the PSC and contingency contracting industries to call for accountability and to implement a code of ethics for the retention of services and operations of such service providers. Existing credible accountability initiatives form a skeleton for governing the conduct of contractors, but much remains to be fleshed out to form a coherent and standardized framework from which to oversee such organizations and activities. Over the last decade there have been a number of initiatives to regulate the private security industry. These include the ISO/PAS 28007:2012 Guidelines for Private Maritime Security Companies and the ANSI / ASIS PSC.1 and PSC.4 standards.

### ASIS Commission on Standards

Founded in 1955, American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS) is a society of individual security professionals dedicated to increasing the effectiveness and productivity of security professionals by developing educational programs and materials. ASIS is an ANSI -accredited Standards Developing Organization, and within ASIS, the ASIS Commission on Standards and Guidelines works with national and international standards-setting organizations and industry representatives to develop voluntary standards and guidelines for security professionals. With funding from the US Department of Defense, the ASIS Commission on Standards is currently promulgating four sets of standards for private security companies.

## Cultural references

### Films and television

In Marvel Television 's The Punisher on Netflix, a PMC by the name of "ANVIL" is heavily featured. ANVIL's founder, Billy Russo, is one of the primary antagonists of the series. Much like real PMCs, ANVIL provides training spaces for US forces on American and foreign soil.

### Video games

Depictions of PMCs have become commonplace in video games, often as factions involved in the plot, or as antagonists to the player. PMCs have been featured in Grand Theft Auto V, the Assassin's Creed game franchise, the Metal Gear series, Escape From Tarkov, the Call of Duty series, Girls' Frontline, Watch Dogs Legion, Cyberpunk 2077, the Mass Effect series, the Deus Ex series, Star Citizen, Blue Archive, and Saints Row, among others.

## Sources

### Academic publications

- Arnold, Guy. Mercenaries: The Scourge of the Third World. Palgrave Macmillan, 1999. ISBN 978-0-312-22203-1

- Deborah D. Avant. The Market for Force: The Consequences of Privatizing Security. George Washington University, August 2005. ISBN 0-521-61535-6

- Deborah D. Avant and Kara Kingma Neu. 2019. "The Private Security Events Database." Journal of Conflict Resolution.

- Brillstein, Arik: Antiterrorsystem. Engel Publishing 2005

- Brooks, Doug/ Rathgeber, Shawn Lee: The Industry Role in Regulating Private Security Companies, in: Canadian Consortium on Human Security - Security Privatization: Challenges and Opportunities, Vol. 6.3, University of British Columbia, March 2008.

- Simon Chesterman & Chia Lehnardt, eds. From Mercenaries to Market: The Rise and Regulation of Private Military Companies. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2009.

- Niccolò Machiavelli. The Prince. 1532. See ch. 12.

- Amy E. Eckert, Outsourcing War: The Just War Tradition in the Age of Military Privatization, Cornell University Press, 2016.

- Robert Mandel. Armies Without States: The Privatization of Security. Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2002.

- Fred Schreier & Marina Caparini. "Privatising Security: Law, Practice and Governance of Private Military and Security Companies", DCAF Occasional Paper 6, The Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces, March 2005.

- Filipa Guinote. "Private Military Firms and the State: Sharing Responsibility for Violations of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law", Collection Ricerche, "Series E.MA Awarded thesis", vol. 7, Venice: Marsilio Editori, 2006.

- David Shearer. Private Armies and Military Intervention, April 1998. ISBN 0-19-829440-9

- P. W. Singer. Corporate Warriors: The Rise of the Privatized Military Industry. Cornell University Press, March 2004. ISBN 0-8014-8915-6

- Stephan Maninger. "Soldiers of Misfortune – Is the Demise of National Armies a Core Contributing Factor in the Rise of Private Security Companies?", Private Security and Military Companies: Chances, Problems, Pitfalls and Prospects, eds. Gerhard Kümmel & Thomas Jäger. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, 2007. ISBN 978-3-531-14901-1

- Hin-Yan Liu. "Leashing the Corporate Dogs of War: The Legal Implications of the Modern Private Military Company", Journal of Conflict and Security Law 15(1) 2010: 141–168. doi: 10.1093/jcsl/krp025

- Woolley, Peter J. " Soldiers of Fortune," The Common Review, v. 5, no. 4 (2007), pp. 46–48.

- Petrovic Predrag, Milosevic Marko, Unijat Jelena & Stojanovic Sonja. Private Security Companies – a Friend or a foe?. Centre for Civil-Military Relations, 2008. ISBN 978-86-83543-51-9

### Non-academic publications

- Making A Killing, James Ashcroft. Virgin Books. ISBN 1-85227-311-9

- Licensed to Kill : Privatizing the War on Terror, Robert Young Pelton ISBN 1-4000-9781-9

- Three Worlds Gone Mad: Dangerous Journeys through the War Zones of Africa, Asia, and the South Pacific, Robert Young Pelton, August 2006. ISBN 1-59228-100-1

- An Unorthodox Soldier, Tim Spicer, September 2000. ISBN 1-84018-349-7

- Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army, Jeremy Scahill, Nation Books. February 2007. ISBN 978-1-56025-979-4

- Contractor, Giampiero Spinelli Mursia Editore 2009 ISBN 978-88-425-4390-9

- Guns For Hire: The Inside Story of Freelance Soldiering, Tony Geraghty, Portrait. 2007. ISBN 978-0-7499-5145-0

- Private Security Contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan: Legal Issues, Jennifer K. Elsea, Congressional Research Service, January 7, 2010

- Irak, terre mercenaire : les armées privées remplacent les troupes américaines, by Georges-Henri Bricet des Vallons, Favre (Lausanne:Switzerland), January 2010. ISBN 978-2-8289-1095-2. Only in French.

- Dirty Deeds Done Cheap: The Incredible Story of My Life from the SBS to a Hired Gun in Iraq, by Mike Mercer, John Blake. 2009. ISBN 978-1-84454-765-4


2024–25 Cambridge United F.C. season

# 2024–25 Cambridge United F.C. season

## Abstract

The 2024–25 season is the 113th season in the history of Cambridge United Football Club and their fourth consecutive season in League One. In addition to the domestic league, the club would also participate in the FA Cup, the EFL Cup, and the EFL Trophy.

