title: Culture of Russia

text: Most popular tourist destinations in Russia are Moscow and Saint Petersburg, the current and the former capitals of the country and great cultural centers, recognized as World Cities. Moscow and Saint Petersburg feature such world-renowned museums as Tretyakov Gallery and Hermitage, famous theaters like Bolshoi and Mariinsky, ornate churches like Saint Basil's Cathedral, Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Saint Isaac's Cathedral and Church of the Savior on Blood, impressive fortifications like Moscow Kremlin and Peter and Paul Fortress, beautiful squares like Red Square and Palace Square, and streets like Tverskaya and Nevsky Prospect. Rich palaces and parks of extreme beauty are found in the former in suburbs of Moscow (Kolomenskoye, Tsaritsyno) and Saint Petersburg (Peterhof, Strelna, Oranienbaum, Gatchina, Pavlovsk Palace, Tsarskoye Selo). Moscow contains a great variety of impressive Soviet-era buildings along with modern skyscrapers, while Saint Petersburg, nicknamed "Venice of the North", boasts of its classical architecture, many rivers, channels and bridges.


title: Culture of Russia

text: Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan, shows a unique mix of Christian Russian and Muslim Tatar cultures. The city has registered a brand "The Third Capital of Russia", though a number of other major Russian cities compete for this status, like Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg and Nizhny Novgorod, all being major cultural centers with rich history and prominent architecture. Veliky Novgorod, Pskov and the cities of Golden Ring (Vladimir, Yaroslavl, Kostroma and others) have at best preserved the architecture and the spirit of ancient and medieval Rus', and also are among the main tourist destinations. Many old fortifications (typically Kremlins), monasteries and churches are scattered throughout Russia, forming its unique cultural landscape both in big cities and in remote areas.


title: Culture of Russia

text: The warm subtropical Black Sea coast of Russia is the site for a number of popular sea resorts, like Sochi, known for its beaches and wonderful nature. At the same time Sochi can boast a number of major ski resorts, like Krasnaya Polyana; the city is the host of 2014 Winter Olympics and the 2014 Winter Paralympics. The mountains of the Northern Caucasus contain many other popular ski resorts, like Dombay in Karachay–Cherkessia.


title: Culture of Russia

text: The most famous natural tourist destination in Russia is Lake Baikal, named "the Blue Eye of Siberia". This unique lake, oldest and deepest in the world, has crystal-clean waters and is surrounded by taiga-covered mountains.


title: Culture of Russia

text: Other popular natural destinations include Kamchatka with its volcanoes and geysers, Karelia with its many lakes and granite rocks, Altai with its snowy mountains and Tyva with its wild steppes.


title: Bandolier

text: A bandolier or a bandoleer is a pocketed belt for holding either individual bullets, or belts of ammunition. It is usually slung sash-style over the shoulder and chest, with the ammunition pockets across the midriff and chest. Though functionally similar, they are distinct from chest rigs, which are designed to hold magazines instead.


title: Bandolier

text: By the late 15 century, the earliest viable handheld firearms in Europe were the arquebus fitted with a matchlock mechanism. The user kept his shot in a leather pouch and his powder in a flask with a volumetric spout. The spout was calibrated to deliver the proper charge for the user's arquebus. With the advent of the heavy arquebus (later known as a musket) in the early 16 century, a spout large enough to measure the required powder was impractical. Furthermore, trying to double or triple charge from a flask was time consuming and could create a “missed” charge. A bandolier from whence would hang several little flasks each filled with a dedicated premeasured charge was the solution to this problem. Since these were loaded prior to going into battle, the musketeer could take the time to accurately measure each charge.


title: Bandolier

text: The bandolier was fitted with small wooden bottles called charges. The charges were recommended to be turned from a single piece of wood; a two-piece design (tube with a bottom) could come apart and metal charges make too much noise. The number of charges was determined from the size of the musket, that is, the weight of the ball it fired. Each musketeer was issued a pound of lead from which they would cast their ammunition. For instance, if they had a 1⅓ oz musket, a pound of lead would provide them with 12 balls, hence, 12 charges. A “two-ouncer” would have eight charges. Throughout Europe in the 16 and 17 centuries, the number of charges varied between 8 and 16. Additionally, the bandolier would be fitted with a bullet pouch and a priming flask. It might also carry an oil flask for the lock mechanism, a match keeper or other accessories.


title: Bandolier

text: The evolution of a sparking type lock mechanism, such as the flintlock, paved the way for the development of paper cartridge containing a premeasured powder charge and a lead ball wrapped in paper. The bandolier then became a shoulder strap fitted to a bag or satchel wherein the cartridges could be carried. Eventually, any bag worn in the same style may also be described as a bandolier bag or possibles bag; similarly, pocketed belts holding ammunition worn around the waist may also be called bandoliers.


title: Bandolier

text: A somewhat different form of bandolier came into use in the late 19th century that held modern metallic cartridges and hand grenades. Bandoliers are now less common due to the use of detachable magazines and belt-fed firearms, though extra ammunition belts are often carried around the body like a bandolier. They are, however, still often used with shotguns, hand grenades, and grenade launchers.


title: Bandolier

text: Shotgun shells can easily be stored in traditionally designed bandoliers. In fact, some aftermarket shotgun slings are designed in a fashion similar to traditional bandoliers, albeit with a far more limited capacity.


title: Bandolier

text: In World War I and World War II, bandoliers were issued primarily to riflemen. They were made of cloth, stitched into pockets which held clips of rifle ammunition. In civilian use, bandoliers are often worn by hunters and recreational shooters using shotguns.


title: Bandolier

text: The Chetniks of World War II made heavy use of bandoliers, often carrying two over the shoulder and two around the hip, using the latter as a holster for revolvers and daggers.


title: Bandolier

text: Another modern use of a bandolier is for the automatic rifleman of a military fireteam. Since a squad automatic weapon is often belt-fed, an automatic rifleman will carry an extra belt on his person; either in a separate compartment or slung over the chest in bandolier fashion.


title: Bandolier

text: The bandolier was used to keep ammunition off a soldier's hips, as carrying too much weight on the hips can constrain movement and cause difficulty in retrieving the ammunition.


title: Bandolier

text: Bandoliers made from spent or dummy rounds are sometimes used in fashion. Michael Jackson famously wore a bandolier as part of a military-inspired costume during his Dangerous World Tour in the early 1990s.


title: Ford Duratec V6 engine

text: The Ford Duratec V6, is an aluminum DOHC V6 engine with a 60° bank angle introduced in 1993 with the Ford Mondeo. The primary engineering input came from Porsche, who was developing a similar V6 before selling the engineering to Ford, and Cosworth, who helped with cylinder head manufacturing. The Jaguar AJ-V6 engine is similar but adds variable valve timing.


title: Ford Duratec V6 engine

text: The Duratec 25 is a 2.5 L (2544 cc) 60° V6 and was introduced in 1994. It was developed for the Ford Contour and also used in the Ford Mondeo and others. Bore and stroke is .


