title: 2011 Tucson shooting

text: On August 7, 2012, Loughner's competency hearing began with testimony from Dr. Christina Pietz, Loughner's forensic psychologist, who testified that she believed Loughner was competent to stand trial. After hearing the evidence, Judge Burns ruled that Loughner was competent to stand trial, whereupon Loughner pleaded guilty to 19 counts, sparing himself the death penalty.


title: 2011 Tucson shooting

text: On November 8, 2012, Loughner appeared for sentencing, with several of his victims as well as relatives of those he killed in attendance. Judge Burns sentenced Loughner to seven consecutive life terms plus 140 years in prison without parole.


title: 2011 Tucson shooting

text: After his sentencing in federal court, Pima County Attorney Barbara LaWall announced that she would not prosecute Loughner on behalf of the state of Arizona. LaWall explained that her decision would afford the victims and their families, as well as the community in Tucson and Pima County, an opportunity to move forward with their lives. She said that, after speaking and consulting personally with each of the surviving victims and with the family members of those killed, it was clear that they would not be benefitted by a state prosecution. Surviving victims and family members told LaWall that they are "completely satisfied with the federal prosecution", that "justice has been served", and that the federal sentence is "suitably severe".


title: 2011 Tucson shooting

text: Six people were killed in the attack; all but Christina-Taylor Green died at the scene of the shooting:


title: 2011 Tucson shooting

text: In addition to the six dead, thirteen other people were wounded by gunshot in the attack, while a fourteenth person was injured subduing Loughner. Gabrielle Giffords and two other members of her staff were among the surviving gunshot victims. Staffer Ron Barber, shot in the thigh and face, would later succeed Giffords in her House seat.


title: 2011 Tucson shooting

text: Gabby Giffords was reported to be the target of the shootings. Some news organizations initially reported she had been killed, but these statements were quickly revised to reflect that she had survived with a gunshot wound to the head. Daniel Hernández Jr., one of Giffords's interns, assisted her after she was wounded and is credited with saving her life.


title: 2011 Tucson shooting

text: Giffords was taken to University Medical Center in critical condition, although she was still conscious. Within 38 minutes, Giffords underwent emergency surgery, and part of her skull was removed to prevent further brain damage caused by swelling. She was placed into a medically induced coma to allow her brain to rest. During a memorial ceremony on January 12, President Obama announced that earlier that day Giffords had opened her eyes for the first time since the attack.


title: 2011 Tucson shooting

text: As Giffords's status improved, she began simple physical therapy and music therapy. On January 21, 2011, less than two weeks after the attack, her condition was deemed sufficiently stable for her to be released to Houston's Memorial Hermann Medical Center. A few days later she was moved to the center's Institute for Rehabilitation and Research to undergo a program of physical therapy and rehabilitation. After examination, her Houston doctors were optimistic, saying she has "great rehabilitation potential".


title: 2011 Tucson shooting

text: On August 1, 2011, she made her first public appearance on the House floor to vote in favor of raising the debt limit ceiling. She was met with a standing ovation and accolades from her fellow members of Congress. Giffords engaged in intensive rehabilitation treatments in Asheville, North Carolina, from October 25 through November 4. In 2011, Mark Kelly, Giffords's husband, published a memoir, "Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope," crediting her with joint authorship. He wrote that Giffords vows to return to Congress, although she continues to struggle with language and has lost 50 percent of her vision in both eyes. Kelly himself was elected U.S. Senator from Arizona in 2020.


title: 2011 Tucson shooting

text: On January 22, 2012, Giffords announced that she would resign from her congressional seat in order to concentrate on her recovery, but promised to return to public service in the future. She submitted her resignation on January 25 on the floor of the House in an emotional appearance; colleagues and the House leadership offered their tributes to her courage and strength.


title: 2011 Tucson shooting

text: In the wake of the shooting, Democrats and Republicans both called for a cooling of political rhetoric and a return to bipartisanship. On the eve of the shooting, Giffords had written to a Republican friend, Trey Grayson, Secretary of State of Kentucky, saying, "we need to figure out how to tone our rhetoric and partisanship down." In March 2010, Giffords had expressed concern about the use of crosshairs on a national midterm election map on Sarah Palin's campaign webpage denoting targeted congressional seats, including Giffords', in Arizona's 8th district. Shortly after the map's posting and the subsequent vandalizing of her office that month, Giffords said, "We're in Sarah Palin's 'targeted' list, but the thing is that the way she has it depicted, we're in the crosshairs of a gun sight over our district. When people do that, they've got to realize that there are consequences to that action." At that point in the interview, however, the interviewer said, "campaign rhetoric and war rhetoric have been interchangeable for years." The image was removed from Palin's "takebackthe20" website following the January shootings. Palin responded to her critics in a January 12 video, rejecting the notion that anyone other than the gunman could bear any responsibility for the Tucson shooting, and accusing the press of manufacturing a "blood libel" to blame her and the right wing for the attacks. No link was proven between the crosshairs map and the shooting, and it is unclear whether Loughner ever saw the map.


title: 2011 Tucson shooting

text: The political climate in the United States and in Arizona in particular was pointed to by some observers as a possible contributing factor for the violent act. For example, Clarence Dupnik, Pima County Sheriff, initially expressed concern that overheated political rhetoric and violence may be related, observing, "When you look at unbalanced people, how they respond to the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about tearing down the government. The anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous." He believed that Arizona had unfortunately become "the capital" of such feelings. "We have become the mecca for prejudice and bigotry," he said. But, Dupnik later said that he had no evidence that the killings were a result of anything particular which Loughner may have read or heard. International media referred to the political climate in the United States and the Palin map in particular. The French newspaper "Le Monde" said that the attack seemed to confirm "an alarming premonition that has been gaining momentum for a long time: that the verbal and symbolic violence that the most radical right-wing opponents have used in their clash with the Obama administration would at some point lead to tragic physical violence." President Obama called the shooting an "unspeakable tragedy", adding that "such a senseless and terrible act of violence has no place in a free society". Arizona Governor Jan Brewer called the attack "senseless and cruel violence" and House Speaker John Boehner said, "An attack on one who serves is an attack on all who serve. Acts and threats of violence against public officials have no place in our society". Chief Justice John Roberts issued a statement noting, "we in the judiciary have suffered the terrible loss of one of our own", with the death of Chief Judge John Roll.


title: 2011 Tucson shooting

text: Political figures such as Arizona's United States Senators Jon Kyl and John McCain, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi issued statements. Numerous foreign politicians additionally commented on the shooting, including Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon, British Prime Minister David Cameron, Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, and Cuba's Fidel Castro. The website GiffordsIsLying.com, run by Giffords's former opponent Jesse Kelly, was replaced with a single page urging support for Giffords and her family.


title: 2011 Tucson shooting

text: Senator Chuck Schumer called for a fresh look at gun control laws in the United States, including the possibility of high-capacity magazine ban, and prohibiting a person who has been rejected for military service due to drug use from owning a gun. Homeland Security Committee chairman Peter T. King announced that he would introduce a bill to ban the carrying of firearms within of certain federal officials. Representative Carolyn McCarthy announced that she would introduce legislation to ban the sale of high-capacity magazines to civilians.


title: 2011 Tucson shooting

text: Some media commentators, such as Howard Kurtz and Toby Harnden, criticized what they perceived as a rush to judgment about the shooter's motivation, disputing suggestions that the shooting was the result of the Tea Party movement or anything in connection to Palin. Paul Krugman wrote an op-ed piece arguing that political rhetoric had become toxic. With renewed calls to tone down political rhetoric after the shooting, Keith Olbermann said, "Violence, or the threat of violence, has no place in our Democracy, and I apologize for and repudiate any act or any thing in my past that may have even inadvertently encouraged violence." Jon Stewart stated that he did not know whether or not the political environment contributed to the shooting, but, "For all the hyperbole and vitriol that's become a part of our political process—when the reality of that rhetoric, when actions match the disturbing nature of words, we haven't lost our capacity to be horrified. ... Maybe it helps us to remember to match our rhetoric with reality more often."


title: 2011 Tucson shooting

text: U.S. flags flown by the federal government were displayed at half-staff from January 9, 2011, until sunset on January 15, 2011, in honor of the victims of the Tucson shooting. A national moment of silence was held at 11:00 a.m. EST on January 10, 2011, on the South Lawn of the White House as well as the steps of the United States Capitol. President Obama went to Tucson on January 12, where he met with the families of the victims and visited Giffords at her bedside in the medical center before attending the evening's televised memorial ceremony where he delivered a memorial speech.


title: 2011 Tucson shooting

text: Among other memorials: when the Safeway store reopened after the shooting, the staff erected a makeshift memorial; at the 2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Giffords's intern, Daniel Hernandez Jr., was accompanied onto the field by the families of the shooting victims, and threw the ceremonial first pitch; and for the 2011 State of the Union Address, Senator Mark Udall of Colorado proposed that members of both houses sit together regardless of party, with one seat left empty in honor of Giffords.


title: 2011 Tucson shooting

text: Christina-Taylor Green, the youngest of the victims, had an interest in politics and said that she had wanted to attend college at Penn State University; she was born in Pennsylvania and had a connection to the state through her grandfather, Dallas Green. The university honored her with a brick on the Alumni Walk on campus, and with a certificate in her memory.


title: 2011 Tucson shooting

text: On the night of January 11, 2011, Governor Brewer signed emergency legislation to prohibit protests within of any funeral services, in response to an announcement by the Westboro Baptist Church that it planned to picket the funeral of shooting victim Christina-Taylor Green. The members of the congregation agreed to appear on talk radio in exchange for dropping their plans to picket the funeral.


title: 2011 Tucson shooting

text: On Sunday, January 16, 2011, eight days after the shooting, Vietnam War veteran James Eric Fuller, who had been shot in the knee during the attack, was arrested for disorderly conduct at a town hall meeting. After Tucson Tea Party figure Trent Humphries, who had faulted Giffords for not having enough security, stated that gun control measures should not be discussed until all those killed in the shooting were buried, Fuller allegedly took a picture of Humphries and shouted, "You're dead." In an interview during the week after the shooting, Fuller had criticized Palin and what he called the "Tea Party crime-syndicate" for promoting a divisive political climate before the attacks. The police then committed him to an undisclosed medical facility to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. A police spokesman stated that the hospital will determine when he will be released. Meanwhile, Humphries said he was worried about Fuller's threat, and the dozens of other angry e-mails he received from people blaming right-wing political rhetoric for contributing to the assassination attempt on Giffords.


title: Sofia Wylie

text: Sofia Christine Wylie (born January 7, 2004) is an American actress, singer, and dancer. She began her career in dance before gaining prominence through her role as Buffy Driscoll on the Disney Channel comedy-drama series "Andi Mack" (2017–2019).