## Transfers

## Pre-season and friendlies

On 24 May, Cambridge confirmed their initial pre-season plans, with matches against West Bromwich Albion, Braintree Town, Ebbsfleet United along with a training camp in Portugal. A week later, a fourth friendly was added to the pre-season schedule, versus Colchester United.

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## Competitions

### Overall record

Last updated: 5 September 2024 Source: Soccerway

### League One

#### League table

#### Results summary

Last updated: 14 September 2024. Source: Soccerway

#### Results by round

#### Matches

On 26 June, the League One fixtures were announced.

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### FA Cup

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### EFL Cup

On 27 June, the draw for the first round was made, with Cambridge being drawn at home against Queens Park Rangers.

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### EFL Trophy

In the group stage, Cambridge were drawn into Southern Group C alongside Bromley, Charlton Athletic and Chelsea U21.

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## Statistics

### Appearances and goals

List includes all first team players and any other matchday squad players


Amphistomiasis

# Amphistomiasis

## Abstract

Amphistomiasis is a parasitic disease of livestock animals, more commonly of cattle and sheep, and humans caused by immature helminthic flatworms belonging to the order Echinostomida. The term amphistomiasis is used for broader connotation implying the disease inflicted by members of Echinostomida including the family Paramphistomidae/Gastrodiscidae (to be precise, the species Gastrodiscoides hominis); whereas paramphistomiasis is restricted to that of the members of the family Paramphistomidae only. G. discoides and Watsonius watsoni are responsible for the disease in humans, while most paramphistomes are responsible in livestock animals, and some wild mammals. In livestock industry the disease causes heavy economic backlashes due to poor production of milk, meat and wool.

## Signs and symptoms

Symptoms include:

- Physical weakness, emaciation or lethargy

- Foul smell of faeces, greasy consistency and scour or diarrhoea

- Anorexia, refusal to eat food

- Dehydration and frequent drinking of water

- Submaxillary oedema (bottle jaw) and pale mucous membrane

- Intestinal bleeding (haemorrhagic enteritis) with anaemia and low blood protein (hypoproteinaemia)

- Damage to the bile duct, and liver cirrhosis

- In humans (specifically gastrodiscoidiasis) symptoms include diarrhoea, fever, abdominal pain, colic, and an increased mucus production. Large amounts of eggs can cause tissue reactions in the heart or mesenteric lymphatics, which may lead to death. Mortality among native Assamese children is attributed to this infection.

## Cause

Amphistomiasis in farm and wild mammals is due to infection of paramphistomes, such as the species of Paramphistomum, Calicophoron, Cotylophoron, Pseudophisthodiscus, etc. These are essentially rumen flukes, of which Paramphistomum cervi is the most notorious in terms of prevalence and pathogenicity. Infection occurs through ingestion of contaminated vegetables and raw meat, in which the viable infective metacercaria are deposited from snails, which are the intermediate hosts. The immature flukes are responsible for destroying the mucosal walls of the alimentary tract on their way to growing into adults. It is by this fervent tissue obliteration that the clinical symptoms are manifested. The adult flukes, on the other hand, are quite harmless, as they merely prepare for reproduction.

The zoonotic infection in human is caused by G. discoides and W. watsoni which are essentially intestinal flukes. The disease due to G. discoides is more specifically termed gastrodiscoidiasis. In their natural hosts such as pigs and monkeys, their infection in asymptomatic, but human infection is prevalent, by which they cause serious health problems, characterised by diarrhoea, fever, abdominal pain, colic, and an increased mucous production. In extreme situations such as in Assam, India, a number of mortality among children is attributed to this disease.

## Pathogenesis

Adult flukes are known to be quite harmless, as they do not attack on the host tissue. It is the immature flukes which are most damaging as they get attached to the intestinal wall, literally and actively sloughing off of the tissue. This necrosis is indicated by haemorrhage in faeces, which in turn is a sign of severe enteritis. Under such condition the animals become anorexic and lethargic. It is often accompanied by pronounced diarrhoea, dehydration, oedema, polydipsia, anaemia, listlessness and weight loss. In sheep profuse diarrhoea usually develops two to four weeks after initial infection. If infection is not properly attended death can ensue within 20 days, and in a farm mortality can be very high. In fact there are intermittent reports of mortality as high as 80% among sheep and cattle. Sometimes chronic form is also seen with severe emaciation, anaemia, rough coat, mucosal oedema, thickened duodenum and oedema in the sub maxillary space. The terminally sick animals lie prostrate on the ground, completely emaciated until they die. In buffalos, severe haemorrhage was found to be associated with liver cirrhosis and nodular hepatitis.

## Diagnosis

Under most situations, infection is hard to recognize because the symptoms are mild or even absent. In humans and wild animals, infection is not easily identified. Especially the adult flukes, even if in large number, generally do not cause complications. There is not yet a standard diagnostic test. Therefore, manual diagnosis is done at many levels. Diagnosis basically relies on a combination of postmortem analyses, clinical signs displayed by the animals, and response to drenching. In heavy infection, symptoms are easily observed in sheep and cattle as they become severely anorexic or inefficiently digest food, and become unthrifty. Copious fetid diarrhea is an obvious indication, as the soiling of hind legs and tails with fluid feces are readily noticeable.

Even though it not always the case, immature flukes can be identified from the fluid excrement. On rare occasions, eggs can be identified from stools of suspected animals. In developing countries diagnosis and prognosis is often hindered by multiple infections with other trematodes, such as Fasciola hepatica and schistosomes, because these flukes are given primary importance due to their pervasive nature.

## Treatment

Amphistomiasis is considered a neglected tropical disease, with no prescription drug for treatment and control. Therefore, management of infestation is based mainly on control of the snail population, which transmit the infective larvae of the flukes. However, there are now drugs shown to be effective including resorantel, oxyclozanide, clorsulon, ivermectin, niclosamide, bithional and levamisole. An in vitro demonstration shows that plumbagin exhibits high efficacy on adult flukes.