title: Ford Duratec V6 engine

text: The Duratec 25 was on the Ward's 10 Best Engines list for 1995 and 1996, and the SVT version made the list for 1998 and 1999.


title: Ford Duratec V6 engine

text: An SVT version produced and in 1998. It included a larger throttle body from the Duratec 30, a new cone-shaped air filter, and abrasive flow machining processing on the intake manifold. SVT specific cams, a lighter flywheel and low-restriction exhaust complete the picture. Further improvements (mostly improved intake porting of the heads) were made in 1999 that raised power output to and and were carried over in the 2000 model. The SVT engine was used in the 1998 to 2000 European Ford Mondeo and called the ST200, it also appeared in the American Ford Contour "SVT".


title: Ford Duratec V6 engine

text: The Duratec 2.5L V6 DOHC 24 valve engine had at 6,250 rpm and of torque at 4250 rpm. Used in the third generation Ford Mondeo and last generation Mercury Cougar (1999-2002). The Displacement of the 2.5l VE was decreased from .


title: Ford Duratec V6 engine

text: Mazda used the Duratec 25 block and camshaft in their 2000 MPV. However, they reduced the size from to keep under a 2.5 L tax cap in Japan. This was accomplished with a reduction of the bore from to . The engine produced at 6250 rpm and of torque. It was replaced in 2002 with the larger 3.0 L Duratec 30-based Mazda AJ.


title: Ford Duratec V6 engine

text: Ford's standard DOHC V6 is known as the Duratec 30. It was introduced in 1996 as a replacement for the 3.8 L Essex engine in the Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable. It has of displacement and produces between and . The same engine is used by the Jaguar S-Type, Lincoln LS, Mazda MPV, Mazda6, Mondeo ST220 and many other Ford vehicles. It is essentially a bored-out to Duratec 25 and is built in Ford's Cleveland Engine #2 plant. A slightly modified version for the Ford Five Hundred entered production at the Cleveland Engine #1 plant in 2004.


title: Ford Duratec V6 engine

text: It has an aluminum engine block and aluminum DOHC cylinder heads. The cylinders are lined with cast iron. It uses sequential fuel injection, has 4 valves per cylinder and features fracture-split forged powder metal connecting rods and an assembled cast aluminum intake manifold.


title: Ford Duratec V6 engine

text: The , V6 used in the Mondeo "ST220" is called the Duratec ST. The , V6 in the Mondeo "Titanium" is called the Duratec SE.


title: Ford Duratec V6 engine

text: The 2006 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, and Lincoln Zephyr feature a version of the Duratec 30 utilizing variable valve timing. The VVT is a RFF engine derived from the Mazda MZI and does not have the mechanical buckets as on the Lincoln LS version.


title: Ford Duratec V6 engine

text: In second generation of the engine, it is updated to run on E85. This version of the engine has an output of at 6550 rpm and at 4300 rpm while running on 87 octane gasoline, and at 6250 rpm and at 4150 rpm whilst running on E85. To achieve this, the engine now includes Cam Torque Actuated Variable Cam Timing developed with BorgWarner. Fuel saving features include adaptive knock control and aggressive deceleration fuel cutoff.


title: Ford Duratec V6 engine

text: The Fusion later received the all new Duratec 35 V6 as an option to remain competitive with the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. The older Duratec 30 remained as a step up from the base I4 in the Fusion, but the Milan kept the as its sole V6 until it was discontinued for the 2011 model year. Eventually, the Duratec 30 was discontinued in favor of the newer Duratec 35 and its variants.


title: Ford Duratec V6 engine

text: A twin-turbocharged version of this engine is used in the Noble M400, a British sports car. The engine is rebuilt and tuned to a max power of at 6500 rpm, with a torque figure of at 5000 rpm. Noble has used forged pistons, an oil cooler, a larger baffled oil sump and extra cooling ducts to maintain its durability. .


title: Ford Duratec V6 engine

text: The 2015 Rossion Q1 is also powered by the Duratec V6, developing a maximum power of at 4700 rpm, with a torque figure of at 4700 rpm. It has a weight-to-power ratio of /hp. As with the Noble M400, the Q1 uses a transversely-mounted, rear mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout, twin-turbocharged engine.


title: Ford Duratec V6 engine

text: Mazda's MZI version adds variable valve timing, as does Jaguar's AJ30. Note that the MZI name is also used in Europe on Mazda's version of the Ford "Sigma" I4. The , V6 used in the Mondeo "ST220" is called Duratec ST. V6 in the Mondeo "Titanium" is called Duratec SE.


title: Ford Duratec V6 engine

text: A racing version of this engine exists and is used on mini prototypes like the Juno SS3 V6. It is a naturally aspirated non variable timing engines producing between with a redline of around 8700 rpm. The engine has a 40-hour racing life span before it needs to be rebuilt with rings and bearings, and has proven very reliable and competitive. The engine has a Jaguar badge, and is branded as a Jaguar V6 since it is built and mostly sold in the U.K.


title: Ford Duratec V6 engine

text: Ford's 3.4 L SHO V8 is related to the 2.5 L Duratec V6. Each cylinder uses the same bore and stroke as the 2.5 L, but this engine was never officially referred to with the "Duratec" name.


title: Ford Duratec V6 engine

text: Ford's 5.9 L V12 version of its Duratec engine is used in the present Aston Martin lineup. It is best thought of as two Duratec V6s mated end to end, albeit with slightly larger main journals. The engine has also received extensive crankshaft modifications, giving the engine uneven firing intervals. The regular Aston Martin V12 uses roller rockers (RFF), and was designed by Ford and Cosworth.


title: Medúlla

text: Medúlla is the fifth studio album by Icelandic recording artist Björk. It was released on 30 August 2004 in the United Kingdom by One Little Indian Records and in the United States by Elektra Entertainment. After the release of her electronic-influenced previous album "Vespertine" (2001), Björk intended to make an album almost entirely a cappella constructed with human vocals, in opposition to the previous album's intense process of composition and multiple layers of instrumentation. The album's title derives from the Latin word for "marrow".


title: Medúlla

text: "Medúlla" received critical acclaim from music critics, with many calling it "unique", although others deemed it "confusing". The album was also commercially successful, reaching number one in Belgium's Wallonia, France and Iceland, whilst also peaking within the top ten in the United Kingdom. "Medúlla" is estimated to have sold more than a million copies worldwide, and received two nominations at the 47th Grammy Awards.


title: Medúlla

text: Two singles were released from "Medúlla": "Who Is It" and "Triumph of a Heart", with both charting inside the top 40 in the United Kingdom and the top 10 in Spain. Björk further promoted the album by performing the song "Oceania" at the 2004 Summer Olympics opening ceremony, "Friday Night with Jonathan Ross" and other television and radio shows. Other than these few performances, no concerts or tours were arranged to promote "Medúlla", as Björk thought it would be too difficult to play the songs live. In 2015, the album was adapted into an opera at the Brussels opera house La Monnaie by Sjaron Minailo and Anat Spiegel.