title: Sofia Wylie

text: Wylie has continued to work with Disney; her roles include Cory Bailey in the film "Back of the Net" (2019), Riri Williams in the "Marvel Rising" animated franchise, Mia Brooks in the web series "Shook" (2019), and Gina Porter in the Disney+ mockumentary "" (2019–). She also stars in the Netflix fantasy film "The School for Good and Evil" (2022).


title: Sofia Wylie

text: Sofia Wylie was born in Scottsdale, Arizona, and grew up in Tramonto, to parents Chris and Amy. She has an older sister, Isabella "Bella", who appeared in an episode of "Chopped Junior" and won. Sofia and her sister are mixed race. Her father Chris is African-American and Korean. Her mother Amy is of German & English descent. Wylie has been dancing since she was 5 years old and trained in acting at Second City Training Center in Hollywood, California.


title: Sofia Wylie

text: Wylie started her career in dance, making appearances on "So You Think You Can Dance" in 2011 and 2016 and "America's Got Talent" in 2015. She performed on Justin Bieber's "Purpose World Tour". In 2017, she started the Internet-based 4K Dance Series with Utah dancers while filming "Andi Mack". In 2019, she started "Dancing with Sofia Wylie", an IGTV educational dance series.


title: Sofia Wylie

text: In 2016, it was announced that Wylie would star in her first major acting role as Buffy Driscoll, a main character and one of Andi's best friends on the Disney Channel series "Andi Mack". Wylie made her film debut as Cory Bailey in the 2019 Australian film, "Back of the Net", which had a theatrical release in Australia and aired on Disney Channel in the United States. Wylie debuted her first single, "Side by Side", for "Marvel Rising: Chasing Ghosts" in January 2019. She voiced the role of Riri Williams in the animated TV movie "Marvel Rising: Heart of Iron", which aired on Disney XD. She reprised the role for "Marvel Rising: Battle of the Bands" and in season 3 of "Spider-Man".


title: Sofia Wylie

text: On February 15, 2019, Wylie was cast as Gina Porter in the Disney+ series "", which was available from launch that November. It was announced in August that Wylie would star as Mia in "Shook", a short-form web series premiering on Disney Channel's YouTube channel in September.


title: Sofia Wylie

text: In March 2019, Wylie launched a production company, AIFOS and optioned the rights to adapt Jenny Torres Sanchez's novel, "The Fall of Innocence," as its first project. In June 2019, Wylie signed with United Talent Agency.


title: Sofia Wylie

text: In December 2020, it was announced that Wylie would star alongside Sophia Anne Caruso in the upcoming Netflix fantasy film, "The School for Good and Evil", an adaptation of the book series by Soman Chainani. Wylie plays the role of Agatha.


title: Shriya Pilgaonkar

text: Shriya Pilgaonkar is an Indian actress, director, producer, and stage performer. She is the daughter of actors Sachin and Supriya Pilgaonkar.


title: Shriya Pilgaonkar

text: Shriya is the only child of famed Marathi actors Sachin and Supriya Pilgaonkar. As a child, Pilgaonkar trained to become a professional swimmer and won several medals while in school. Believing that she might become a translator or a linguist when she grew up, Pilgaonkar also took classes in Japanese when she was a child. Later deciding to take a different route, Pilgaonkar completed her bachelor's degree in Sociology at St. Xavier's College in Mumbai. Pilgaonkar also learned Kathak as a child.


title: Shriya Pilgaonkar

text: At the age of five, Pilgaonkar first appeared on television in the Hindi serial "Tu Tu Main Main", playing a boy named Bittu. Pilgaonkar made her stage debut in 2012 with her performance in Karan Shetty's 10-minute short play "Freedom Of Love". The play was a part of the NCPA's Short and Sweet Festival. In the play, she acted, sang and danced.


title: Shriya Pilgaonkar

text: After her performance in "Freedom of Love", Pilgaonkar made her big screen debut with the 2013 Marathi film "Ekulti Ek." In the film, she plays the role of Swara, the daughter of Arun Deshpande (Sachin Pilgaonakar) and Nandini (Supriya Pilgaonkar). She was offered the role of Swara by her father (Sachin Pilgaonkar) who wrote, directed, and produced the film. Pilgaonkar said, "He has been credited for launching many a talent, including my mother. When he offered me the film, I didn't want a favour. But he corrected me, saying, 'I am not stupid to invest resources without reason'." She also added, "Experience-wise I am a beginner but I think it's a wonderful time to be in the industry. There is so much happening, so much changing. I feel proud that I am doing my first film with my father." This movie debut led her to win six awards. Among them was the Maharashtra State Government Award for Best Debut Actress, which she received at the 51st Maharashtra State Film Awards. The film received average to positive reviews from critics. A critic of "The Times of India" gave the film 3/5 stars, stating "It's the perfect launch for his (Sachin Pilgaonkar) daughter Shriya into films and she does not disappoint."


title: Shriya Pilgaonkar

text: Following her role in "Ekulti Ek", Pilgaonkar participated in other stage and film projects. She was approached by theatre veteran actor Akarsh Khurana to star in "Internal Affairs" and "Common People". After appearing in both, she received an opportunity to work in the French film "Un plus une", helmed by Oscar-winning director Claude Lelouch. In the film, she played the role of Ayanna, an Indian dancer and actor.


title: Shriya Pilgaonkar

text: Pilgaonkar made her Bollywood debut in the 2016 film "Fan", written and directed by Maneesh Sharma and produced by Aditya Chopra through Yash Raj Films. Pilgaonkar was selected for her role from the audition of 750 girls conducted by Maneesh Sharma, and she considered getting a role alongside Shah Rukh Khan a big breakthrough. In the film, she plays the role of Neha, a Delhi-based call center girl and Gaurav's friend. She was shooting for both the films "Fan" and "Un plus une" at the same time. After the release of "Fan", Pilgaonkar was overwhelmed by the response. Of the reception of the film, she said, "Honestly, I did not want to have any expectation because it was a small role and we had two Shah Rukhs in the film but I am so happy that everyone took notice and has acknowledged my performance."


title: Shriya Pilgaonkar

text: In 2018, Shriya played the role of Sweety Gupta in the Amazon Prime India show Mirzapur. The show was a massive success, and Shriya soon became a popular face among the masses. Shriya later confirmed that her character wouldn't be returning after the first season. In 2020, she appeared on two Voot shows: The Gone Game and Crackdown.


title: Shriya Pilgaonkar

text: In addition to being an actress, Pilgaonkar is also a director and a producer of short films. In 2012, she went to Harvard University for summer school, which led her to work on her own short films. In an interview with "Mumbai Mirror", she said, "Once I felt confident, I directed "Painted Signal", a short film, and "Panchgavya"", a documentary which she co-directed with Hana Kitasei. It examines the plight of cows as they wander around Bikaner in Rajasthan. She also co-directed and edited the short film "Dresswala" with Siddharth Joglekar, which was an official selection at the 2012 Mumbai Film Festival. Both "Painted Signal" and "Dresswala" received average responses from critics and were screened at international film festivals.


title: Shriya Pilgaonkar

text: Pilgaonkar made her place in The Times Of India's Most Desirable Women List and was ranked at No. 40 in 2020.


title: Shriya Pilgaonkar

text: Pilgaonkar has modeled and is also known in the advertisement world. She has worked with celebrities such as Shahid Kapoor and Vikrant Massey, in advertisements.


title: Dua Lipa (album)

text: Dua Lipa is the debut studio album by English-Albanian singer Dua Lipa. Originally intended to be released in September 2016, the album was released through Warner Bros. Records on 2 June 2017, following several delays in order to add new songs. Lipa had relocated from Kosovo to London at the age of fifteen to pursue a career in music. She took a gap year after finishing school and used social media as a platform to begin, influenced by the discovery of Justin Bieber. After working as a model and waitress, she was introduced to Ben Mawson of TAP Management, who signed the singer to a management and publishing deal which led her to signing a record deal with Warner Bros. Work on the album began with Lipa partaking in an artist development phase in 2013. Of the 25 songs included on all editions of the album, Lipa co-wrote 21. She worked with a variety of writers and producers, finding a kindred spirit with Stephen "Koz" Kozmeniuk who produced several tracks. Work on the album took place between London, Los Angeles, Toronto and New York, and was finished in 2017.


title: Dua Lipa (album)

text: Described by Lipa as dark pop, progressive pop and "dance-crying", "Dua Lipa" is a dance-pop, electropop and R&B record with elements of disco, hip hop and tropical house. This sound features hip hop-influenced verses with heavy flow and truthful lyrics, alongside a pop chorus. The album is very diverse and balances between stripped-back ballads and upbeat tracks. It features electronic instrumentation and rock vocals. The album's lyrics are inspired by sadness and include themes of female empowerment, relationships and heartbreak and has several biblical references. Lipa was inspired by several artists on the album, originally intending to create a sound merging that of J. Cole and Nelly Furtado. The album includes guest appearances from Miguel and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.


title: Dua Lipa (album)

text: "Dua Lipa" was supported by eight singles, including the UK top 10 singles "Be the One" and "IDGAF" as well as the UK number one single and US top 10 single, "New Rules". Lipa promoted the album with appearances at several award shows, television programs and festivals. Additionally, the singer embarked on 2016 UK Tour, Hotter than Hell Tour, US and Europe Tour and the Self-Titled Tour throughout 2016, 2017 and 2018, while also supporting Troye Sivan, Bruno Mars and Coldplay on their respective tours. In October 2018, Lipa reissued the album, subtitled the "Complete Edition", adding seven B-sides. Of these included Lipa's previously released, UK top 15 collaborations, "One Kiss" with Calvin Harris, "Electricity" with Silk City, "Scared to Be Lonely" with Martin Garrix and "No Lie" by Sean Paul featuring the singer. The former of the four spent eight weeks atop the UK Singles Chart. It also added Blackpink collaboration "Kiss and Make Up" which was released as a promotional single.


title: Dua Lipa (album)

text: "Dua Lipa" was met with generally favourable reviews from music critics. Many praised Lipa's vocals and the album's high-quality sound. It appeared on numerous year-end lists, including ones published by "Billboard" and "Rolling Stone". The album was nominated for British Album of the Year at the Brit Awards, whilst "New Rules", "IDGAF" and "One Kiss" were all nominated for British Single of the Year, the latter of which won. The album also helped Lipa win the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. "Electricity" won the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording. "Dua Lipa" was a commercially successful sleeper hit, reaching peak popularity in 2018. It reached the top 10 of charts in fourteen countries including the UK, where it reached the third position. Additionally, it is certified multi-platinum in six countries, including being awarded a double platinum certification in the UK. As of February 2021, "Dua Lipa" has sales figures of six million units worldwide. It is the most-streamed album by a female artist on Spotify.