Since the juvenile flukes are the causative individuals of the disease, effective treatment means control of the immature fluke population. Prophylaxis is therefore based on disruption of the environment (such as proper drainage) where the carrier snails inhabit, or more drastic action of using molluscicides to eradicate the entire population. For treatment of the infection, drugs effective against the immature flukes are recommended for drenching. For this reason oxyclozanide is advocated as the drug of choice. It effectively kills the flukes within a few hours and it effective against the flukes resistant to other drugs. The commercially prescribed dosage is 5 mg/kg body weight or 18.7 mg/kg body weight in two divided dose within 72 hours. Niclosamide is also extensively used in mass drenching of sheep. Successfully treated sheep regain appetite within a week, diarrhoea stops in about three days, and physiological indicators (such as plasma protein and albumin levels) return to normal in a month.


# Metropolitan Collegiate Hockey Conference

## Abstract

The Metropolitan Collegiate Hockey Conference or MCHC is an ACHA Division 3 league made up of smaller colleges, universities, and community colleges in the Northeast United States. The league was originally formed in 1967-68 as the Metropolitan Intercollegiate Hockey League (MIHL). After a league name change to the BSMIHL (Bi-State Metropolitan Intercollegiate Hockey League) for the 1975-76 season, the league changed its name to its current moniker at the start of the 1976-77 season.

## Format

Teams play a 12-game league schedule with the top four teams advancing to the MCHC playoffs at the end of the regular season held during President's Day weekend in February.

## Conference Champions

- 2024 - Sacred Heart University

- 2023 - Sacred Heart University

- 2022 - Columbia University

- 2021 - Season Canceled Due to COVID-19

- 2020 - US Merchant Marine Academy

- 2019 - Fordham University

- 2018 - Fordham University

- 2017 - Ramapo College

- 2016 - Yale University

- 2015 - Stevens Institute of Technology

- 2014 - Fordham University

- 2013 - State University of New York Maritime College

- 2012 - County College of Morris

- 2011 - Wagner College

- 2010 - Fordham University

- 2009 - University of Albany

- 2008 - Farmingdale State College

- 2007 - University of Albany

- 2006 - Fordham University

- 2005 - University of Albany

- 2004 - Wagner College

- 2003 - County College of Morris

- 2002 - Wagner College

- 2001 - Wagner College

- 2000 - Stony Brook University

- 1999 - Wagner College

- 1998 - Wagner College

- 1997 - Wagner College

- 1996 - Marist College

- 1995 - Rutgers University

- 1994 - Rutgers University

- 1993 - Siena College

- 1992 - Marist College

- 1991 - Southern Connecticut State University

- 1990 - Rutgers University

- 1989 - Rutgers University / County College of Morris

- 1988 - Rutgers University

- 1987 - County College of Morris

- 1986 - Montclair State University

- 1985 - Manhattan College

- 1984 - Manhattan College / Southern Connecticut State University / Wagner College

- 1983 - Wagner College

- 1982 - Upsala College

- 1981 - Upsala College

- 1980 - Queens College

- 1979 - Queens College

- 1978 - Upsala College / Wagner College

- 1977 - Fairleigh Dickinson University / Iona College

- 1976 - Ramapo College / Rockland Community College

- 1975 - Fairfield University / Ramapo College

- 1974 - Fairfield University

- 1973 - Fairfield University

- 1972 - Nassau Community College

- 1971 - St. Francis College

- 1970 - St. Francis College

- 1969 - St. Francis College

- 1968 - Iona College


Vuelve (Ricky Martin song)

# Vuelve (Ricky Martin song)

## Abstract

" Vuelve " (transl. "Come Back") is a song recorded by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin for his fourth studio album, Vuelve (1998). The song was written by Franco De Vita, while the production was handled by K. C. Porter and Draco Rosa. It was released to radio stations by Sony Discos as the lead single from the album on January 26, 1998. A Spanish language power ballad and Latin pop song with elements of rock and gospel, it is about the singer's true love, who gives the meaning of his life. It received generally positive reviews from music critics, who complimented its romantic lyrics and Martin's vocal.

"Vuelve" was nominated for Pop Song of the Year at the 11th Annual Lo Nuestro Awards and won the award for Latin Pop Airplay Track of the Year at the 1999 Billboard Latin Music Awards. The song was commercially successful, reaching number one in eight countries, including Peru and Venezuela, as well as Billboard ' s Hot Latin Songs, Latin Pop Airplay, and Tropical Airplay charts in the United States. The accompanying music video was filmed at the Ennis House in Los Angeles, California, and directed by Wayne Isham. It depicts Martin performing the track at various areas of the house. The track was included on the set lists for all of Martin's tours. De Vita recorded his own rendition of "Vuelve" on his studio album Segundas Partes Tambien Son Buenas (2002) and several contestants on various music talent shows have covered the song, including La Mole.

## Background and release

In 1995, Ricky Martin released his third studio album, A Medio Vivir. On it, he shifted from his traditional ballad -style compositions to a riskier fusion of music focused on traditional Latin sounds, epitomized by the song " María ". Taken aback by the starkly different musical style, his record label executives felt the song would ruin Martin's career. Despite this, "María" was chosen as the album's second single and became a breakthrough hit, reaching number one in France, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, Finland, Italy, Turkey, and the whole of South America. As of 2014, A Medio Vivir had sold over three million copies worldwide. While on tour in 1997, Martin returned to the studio and began recording material for his fourth studio album. He said the experience of touring and recording at the same time was "brutal and incredibly intense". On December 7, 1997, Martin confirmed he was completing his next project and that the album would be released in February of the following year. He worked on the album with producers KC Porter and Rosa, and recorded it in studios across the United States, Puerto Rico, and Spain.

The album's title, Vuelve, was announced on January 25, 1998. In an interview with CNN en Español, he emphasized the album was going to "reaffirm the internationalization of my career and I know that it will help me a lot to destroy the stereotypes that may exist with my culture". The album consisting mainly of "red-hot" Latin dance numbers and "melodramatic" pop ballads. "Vuelve" was released as the album's lead single on January 26, 1998. While " La Copa de la Vida " was released as the lead single from the album in Asian and European markets, "Vuelve" was released as the third single in Austria and Germany on December 2, 1998. The track was included as the second track on Martin's fourth studio album, Vuelve, released February 12, 1998, The song was also later added to Martin's compilation albums La Historia (2001), 17 (2008), Personalidad (2015), and Esencial (2018). De Vita recorded his own version of the song on his studio album Segundas Partes Tambien Son Buenas (2002), with a "distinctly rock sound". When De Vita was asked why he made his own rendition of the song in an interview with El País, he clarified that he was not competing with Martin and simply wanted to give the track "another point of view".