title: Medúlla

text: Björk began working on her fifth studio album in 2002, being known as "The Lake Album" at the time. In an interview with "The New Yorker", she explained that she wanted to get away from the world of instruments and electronics, which was present on her previous album, "Vespertine" (2001). She then elaborated that it was "very introverted" and avoided eye contact. When she was finishing "Vespertine", Björk knew she wanted to make a vocal album, and had known since her teenage years that one day she would. For her, the majority of the album is connected to the time when she was 17 to 18 years old, focusing on aspects of life, love, family, and friends. She commented that she was thinking about how she used to live her life, how carefree she was, and how others around her affected the way she thought, saying it is shown clearly at the core of "Medúlla".


title: Medúlla

text: Whilst working on initial ideas for the album, an eight-months pregnant Björk began adding her own live drumming to arrangements that already had several instruments. She then started muting the instruments, and liked the result of it. She was inspired by paganism, and the idea of returning to a universe that is entirely human, without tools or religion or nationalities. "I wanted the record to be like muscle, blood, flesh. We could be in a cave somewhere and one person would start singing, and another person would sing a beat and then the next person sing a melody, and you could just kind of be really happy in your cave. It's quite rootsy", she added.


title: Medúlla

text: Tanya Tagaq, an Inuit throat singer who worked with Björk on her 2001 Vespertine World Tour, was also featured. Björk was so impressed with her voice's ability that she invited Tagaq to work with her on the album. She asked British singer Robert Wyatt to be a featured vocalist on the album, as she was looking for something more "passionate" and "human". Additionally, the musician "wanted a bit of rock" on "Medúlla", so she invited singer Mike Patton of rock band Faith No More. Björk also invited the London and Icelandic choirs, in order to have a classical feel on the album. However, the "musical fascist" in her decided using any MCs or vocal percussionists would be too "cheesy"; she later changed her mind when she saw beatboxer Rahzel from The Roots freestyle a whole Kraftwerk track without pausing for breath. Björk found his voice "above and beyond any cliché" and thought he was perfect for the album's beat-based songs. Another beatboxer, Dokaka, was invited after Björk got a link to his webpage and liked his covers so much that she decided to work with him; he appears on a few songs.


title: Medúlla

text: American R&B diva Beyoncé was planned to be featured on the album as well, but she did not appear due to scheduling issues. When asked what she liked about Beyoncé, Björk stated that "["Medúlla"] is an album about voices, and she's got the most amazing voice."


title: Medúlla

text: The album cover for "Medúlla" was photographed by Inez and Vinoodh in London, on 28 June 2004, and designed by M/M Paris. It features Björk wearing a mask made of hair, which was made specifically for the shoot, a black dress and a necklace that is made of black "bones" that says "Medúlla". The hair mask was created by Icelandic artist Shoplifter. The artist stated that in 2004, she had a show at ATM Gallery, where she displayed a wall mural made of brown braids. Björk appreciated it, and then invited her to work on creating a hair sculpture for the "Medúlla"s character. She also explained that the singer wanted it to have a darkness about it, and then she sent Björk several references of extreme hairstyles, and because the album was made with voices, Björk wanted something that was part of the human body.


title: Medúlla

text: Photographer Inez van Lamsweerde said that they "were all inspired by women's handicrafts and this idea of being in your own cocoon in your home, with your family, and this reclusive character that hand-makes the whole world around her". The hairpiece was part of her 2015 MoMA retrospective. In an interview with "Style" magazine, Shoplifter said about her part at the exhibition, explaining it dedicated a room to each album of Björk's career, with the "Medulla" section having a mannequin wearing the hairmask and the dress designed by Alexander McQueen which she wore in the music video for "Who Is It".


title: Medúlla

text: The title was announced in June 2004 through Björk's official website. She had struggled to choose a suitable title while preparing the album. She said that something in her "wanted to leave out civilisation, to rewind to before it all happened and work out, 'Where is the human soul? What if we do without civilisation and religion and patriotism, without the stuff that has gone wrong?'" She provisionally called it "Ink", a title that suggested to her the idea of "that black, 5,000-year-old blood that's inside us all; an ancient spirit that's passionate and dark and survives." Her friend Gabriela then suggested "medulla", a medical term for "marrow" in Latin. She noted that the word refers not only to bone marrow, but also to various other anatomical structures, including parts of the kidney and of hair; in this sense, she said the word represented "getting to the essence of something". The accent on the letter "ú" was intended to make the word cuter with a pun on the Icelandic word "dúlla": "We thought it was funny," she said, "then it became mysterious."


title: Medúlla

text: At the time of its construction, Björk considered "Medúlla" to be her most political album, saying that it countered outbreaks of racism and patriotism that followed the 11 September attacks. "On 9/11, in the space of a half an hour, this became the most patriotic place on earth", she recalled. "I remember describing to my friends on my phone that [if] I turned 180 degrees anywhere I was in New York. I would count at least 37 American flags. So it was kind of scary for a foreigner to be here". Regarding the album's composition, Björk also mentioned that she tried to find the common soul in everything, outside nationality and religion, whilst elaborating that she felt that "in that sense, it's a greatest hits of human spiritualism ["laughs"]. I think it's the first time I have done an album while I am reading the news. These are crazy times. It just seems that patriotism is a bad idea. I don't know how directly the album reflects that, but it is sort of anti-patriotic. Anti-Iceland as much as anti-anything".


title: Medúlla

text: "Medúlla" is almost entirely a cappella, also demonstrating avant-garde and experimental music. musicOMH's review stated that, "Despite its voice-only premise, "Medúlla" shows off a mile-wide scope of influences", noting elements of folk and medieval music, despite Björk previously stating that "Medúlla" was "folk music, but without any folk attached" to the album. She also considered the styles encompassing the album as "primitive and silly". "Wondering Sound" wrote that despite "its comparative starkness, ["Medúlla" is] every bit as sensual as ["Vespertine"]". The publication also added: "The electronic treatments range from industrial distortion to percussive glitches and dreamy layering, rarely descending into novelty". The album combines beatboxing, classical choirs that suggest composers like Penderecki or Arvo Pärt, and "mews, moans, counterpoint and guttural grunts" provided by herself and guests like Mike Patton, Robert Wyatt and Tanya Tagaq. "Medúlla" includes "vocal fantasias" that lean toward chamber music, alongside tracks that "are obviously but distantly connected to hip-hop." Glimpses of Bulgarian women's choirs, the polyphony of central African pygmies, and the "primal vocalisms" of Meredith Monk were also noted.