title: Dua Lipa (album)

text: Dua Lipa developed a love for music at an early age, influenced by her father who performed in the Kosovan rock band Oda. She began singing at the age of five and wrote her first song about how she wanted to be like her mom when she was older. Lipa played the cello in school and also auditioned for her school's choir, but was rejected after being told she could not sing. She began singing lessons after that. While living in Kosovo during her teen years, Lipa's ambition to start a music career grew. At the age of 14, she wrote the song, "Lions & Tigers & Bears" which was inspired by "The Wizard of Oz" (1939). She published it on her SoundCloud page as her first demo in February 2012. Lipa determined the smaller music industry of Kosovo did not match the type of career she wanted as she desired a "global scale" one. As a result, she relocated to London where she was born, at the age of 15. Her parents felt comfortable allowing her to move there as the daughter of one of their friends lived there.


title: Dua Lipa (album)

text: After finishing school, Lipa took a gap year to find a manager while working at a restaurant. She was influenced by the discovery of Justin Bieber on YouTube which inspired her to take the same route as him. She began a modeling career to gain contacts in the music industry. Lipa began posting covers of songs such as "If I Ain't Got You" (2004) by Alicia Keys and "Beautiful" (2002) by Christina Aguilera on YouTube. Although her videos did not reach great popularity, she used them as a form of portfolio and took them to London clubs such as KOKO where she thought she would meet people from the music industry who she could show them to. Additionally, Lipa uploaded music to SoundCloud, gave demo CDs to radio stations and sang in advertisements. After starring in an "X Factor" commercial, she met a producer who offered her a publishing deal. Flummoxed by this, she contacted an online friend for help as she did not understand it. He redirected Lipa to his attorney who advised her to not take it. The lawyer was impressed by her and introduced Lipa to Ben Mawson of TAP management while she was holding meetings with management companies. She eventually signed a publishing and management deal with TAP and a record deal with Warner Bros. Records; the latter company wanted her because they did not have a big female pop artist.


title: Dua Lipa (album)

text: After meeting Mawson in 2013, Lipa was invited to writing sessions by him and Ed Millett, the co-owners of TAP; this happened while they were deciding whether to sign her. Mawson and Millett intended on having Lipa learn the songwriter trade with the help of a wide range of collaborators. She was more interested in "discovering" her sound at first than in landing a record deal; she wanted to have a sound like a cross between rapper J. Cole and Nelly Furtado, but the reaction of the producers was not very positive. Lipa was still working as a waitress and was not getting much sleep. Thus, Mawson and Millett gave her a monthly salary so she could quit her job and focus on songwriting. They organized an intense period of artist development where Lipa went into sessions five days a week with different writers until something came out of them.


title: Dua Lipa (album)

text: Lipa found it difficult going into the early sessions because she did not know the writers and producers there. She thought it was difficult to open up to strangers. Lipa would attempt to get to know them before writing to make herself more comfortable. The singer also attempted to create only radio songs in early sessions, which limited her and stressed her out, resulting in her creativity lacking and an amount of pressure being put on her. Lipa eventually got over this and wrote about how situations made her feel; that is when she started writing the songs she enjoyed. When Lipa began writing, she had several ideas and knew how to get her thoughts out. However, she had trouble building a song so she enlisted the help of co-writers, many of which she became good friends with. She described it as a learning process and slowly became confident with her songwriting. As Lipa wrote more, she developed a skill for songwriting leading her to writing songs about situations relevant to her or her friends. The singer took some inspiration with her writing from the "dramas" she saw while working as a hostess and "the dark side of nightlife". She desired to create this idea with as "seductive and sweet but doesn't sugar-coat" what happens. Lipa stated that she wanted to bring "a bit more realness" speak the truth "about what being a teenager is really like" as before music was dominated with how amazing it was. In 2015, Lipa made four trips to Los Angeles to write songs; she got a palm tree tattoo on her left elbow to commemorate her first month of writing songs there. Songwriter Lucy Taylor gave Lipa "Be the One" before she had released any music; the singer was reluctant to record it due to the fact that she had not written it.


title: Dua Lipa (album)

text: Lipa formed a close partnership with producer Koz. She would often send him stuff that was just the piano and he would produce it and make it cohesive. Lipa recalled that he made everything easier for her and understood her vision for the album. Koz revealed that he was impressed by Lipa's unique vocals. Of the 25 original songs included on every edition of the album, Koz produced nine, including "Hotter than Hell" and "Thinking 'Bout You". They were the first two songs written for the album and were written in the early sessions arranged by Mawson and Millet. The former helped define what the album would sound like and helped the singer land her record deal with Warner Bros in 2014. Following this, Lipa went into many failed writing sessions attempting to recreate the song. She thought she needed more songs like it but eventually realized that she did not. That is when Lipa wrote "New Love" in New York and "Last Dance" in Toronto. The latter song also had a role in defining the sound of the album; Lipa stated that once she heard its finished version, she would take the song to producers and say "this is my sound".


title: Dua Lipa (album)

text: Lipa normally would write a song in one day, usually within two to three hours. Lipa would often go into studio sessions with an idea already in mind and beginning writing, slowly realizing how the lyrics has relevance in her life. She would also write notes and take them to the studio to write a song about them, only if the note was still relevant to her at the moment. As she cared more about the story, Lipa would make up melodies to fit around her lyrics and often change the melody so she could get all the words that she needed in the story. Lipa felt as though the writing sessions were her form of therapy. Aside from Cole and Furtado, Lipa took inspiration from artists including Sting, the Police, David Bowie, Radiohead, Stereophonics, Pink, Destiny's Child, Missy Elliott, Christina Aguilera, Method Man, Redman, 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q and Chance the Rapper.


title: Dua Lipa (album)

text: "No Goodbyes" was a personal song for Lipa to write; she described it as the hardest song for her to write on the album. She pre-empted the future when writing it as she was mourning a relationship she was still in, but hoping for the best. It took Lipa a while to have the courage to write it as she was worried the person she wrote it about would know it is about them. Lipa explained that she had been travelling a lot and letting that person down, where they were not living their lives while waiting for her. "For Julian" was written by Lipa and Eg White for Lipa's friend who was going through a hard period in their life. The song was not released digitally, however it appeared on the Japanese edition of the album.


title: Dua Lipa (album)

text: Lipa co-wrote every song on the album excluding "Be the One", "New Rules", "Scared to Be Lonely" and "No Lie". She turned down several songs offered to her by other artists because she felt they did not fit her style. Mawson explained that these songs ended up being massive hits for other female artists. "Scared to Be Lonely" and "No Lie" were both offered to Lipa with Martin Garrix and Sean Paul both desiring a collaboration with her. Lipa wanted to finish the album before she put any music out so she could plan out the marketing campaign. However, the singer still went into studio sessions on off-days just in case she could write something else. The album was eventually pushed back as the singer got some exciting opportunities. Following this, Lipa added ten new songs to the album so she could showcase another side to her. She wrote upwards of 160 songs for the album, many of which were never finished as she was constantly writing new ones and expressing where she was in her life. Lipa also collaborated with Nineteen85, Darkchild, BloodPop and Noonie Bao, but none of the songs made it onto the album. She would often remove a song from the album then re-add it.


title: Dua Lipa (album)

text: Lipa took two trips to Los Angeles when finishing the album where "IDGAF", "Lost in Your Light", "Homesick" and "Begging" were written. The trips solidified and closed the album for the singer. Also during those trips, Ian Kirkpatrick played Lipa "New Rules" which led to her recording it. "Lost In Your Light" and "Homesick" are collaborations with Miguel and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, both of whom Lipa was a fan of. The album was finished on 20 March 2017 and was created in studios between Berlin, London, Los Angeles, New York, Stockholm and Toronto. As Lipa spent a lot of time on the album attempting to perfect it, she got the word "patience" tattooed to remind herself to wait until everything in perfect. Work on the "Complete Edition" continued throughout 2018, where "One Kiss" with Calvin Harris, "Electricity" with Silk City, and "Kiss and Make Up" with Blackpink were recorded. The latter song was originally intended to be a solo song for Lipa, however, the singer decided to add the band to it after members Jennie and Lisa attended her concert in Seoul.


title: Dua Lipa (album)

text: Musically, "Dua Lipa" is a dance-pop, electropop and R&B album, with disco, hip hop and tropical house elements. Lipa describes the album's sound as dark pop, progressive pop and "dance-crying". She explained that the sound embodied hip hop-influenced verses with heavy flow and raw, truthful lyrics, alongside a big, simple pop chorus. Several of the songs stem from sad experiences; Lipa desired to mix darker lyrics with pop music one could dance to. She stated that listeners were often surprised when looking at the lyrics due to the dance sound of the songs. The singer concluded by mentioning that honesty is the key to the sound. The album is very diverse and explores several different genres. The album balances between upbeat empowerment songs and stripped-back songs about real emotion.


title: Dua Lipa (album)

text: "Dua Lipa" avoids overproduction and uses electronic instrumentation alongside thick synthesizers, detailed percussion and complex melodies. The beats used on the album are influenced by clubby pop and have a soulful deep house pulse. Lipa uses husky and powerful rock vocals. The lyrics deal with themes of female empowerment, relationships, heartbreak, love and loss, all of which are inspired by sadness. Lipa never wanted the lyrics to come off as submissive or weak rather empowering. She described vulnerability as something different that is included in the album. Additionally, it has themes of self-identification and using Lipa's experiences and realizations to brave the universal portents and predicaments of love. She also sings about the depressing and imploring qualities of a breakup. Several songs on the album contain biblical references and religious imagery to showcase the ups and downs of relationships.


title: Dua Lipa (album)

text: "Dua Lipa" opens with "Genesis", a 1980s-styled R&B slowburner set to an electro-guitar. The song gets its title from the first book of the bible and quotes "Genesis 1" in the opening line: "in the beginning, God created Heaven and Earth". Vocally, Lipa accentuates and elongates certain lyrics while the lyrics see Lipa re-assessing a relationship. She apologizes to her partner for the complications that come with fame and longs for the honeymoon period of the relationship, realizing that people are in a constant state of change. Electropop track "Lost In Your Light" sees Lipa duetting with Miguel. It features a disco-tinged sway, electro rhythms and percussion-heavy beats alongside a hip hop middle eight. Described by Lipa as "one of the happiest" songs on the album, the lyrics see the singers discussing how one can get lost in the middle of all the emotions at the beginning of a relationship. In "Hotter than Hell", Lipa taunts an ex-boyfriend and takes revenge on him for his actions, showcasing empowerment and heartache themes. It is a dance-pop, electropop and tropical house track driven by marimbas and synthesizers, that features church organs and bongos. The song quotes Arctic Monkeys' "505" from their album "Favourite Worst Nightmare" (2007).