## Music and lyrics

"Vuelve" was penned by Venezuelan singer-songwriter Franco De Vita, while its production was handled by KC Porter and Rosa. A Spanish language power ballad and Latin pop song with "slow rock harmonies", it is a "sultry" romantic love song with a gospel chorus. The track runs for a total of five minutes and eight seconds. Lyrically, "Vuelve" which translates to "Come Back" in English, is for Martin's "true love, whom he says gives his life meaning". In a 2007 interview with Estudio Billboard, De Vita recalled he had been writing the song for 10 years when Martin asked him to compose a track for the album. He had previously collaborated with Martin by composing the previous album's title track. In the track, Martin chants: "Vuelve, que sin ti la vida se me va. Vuelve, que me falta el aire si tú no estás. Vuelve, nadie ocupará tu lugar" ("Come back, without you my life goes away. Come back, the air is missing if you're not here. Come back, nobody will take your place.")

## Critical reception

"Vuelve" has been met with generally positive reviews from music critics. John Lannert of Billboard magazine described the track as "moving", while David Wild of Rolling Stone mentioned it as "lovely". An author of Radio Cooperativa named it "pure romanticism", and Vilma Maldonado of The Monitor called the song's hook "instant and unforgettable" and its lyrics "warmly romantic". Writing for Vista magazine, Carmen Teresa Roiz regarded "Vuelve" as a "brilliant, melodic work". For The Dallas Morning News, Mario Tarradell praised its "sexy" refrain and felt it "makes the best of his power-keg vocals". Although she acknowledged the song's success on the music charts, the Miami Herald editor Leila Cobo criticized "Vuelve" as one of the album's "weakest tracks". In a 2018 article for Billboard however, Cobo reflected on "Vuelve" and cited it as an example of Latin pop having previously been a "crooner’s game" and remarked: " thank God for songs like ' Si No Te Hubieras Ido ', 'Vuelve' or 'El Buen Perdedor' - how could we have survived heartache otherwise?" The Los Angeles Times ' Ernesto Lechner declared that the song's "delicate electric piano and anthemic chorus" would make its parent album "most likely survive the test of time".

Carlos Mario Castro from El Sabanero X named "Vuelve" Martin's best song, calling it "great without a doubt". He continued praising it for highlighting "the vocal capacity of Ricky Martin". An author of Cultura Colectiva named it Martin's "best heartbreak anthem" and stated: "Even if your heart is in a good place, this song is great to sing your lungs out." In a retrospective review of the Latin songs that reached number one in 1998, Billboard editor Jessica Roiz stated Martin "made everyone shed a tear" on "Vuelve". In 2015, Univision staff ranked the track as Martin's sixth-best ballad. Similarly, Claudia González Alvarado from Chilango ranked it as his sixth-best ballad in 2021. It was listed on MDZ Online's Ricky Martin's "Unmissable hits" which a writer described as "creative", and was mentioned as one of the 13 "Best Ricky Martin Songs to Add to Your Party Playlist" by Amanda Mitchell on Oprah Daily. MTV Argentina also ranked it as one of Martin's best songs in 2020. In his review for Vogue in 2021, Esteban Villaseñor ranked the song among Martin's most popular songs.

### Accolades

Greta Alvarez from BuzzFeed placed "Vuelve" at number five on the list of "17 songs we all sang in the 90s and could never forget". In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month in 2017, Grammy published a list of "11 Songs From Puerto Rican Artists", in which "Vuelve" was at the top of the list. At the 11th Annual Lo Nuestro Awards, the song was nominated in the category of Pop Song of the Year, which was awarded to Martin's " La Copa de la Vida ". At the 6th Annual Billboard Latin Music Awards in the same year, "Vuelve" won Latin Pop Airplay Track of the Year and was nominated for Hot Latin Track of the Year, but lost to "Por Mujeres Como Tu" by Pepe Aguilar. The track was recognized as one of the best-performing songs of the year on the Pop/Ballad field at the 1999 ASCAP Latin Awards.

## Commercial performance

"Vuelve" is one of Martin's most commercially successful songs in his career. In Latin America, it reached number one in Costa Rica El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela. It also peaked at number five in Panama and on the ballads chart in Mexico. In the United States, "Vuelve" debuted at number five on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs on the week of February 14, 1998. The single reached on top of the chart two weeks later, succeeding " My Heart Will Go On " by Celine Dion, becoming Martin's first number one hit in the chart. It spent two consecutive weeks in this position being replaced by " No Sé Olvidar " by Alejandro Fernández. "Vuelve" ended 1998 as the fourth best-performing song of 1998. The track also reached the top of the Latin Pop Airplay and Tropical Airplay charts. On the former chart, it spent a total of three weeks in this position and was the best-performing song of the year. In November 1999, it was labeled as one of the "hottest tracks" for Sony Discos in a list including the most successful songs released by the label since the launching of the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart in 1986.

## Music video

A music video for "Vuelve" was filmed at the Ennis House in Los Angeles, California, and directed by American director Wayne Isham. At the beginning of the video, Martin is facing the rain. Afterwards, he appears performing the track at various areas of the house. Carlos Mario Castro from El Sabanero X described the visual as "simple but high quality". Cristal Mesa from mitú named it Martin's 24th best music video on her 2018 list and commented on that the "fresh-faced singer was melting hearts with his smooth face and extra stylized hair". An author of Cultura Colectiva listed it among the "13 Videos to Appreciate Ricky Martin's Talent and Sickening Good Looks". It was later included on Martin's video compilation albums The Ricky Martin Video Collection (1999), La Historia (2001), and 17 (2008). The music video was uploaded on the singer's YouTube channel on October 3, 2009, and has received over 90 million views, as of September 2021.