title: Medúlla

text: The album opens with "Pleasure Is All Mine", which begins with a vocal harmony set atop a woman's panting; it carries on a short while before Björk starts singing her verses, accompanied by a choir, which fills the background with cathedral-resonant harmonies. Björk sings "When in doubt: give" repeatedly, providing contrast to an "alarming" groove. "Show Me Forgiveness", an a cappella "short confessional anthem" follows, having no other effect than a slight echo applied to her voice. She sings: "Show me forgiveness / For having lost faith in myself / And let my own interior up / To inferior forces / The shame is endless". During the third song "Where Is the Line", she lyrically attacks a younger relative for being greedy and unreliable, displaying irritation: "I'm elastic for you, but enough is enough". "Demonic vocals" are delivered by singer Mike Patton, and "angelically dissonant swaths of lush singing" from the Icelandic Choir; as Rahzel beatboxes, the choir emotes some "ahhhs". The song grows darker as it builds up as the male members of the choir deliver heavier sounds. The "somber" song called "Vökuró", originally by Jórunn Viðar, is the fourth track on "Medúlla". Björk rolls her tongue around certain words, and she is accompanied by a choir.


title: Medúlla

text: During the fifth track "Öll Birtan", Bjork's voice is layered over several times, with a drone like voice in the left channel, whilst doot-doos echo into the right channel. The following song and lead single "Who Is It" features collaborations by Inuit throat singer Tanya Tagaq and Rahzel. Some lyrics of the song—"Who is it that never lets you down?"—may be understood to reflect a "mother's unconditional love" in a dialogue between mother and child. The echo effects in "Who Is It" may additionally reflect the scattered sense of self the mother may experience as she carries the burden of constant care for her child. "Submarine", the seventh track on the album, was influenced by Björk's pregnancy with her daughter Ísadóra and how she felt somewhat lazy during that time. It has a "hint of political consciousness", and features the "reedy" voice of singer Robert Wyatt multiplied into a chorus to share lines like "Shake us out of the heavy deep sleep, do it now". The next track "Desired Constellation" was created from a sample of Björk singing the phrase "I'm not sure what to do with it" from "Hidden Place" on her previous album, "Vespertine". She imagines herself "With a palm full of stars/ I throw them like dice on the table/ Until the desired constellation appears".


title: Medúlla

text: The ninth song, "Oceania", is about "Mother Oceania" from which Björk believes all life emerged, whilst she sings: "You have done well for yourselves / Since you left my wet embrace / And crawled ashore". "Oceania" also features The London Choir. Tenth song "Sonnets/Unrealities XI" was based on the poem "It May Not Always Be So; And I Say" by E. E. Cummings. Lyrically, she bids farewell to a lover. It features only Björk's singing, with slight inflections from the Icelandic Choir. The following track "Ancestors" has no lyrics, featuring only Björk and Tagaq's voices. The twelfth song "Mouth's Cradle" is paced by a "glug, glug" sample of "what might as well be the emptying of a gallon bottle of water". Lyrically, she concludes: "I need a shelter to build an altar away from Osamas and Bushes". On the thirteenth track of the album, "Miðvikudags", Björk sings once again in gibberish, while some doot-doos can be heard in the background, reminiscent of "Öll Birtan". On the closing track and second single, "Triumph of a Heart", the singer lyrically "celebrates the workings of anatomy", whilst musically it is the album's closest thing to a dance track. The song also features orchestral arrangements by the Icelandic and London Choirs, as well as hooks coming from a "human trombone", herself, Gregory Purnhagen, and Rahzel and Dokaka.


title: Medúlla

text: On 3 August 2004, BBC Radio 1's "The Breezeblock" show premiered the tracks "Pleasure Is All Mine" and "Mouth's Cradle", whilst "The New York Times" newspaper has posted on their website short clips for four tracks "Mouth's Cradle", "Oceania", "Where Is the Line" and "Who Is It". "Medúlla" was first released on 30 August 2004 worldwide through Polydor Records, whilst it was distributed in the United Kingdom by One Little Indian. In the United States, the album was released the day after, by Elektra Records. Lead single "Who Is It" reached the top five in Spain, also peaking within the top 30 in Italy and the United Kingdom. Second single "Triumph of a Heart" peaked at the top ten in Spain, and reached the top 40 in Italy and the United Kingdom.


title: Medúlla

text: "Oceania" was commissioned by the International Olympic Committee and performed at the 2004 Summer Olympics opening ceremony. She wore a very large dress which unfolded during her performance to eventually occupy the entire stadium and showed a map of the world in sign of union. On 8 October 2004, Björk performed at the BBC Studios for the show "Friday Night with Jonathan Ross". She performed a bell choir mix of "Who Is It" with Rahzel and an English bell choir. On 10 October 2004, Björk performed a set of five songs live in studio for Gilles Peterson's BBC Radio 1 program. On 15 October 2004, Björk performed a set of six songs for the French television show "Album de la Semaine" at Canal+ studios in Paris, France.


title: Medúlla

text: Other than these few performances, no concerts or tours were arranged to promote "Medúlla". Björk said in an interview that "everybody involved seems to be up for it, so maybe they'll all come on the road. What I'd like to do is make another album like this and then tour for two of the at once". She also spoke to "Rolling Stone" in June 2004 and told that she wished to immediately continue writing and recording yet another new album: "Every album I've done, the minute that it's done, I feel really lubricated and, like, 'Wow, now I can write an album in five minutes'... And I just want to find out if that's just a fantasy or if it's true." Also, Björk thought it would be too difficult to play the songs live.


title: Medúlla

text: "Medúlla" received acclaim from music critics. The album holds a rating of 84 out of 100 at Metacritic. "The Guardian" newspaper's David Peschek gave it five stars out of five and heralded it as "brave and unique". Dominique Leone from "Pitchfork" commented that "Medulla" was "an interesting record", while saying Björk had "found a way to bathe her immediately distinctive melodies and vocal nuances in solutions that cause me to reevaluate her voice and her craft". Barry Walters of "Rolling Stone" stated that ""Medulla" is both the most extreme record Bjork has ever released and the most immediately accessible." "Blender"s Ann Powers was also positive, calling it "another playful step" in Björk's "unstoppable, wandering quest". Matthew Gasteier from "Prefix" magazine called "Medúlla" her most joyful album since "Post" and also her strangest at the time. Mark Daniell from Canadian website Jam! also gave it a positive review, saying "pairing gooey purrs with grooves provided by a human trombone might not seem like a good idea, but when Björk is the one making the arrangements the effect is spine tingling". Andy Battaglia of "The A.V. Club" said that "Once perceptions and expectations settle out... the album proves arrestingly in thrall to its own twisted tongue".


title: Medúlla

text: Heather Phares of AllMusic thought that "Medúlla" is "not an immediate album, but it is a fascinating one, especially for anyone interested in the world's oldest instrument being used in unexpected ways". Jennifer Vineyard from MTV News called the album "an ambitious project", but not because it was almost entirely a cappella. She said that some songs are "pretty unusual", as some could be medieval hymns, and others could be modern pop songs. E! Online commented that "Fans of the Icelandic wonder's more orchestral tunes might think there's something missing here. Well, unless they're too busy being totally blown away". David Hooper from BBC Music gave "Medúlla" a mixed review, stating that it has some high points and it never gets boring, but the album left him "feeling rather confused", because "the end product feels disjointed and at times claustrophobic", and that the excessive experimentation did not hit the mark. Björk received two Grammy Award nominations for "Medúlla", including Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Oceania", and Best Alternative Music Album. This album was also featured in the book "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".