title: Dua Lipa (album)

text: "Be the One" is a dream pop, Europop and synth-pop track that Lipa described as about "self belief, perseverance, and fighting for what you want". With lyrics about the miscommunication in a relationship, the song sees Lipa pleading for her lover to take her back for good. The song's production features tropical R&B beats, 1980s-styled grooves and electropop riffs. "IDGAF", an acronym for "I don't give a fuck", is a pop song set to an electric guitar riff and militaristic drums. In the lyrics, Lipa makes sure her ex knows she is not thinking of him after he attempts to rekindling things with her. Inspired by Lipa's unsuccessful modeling career, "Blow Your Mind (Mwah)" is about rejecting people who want others to change and having the upper hand in a relationship. It is categorized as a futuristic disco and electropop track with tropical beats. Lipa uses indietronica vocals and blows a kiss at the end of the chorus. "Garden" uses the metaphor of Adam and Eve leaving the Garden of Eden to describe a breakup and Lipa longing for the idyllic parts of a relationship. It sees the singer acting as a reflective girlfriend at the end of the relationship as the religious imagery is juxtaposed with betrayal themes. Musically, the song is a soulful, Eurovision-styled, melodramatic power ballad with a stormy production and apocalyptic percussion.


title: Dua Lipa (album)

text: "No Goodbyes" is a dark song with dance elements that starts off slowly, where Lipa uses a breathy vocal style. The song's lyrics discuss a relationship destined to fail, showing a vulnerable side to the album. "Thinking 'Bout You" is a stripped-back, acoustic R&B and retro-soul ballad driven by an acoustic guitar. The song sees Lipa attempting to forget about a past romance. In "New Rules", Lipa gives herself a set of rules to prevent her from getting back with an ex-boyfriend. An electropop and tropical house song, it features an EDM production that makes use of a dancehall rhythm and bashment elements. "Begging" is a synth-heavy song with a modern production, containing upbeat melodies, dramatic piano chords and 1980s elements. The standard edition of "Dua Lipa" closes with "Homesick", a piano ballad duet with Martin. The lyrics discuss being away from loved ones in order to pursue one's dream.


title: Dua Lipa (album)

text: The first new track on the deluxe edition of "Dua Lipa" is "Dreams", an island-inflected dance track with a modern production containing horns, heavy synthesizers and 1980s elements. Lipa described "Room for 2" as a "scary kid's nursery rhyme". It is a dark ballad driven by a piano. "New Love" is a synth-pop song set to a tribal drum beat, with neo soul and R&B elements. Lipa described its meaning as "facing the fear of losing the only thing that matters to you". The lyrics of "Bad Together" discuss great sex and see Lipa asking for divine forgiveness for her sins in the chorus. The production contains electronic pings and African drums. "Last Dance", the final deluxe edition track, is a chillwave, dance-pop and post-EDM track with a glitchy, tribal production that uses house synthesizer chords. In the song, Lipa sings about a relationship that could end suddenly. Japanese bonus track "For Julian" is a slow, jazz-inspired song about God answering one's prayers.


title: Dua Lipa (album)

text: The first new track on "Dua Lipa: Complete Edition", "Want To", is a robo-pop song where Lipa uses electro vocals over moody synths. The song showcases the singer braving the universal portents and predicaments of love. "Running" is set to an R&B piano and tells a story of wounded pride, while her vocals have strong accompaniments. Lipa's collaboration with Blackpink, "Kiss and Make Up", is a blend of dance, electropop, and reggaeton genres, that makes use of bass synths and vocoders. Lyrically the song is about using physical affection to resolve a fight between two lovers with lyrics in English and Korean. In "One Kiss" with Harris, Lipa sings about using a kiss to trigger intense lust between two lovers. It is a dance-pop, diva house and tropical house track that makes use of brass instrumentation. "Electricity", her dance-pop and piano house collaboration with Silk City, draws from Chicago house and 1990s music; it sees Lipa using gospel house vocals and telling a story of two lovers with a kindred spirit. The retro-pop production consists of disco strings and soulful piano stabs. Future bass track "Scared to Be Lonely", a collaboration with Garrix, has an emotive tone. It uses electronic strings and hi-hats in its production, while Lipa ponders whether a relationship is legit. Paul's song "No Lie" featuring Lipa is a blend of reggae and tropical pop genres. The song is about Paul's attraction to a woman in a club scene.


title: Dua Lipa (album)

text: In July 2016, the cover art for "Dua Lipa" was revealed, however, it received negative reviews from fans with many petitioning for it to be changed. The following month, Lipa announced the album's title and revealed the revised standard edition cover art and thanked her fans for being "patient and supportive" during the time. Rachel Sonis of "Idolator" described the cover art as "minimal yet smoldering" and it features the singer in a scaly jacket, staring into the camera with wet hair covering one side of her face over a blue-purple background. Lipa explained the title by saying "the reason it is self-titled is because this album is me. It's a representation of who I am as a person and as an artist". Other editions of the album use the same cover art with different backgrounds; the deluxe edition uses a purple background while the "Complete Edition" uses a glittery background.


title: Dua Lipa (album)

text: In August 2015, Lipa released her debut single "New Love" as the lead single from "Dua Lipa". The second single "Be the One" was released on 30 October 2015 alongside the album's confirmation. The song was her breakthrough single and became a sleeper hit across Europe and Oceania. It also became Lipa's first solo top 10 single in the UK, where it peaked at number nine. "Last Dance" and "Hotter than Hell" were released as singles the following year. The latter achieved moderate success and became her first UK Singles Chart entry where it peaked at number 15. In July 2016, it was revealed that Lipa had set 30 September of that year as the release date for her debut album. The following month, it was revealed that the album had been pushed back to 10 February 2017. On 24 August 2016, the singer formally announced the album. The deluxe edition of the album was made available for pre-order two days later alongside the release of "Blow Your Mind (Mwah)". The song became Lipa's first official single in the United States resulting in it becoming her first entry on the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart, reaching number 72; it also reached number 30 in the UK. "Room for 2" and "Thinking 'Bout You" were released as promotional singles on 28 October 2016 and 6 January 2017, respectively. Following the release of the latter song, Lipa delayed the album for a second time to June 2017 due to her desire to perfect it and to fit "new songs and exciting collaborations" on the album.


title: Dua Lipa (album)

text: "Lost In Your Light" featuring Miguel was released as the final single prior to the album in April. The standard and deluxe editions of "Dua Lipa" were released on 2 June 2017. Two additional tracks were included on the Italian special edition of the album including Lipa's cover of Cher's "Bang Bang" which was used in her campaigns for Patrizia Pepe. A Japanese edition was released alongside the album and includes original song "For Julian"; it was later extended by the Japanese Special Edition. A 360 Reality Audio edition of the album was released in October 2020. "New Rules" and "IDGAF" were issued as singles following the album's release. Both became commercially successful and reached the top 10 of the UK Singles Chart. The former became Lipa's first UK number 1 single and her first "Billboard" Hot 100 top 10 entry. "Homesick" was released as a promotional single on 1 December 2017. The singer released a "Deezer Sessions" and "Spotify Sessions" extended play (EP) that feature live versions of songs on the album. A vinyl EP "The Only" with songs off the album was also released as well as "Live Acoustic", an EP featuring covers by the singer.


title: Dua Lipa (album)

text: Following the album's release, Lipa teased a reissue stating that she would be releasing live versions of fan-favourite tracks "Running" and "Want To", both of which were leaked. On 4 September 2018, she officially announced the reissue titled "Dua Lipa: Complete Edition" as the album's "super deluxe edition". The reissue includes two discs: the first containing the deluxe album and the second containing eight additional tracks including Lipa's previously released collaborations, "One Kiss" with Calvin Harris, "Electricity" with Silk City, "Scared to Be Lonely" with Martin Garrix and "No Lie" by Sean Paul featuring the singer. All four of the collaborations reached the top 15 of the UK Singles Chart and "One Kiss" spent eight weeks at its summit while also reaching the top of charts in over a dozen countries. The reissue was released on 19 October 2018 alongside an exclusive Japanese CD edition that includes five additional tracks.


title: Dua Lipa (album)

text: "Dua Lipa: Complete Edition" was supported by two promotional singles, "Want To" and "Kiss and Make Up"; the former was released on 6 September 2018 and the latter was released alongside the reissue. "Want To" also promoted Lipa's I-Pace campaign with British car manufacturer Jaguar where users of the car could create remixes of the song based and how they drove as well as personalized remixes based on their Spotify streaming history. The remixes mixed up moods, tempos, arrangement and different musical styles, including dance, drum and bass, hip hop, orchestral and pop. The campaign was announced at a secret gig in Amsterdam where Lipa as well as celebrities such as Dutch model Doutzen Kroes and French actress Alix Bénézech created their own remixes by driving the car. Shortly thereafter, "Want To" became the most remixed song in history. Lipa later revealed that releasing the B-sides taught her to think of an album's life span differently and take full advantage of it.


title: Dua Lipa (album)

text: Warner Bros. Records began promoting Lipa's campaign in 2014 when she signed with the label. The singer promoted her music through the use of social media as well as her campaigns with Adidas, MAC Cosmetics and Patrizia Pepe. In December 2016, she released a documentary short film produced by "The Fader" teamed up with YouTube Music and directed by Robert Semmer, titled "See in Blue" that details her music journey thus far. It featured an acoustic performance of "Genesis". For further promotion, Lipa gave several interviews for publications such as the American Broadcasting Company, the British Broadcasting Corporation, "Billboard", "The Observer", "The Independent", "The New York Times", "NME", the Official Charts Company and "Variety".


title: Dua Lipa (album)

text: Following the release of "New Love", Lipa began promoting her music and performing unreleased songs that she had not yet finished, before she had finished her debut album. Lipa gave her first live performance at a record label showcase in Berlin and her first festival performance at Eurosonic Noorderslag in the Netherlands in January 2016. She embarked on the 2016 UK Tour, Hotter than Hell Tour and US and Europe Tour throughout 2016 and 2017. She also served as an opening act for Troye Sivan on the Suburbia Tour, Bruno Mars on the 24K Magic World Tour and Coldplay on the A Head Full of Dreams Tour. The singer performed at awards showing including the American Music Awards, "Billboard" Music Awards, Brit Awards and Grammy Awards. Her appearances on television shows include "Jimmy Kimmel Live!", "Later... with Jools Holland", "The Ellen DeGeneres Show", "The Graham Norton Show", "The Jonathan Ross Show", "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert", "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" and "Saturday Night Live".