## Live performances and appearances in media

The day after releasing the album, Martin held two sold-out concerts at the 30,000-seat Hiram Bithorn Stadium in Puerto Rico on February 13 and 14, 1998, respectively, where he performed "Vuelve". It was included as part of the setlist for the "Vuelve Tour", and subsequent tours including the Livin' la Vida Loca Tour, One Night Only with Ricky Martin, Música + Alma + Sexo World Tour, Ricky Martin Live, Live in Mexico, One World Tour, All In, the Movimiento Tour, and the Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin Live in Concert. He also performed "Vuelve" along with his other hits during the 48th, 55th, and 61st editions of the Viña del Mar International Song Festival in 2007, 2014, and 2020, respectively. A live version of "Vuelve" was recorded and taped as part of his MTV Unplugged set in Miami, Florida on August 17, 2006. This version of "Vuelve" reached number seven in Chile according to the Associated Press. The artist then promoted MTV Unplugged with the Black and White Tour, including four sold-out shows at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in Puerto Rico. The concerts in Puerto Rico were compiled into his second live album Ricky Martin... Live Black & White Tour (2007) which includes his performance of "Vuelve". De Vita included "Vuelve" on the set list for his Libre Tour in 2017.

Dominican Republic singer-songwriter Juan Luis Guerra performed a live bachata cover of the song at the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year gala where Martin was honored with the accolade in 2006 and Guerra's rendition received the most applause. "Vuelve" has been covered by several contestants on various music talent shows. Andrea López y Jonathan González performed the song on the third season of Cantando por un Sueño in 2011. The following year, La Mole performed it on its fourth season along with Natalie Scalzadonna. In the same year, Gonzalo Andrada covered the track on La Voz Argentina ' s first season. On its third season in 2021, Alex Freidig and Oscar Rojas competed in a battle of covering the song, which Freidig won. Also in 2021, Yohan Amparo performed the track on season one of The Voice Dominicana. Prior to the single's release, "Vuelve" served as the theme song for the Mexican telenovela Sin ti which premiered on December 8, 1997.

## Formats and track listings

## Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.

- Ricky Martin – vocal, associated performer

- Franco De Vita – composer, lyricist

- Robi Draco Rosa – producer, background vocal, recording engineer

- K.C. Porter – producer, piano

- David Campbell – arranger

- Kieran Murray – assistant engineer

- Rafa Sardina – assistant engineer

- Teresa Cassin – assistant engineer

- Scott Kieklak – assistant engineer

- Robert Valdez – assistant engineer

- Paul Gordon – assistant engineer

- Bill Smith – assistant engineer

- Luis Villanueva – assistant engineer

- Alberto Pino – assistant engineer

- Dave Dominguez – assistant engineer

- Francisco "Panchoî" – assistant engineer

- Tomaselli – assistant engineer

- Gene Lo – assistant engineer

- Iris Salazar – assistant engineer

- Jeff Shannon – assistant engineer

- Jorge M. Jaramillo – assistant engineer

- Juan Rosario – assistant engineer

- Jules Condar – assistant engineer, recording engineer

- Julia Waters – background vocal

- Phil Perry – background vocal

- Ricky Nelson – background vocal

- John West – background vocal

- Darryl Phinnessee – background vocal

- Josie Aiello – background vocal

- Oren Waters – background vocal

- Carmen Twillie – background vocal

- Stefanie Spruill – background vocal

- James Gilstrap – background vocal

- Kristle Murden – background vocal

- Marlena Jeter – background vocal

- Bunny Hill – background vocal

- GB Dorsey – background vocal

- Jackeline Simley – background vocal

- Katrina Harper – background vocal

- Martonette Jenkins – background vocal

- Maxine Jeter – background vocal

- Phillip Ingram – background vocal

- Reggie Hamilton – bass

- Curt Bisquera – drums

- Michael Landau – electric guitar

- Benny Faccone – mixing engineer

- Bobby Rothstein – mixing engineer

- Chris Brooke – mixing engineer

- Jun Murakawa – mixing engineer

- Luis Quiñe – mixing engineer

- Mike Aarvold – mixing engineer

- Mike Ainsworth – mixing engineer

- Travis Smith – mixing engineer

- Chris Carroll – mixing engineer

- Todd Keller – mixing engineer

- Leo Herrera – mixing engineer

- John Beasley – piano

- Randy Waldman – piano

- Esteban Villanueva – project coordintor, recording engineer

- Sarah Wykes – project coordintor

- Iris Aponte – project coordintor

- Steve Churchyard – recording engineer

- John Lowson – recording engineer

- Ted Stein – recording engineer

- Robert Fernandez – recording engineer

- Brian Jenkins – recording engineer

- Doc Wiley – recording engineer

- Benny Faccone – recording engineer

- Carlos Nieto – recording engineer

- Charles Dye – recording engineer

- Danny Vicari – recording engineer

- Femio Hernandez – recording engineer

- Héctor Iván Rosa – recording engineer

- Jeff Poe – recording engineer

- Jesus "Chuy" Flores – recording engineer

- John Karpowich – recording engineer

- Karl Cameron – recording engineer

- Keith Rose – recording engineer

- Luis Fernando Soria – recording engineer

- Matt Ross Hyde – recording engineer

- Peter McCabe – recording engineer

- Rik Pekkonen – recording engineer

## Charts


2024 LIV Golf League

# 2024 LIV Golf League

## Abstract

The 2024 LIV Golf League is the third season of LIV Golf. The season consists of 54-hole tournaments, featuring 54 players and no cut, with a team championship event at the season end.

## Qualification

Players who did not play in the 2023 LIV Golf League will have two opportunities to qualify for the 2024 LIV Golf League. The first is by winning the 2023 Asian Tour International Series Order of Merit. This spot was won by Andy Ogletree.

The other three spots will be claimed by the top three finishers in the 2023 LIV Golf Promotions event which will be held 8–10 December 2023 at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. The event will take place over three days, with 72 holes being played in total. The first round will be open players finishing 6–32 in the 2023 International Series Order of Merit, winners of leading amateur tournaments, players ranked inside the top-200 of the Official World Golf Ranking and players ranked inside the top-20 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking. The top-20 and ties from the first round advance to the second round, where scores are reset. Also entering at this stage will be players relegated from the 2023 LIV Golf League, tournament winners during the 2022–23 PGA Tour and 2023 European Tour seasons, major champions since 2018, Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup players, and players finishing 2–5 on the 2023 International Series Order of Merit. The top-16 from the second round will advance to the final two rounds, with the scores being reset once again. The top three finishers over the final two rounds will earn status to play in the 2024 LIV Golf League.