title: Medúlla

text: In the United Kingdom, "Medúlla" debuted at its peak of number nine on the UK Albums Chart, for the issue dated 11 September 2004, and remained for three weeks on the chart. The album was certified Silver on 10 December 2004, by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), for shipments of at least 60,000 copies in the region. In Austria, "Medúlla" debuted and peaked at number six, remaining on the albums chart for seven weeks. In France, it peaked at number one on the albums chart, during the week dated 29 August 2004, remaining on the top for another week. After spending 24 weeks on the chart, "Medúlla" was certified Gold by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP). In Björk's native Iceland, the album debuted at the top of the chart, staying there for three weeks. It peaked at number two in Italy, spending nine weeks on the chart.


title: Medúlla

text: In the United States, "Medúlla" debuted at number 14 on the "Billboard" 200 albums chart, on the issue dated 18 September 2004. It became the highest-debuting album of her career, and remained for seven weeks inside the chart. Additionally, "Medúlla" also topped the Dance/Electronic Albums chart. As of May 2007 it has sold 235,000 copies in the region, according to Nielsen SoundScan. In Australia, "Medúlla" debuted at number 17 on the ARIA Charts, on the issue dated 12 September 2004. It spent three weeks on the chart, falling off at number 40. In New Zealand, the album peaked at number 35 and spent two weeks inside the New Zealand Albums Chart. As of May 2014, "Medúlla" has sold more than a million copies worldwide.


title: Kartarpur Corridor

text: The Kartarpur Corridor (; ) is a visa-free border crossing and religious corridor, connecting the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, near Lahore in Pakistan to Gurudwara Dera Baba Nanak, Gurdaspur district, Punjab, India. The crossing allows devotees from India to visit the gurdwara in Kartarpur, Pakistan, from the India–Pakistan border on the Pakistani side without a visa. However, Pakistani Sikhs are unable to use the border crossing, and cannot access Dera Baba Nanak on the Indian side without first obtaining an Indian visa or unless they work there.


title: Kartarpur Corridor

text: The Kartarpur Corridor was first proposed in early 1999 by Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Nawaz Sharif, the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan respectively at that time, as part of the Delhi–Lahore Bus diplomacy.


title: Kartarpur Corridor

text: On 26 November 2018, the foundation stone was laid down on the Indian side by Prime Minister Narendra Modi; two days later, then Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan did the same for the Pakistani side. The corridor was completed for the 550th anniversary of the birth of Guru Nanak, on 12 November 2019. Khan said "Pakistan believes that the road to prosperity of region and bright future of our coming generation lies in peace", adding that "Pakistan is not only opening the border but also their hearts for the Sikh community". Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi compared the decision by the two countries to go ahead with the corridor to the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989, saying that the project could help in easing tensions between the two countries.


title: Kartarpur Corridor

text: Previously, Sikh pilgrims from India had to take a bus to Lahore to get to Kartarpur, which is a journey, even though people on the Indian side of the border could also physically see Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur from the Indian side, where an elevated observation platform was constructed.


title: Kartarpur Corridor

text: On 17 November 2021, the Kartarpur Corridor re-opened after over a year and a half of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Both India and Pakistan have allowed citizens to visit the Gurdwara on the condition that they carry both a negative COVID-19 test and are fully vaccinated.


title: Kartarpur Corridor

text: The first guru of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, founded Kartarpur in 1504 on the right bank of the Ravi River and established the first Sikh commune there. Following his death in 1539, Hindus and Muslims both claimed him as their own and raised mausoleums in his memory with a common wall between them. The changing course of the Ravi River eventually washed away the mausoleums. A new habitation was formed, representing the present-day Dera Baba Nanak on the left bank of the Ravi river.


title: Kartarpur Corridor

text: After the 1947 partition of India, the region was divided between India and Pakistan. The Radcliffe Line awarded the Shakargarh tehsil on the right bank of the Ravi River, including Kartarpur, to Pakistan, and the Gurdaspur tehsil on the left bank of Ravi to India. In 1948, the Akali Dal demanded that India should acquire the land of the gurdwaras in Nankana Sahib and Kartarpur. The demands persisted till 1959, but the Punjab state government controlled by the Indian National Congress advised against any modification of the boundary fixed by the Radcliffe Award.


title: Kartarpur Corridor

text: For many years following partition, Indian Sikhs could visit Kartarpur informally by crossing the Jassar bridge () on the Ravi river, as border controls between the two countries were not strictly enforced until 1965. The bridge was destroyed by Pakistani forces during the Indo-Pakistan war of 1965 to inhibit potential Indian advances, and border controls became more tightly regulated.


title: Kartarpur Corridor

text: In 1969, on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the birth of Guru Nanak, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi promised to approach the Pakistani government for a land-swap so that Kartarpur Sahib could become part of India; however, none of this materialised. In September 1974, a protocol was agreed between India and Pakistan for visits to religious shrines. Around 2005, the protocol was updated by increasing the number of visits and the number of sites. However, Kartarpur was not among the sites included in the 1974protocol. According to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, India had requested its inclusion but this was not agreed to by Pakistan.


title: Kartarpur Corridor

text: Gobind Singh, the caretaker of the gurdwara at Kartarpur, said the gurdwara had "remained shut from 1947 to 2000". The gurdwara had no staff, despite receiving pilgrims, and entrance was restricted. The Pakistani government started repairing the shrine in September 2000 ahead of the anniversary of Guru Nanak's death and formally reopened it in September 2004. The Kartarpur Corridor mission was initially started by Bhabishan Singh Goraya, who pursued the cause for 24 years.


title: Kartarpur Corridor

text: According to Akali leader Kuldeep Singh Wadala, the gurdwara had been abandoned till 2003. It served as a cattle shed for the villagers and its lands were taken over by share-croppers. Since 2003, however, the Pakistani government has reportedly taken initiatives for the upkeep of Sikh religious shrines.


title: Kartarpur Corridor

text: During the tenure of Prime Ministers Nawaz Sharif and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the opening of Kartarpur border crossing was first discussed in 1998. After further discussions during the 1999 bus diplomacy, Pakistan renovated the Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara, and made it available for viewing from the Indian border. The tensions arising from the Kargil War had effectively destroyed India–Pakistan relations. However, it was reported that General Pervez Musharraf gave a 'green signal' for constructing a corridor, according to the Pakistan Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee chairman Lt.-Gen. Javed Nasir.


title: Kartarpur Corridor

text: Manmohan Singh, during his firstterm as the prime minister of India, also tabled the issue in a speech in Punjab in 2004. The 'composite dialogue process' between India and Pakistan initiated in 2004 also discussed access to Kartarpur via an Amritsar–Lahore–Kartarpur road link.