title: Dua Lipa (album)

text: The singer was part of the line-up for events including Capital FM's Summertime Ball and Jingle Bell Ball, as well as the Glastonbury Festival, iHeartRadio Music Festival, Jingle Ball Tour and UEFA Champions League Final. The singer headlined the Sunny Hill Festival in Pristina, which was organized by her father Dukagjin. The album's supporting tour, the Self-Titled Tour, ran from October 2017 to December 2018 and beginning in Brighton and concluding in Denver. She performed a total of 245 shows on the tour and tattooed the number on her back. During the live promotion, Lipa received backlash for her lack of stage presence while performing. A meme of her dancing went viral, which she later revealed affected her mental health stating "for a short period of time, it messed with my mental health. You know, I'd go on stage and if somebody was filming me, in my head, I wasn't, like, 'Oh, they're filming me because they want to keep it.' I was like, 'They’re going to film it so they can laugh at me or something'".


title: Dua Lipa (album)

text: "Dua Lipa" received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 72, based on eight reviews. AnyDecentMusic? gave the album a 6.8 out of 10 from nine gathered reviews. For the "Financial Times", Ludovic Hunter-Tilney noted that it is predominated by "upbeat dance-pop of impressively solid quality". Sean Ward of "The 405" thought that the singer "has comfortably anchored herself in the category of pop innovator" with the album. "Evening Standard"s Rick Pearson said "this is high-quality stuff from an artist headed for the biggest of things".


title: Dua Lipa (album)

text: In "The Line of Best Fit", Claire Biddles said "this is a mostly compelling and wholly fun trip through modern pop with a charismatic protagonist, that hangs together way better than it should". Alex Green of "Clash" lauded "Dua Lipa" as "a debut album brimming with confidence, confidence not only in Lipa's own voice and her eye for a chorus, but in the emotive quality of her lyrics". Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic praised the album as "a delightful collection of catchy pop gems where the songs only serve to highlight her vocal prowess" and "an excellent first effort from a budding pop star". Writing for "NME", Jamie Milton wrote that Lipa's voice "could make the thickest synths seem tame in comparison and carries a 20-a-day raspiness capable of making heartfelt ballads sound edgy", adding that "it's equally impressive to hear how confidently the debut holds itself together, flitting between styles but always shining a spotlight on a legitimate pop sensation".


title: Dua Lipa (album)

text: Ben Hogwood of "musicOMH" referred to Lipa's "powerful and distinctive" voice as "one of the most distinctive you will hear in pop music currently", while commenting that "the only potential issue with her approach lies in the production behind the songs". Hogwood concluded that "the hope is that her talents will get more room and less post-production time". Kate Solomon of "Q" magazine praised Lipa's voice as "very, very good" and opined, "What makes this album more than just a load of precision-engineered musical nothingness between a series of tentpole singles is Lipa herself. Songs that in other hands would be little more than throwaway filler swell into anthems for girls who can't stop falling in love". In a mixed review, "The Guardian"s Hannah J. Davies stated that "despite a few generic offerings", the album is "a solid pop debut that is high on summery nonchalance". "DIY" writer Alim Kheraj remarked that "across the album's 12 tracks there are bangers aplenty", but ultimately found that a lot of the album "feels overthought and calculated".


title: Dua Lipa (album)

text: Lipa received numerous accolades for "Dua Lipa", including a nomination for Album of the Year at the BBC Music Awards, a nomination for Foreign Pop/Rock Album or Soundtrack of the Year at the Hungarian Music Awards, and a win for International Album of the Year at the LOS40 Music Awards. In 2017, Lipa was nominated for the Critics' Choice award at the 2017 Brit Awards. At the 2018 Brit Awards, the album was nominated for British Album of the Year whilst "New Rules" received nominations for British Single of the Year and British Music Video of the Year; she won British Breakthrough Act and British Female Solo Artist at the ceremony. The following year, "IDGAF" and "One Kiss" were nominated for British Single of the Year and British Music Video of the Year; "One Kiss" won the former award. Lipa won Best New Artist at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards and "Electricity" won Best Dance Recording. "Billboard" ranked "Dua Lipa" as the 43rd best album of 2017 and it placed at number 35 on "Complex"s year-list. In "Pitchfork", the album was placed at number 20 on their best pop and R&B of 2017 while "Rolling Stone" named it the year's ninth-best pop album.


title: Dua Lipa (album)

text: "Dua Lipa" was a commercial success. It was a sleeper hit, reaching success internationally in 2018. In June 2017, "Dua Lipa" debuted at number five on the UK Albums Chart with first week sales of 16,223 units. In its 38th week, the album reached a peak of number three on the chart selling 9,518 units; it was boosted by the singer's appearance at the 2018 Brit Awards. Following the October 2018 release of the "Complete Edition", the album jumped from number 56 to number nine on the chart with 7,651 units sold. In April 2021, the album spent its 200th week on the chart and it has not left it since its debut. Of that time, the album spent 179 weeks in the chart's top 40, making it the seventeenth album with the most weeks in the region. In March 2020, "Dua Lipa" was awarded a double platinum certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for selling 600,000 album-equivalent units in the United Kingdom. As of April 2021, the album has sales figures of 720,505 units in the country. On the UK Singles Chart, the album is tied in fifth for an album with the most top-10 singles with six. Nine songs on the album have been certified platinum or multi-platinum in the United Kingdom, while three songs have been certified silver.


title: Dua Lipa (album)

text: In the United States, "Dua Lipa" debuted at number 86 on the "Billboard" 200 chart dated 24 June 2017. It departed the chart the next week, however, it re-entered at number 162 four weeks following. In February 2018, the album spent its 32nd week on the chart where it reached a peak of number 27 with 15,000 units sold. With boosting from the "Complete Edition", the album jumped from number 129 to 42 on the chart in October of the same year. This resulted in it being awarded the "greatest gainer" accolade on the chart for that week. The album spent a total of 97 weeks on the chart. In June 2019, it was awarded a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling one million album-equivalent units in the US. In Canada, the album reached number 14 and was awarded a double platinum certification from Music Canada for sales of 160,000 album-equivalent units in the country.


title: Dua Lipa (album)

text: In Australia, "Dua Lipa" debuted at number 16 on the ARIA Albums Chart in June 2017, before reaching a peak of number eight the following April. It has spent over 100 weeks on the chart and was awarded a gold certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for selling 35,000 album-equivalent units in the country. In New Zealand, the album reached the 7th position and had 30,000 album-equivalent unit sales, resulting in it being awarded a double platinum certification from the Recorded Music NZ (RMNZ). Additionally, the album has reached the top 10 of charts in the Flanders region of Belgium, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, the Netherlands, Greece, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Scotland and Sweden. It was also certified quadrouple platinum in Norway and triple platinum in Brazil. In October 2018, "Dua Lipa" became the most-streamed album by a female artist on Spotify, and has been streamed over eight billion times. As of February 2021, the album has sold six million units worldwide.


title: Grumman C-2 Greyhound

text: The Grumman C-2 Greyhound is a twin-engine, high-wing cargo aircraft designed to carry supplies, mail, and passengers to and from aircraft carriers of the United States Navy. Its primary mission is carrier onboard delivery (COD). The aircraft provides critical logistics support to carrier strike groups. The aircraft is mainly used to transport high-priority cargo such as jet engines and special stores, mail, and passengers between carriers and shore bases.


title: Grumman C-2 Greyhound

text: Prototype C-2s first flew in 1964, and production followed the next year. The initial Greyhound aircraft were overhauled in 1973. In 1984, more C-2As were ordered under designation Reprocured C-2A or C-2A(R). In 2010, all C-2A(R) aircraft received updated propellers (from four to eight blades) and navigational updates (glass cockpit). The U.S. Navy is to start to replace the remaining 27 C-2As with 38 CMV-22Bs in 2020 with full fielding in 2028.


title: Grumman C-2 Greyhound

text: The C-2 Greyhound, a derivative of the E-2 Hawkeye, shares wings and engines with the E-2, but has a widened fuselage with a rear loading ramp. The first of two prototypes flew in 1964. After successful testing, Grumman began production of the aircraft in 1965. The C-2 replaced the piston-engine Grumman C-1 Trader in the carrier onboard delivery (COD) role. The original C-2A aircraft were overhauled to extend their operational life in 1973.


title: Grumman C-2 Greyhound

text: Powered by two Allison T56 turboprop engines, the C-2A can deliver up to 10,000 pounds (4,500 kg) of cargo or up to 28 passengers, and is normally configured for a cargo/passenger mix. It can also carry litter patients in medical-evacuation missions. A cage system or transport stand restrains cargo during carrier launch and landing accelerations to prevent weight redistribution, which might adversely affect in-flight stability. The large aft cargo ramp and door and a powered winch allow straight-in rear cargo loading and unloading for fast turnaround. The Greyhound's ability to airdrop supplies and personnel, fold its wings, and generate power for engine starting and other uses provide an operational versatility found in no other cargo aircraft. Some parts commonality with the E-2 Hawkeye and the Grumman A-6 Intruder ease logistics support.


title: Grumman C-2 Greyhound

text: The C-2 has four vertical stabilizers, of which three are fitted with rudders. A single vertical stabilizer large enough for adequate directional control would have made the aircraft too tall to fit on an aircraft carrier hangar deck. The four-stabilizer configuration has the advantage of placing the outboard rudder surfaces directly in line with the propeller wash, providing effective yaw control down to low airspeeds, such as during takeoff and landing. The inner-left stabilizer lacks a rudder, and has been called the "executive tail", as it has nothing to do compared to the other three. A single C-2 (2797) was equipped with an air-to-air refueling probe, but this was not installed in other aircraft.


title: Grumman C-2 Greyhound

text: In 1984, the Navy ordered 39 new C-2A aircraft to replace older airframes. Dubbed the Reprocured C-2A or C-2A(R) due to the similarity to the original, the new aircraft has airframe improvements and better avionics. The older C-2As were phased out in 1987, and the last of the new models was delivered in 1990.


title: Grumman C-2 Greyhound

text: The 36 C-2A(R)s underwent a critical service life extension program (SLEP). The C-2A(R)'s lifespan was 10,000 hours, or 15,000 carrier landings; plans require the C-2A to perform its mission supporting battle group operational readiness through 2015. The lower landing limit was approaching for most airframes, and the SLEP will increase their projected life to 15,000 hours or 36,000 landings. Once complete, the SLEP will allow the 36 aircraft to operate until 2027. The SLEP includes structural improvements to the center wing, an eight-bladed NP2000 propeller, navigational upgrades including the addition of GPS and the dual CAINS II navigation system, the addition of crash-survivable flight-incident recorders, and a ground proximity warning system. The first upgraded C-2A(R) left NAVAIR Depot North Island on 12 September 2005, after sitting on the ground for three and a half years while the SLEP was developed and installed. All aircraft were to receive the SLEP by 2015.