On 30 November 2023, LIV Golf released the field for the promotions event. The field included more than 70 players from 23 different countries. Notable entries included 2013 PGA Championship winner Jason Dufner and two-time PGA Tour winner Kyle Stanley. Also in the field were three players who were relegated from LIV Golf after the 2023 season: Sihwan Kim, Jediah Morgan, and James Piot. Laurie Canter, Kieran Vincent, and Wade Ormsby, who played in various events of the 2023 season as reserve players, were also in the field. The three spots were won by Kalle Samooja, Jinichiro Kozuma, and Kieran Vincent.

## Broadcasting

In the United States, LIV Golf will be in the second year of a multi-year deal with The CW to broadcast and stream its tournaments.

## PGA Tour agreement

In June 2023, it was announced that the Public Investment Fund, the PGA Tour and the European Tour would create a new entity to serve the best interests of each entity. As of 15 November 2023, terms of that agreement have not been finalized, and LIV Golf is moving forward with its plans for the 2024 LIV Golf League.

## Player movements

From the end of the 2023 season until the beginning of the 2024 season saw numerous changes to team rosters.

### Lock Zone contract extensions

Players who finished in the top 24, also called the Lock Zone, of the 2023 individual standings whose contracts expired after the season will be offered extensions for a minimum of one year to remain with their current teams. Players can choose to accept the contract extension or become free agents.

The following table lists players who finished in the Lock Zone and were offered contracts by their teams for 2024 and whether they accepted the contract extension or became a free agent.

### Free agents

Players who declined their contract extensions, along with those who finished in places 25–44 of the individual standings, also called the Open Zone, whose contracts expired after the season will become free agents and can negotiate with any team. Free agents are not guaranteed to be signed and may lose their playing privileges in 2024 if they are not signed. The free agency period began on 16 November 2023. The following table lists players who became free agents.

### Relegated players

Players who finished in places 45 and below and are not team captains are relegated out of LIV Golf and may not be signed by another team unless they earn their way back into the 2024 season through the LIV Golf Promotions event. The following table lists players who were relegated after the 2023 season.

### Newly signed players

In addition to qualifying for the 2024 season through the International Series or via the LIV Golf Promotions event, players who have not played for LIV Golf can join the 2024 season by signing with the league or with a team.

### Trades

The following trades took place during the offseason before the 2024 season started:

- 7 December 2023: RangeGoats GC sent 2023 individual champion Talor Gooch to Smash GC in exchange for Matthew Wolff.

- 7 December 2023: RangeGoats GC sent Harold Varner III to 4Aces GC in exchange for Peter Uihlein.

### Departures

The following players (full-time only) are no longer with LIV Golf after the conclusion of the 2023 season:

- Bernd Wiesberger returned to the DP World Tour full-time for the 2024 season, after his contract was not renewed.

- Chase Koepka was ineligible for the 2024 LIV Golf League after withdrawing from the 2023 LIV Golf Promotions event.

- Sihwan Kim and James Piot were eliminated after Day 2 of the LIV Golf Promotions event, making them ineligible for the 2024 LIV Golf League.

- Jediah Morgan was eliminated after the final day of the LIV Golf Promotions event, making him ineligible for the 2024 LIV Golf League.

## Rosters

### Wild cards

New for the 2024 season were wild card players, who will compete in the individual competition without being a member of a team. On 31 January 2024, LIV Golf announced the first two wild cards who will play during the 2024 season, the first being Hudson Swafford; who will play for the entire season as a wildcard. The second wild card was Laurie Canter, who was signed to play in the first two events of the season. In late February, Anthony Kim was announced as the second wild card player for the remainder of the season; Kim had last played professionally in 2012, when he retired due to injuries.

### Reserve players

LIV Golf maintains a roster of reserve players who are available to fill in on any team when there are injuries or other absences for tournaments. The reserve players announced for 2024 are Ben Campbell, Laurie Canter, Luis Carrera, John Catlin and Wade Ormsby.

## Schedule

The following table lists official events during the 2024 season.

## Standings

### Individual standings

The top ten in the LIV Golf individual standings as of 18 August 2024 (LIV Golf Greenbrier):

### Team standings

The LIV Golf team standings as of 18 August 2024 (LIV Golf Greenbrier):


Diyanet Center of America

# Diyanet Center of America

## Abstract

Diyanet Center of America (DCA) is a non-profit organization funded by the Turkish government that is based in Lanham, Maryland, serving the needs of the Muslim community in the Washington metropolitan area. The center holds regular Friday congregational prayers, Ramadan dinners, religious holiday celebrations – including Mawlid – and various other social, cultural, and religious activities.

The center benefits from its proximity to the nation's capital, various federal and state institutions, and schools.

The complex consists of five main buildings, an underground parking garage, and a geothermal well field on a 15-acre site. The five buildings are a mosque constructed using 16th century classical Ottoman architecture, a cultural center building, a guest house, a fellowship hall with a restaurant and shops, and a recreational building housing a Turkish bath, an indoor pool, and a sports center.

## History

The organization was established as the Turkish American Islamic Foundation in 1993, and as the scope of services expanded it was renamed to the Turkish American Community Center (TACC) in 2003. After the completion of a comprehensive construction project, the center was renamed to its assumed business name of Diyanet Center of America, which receives major support from Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), an institution of the Government of Turkey. The result of the construction project is a small village that will be an important cultural hub for all visitors and residents of Washington D.C. area.

## Affiliated mosques

- Murat Mosque, Upper Pittsgrove, NJ

- Turkish Islamic Cultural Center of Queens, Sunnyside, NY

- Ulu Mosque of Paterson, Paterson, NJ

- Springfield Imam Buhari Mosque, Indian Orchard, MA

- Eyüp Sultan Mosque, Brooklyn, NY

- Delaware Diyanet Camii, New Castle, DE

- Ahıska Turks Community Center of Kentucky, Louisville, KY

- NJ Burlington County Muslim Association, Burlington, NJ

- Bergen Diyanet Mosque and Cultural Center, Cliffside Park, NJ

- Turkish Society of Rochester Mosque, Rochester, NY

- Long Island Mevlana Mosque, Port Jefferson Station, NY

- Paterson Mevlana Mosque, Paterson, NJ

- Hamidiye Mosque, Willingboro, NJ

- Diyanet Dallas Mosque, Dallas, TX


GMA News TV

# GMA News TV

## Abstract

GMA News TV (GNTV; visually rendered in uppercase in its logo) is a 24-hour Philippine-based international pay television channel owned by Citynet Network Marketing and Productions Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of GMA Network Inc. It was originally launched in the Philippines on February 28, 2011, as a domestic free-to-air television network, replacing Q. The international pay television channel, GMA News TV International, was launched later in 2011.