title: Kartarpur Corridor

text: In 2008, the Indian foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee raised with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi the idea of "visa-free travel" to Kartarpur. There was apparently no official response, but privately, Pakistan began to express its openness to the Sikh community. However, even up to 2012, the Indian government had no response. The hostility between the countries was apparently to blame.


title: Kartarpur Corridor

text: On 20 June 2008, at a press conference in Dera Baba Nanak arranged by Akali leader Kuldeep Singh Wadala, John W. McDonald, a former American ambassador and founder of Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy, called for "a peace corridor, a peace zone" connecting shrines on both sides of the border. On 28 June 2008, the Indian foreign minister at the time, Pranab Mukherjee, said that the Indian government would carry out a feasibility study for the peace corridor. However, since the 2008 Mumbai attacks took place, the relations between India and Pakistan nosedived and the initiative faltered. Members of the Sikh community in Washington DC worked with the Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy to carry out an independent feasibility study. In August 2010, their report titled "Kartarpur Marg" was released by Surinder Singh and the Institute. According to the report, the cost of the corridor would be 17 million US dollars, which the Sikh diaspora agreed to raise. The report had said that it would cost Pakistan $14.8 million and India $2.2 million. In November 2010 the Punjab state legislative assembly unanimously passed a resolution in favour of an international passage between the two sites and forwarded it to the Indian Union government on 1 October 2010.


title: Kartarpur Corridor

text: In August 2018, the then Indian Punjab tourism minister Navjot Singh Sidhu attended the Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's inaugural ceremony where he was told by the Pakistan Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa of Pakistan's willingness to open the Dera Baba Nanak–Kartarpur corridor on Guru Nanak's 550thbirth anniversary. Given the clear time frame, this set the ball rolling.


title: Kartarpur Corridor

text: In August 2018, another resolution related to the corridor in the Indian Punjab Vidhan Sabha was moved by then chief minister Amarinder Singh, which was passed unanimously. Following this the government of Indian Punjab decided to approach the prime minister of India related to the opening of the corridor. On 30 October 2018, a group of Sikh Americans sought the Indian prime minister's help in opening the corridor. In November 2018, the Indian Cabinet approved the plan to set up the corridor and appealed to Pakistan to do the same. The Pakistani foreign minister S. M. Qureshi responded by tweeting that Pakistan had "already conveyed to India" that it would open a corridor.


title: Kartarpur Corridor

text: In August 2019, India and Pakistan agreed to allow visa-free travel of Indian citizens to Kartarpur, but differences persisted about Indian consular officers being located at the site.


title: Kartarpur Corridor

text: On 24 October 2019, S.C.L. Das, Joint Secretary (Internal Security) in the Union Home Ministry from India and Pakistan Foreign Office Director General South Asia and SAARC Mohammad Faisal met at Zero Point near Dera Baba Nanak in the border town of Gurdaspur to ink the memorandum of understanding. The signing of this agreement has paved the way for 5,000 Indian pilgrims to visit the holy site without a visa on a daily basis. Under the agreement, the pilgrims would come in the morning and return in the evening after visiting Gurdwara Darbar Sahib. Each visitor would be required to pay USD $20 as a service charge, which as per Pakistan Foreign Office's DG South Asia & SAARC Mohammad Faisal, would only cover one-third of the current operational cost. India however, had urged Pakistan to waive off the fees for pilgrims. In response, on 1 November 2019, Pakistan's prime minister Imran Khan announced on Twitter that Sikh pilgrims coming from India for a pilgrimage to Kartarpur will not be charged any fee on the day of inauguration and on Guru Nanak's 550th birth anniversary on 12 November 2019. The Pakistan government as a "special gesture" had also waived off the passport requirement for Kartarpur pilgrims extending up to one year. However, the Indian government decided against availing "concessions" announced by Prime Minister Imran Khan. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs announced that passport would be required per the agreement between the two countries.


title: Kartarpur Corridor

text: The Gurudwara complex will have an international standard hotel, hundreds of apartments, two commercial areas and two car parking lots, border facility area, a power grid station, tourist information centre and several offices. Over 400 acres of land was acquired by the Pakistani government to establish the main complex and its surrounding areas. The main complex has been expanded 10 times from its original 4 acres to 42 acres. The masterplan of the complex has been prepared with visitors from countries other than India in mind.


title: Kartarpur Corridor

text: In November 2018, foundation stones for the corridor were laid on the two sides of the border by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and the Indian Vice President Venkaiah Naidu respectively.


title: Kartarpur Corridor

text: Pakistan's Frontier Works Organization constructed of dedicated expressway, including an bridge over the River Ravi. An immigration office was also constructed, and Gurudwara Darbar Sahib premises was expanded to accommodate the incoming pilgrims. The first phase of the construction of Kartarpur Corridor project was completed in early November 2019.


title: Kartarpur Corridor

text: Land Ports Authority of India, National Highways Authority of India and Ceigall India Ltd constructed the Indian side of the corridor. A State-of-the-Art Integrated check post (ICP), 3.5 km four-lane highway and a 100-metre bridge at Dera Baba Nanak were constructed.


title: Kartarpur Corridor

text: On 9 November 2019, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated the Kartarpur corridor at a ceremony that was held in Gurdwara Darbar Sahib complex, Kartarpur and around 12,000 pilgrims were present on this ceremony. Imran Khan received the pilgrims and formally inaugurated the Kartarpur corridor by removing a curtain that was lifted by hot air balloons from a huge kirpan (dagger). On the occasion, Prime Minister Khan said "Pakistan believes that the road to prosperity of region and bright future of our coming generation lies in peace, saying that today (9 November 2019) Pakistan is not only opening the border but also their hearts for the Sikh community."


title: Kartarpur Corridor

text: Ahead of Guru Nanak's 550th Prakash Purab celebrations, the corridor was open on 9 November 2019, facilitating the first Jatha (batch) of more than 550 pilgrims to travel to the final resting place of Guru Nanak. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the move and compared the decision for the corridor between the two countries to the fall of the Berlin Wall, saying that the project may help in easing tensions between the two countries. During the inauguration speech, he also said, "I would like to thank the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan Niazi for respecting the sentiment of India." Modi flagged off the pilgrimage and handed over the flag of the Jatha to Jathedar of Akal Takht Giani Harpreet Singh.


title: Kartarpur Corridor

text: Under the leadership of Akal Takht jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, the Jatha traveled through the corridor into Pakistan to pay obeisance at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur. The Indian Sikh delegation that included former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the then Indian Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, the then Tourism Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu and actor-turned-politician Sunny Deol arrived through Kartarpur Corridor to celebrate the 550th anniversary of the birth of Guru Nanak and attended the inauguration ceremony on the special invitation from the then Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan.