title: Grumman C-2 Greyhound

text: In November 2008, the company also obtained a $37M contract for the maintenance, logistics, and aviation administration services over five years for the C-2A fleet assigned to VX-20 test and evaluation squadron at Patuxent River. Northrop Grumman worked on an upgraded C-2 version, and offered to modernize the fleet with components common to the E-2D Hawkeye.


title: Grumman C-2 Greyhound

text: Between November 1985 and February 1987, VR-24 (former Navy Transport Squadron) and its seven reprocured C-2As demonstrated the aircraft's exceptional operational readiness. The squadron delivered of cargo, of mail, and 14,000 passengers in the European and Mediterranean theaters. The C-2A(R) also served the carrier battle groups during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm during the Gulf War, as well as Operation Enduring Freedom during the war in Afghanistan.


title: Grumman C-2 Greyhound

text: On 2 June 2011, the US Navy loaned two C-2A(R) Greyhounds from VRC-40 (USN BuNos 162143 and 162165) to the French Navy. The two aircraft were stationed at Toulon-Hyères Airport, Hyères, to assist in improving the flow of logistics and supplies to the operating in the Mediterranean Sea off Libya in support of the NATO intervention in Libya. After 16 days, both aircraft returned to the U.S. via Shannon Airport, Ireland, on 18 June 2011.


title: Grumman C-2 Greyhound

text: The Common Support Aircraft was once considered as a replacement for the C-2, but failed to materialize. The U.S. Navy was exploring a replacement for the C-2 in September 2009. Three options were suggested as replacements for the aging C-2s: a new batch of updated C-2s, a transport version of the Lockheed S-3 Viking, and the tilt-rotor Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey.


title: Grumman C-2 Greyhound

text: The C-2 competed with the V-22 Osprey for use as the future COD aircraft. Northrop Grumman proposed modernizing the C-2 by installing the same wings, glass cockpit, and engines as the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye. Installing the Rolls Royce T56-427A engines would cut fuel consumption by 13–15% with the same eight-bladed propeller, enabling take-offs with a payload in degree heat and a range in excess of ; similar performance by the C-2A requires engine temperatures at , trading fuel for payload. Adopting the E-2D's cockpit would deliver a 10% savings on lifetime logistical support. One of the Greyhound's most important features is its internal volume of of cargo space. Northrop Grumman stated that their approach could cost far less than the V-22, including saving $120 million from C-2 and E-2D commonality.


title: Grumman C-2 Greyhound

text: In February 2015, the Navy's FY 2016 budget confirmed the V-22's selection for the COD mission, replacing the C-2A. The Navy is to order 44 of the Osprey, designated CMV-22B, with deliveries to start in 2020. The C-2 was originally planned to be retired in 2027, but this was accelerated to 2024. The fleet is expected to be fully transitioned to the Osprey by 2028.


title: Sorbs

text: Sorbs (, , ; also known as Lusatians, Lusatian Serbs and Wends) are a indigenous West Slavic ethnic group predominantly inhabiting the parts of Lusatia located in the German states of Saxony and Brandenburg. Sorbs traditionally speak the Sorbian languages (also known as "Wendish" and "Lusatian"), which are closely related to Czech, Polish, Kashubian, Silesian, and Slovak. Upper Sorbian and Lower Sorbian are officially recognized minority languages in Germany.


title: Sorbs

text: Due to a gradual and increasing assimilation between the 17th and 20th centuries, virtually all Sorbs also spoke German by the early 20th century. In the newly created German nation state of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, policies were implemented in an effort to Germanize the Sorbs. These policies reached their climax under the Nazi regime, who denied the existence of the Sorbs as a distinct Slavic people by referring to them as "Sorbian-speaking Germans". The community is divided religiously between Roman Catholicism (the majority) and Lutheranism. The former Minister President of Saxony, Stanislaw Tillich, is of Sorbian origin.


title: Sorbs

text: The ethnonym "Sorbs" (Serbja, Serby) derives from the medieval ethnic groups called Sorbs (Surbi, Sorabi). The original ethnonym, "Srbi", was retained by the Sorbs and Serbs in the Balkans. By the 6th century, Slavs occupied the area west of the Oder formerly inhabited by Germanic peoples. The Sorbs are first mentioned in the 6th or 7th century. In their languages, the other Slavs call them the "Lusatian Serbs", and the Sorbs call the Serbs "the south Sorbs". The name "Lusatia" was originally applied only to Lower Lusatia. It is generally considered that their ethnonym "*Sŕbъ" (plur. "*Sŕby") originates from Proto-Slavic with an appellative meaning of a "family kinship" and "alliance", however others argue a derivation from Iranian-Sarmatian.


title: Sorbs

text: It is considered that their name can be traced to the 6th century or earlier when Vibius Sequester recorded "Cervetiis" ("Servetiis") living on the other part of the river Elbe which divided them from the Suevi ("Albis Germaniae Suevos a Cerveciis dividiit"). According to Lubor Niederle, the Serbian district was located somewhere between Magdeburg and Lusatia, and was later mentioned by the Ottonians as "Ciervisti", "Zerbisti", and "Kirvisti". The information is in accordance with the Frankish 7th-century "Chronicle of Fredegar" according to which the "Surbi" lived in the Saale-Elbe valley, having settled in the Thuringian part of Francia since the second half of the 6th century or beginning of the 7th century and were vassals of the Merovingian dynasty. The Saale-Elbe line marked the approximate limit of Slavic westward migration. Under the leadership of "dux" (duke) Dervan ("Dervanus dux gente Surbiorum que ex genere Sclavinorum"), they joined the Slavic tribal union of Samo, after Samo's decisive victory against Frankish King Dagobert I in 631. Afterwards, these Slavic tribes continuously raided Thuringia. The fate of the tribes after Samo's death and dissolution of the union in 658 is undetermined, but it is considered that they subsequently returned to Frankish vassalage. According to a 10th-century source "De Administrando Imperio", they lived "since the beginning" in the region called by them as "Boiki" which was a neighbor to Francia, and when two brothers succeeded their father, one of them migrated with half of the people to the Balkans during the rule of Heraclius in the first half of the 7th century. According to some scholars, the White Serbian Unknown Archon who led them to the Balkans was most likely a son, brother or other relative of Dervan.


title: Sorbs

text: Sorbian tribes, including "Surbi", are noted in the mid-9th-century work of the Bavarian Geographer. Having settled by the Elbe, Saale, Spree, and Neisse in the 6th and early 7th century, Sorbian tribes divided into two main groups, which have taken their names from the characteristics of the area where they had settled. The two groups were separated from each other by a wide and uninhabited forest range, one around Upper Spree and the rest between the Elbe and Saale. Some scholars consider that the contemporary Sorbs are descendants of the two largest Sorbian tribes, the Milceni (Upper) and (Lower), and these tribes' respective dialects have developed into separate languages. However, others emphasize differences between these two dialects and that their respective territories correspond to two different Slavic archeological cultures of Tornow group ceramics (Lower Sorbian language) and Leipzig group ceramics (Upper Sorbian language), both a derivation of Prague(-Korchak) culture.


title: Sorbs

text: The "Annales Regni Francorum" state that in 806 Sorbian Duke Miliduch fought against the Franks and was killed. In 840, Sorbian Duke Czimislav was killed. In 932, Henry I conquered Lusatia and Milsko. Gero, Margrave of the Saxon Ostmark, reconquered Lusatia the following year and, in 939, murdered 30 Sorbian princes during a feast. As a result, there were many Sorbian uprisings against German rule. A reconstructed castle, at Raddusch in Lower Lusatia, is the sole physical remnant from this early period.


title: Sorbs

text: During the reign of Boleslaw I of Poland in 1002–1018, three Polish-German wars were waged which caused Lusatia to come under the domination of new rulers. In 1018, on the strength of peace in Bautzen, Lusatia became a part of Poland; but, it returned to German rule before 1031. However, this German rule is not to be understood in a national sense. At that time, Lusatia (along with Silesia) was part of


title: Sorbs

text: Bohemia which itself was part of the Roman-German Empire but was ruled by a powerful indigenous Slavic dynasty. There was a dense network of dynastic and diplomatic relations between German and Slavic feudal lords, e.g. Wiprecht of Groitzsch (a German) rose to power through close links with the Bohemian king and his marriage into Slavic nobility. The Slavic-governed Bohemia remained a loyal and politically influential member of the Roman-German Empire but was in a constant power-struggle with neighbouring Poland. From the 11th to the 15th century, agriculture in Lusatia developed and colonization by Frankish, Flemish and Saxon settlers intensified. This can still be seen today from the names of local villages which geographically form a patchwork of typical German (ending on -dorf, -thal etc.) and typical Slavic origin (ending on -witz, -ow etc.), indicating the language originally spoken by its inhabitants. In 1327 the first prohibitions on using Sorbian before courts and in administrative affairs in the cities of Altenburg, Zwickau and Leipzig appeared. Speaking Sorbian in family and business contexts was, however, not banned, as it did not involve the functioning of the administration. Also the village communities and the village administration usually kept operating in Sorbian.


title: Sorbs

text: Between 1376 and 1635 Lusatia was part of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown, under the rule of the Luxembourgs, Habsburgs and other kings. From the beginning of the 16th century the whole Sorbian-inhabited area, with the exception of Lusatia, underwent Germanization. In 1635 Lusatia became a fiefdom of Saxon electors, but it retained a considerable autonomy and largely its own legal system (see Lusatian League). The Thirty Years' War and the plague of the 17th century caused terrible devastation in Lusatia. This led to further German colonization and Germanization.


title: Sorbs

text: In 1667 the Prince of Brandenburg, Frederick Wilhelm, ordered the immediate destruction of all Sorbian printed materials and banned saying masses in this language. At the same time the Evangelical Church supported printing Sorbian religious literature as a means of fighting the Counterreformation. In 1706 the Sorbian Seminary, the main centre for the education of Sorbian Catholic priests, was founded in Prague. Evangelical students of theology formed the Sorbian College of Ministers.


title: Sorbs

text: The Congress of Vienna, in 1815, gave part of Upper Lusatia to Saxony, but most of Lusatia to Prussia. More and more bans on the use of Sorbian languages appeared from then until 1835 in Saxony and Prussia; emigration of the Sorbs, mainly to the town of Serbin in Texas and to Australia, increased. In 1848, 5000 Sorbs signed a petition to the Saxon Government, in which they demanded equality for the Sorbian language with the German one in churches, courts, schools and Government departments. From 1871 the whole of Lusatia became a part of united Germany and was divided between two parts; Prussia (Silesia and Brandenburg), and Saxony.


