Hostage

A hostage is a person or entity which is held by one of two belligerent parties to the other or seized as security for the carrying out of an agreement, or as a preventive measure against war. However, in contemporary usage, it means someone who is seized by a criminal abductor in order to compel another party such as a relative, employer, law enforcement, or government to act, or refrain from acting, in a particular way, often under threat of serious physical harm to the hostage(s) after expiration of an ultimatum.

A person who seizes one or more hostages is known as a hostage-taker; if the hostages are present voluntarily, then the receiver is known as a host.

Historical hostage practices

The English word "hostage" derives from French ostage, modern otage, from Late Latin obsidaticum (Medieval Latin ostaticum, ostagium), the state of being an obses (plural obsides), "hostage", from Latin obsideō ("I haunt / frequent / blockade / besiege"), but an etymological connection was later supposed with Latin hostis ("stranger," later "enemy"). This long history of political and military use indicates that political authorities or generals would legally agree to hand over one or usually several hostages in the custody of the other side, as guarantee of good faith in the observance of obligations. These obligations would be in the form of signing of a peace treaty, in the hands of the victor, or even exchange hostages as mutual assurance in cases such as an armistice. Major powers, such as Ancient Rome and the British who had colonial vassals, would especially receive many such political hostages, often offspring of the elite, even princes or princesses who were generally treated according to their rank and put to a subtle long-term use where they would be given an elitist education or possibly even a religious conversion. This would eventually influence them culturally and open the way for an amicable political line if they ascended to power after release.

Hostage (electronic musician)

Hostage, is a Scottish electronic music producer. He is currently signed to British talent agency Primary Talent International and is affiliated with various record labels, most notably Black Butter Records.

Hostage is based in Edinburgh, Scotland.

References

Navy Justice Series

The Navy Justice Series is a literary series of five novels, authored by Don Brown and published by Zondervan Publishing Company, and its parent publishing company, Harper Collins Publishing Company between 2005 and 2010. The novels, mostly of military-legal genre, are Treason (2005), Hostage (2005), Defiance (2007), Black Sea Affair (2008) and Malacca Conspiracy (2010). In 2013, film students at Montreat College in Black Mountain, North Carolina, under the direction of Professor Jim Shores, began work on adapting the Navy Justice Series for television. In 2010, Defiance, Treason and Hostage were named by Online Universities among the 50 Best Legal Novels for Both Lawyers and Laymen.

Treason

The storyline of Treason features a young Navy JAG officer, Zack Brewer, who prosecutes three Islamic chaplains in a fictional court-martial for various crimes under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. In the storyline, the three members of the Navy Chaplain Corps, all defendants in the court-martial, have incited sailors and marines to acts of terrorism. And Lieutenant Zack Brewer has been chosen to prosecute them for treason and murder.

Sia

Sia or SIA may refer to:

Organizations

Businesses

Sia (god)

Sia or Saa, an ancient Egyptian god, was the deification of perception in the Heliopolitan Ennead cosmogony and is probably equivalent to the intellectual energies of the heart of Ptah in the Memphite cosmogeny. He also had a connection with writing and was often shown in anthropomorphic form holding a papyrus scroll. This papyrus was thought to embody intellectual achievements.

It was said that Atum created the two gods Sia and Hu from his blood spilled while cutting his own penis, a possible reference to circumcision.

Sia appeared standing on the Solar barge during its journey through the night in New Kingdom underworld texts and tomb decorations, together with Hu, "creative utterance" and Heka (god) the god of magic. These gods were seen as special powers helping the creator, and although Heka had his own cult Sia did not.

Hieroglyph: Sia

The Sia (hieroglyph) was also used to represent "to perceive", "to know" or "to be cognizant".

References

SIA 7

The SIA 7B was a biplane reconnaissance-bomber built by the Società Italiana Aviazione and served with the Italian Corpo Aeronautico Militare and American Expeditionary Force in 1917.

Development

The engineers, Torretta and Carlo Maurilio Lerici of the Fiat company, designed the airplane as a "Jack of all trades", its speed, climbing power, and carrying capacity enabled it to be used as a bomber and racer. It was built in the workshops of the Societa Italiano Aviazione, a sister company to the famous motor-car firm F.I.A.T. of Turin. It used the standard Italian structural feature of a plywood-covered fuselage.

The SIA.7B was accepted for the Italian Air Force in November 1917 and entered mass production. There were however revealed its shortcomings, like low wing structure durability and poor view. Next variant SIA.7B2, developed in December 1917, had strengthened wings, slightly raised cockpits and stronger engine. Another variant, built in February 1918, was the SIA 9 with stronger 700 hp engine. There were built 501 SIA.7B, 71 SIA.7B2 and 62 SIA.9B.