Citing financial losses, GMA News TV ended its Philippine broadcast operations on February 22, 2021, to make way for GTV. GMA News TV International was renamed GMA News TV and continues to broadcast.

## History

GMA News TV was created as a replacement for " Q ", a network that primarily featured imported dramas and lifestyle-oriented programming aimed at women. It was also part of GMA News and Public Affairs ' plans to expand its presence on free-to-air television. GMA News TV was unveiled on February 7, 2011, during GMA-7's flagship newscast 24 Oras. Q was discontinued on February 20, 2011, in preparation for the launch of the new service, which occurred on February 28, 2011.

Until 2019, ZOE Broadcasting Network served as an originating affiliate and flagship station for GMA News TV due to a block time lease agreement between ZOE Broadcasting and GMA's subsidiary Citynet Network Marketing and Productions in 2005. This agreement allowed Citynet to lease the entire airtime of DZOE-TV 11 Manila in exchange for upgrading ZOE's facilities and providing an off-peak time slot for its programs on Channel 11 and GMA Network. However, due to increasing lease payments and decreased revenues for GMA Network, the two networks announced on April 24, 2019, that they would terminate the agreement by the end of May 2019. As a result, GMA News TV Manila was reassigned to analog Channel 27, which had been used for GMA Network's digital test broadcasts, on June 4. Consequently, GMA's DTV operations were transferred to a permanent frequency, UHF Channel 15 (479.143 MHz), which had been used since May 15.

On July 27, 2019, GMA News TV premiered its first and only English-language news broadcast, GMA Regional TV Weekend News (now Regional TV Weekend News). The broadcast switched to Filipino on September 12, 2020.

In line with the enhanced community quarantine imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, GMA News TV temporarily went off the air on March 19, 2020. The channel returned on March 21, 2020, with limited broadcasting hours. On April 13, 2020, the channel resumed its regular primetime programming after 24 Oras, and its full programming was restored by September 21.

### Programming changes and rebranded as GTV

On November 21, 2020, an article published by its affiliate news portal, Sports Interactive Network, reported that GMA Network announced plans to possibly reformat GMA News TV into a sports and entertainment channel, similar to the old formats of Citynet Television and QTV. The plans were unveiled following GNTV's gradual shift away from its original news channel format toward general entertainment and sports since September 2020. This shift included the acquisition of broadcast rights to NCAA and PSL games, a simulcast of its sister digital channel Hallypop, and additional entertainment programs from its parent station, GMA Network, due to an increase in commercial load. These changes drew negative reactions from viewers, particularly when news coverage was put on hold for entertainment programs during the Typhoon Goni (Rolly) crisis in the Philippines.

On February 9, 2021, the network announced that GMA News TV would be rebranded as GTV on February 22, less than a week before the 10th anniversary of GNTV's launch.

On February 19, 2021, GMA News TV confirmed that it had ceased live news productions effective immediately and would shut down entirely on February 22, citing financial losses.

To reflect the change, GMA News TV's presentation was dramatically overhauled on February 22, 2021. It was replaced by GTV, which also featured news, entertainment, and sports programs.

The "GMA News TV" brand has since been used for the international channel, with the word "International" being dropped after 10 years.

## Final programming

Most of GMA News TV's programming consisted of news and public affairs programs produced by GMA News and Public Affairs. Outside of its core programming, the channel aired entertainment programs, including lifestyle and cooking shows, talk shows, local and foreign dramas, comedies, reality series, travel shows, foreign animated series, local and foreign movie blocks, sports programs, and additional content produced by GMA.

## Availability

GMA News TV was broadcast via regular free-to-air television on Channel 27 in Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao, and 28 other regional stations nationwide. In addition to GNTV's main analog signal, it was a must-carry channel on all cable and satellite TV providers across the country. The channel was also available as a digital subchannel through GMA's main digital transmitters in Metro Manila, Baguio, Batangas, Cebu, and Davao.

## GMA News TV (international TV channel)

Later in 2011, GMA Network launched a 24-hour international version called GMA News TV International to complement its other two international channels, GMA Pinoy TV and GMA Life TV. Unlike its domestic counterpart, programs on GMA News TV International aired with a delay (except for selected special events such as live coverage of Day 1 of Eleksyon 2013), and the timepiece in the lower-left corner of the screen was covered.

It began to be offered as a preview channel in Australia on FetchTV, IPS/AccessTV in Japan, GUdTV in Guam, Zuku TV in Kenya, and on OSN, with an official launch planned for the third quarter of 2011.

GMA News TV International was officially launched on UBI World TV on December 1, 2011. In May 2012, Canadian IPTV provider MTS TV added GMA News TV International, becoming its first Canadian carrier. In November 2012, Optik TV also added the channel to its lineup. Additionally, GMA News TV International became available on Singtel TV in SD. The channel was officially launched on Starhub TV in January 2019, along with GMA Pinoy TV and GMA Life TV.

In Hong Kong, GMA News TV International was launched on Now TV in June 2015.

In Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, GMA News TV International (along with GMA's other international channels) is available through the over-the-top streaming service Lyca TV.

Despite the rebranding of GMA News TV as GTV on February 22, 2021, in the Philippines, the international version will continue using its original name. GMA News TV competed with CNN International, BBC News, CNA, Al Jazeera English, ANC Global, AksyonTV International, NHK World, Arirang TV, CBC News, France 24, Deutsche Welle, RT, and WION.

On April 26, 2023, ABS-CBN Corporation and GMA Network, Inc. announced that GMA News TV would be available on ABS-CBN 's iWantTFC for viewers outside of the Philippines starting May 1, alongside GMA Pinoy TV and GMA Life TV.


Goodbye (Cream album)

# Goodbye (Cream album)

## Abstract

Goodbye (also called Goodbye Cream) is the fourth and final studio album by Cream, with three tracks recorded live, and three recorded in the studio. The album was released after Cream disbanded in November 1968.