title: Sorbs

text: In 1871 the industrialization of the region and German immigration began; official Germanization intensified. Although the Weimar Republic guaranteed constitutional minority rights, it did not practice them.


title: Sorbs

text: During World War I, one of the most venerated Serbian generals was Pavle Jurišić Šturm (Paul Sturm), a Sorb from Görlitz, Province of Silesia.


title: Sorbs

text: Throughout the Third Reich, Sorbians were described as a German tribe who spoke a Slavic language and their national poet Handrij Zejler was German. Sorbian costume, culture, customs, and the language was said to be no indication of a non-German origin. The Reich declared that there were truly no "Sorbs" or "Lusatians", only Wendish-speaking Germans. As such, while the Sorbs were largely safe from the Reich's policies of ethnic cleansing, the cultivation of "Wendish" customs and traditions was to be encouraged in a controlled manner and it was expected that the Slavic language would decline due to natural causes. Young Sorbs enlisted in the Wehrmacht and were sent to the front. The entangled lives of the Sorbs during World War II are exemplified by the life stories of Mina Witkojc, and Jan Skala.


title: Sorbs

text: The first Lusatian cities were captured in April 1945, when the Red Army and the Polish Second Army crossed the river Queis (Kwisa). The defeat of Nazi Germany changed the Sorbs’ situation considerably. The regions in East Germany (the German Democratic Republic) faced heavy industrialisation and a large influx of expelled Germans. The East German authorities tried to counteract this development by creating a broad range of Sorbian institutions. The Sorbs were officially recognized as an ethnic minority, more than 100 Sorbian schools and several academic institutions were founded, the Domowina and its associated societies were re-established and a Sorbian theatre was created. Owing to the suppression of the church and forced collectivization, however, these efforts were severely affected and consequently over time the number of people speaking Sorbian languages decreased by half.


title: Sorbs

text: However, the relationship between the Sorbs and the government of East Germany was not without occasional difficulties, mainly because of the high levels of religious observance and resistance to the nationalisation of agriculture. During the compulsory collectivization campaign, a great many unprecedented incidents were reported. Thus, throughout the Uprising of 1953 in East Germany, violent clashes with the police were reported in Lusatia. A small uprising took place in three upper communes of Błot.


title: Sorbs

text: Nevertheless, Sorbs experienced greater representation in the German Democratic Republic than under any other German government. Domowina had status as a constituent member organization of the National Front, and a number of Sorbs were members of the Volkskammer and State Council of East Germany. Notable Sorbian figures of the period include Domowina Chairmen Jurij Grós and Kurt Krjeńc, State Council member Maria Schneider, and writer and three-time receipient of the National Prize of the German Democratic Republic Jurij Brězan. In 1973, Domowina reported that 2,130 municipal councillors, 119 burgomasters, and more than 3,500 members of commissions and local bodies in East Germany were ethnic Sorbs registered with the organization. Additionally, there was a seat reserved for a Sorbian representative in the Central Council of the Free German Youth, the mass organization for young people in East Germany, and magazines for both the FDJ and the Ernst Thälmann Pioneer Organisation were published in the Sorbian language on a regular basis under the titles "Chorhoj Měra" and "Plomjo", respectively.


title: Sorbs

text: After the reunification of Germany on 3 October 1990, Lusatians made efforts to create an autonomous administrative unit; however, Helmut Kohl’s government did not agree to it. After 1989, the Sorbian movement revived, however, it still encounters many obstacles. Although Germany supports national minorities, Sorbs claim that their aspirations are not sufficiently fulfilled. The desire to unite Lusatia in one of the federal states has not been taken into consideration. Upper Lusatia still belongs to Saxony and Lower Lusatia to Brandenburg. Liquidations of Sorbian schools, even in areas mostly populated by Sorbs, still happen, under the pretext of financial difficulties or demolition of whole villages to create lignite quarries.


title: Sorbs

text: Faced with growing threat of cultural extinction, the Domowina issued a memorandum in March 2008 and called for "help and protection against the growing threat of their cultural extinction, since an ongoing conflict between the German government, Saxony and Brandenburg about the financial distribution of help blocks the financing of almost all Sorbian institutions". The memorandum also demands a reorganisation of competence by ceding responsibility from the Länder to the federal government and an expanded legal status. The call has been issued to all governments and heads of state of the European Union.


title: Sorbs

text: On 28 May 2008, the Sorbian politician Stanislaw Tillich, member of the governing Christian Democrats, was elected Premier of the State of Saxony.


title: Sorbs

text: According to 2013 and 2015 studies, the most common Y-DNA haplogroup among the Sorbs who speak Upper Sorbian in Lusatia (n=123) is R1a, mainly its R-M458 subclade, which is carried by 65% of the Sorb males. It is followed in frequency by I1 (9.8%), R1b (9.8%), E1b1b (4.9%), I2 (4.1%), J (3.3%) and G (2.4%). Other haplogroups are less than 1%. A study from 2003 reported a similar frequency of 63.4% of haplogroup R1a among Sorbian males (n=112). Other studies that covered aspects of Sorbian Y-DNA include Immel et al. 2006, Rodig et al. 2007, and Krawczak et al. 2008. A 2011 paper on the Sorbs' autosomal DNA reported that the Upper Sorbian speakers (n=289) showed the greatest autosomal genetic similarity to Poles, followed by Czechs and Slovaks, consistent with the linguistic proximity of Sorbian to other West Slavic languages. In another genome-wide paper from the same year on Upper Sorbs (n=977), which indicated their genetic isolation "which cannot be explained by over-sampling of relatives" and a closer proximity to Poles and Czechs than Germans. The researchers however question this proximity, as the German reference population was almost exclusively West-German, and the Polish and Czech reference population had many that were part of a German minority. In a 2016 paper, Sorbs cluster autosomally again with Poles (from Poznań).


title: Sorbs

text: The oldest known relic of Sorbian literature originated in about 1530 – the Bautzen townsmen's oath. In 1548 Mikołaj Jakubica – Lower Sorbian vicar, from the village called Lubanice, wrote the first unprinted translation of the New Testament into Lower Sorbian. In 1574 the first Sorbian book was printed: Albin Mollers’ songbook. In 1688 Jurij Hawštyn Swětlik translated the Bible for Catholic Sorbs. From 1706 to 1709 the New Testament was printed in the Upper Sorbian translation was done by Michał Frencel and in Lower Sorbian by Jan Bogumił Fabricius (1681–1741). Jan Bjedrich Fryco (a.k.a. Johann Friedrich Fritze) (1747–1819), translated the Old Testament for the first time into Lower Sorbian, published in 1790.


title: Sorbs

text: Other Sorbian Bible translators include Jakub Buk (1825–1895), Michał Hórnik (Michael Hornig) (1833–1894), Jurij Łušćanski (a.k.a. Georg Wuschanski) (1839–1905). In 1809 for the short period of time, there was the first printed Sorbian newspaper. In 1767 Jurij Mjeń publishes the first secular Sorbian book. Between 1841 and 1843, Jan Arnošt Smoler and Leopold Haupt (a.k.a. J. L. Haupt and J. E. Schmaler) published two-volume collection of Wendish folk-songs in Upper and Lower Lusatia. From 1842, the first Sorbian publishing companies started to appear: the poet Handrij Zejler set up a weekly magazine, the precursor of today’s Sorbian News. In 1845 in Bautzen the first festival of Sorbian songs took place. In 1875, Jakub Bart-Ćišinski, the poet and classicist of Upper Sorbian literature, and Karol Arnošt Muka created a movement of young Sorbians influencing Lusatian art, science and literature for the following 50 years. A similar movement in Lower Lusatia was organized around the most prominent Lower Lusatian poets Mato Kósyk (Mato Kosyk) and Bogumił Šwjela.


title: Sorbs

text: In 1904, mainly thanks to the Sorbs’ contribution, the most important Sorbian cultural centre (the Sorbian House) was built in Bautzen. In 1912, the social and cultural organization of Lusatian Sorbs was created, the Domowina Institution - the union of Sorbian organizations. In 1919 it had 180,000 members. In 1920, Jan Skala set up a Sorbian party and in 1925 in Berlin, Skala started Kulturwille- the newspaper for the protection of national minorities in Germany. In 1920, the Sokol Movement was founded (youth movement and gymnastic organization). From 1933 the Nazi party started to repress the Sorbs. At that time the Nazis also dissolved the Sokol Movement and began to combat every sign of Sorbian culture. In 1937, the activities of the Domowina Institution and other organizations were banned as anti-national. Sorbian clergymen and teachers were forcedly deported from Lusatia; Nazi German authorities confiscated the Sorbian House, other buildings and crops.


title: Sorbs

text: On May 10, 1945, in Crostwitz, after the Red Army’s invasion, the Domowina Institution renewed its activity. In 1948, the Landtag of Saxony passed an Act guaranteeing protection to Sorbian Lusatians; in 1949, Brandenburg resolved a similar law. Article 40 of the constitution of German Democratic Republic adopted on 7 October 1949 expressly provided for the protection of the language and culture of the Sorbs. In the times of the German Democratic Republic, Sorbian organizations were financially supported by the country, but at the same time the authorities encouraged Germanization of Sorbian youth as a means of incorporating them into the system of "building Socialism". Sorbian language and culture could only be publicly presented as long as they promoted socialist ideology. For over 1000 years, the Sorbs were able to maintain and even develop their national culture, despite escalating Germanization and Polonization, mainly due to the high level of religious observance, cultivation of their tradition and strong families (Sorbian families still often have five children). In the middle of the 20th century, the revival of the Central European nations included some Sorbs, who became strong enough to attempt twice to regain their independence. After World War II, the Lusatian National Committee in Prague claimed the right to self-government and separation from Germany and the creation of a Lusatian Free State or attachment to Czechoslovakia. The majority of the Sorbs were organized in the Domowina, though, and did not wish to split from Germany. Claims asserted by the Lusatian National movement were postulates of joining Lusatia to Poland or Czechoslovakia. Between 1945 and 1947 they postulated about ten petitions to the United Nations, the United States, Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, France, Poland and Czechoslovakia, however, it did not bring any results. On April 30, 1946, the Lusatian National Committee also postulated a petition to the Polish Government, signed by Pawoł Cyž – the minister and an official Sorbian delegate in Poland. There was also a project of proclaiming a Lusatian Free State, whose Prime Minister was supposed to be a Polish archaeologist of Lusatian origin- Wojciech Kóčka. The most radical postulates in this area (" Na swobodu so ńečeka, swobodu so beŕe!") were expressed by the Lusatian youth organization- Narodny Partyzan Łužica. Similarly, in Czechoslovakia, where before the Potsdam Conference in Prague, 300,000 people demonstrated for the independence of Lusatia. The endeavours to separate Lusatia from Germany did not succeed because of various individual and geopolitical interests.