title: Kartarpur Corridor

text: Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, speaking on the occasion, thanked both governments for corridor. Navjot Singh Sidhu in his speech said that Prime Minister Khan had won the heart of Sikh community by opening the corridor. He mentioned that Alexander III of Macedon won the heart of people by fighting, while Khan won hearts of many Sikhs around the world by giving access to their holy land Kartarpur. Earlier, however, the Indian government's denial of political clearance to Sidhu to visit Pakistan for the Kartarpur inauguration had snowballed into a last-moment controversy. Poetry about Guru Nanak from Allama Iqbal's "Bang-e-Dara" was also read by former PM Dr. Manmohan Singh and also by Pakistani speakers at inauguration.


title: Kartarpur Corridor

text: In November 2019, media reported that Indian security agencies had spotted alleged JeM terrorist training camp in the Narowal district, where the gurdwara is located. The Foreign Office of Pakistan rebutted the Indian claims as baseless propaganda.


title: Kartarpur Corridor

text: In 2019, in a criticized act, an unexploded bomb was placed on display inside the Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara premises with an accompanying banner alleging that the Indian Air Force had dropped this bomb during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani war on the gurdwara in an attempt to destroy it. The Sikh pilgrims voiced their sentiments against any "dirty politics" in the name of the Guru.


title: Kartarpur Corridor

text: The corridor does not require a visa to use, but an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) document is required, which can be obtained by registering an application at a dedicated website of the Indian government. Even with a USD$20 fee waiver for all for two days I.e. November 9 and 12, initial turnout was low due to the complicated booking process and the fact that many Indian citizens lack passports. Aam Aadmi Party, BJP Indore MP Shankar Lalwani, The former DSGMC president and SGPC demanded that the Indian government simplify the process.


title: Kartarpur Corridor

text: Lahore-based historian, Fakir S. Aijazuddin, characterised the corridor as a "unique experiment" in cross-border ties between India and Pakistan. He claimed that universality symbolised by Guru Nanak can bring the people of all religions together. The corridor has been described as Guru Nanak's legacy project depicting his way of living life. A special episode was dedicated to the corridor in the Hindi TV series "Kullfi Kumarr Bajewala". Sunny Deol stated that the corridor would help maintain peace between India and Pakistan. Many Sikh pilgrims praised Pakistani PM Imran Khan and former Indian Punjab minister Sidhu, whom they gave credit for the corridor's opening. The State Department of the United States also welcomed the opening of the corridor.


title: Kartarpur Corridor

text: RailTel Corporation of India launched the free RailWire Wi-Fi service to pilgrims at Dera Baba Nanak railway station and Integrated Check Post. Jalandhar based Republic Motors provided six campus electric carts for travel of pilgrims from Integrated Check Post (ICP) to zero point. On 8 November 2019, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal announced that the Government of Delhi will bear all expenses and cost of Kartarpur Sahib pilgrimage under Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra Yojana.


title: Kartarpur Corridor

text: There are several other proposals for opening of similar visa-free corridors to Sikh religious and historic places that are situated within 4 kilometers of international borders.


title: Sayajirao Gaekwad III

text: Sayajirao Gaekwad III (born Shrimant Gopalrao Gaekwad; 11 March 1863 – 6 February 1939) was the Maharaja of Baroda State from 1875 to 1939, and is remembered for reforming much of his state during his rule. He belonged to the royal Gaekwad dynasty of the Marathas which ruled parts of present-day Gujarat.


title: Sayajirao Gaekwad III

text: Sayajirao was born in a maratha family in the village of Kavlana in Malegaon taluka of Nashik district, as Gopalrao Gaekwad, second son of Kashirao Bhikajirao Dada Sahib Gaekwad (1832–1877) and Ummabai. His branch of the Gaekwad dynasty was a cadet branch descended from a morganatic marriage of the first Raja of Baroda and so was not expected to succeed to the throne.


title: Sayajirao Gaekwad III

text: Following the death of Sir Khanderao Gaekwad (1828–1870), the popular Maharaja of Baroda, in 1870, it was expected that his brother, Malharrao (1831–1882), would succeed him.


title: Sayajirao Gaekwad III

text: However, Malharrao had already proven himself to be of the vilest character and had been imprisoned earlier for conspiring to assassinate Khanderao. As Khanderao's widow, Maharani Jamnabai (1853–1898) was already pregnant with a posthumous child, the succession was delayed until the sex of the child could be proven. The child proved to be a daughter, and so upon her birth on 5 July 1871, Malharrao ascended the throne.


title: Sayajirao Gaekwad III

text: Malharrao spent money liberally, nearly emptying the Baroda coffers (he commissioned a pair of solid gold cannon and a carpet of pearls, among other expenses) and soon reports reached the Resident Robert Phayre of Malharrao's gross tyranny and cruelty. Malharrao further attempted to cover up his deeds by attempting to poison Phayre with a compound of arsenic.


title: Sayajirao Gaekwad III

text: By order of the Secretary of State for India, Lord Salisbury, Malharrao was deposed on 10 April 1875 and exiled to Madras, where he died in obscurity in 1882.


title: Sayajirao Gaekwad III

text: With the throne of Baroda now vacant, Maharani Jamnabai called on the heads of the extended branches of the dynasty to come to Baroda and present themselves and their sons in order to decide upon a successor.


title: Sayajirao Gaekwad III

text: Kashirao and his three sons, Anandrao (1857–1917), Gopalrao (1863–1939) and Sampatrao (1865–1934) walked to Baroda from Kavlana -a distance of some 600 kilometers- to present themselves to Jamnabai. It is reported that when each son was asked the purported reason for presenting themselves at Baroda, Gopalrao unhesitatingly stated:


title: Sayajirao Gaekwad III

text: Gopalrao was selected by the British as successor and was accordingly adopted by Maharani Jamnabai, on 27 May 1875. He was also given a new name, "Sayajirao". He ascended the gadi (throne) at Baroda, 16 June 1875 but being a minor reigned under a Council of Regency until he came of age and was invested with full ruling powers on 28 December 1881. During his minority he was extensively tutored in administrative skills by Raja Sir T. Madhava Rao who groomed his young protégé into being a person with foresight and with a will to provide welfare to his people. In this period Madhava Rao restored the state to its normal conditions following the chaos in which it had been left by Malharrao.


title: Sayajirao Gaekwad III

text: On assuming the reins of government, some of his first tasks included education of his subjects, uplifting of the downtrodden, and judicial, agricultural and social reforms. He played a key role in the development of Baroda's textile industry, and his educational and social reforms included among others, a ban on child marriage, legislation of divorce, removal of untouchability, spread of education, development of Sanskrit, ideological studies and religious education as well as the encouragement of the fine arts.


title: Sayajirao Gaekwad III

text: His economic development initiatives included the establishment of a railroad (see below) and the founding in 1908 of the Bank of Baroda, which still exists and is one of India's leading banks, with numerous operations abroad in support of the Gujarati diaspora.