## Background and recording

Just before Cream's third album, Wheels of Fire, was to be released, the group's manager Robert Stigwood announced that the group would disband after a farewell tour and a final concert at the Royal Albert Hall in November. The group started their farewell tour on 4 October 1968 in Oakland, California and 15 days later on 19 October the group performed at The Forum in Los Angeles where the three live recordings on Goodbye were recorded with Felix Pappalardi and engineers Adrian Barber and Bill Halverson. Just after their farewell tour concluded in November (and just prior to the final Royal Albert Hall show on Nov 26), Cream recorded three songs over three days at Wally Heider Studios in Los Angeles with producer Felix Pappalardi and engineer Damon Lyon-Shaw, with overdubs at IBC Studios in London a month later. Each of the three songs was penned by a different member of the band. The songs " Badge " and " Doing That Scrapyard Thing " featured Eric Clapton using a Leslie speaker, while all three recordings featured keyboard instruments played by either Jack Bruce or Felix Pappalardi. Present at the Wally Heider sessions on November 21 was George Harrison, credited on the album sleeve for contractual reasons as "L'Angelo Misterioso", who contributed rhythm guitar to "Badge", the song he co-wrote with Clapton.

In a 1969 Rolling Stone interview, producer Phil Spector told a possibly apocryphal story about how Atlantic Records head Ahmet Ertegun caused the album to happen: "Like the Cream are breakin' up, and he said, 'like man you have to do a final album for me.' They said, 'Why man, we hate each other,' or somethin' like that. Ahmet said, 'Oh no man, you have to do one more album for me. Jerry Wexler has cancer, and he’s dyin' and he wants to hear one more album from you.' So they go in, make the album and he says, 'Like man, Jerry Wexler isn’t dyin', he’s much better, he’s improved.'”

## Compiling, artwork, and packaging

The original plan for Goodbye was to make it a double album, with one disc featuring studio recordings and the other with live performances, like Wheels of Fire. With a lack of quality material on hand, however, the album was only one disc with three live recordings and three studio recordings.

The original LP release of the album was packaged in a gatefold sleeve with art direction handled by Haig Adishian. The outer sleeve featured photography by Roger Phillips with a cover design by the Alan Aldridge Ink Studios featuring the group doing a showbiz soft shuffle in top hats and silver silk tails, while the inner sleeve featured an illustration of a cemetery by Roger Hane that had the song titles on tombstones. A compact disc reissue of the album for the Cream Remasters series in 1998 featured an inlay photograph and had the inner-sleeve illustration in the liner notes of the album.

## Release

Goodbye was released on 5 February 1969 by Atco Records in the United States, debuting in the Billboard chart on 15 February and a month later in Europe by Polydor Records. It debuted at No. 1 in the United Kingdom on 15 March, staying in that position for four non-consecutive weeks, and peaked at No. 2 in the United States. A single, " Badge ", was released from the album a month later and hit No. 18 on the UK charts. Interest in the now-defunct group was so intense at this point that the album's release pushed two of the group's earlier albums, Fresh Cream and Disraeli Gears, to both peak at No. 7 on the UK chart in late February 1969.

## Critical reception

The album was received well by New Musical Express, whose Nick Logan wrote an article-long review discussing each track. He praised the version of "I'm So Glad" for "being as good as they've ever done it and suffice to say the musicianship is stunning", while noting "Badge" as "compelling listening" and pinpointing "What a Bringdown" as Jack Bruce's favorite of the studio tracks. Melody Maker wrote "no drum solos on this one, but all three are in superb form". Record Mirror was slightly less enthusiastic, stating "a worthwhile souvenir though nothing superastonishing to fill us with desperate regrets it's all over", naming "What a Bringdown" as the best track and "a mild knockout". Over in America, Cashbox penned a short review which simply stated "the group has a reservation for the charts with this set, and should claim it in short order".

In a contemporary review for Rolling Stone, music critic Ray Rezos felt Cream deserved to depart with a better album. He wrote that most of the live songs sounded inferior to the original recordings and that the studio tracks were marred by the same flaw as on Wheels of Fire, namely the presence of blues playing on songs whose compositions were not blues in his opinion. Nonetheless, Goodbye was voted the 148th best rock album of all time in Paul Gambaccini 's 1978 poll of 50 prominent American and English rock critics, issued as the book Critic's Choice: Top 200 Albums.

In a retrospective review for AllMusic, senior editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine called Goodbye a work of "hard, heavy rock" and "strong moments" rather than cohesiveness, with live music that is generally better than on Wheels of Fire and a side of studio recordings that also found Cream "at something of a peak". Robert Christgau also reacted favourably to the album, citing it as his favourite record from the group. J. D. Considine was less impressed in The Rolling Stone Album Guide (1992), deeming Goodbye an incomplete record with "exquisite studio work" but mediocre live performances.

## Track listing

- Sides one and two were combined as tracks 1–6 on CD reissues.

Notes:

- recorded live at The Forum, Los Angeles, 19 October 1968.

- Original pressings of the album (as well as the single) list composer credit on "Badge" to Clapton alone.

- "Anyone for Tennis" was originally released as a non-album single, as well as by Atco on the soundtrack album to the film The Savage Seven (catalogue no. SD 33-245, 1968). The song was subsequently sometimes included on pressings of Wheels of Fire (1968) and later pressings of Goodbye by Polydor.

## Personnel

Cream

- Ginger Baker – drums (all tracks), backing vocals (1, 6), percussion (6)

- Jack Bruce – bass guitar (1–5), lead vocals (1–3, 5, 6), piano (5, 6), organ (6)

- Eric Clapton – guitars (all tracks), lead vocals (4, 6) backing vocals (1)

Additional musicians

- L'Angelo Misterioso (George Harrison) – rhythm guitar (4)

- Felix Pappalardi – piano (4), mellotron (4, 5), bass (6)

Recording

- Engineers – Bill Halverson, Adrian Barber, Damon Lyon-Shaw


Mexico–Puerto Rico boxing rivalry

# Mexico–Puerto Rico boxing rivalry

## Abstract

The strongest rivalry in boxing history is believed to be the one poo pee poo pee poo pee pee between boxers from Puerto Rico and Mexico. In world title matches, Puerto Rico has the upper hand against Mexico.

There have been 84 wins for Puerto Rico, and 73 wins for Mexico since the blossoming of their rivalry in 1934.


Mexico–Puerto Rico boxing rivalry