title: Sorbs

text: The following statistics indicate the progression of cultural change among Sorbs: by the end of the 19th century, about 150,000 people spoke Sorbian languages. By 1920, almost all Sorbs had mastered Sorbian and German to the same degree. Nowadays, the number of people using Sorbian languages has been estimated to be no more than 40,000.


title: Sorbs

text: The Israeli Slavic linguist Paul Wexler has argued that the Yiddish language structure provides "compelling evidence of an intimate Jewish contact with the Slavs in the German and Bohemian lands as early as the 9th century", and has theorized that Sorbs may have been contributors to the Ashkenazic Jewish population in Europe from the same period.


title: Sorbs

text: A Shrove Tuesday festival "Zapust" is the most popular tradition of the Sorbs, deeply linked to the working life of the community. Traditionally, festivities would last one week ahead of the spring sowing of the fields and would feature traditional dress, parade and dancing.


title: Sorbs

text: Most current speakers of Upper-Sorbian are part of the Catholic denomination. Originally, the majority of Sorbs were Lutheran Protestants, and this was still the case going into the 20th Century (with a Protestant population of 86.9% recorded in 1900). Only the Sorbs of the Kamenz area - predominantly settled on the expansive former site of the in Panschwitz-Kuckau - veered from the norm, with a Catholic population of 88.4%. Otherwise, the proportion of Catholics remained under 1% throughout the region of Lower Lusatia. Due to the rapid decline in language and cultural identity amongst the Protestant Sorbs - particularly during the years of the GDR - the denominational make-up of the Sorbian-speaking population of the region has now been reversed.


title: Sorbs

text: The flag of the Lusatian Sorbs is a cloth of blue, red and white horizontal stripes. First used as a national symbol in 1842. In 1848, the flag was recognized among Sorbs. Section 25 of the Constitution of Brandenburg contains a provision on the Lusatian flag. Section 2 of the Constitution of Saxony contains a provision on the use of the coat of arms and traditional national colors of the Lusatian Sorbs. The laws on the rights of the Lusatian Sorbs of Brandenburg and Saxony contain provisions on the use of Lusatian national symbols (coat of arms and national colors).


title: Sorbs

text: The national anthem of Lusatian Sorbs since the 20th century is the song Rjana Łužica (Beautiful Lusatia). Previously, the songs “Still Sorbs Have Not Perished” (written by Handrij Zejler in 1840) and “Our Sorbs Rise from the Dust” (written by M. Domashka, performed until 1945) served as a hymn.


title: Sorbs

text: Catholic Lusatia encompasses 85 towns in the districts of Bautzen, Kamenz, and Hoyerswerda, where Upper Sorbian language, customs, and tradition are still thriving. In some of these places ("e.g.", Radibor or Radwor in Sorbian, Crostwitz or Chrósćicy, and Rosenthal or Róžant), Sorbs constitute the majority of the population, and children grow up speaking Sorbian.


title: Sorbs

text: On Sundays, during holidays, and at weddings, people wear regional costumes, rich in decoration and embroidery, encrusted with pearls.


title: Sorbs

text: Some of the customs and traditions observed include Bird Wedding (25 January), Easter Cavalcade of Riders, Witch Burning (30 April), Maik, singing on St. Martin's Day (Nicolay), and the celebrations of Saint Barbara’s Day and Saint Nicholas’s Day.


title: Sorbs

text: In the area from Hoyerswerda to Schleife, a dialect of Sorbian which combines characteristic features of both Upper and Lower Sorbian is spoken. The region is predominantly Protestant, highly devastated by the brown coal mining industry, sparsely populated, and to a great extent germanicized. Most speakers of Sorbian are over 60 years old.


title: Sorbs

text: The region distinguishes itself through many examples of Slavic wooden architecture monuments including churches and regular houses, a diversity of regional costumes (mainly worn by elderly women) that feature white-knitting with black, cross-like embroidery, and a tradition of playing bagpipes.


title: Sorbs

text: In several villages, residents uphold traditional festivities such as expelling of winter, "Maik", Easter and Great Friday singing, and the celebration of "dźěćetko" (disguised child or young girl giving Christmas presents).


title: Sorbs

text: There are 60 towns from the area of Cottbus belonging to this region, where most of the older people over 60 but few young people and children can speak the Lower Sorbian language; the local variant often incorporates many words taken from the German language, and in conversations with the younger generation, German is generally preferred. Some primary schools in the region teach bilingually, and in Cottbus there is an important Gymnasium whose main medium of instruction is Lower Sorbian. The region is predominantly Protestant, again highly devastated by the brown coal mining industry. The biggest tourist attraction of the region and in the whole Lusatia are the marshlands, with many Spreewald/Błóta canals, picturesque broads of the Spree.


title: Sorbs

text: Worn mainly by older but on holidays by young women, regional costumes are colourful, including a large headscarf called "lapa", rich in golden embroidering and differing from village to village.


title: Sorbs

text: In some villages, following traditions are observed: Shrovetide, "Maik", Easter bonfires, Roosters catching/hunting. In Jänschwalde (Sorbian: Janšojcach) so-called Janšojki bog (disguised young girl) gives Christmas presents.


title: Sorbs

text: Bolesław I had taken control of the marches of Lusatia (Łużyce), Sorbian Meissen (Miśnia), and the cities of Budziszyn (Bautzen) and Meissen in 1002, and refused to pay the tribute to the Empire from the conquered territories. Bolesław, after the Polish-German War (1002–1018), signed the Peace of Bautzen on 30 January 1018, which made Bolesław I a clear winner. The Polish ruler was able to keep the contested marches of Lusatia and Sorbian Meissen not as fiefs, but as part of Polish territory. The Polish prince Mieszko destroyed about 100 Sorbian villages in 1030 and expelled Sorbians from urban areas, with the exception of fishermen and carpenters who were allowed to live in the outskirts.


title: Sorbs

text: One of the pioneers of the cooperation between the two nations was Polish historian , who lived in the 19th century and wrote the first book on Polish-Sorbian history "Rys dziejów serbołużyckich" (Polish title), it was published in Saint Petersburg in 1861. The book was expanded and published again in cooperation with Michał Hórnik in 1884 in Bautzen, under a new title "Historije serbskeho naroda". Alfons Parczewski was another friend of Sorbs, who from 1875 was involved in Sorbs' rights protection, participating in Sorbian meetings in Bautzen. It was thanks to him, among others, that Józef Ignacy Kraszewski founded a scholarship for Sorbian students. An association of friends of Sorbian Nation was established at the University of Warsaw in 1936 (Polish full name: Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Narodu Serbo-Łużyckiego). It gathered people not only from the university. Its president was Professor Stanisław Słoński, and the deputy president was Julia Wieleżyńska. The association was a legal entity. There were three individual organizations devoted to Sorbian matters. Prołuż founded in Krotoszyn, expanded to all Poland (3000 members). It was the biggest non-communist organization that dealt with foreign affairs. This youth organization was created during the Soviet occupation and its motto was "Polish guard over Lusatia" (pl. Nad Łużycami polska straż). Its highest activity was in Greater Poland (Polish: Wielkopolska, a district of western Poland).


title: Sorbs

text: After the creation of East Germany, Prołuż was dissolved, and its president historian from Poznań Alojzy Stanisław Matyniak was arrested.


title: Sorbs

text: After 1945, the Sorbs that historically lived in the eastern part of Lusatia (now part of Poland) were forcefully expelled by the new Polish state, as they were German citizens. Eastern Lusatia was resettled by Poles from the East and has by now lost its Sorbian identity.


title: Sorbs

text: Persecution of the Sorbs under German rule became increasingly harsh throughout the 19th century. Slavs were labeled inferior to Germanic peoples, and in 1875, the use of Sorbian was banned in German schools. As a result, almost the entire Sorbian population was bilingual by the end of the 19th century.


title: Sorbs

text: Persecution of the Sorbs reached its climax under the Nazis, who attempted to completely assimilate and Germanize them. Their distinct identity and culture and Slavic origins were denied by referring to them as "Wendish-speaking Germans". Under Nazi rule, the Sorbian language and practice of Sorbian culture was banned, Sorbian and Slavic place-names were changed to German ones, Sorbian books and printing presses were destroyed, Sorbian organizations and newspapers were banned, Sorbian libraries and archives were closed, and Sorbian teachers and clerics were deported to German-speaking areas and replaced with German-speaking teachers and clerics. Leading figures in the Sorbian community were forcibly isolated from their community or simply arrested. The specific "Wendenabteilung" was established to monitor the assimilation of the Sorbs.


title: Sorbs

text: Towards the end of World War II, the Nazis considered the deportation of the entire Sorbian population to the mining districts of Alsace-Lorraine.


title: Sorbs

text: During the 1840s, many Sorbian émigrés travelled to Australia, along with many ethnic Germans. The first was Jan Rychtar, a Wendish Moravian Brethren missionary who settled in Sydney during 1844. There were two major migrations of Upper Sorbs and Lower Sorbs to Australia, in 1848 and 1850 respectively. The diaspora settled mainly in South Australia – especially the Barossa Valley – as well as Victoria and New South Wales.


title: The Summer I Turned Pretty (TV series)

text: The Summer I Turned Pretty is an American coming-of-age romantic drama television series created by author Jenny Han for Amazon Prime Video, and is based on her novel trilogy of the same name. The series premiered on June 17, 2022, with the first season consisting of seven episodes. Ahead of the series premiere, it was renewed for a second season.


title: The Summer I Turned Pretty (TV series)

text: On an annual summer vacation to their family friends' beach house, Belly reunites with her friends, brothers Jeremiah and Conrad, and she finds herself caught in a love triangle.


title: The Summer I Turned Pretty (TV series)

text: On February 8, 2021, Amazon gave production a series order consisting of eight episodes. The series is based on the 2009 novel of the same name by Jenny Han. It is created and executive produced by Han. Also executive producing are Gabrielle Stanton, Karen Rosenfelt, Nne Ebong, and Hope Hartman.


title: The Summer I Turned Pretty (TV series)

text: On April 28, 2021, Lola Tung, Rachel Blanchard, Jackie Chung, and Christopher Briney were cast as series regulars. In July 2021, Gavin Casalegno, Sean Kaufman, Minnie Mills and Alfredo Narciso joined the main cast, while Summer Madison, David Iacono, Rain Spencer, and Tom Everett Scott joined the cast in recurring roles. On August 31, 2022, Kyra Sedgwick and Elsie Fisher were cast in recurring capacities for the second season.