title: Sayajirao Gaekwad III

text: Fully aware of the fact that he was a Maratha ruler of Gujarat, he identified himself with the people and shaped their cosmopolitan attitude and progressive, reformist zeal. His rich library became the nucleus of today's Central Library of Baroda with a network of libraries in all the towns and villages in his state. He was the first Indian ruler to introduce, in 1906, compulsory and free primary education in his state, placing his territory far in advance of contemporary British India.


title: Sayajirao Gaekwad III

text: To commemorate his vision and administrative skills, Baroda Management Association has instituted Sayaji Ratna Award in 2013, named after him.


title: Sayajirao Gaekwad III

text: Though a prince of a native state, he guarded his rights and status even as this brought him into dispute with the British government. Sayajirao was often in conflict with them on matters of principle and governance, having continuous and longstanding verbal and written disputes with the Residents as well as with the Viceroy and officials in the Government of India. He was granted the title of Farzand-i-Khas-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia on 29 December 1876. He attended the Delhi Durbars of 1877, 1903 and 1911; it was at the 1911 Delhi Durbar that an incident occurred that proved to have far-reaching ramifications for Sayajirao's relations with the Raj.


title: Sayajirao Gaekwad III

text: At the grand and historic Delhi Durbar of 1911, attended by George V— the first time that a reigning British monarch had travelled to India, each Indian prince was expected to perform proper obeisance to the King-Emperor by bowing three times before him, then backing away without turning their back on the monarch.


title: Sayajirao Gaekwad III

text: As the third-most prestigious Indian ruler, Sayajirao was third in line to approach the King-Emperor; already, he had caused consternation among the British officials by refusing to wear his full regalia of jewels and honours (it was expected that the rulers on formal occasions would present themselves in full regalia). While some accounts state that he refused to bow, Sayajirao actually did bow, albeit perfunctorily and only once before turning his back on the King-Emperor. According to his granddaughter Gayatri Devi, she states in her autobiography that due to some reason he had been unable to attend the rehearsals and didn't know how to greet The King-Emperor. Other eyewitness reports state he walked away "laughing".


title: Sayajirao Gaekwad III

text: For several years already, Sayajirao had angered the British by his open support for the Indian National Congress and its leaders; the incident before the King-Emperor proved to be the last straw. The British never fully trusted Sayajirao again, although he was openly forgiven when he was awarded a GCIE in 1919.


title: Sayajirao Gaekwad III

text: During his reign a large narrow gauge railway Gaekwar's Baroda State Railway network, which was started in 1862 was expanded further with Dabhoi at its focal point, a network that still is the largest narrow gauge railway network in the world.


title: Sayajirao Gaekwad III

text: Sayajirao envisioned a water supply scheme for Baroda in 1892 at Ajwa that would use gravity to supply drinking water to the people of Baroda. To this day a large portion of Vadodara City gets its drinking water from this source.


title: Sayajirao Gaekwad III

text: The large public park originally called Kamati Baug and now called Sayaji Baug was his gift to the city of Vadodara. On the Diamond Jubilee of his accession to the throne, he set apart large funds out of his personal and state funds for setting up a University in Vadodara for the benefit of students from the rural areas of his state – a task that was ultimately completed by his grandson Sir Pratapsinghrao Gaekwad, who founded the Maharaja Sayajirao University and settled the trust as desired by his grandfather. This trust is known as the Sir Sayajirao Diamond Jubilee and Memorial Trust and caters to the education and other needs of the people of the former state of Baroda.


title: Sayajirao Gaekwad III

text: He recognised talent from among his people. He supported education and training of persons who in his opinion would shine in life. Those persons whom he patronised included Dr. Babasaheb alias Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, later the head of the drafting committee of the Indian Constitution that came to force in 1950; Vitthal Ramji Shinde, the founder of the “Mission to the depressed class” and one of the most important social & religious reformers in Maharashtra; and Dadabhai Naoroji, who started his public life as the Dewan (Minister) to the Maharaja in 1874 and thereafter went on to become the first Asian Member of the British House of Commons where he made no secret of the fact that he would also be representing 250 million of his fellow subjects in India. He also sent his Agriculture Commissioner Chintaman Vishnu Sane to The United States of America for research in that field. He appointed V. T. Krishnamachari as the Diwan of Vadodara.


title: Sayajirao Gaekwad III

text: Sayajirao used to visit England every year to select outstanding young people to join his service and in one of such visits he met 20-year-old Sri Aurobindo whom he immediately offered a job at Baroda College. Sri Aurobindo returned to India in 1893 to join the Baroda service. Another Bengali gen Syed Mujtaba Ali also taught there.


title: Sayajirao Gaekwad III

text: In 1895 the Maharaja is claimed to have witnessed the successful flight of an unmanned aircraft constructed by S. B. Talpade, which happened eight years before the Wright brothers took to the skies.


title: Sayajirao Gaekwad III

text: The Maharaja was a noted patron of the arts. During his reign, Baroda became a hub for artists and scholars. The celebrated painter, Raja Ravi Varma, was among those who spent substantial periods of time at his court.


title: Sayajirao Gaekwad III

text: Sayajirao had a splendid collection of jewels and jewellery. This included the 128.48 carat, 25.696g "Star of the South" diamond, the "Akbar Shah" diamond and the "Princess Eugenie" diamond.


title: Sayajirao Gaekwad III

text: Sayajirao was also a patron of Indian classical music. Ustad Moula Bux founded the Academy of Indian Music (Gayan Shala) under his patronage in 1886. This Academy later became the Music College and is now the Faculty of Performing Arts of the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Vadodara. Apart from Ustad Moula Bux, Sayajirao's court boasted great artistes like Abdul Karim Khan, Inayat Khan and Ustad Faiyaz Khan. In 1916, the first All India Music Conference was held in Baroda.


title: Sayajirao Gaekwad III

text: The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Vadodara started the first dance programme in India in 1950. Over the centuries there had been many alliances and marriages between Baroda's kings and princesses. Musicians and Dancers were often part of cultural exchange as dancers, poets and musicians were status symbols for the royal courts and maharajas had as many artists as they could afford. In 1880 the Maharani Laksmi Bai (Chimnabai I) of Tanjore married Maharaja Sayajirao III. Chimnabai I was knowledgeable in Bharatanatyam and Carnatic music, and upon marriage, she brought a troupe with her comprising two dancers, two nattuvanars (leaders of Bharatanatyam concerts) and two teachers (Khandwani 2002). Others followed later, including Nattuvanar Appaswamy and his dancer wife Kantimati, who had studied with Kannusamy and Vadively, two members of the Tanjore Quartet. After the death of Appaswamy in 1939, Kantimati and their son, Guru Shri Kubernath Tanjorkar, left Baroda to teach in Lucknow, and then worked in the film industry in South India until Sayajirao's successor, Pratapsinhrao Gaekwad recalled the family to Baroda in 1949 to teach in the Music Department in the Kalavan Palace, later absorbed into the Maharaja Sayajirao University (Gaston 1996: 158–160). Later Guruvarya Shri Kubernath Tanjorkar established his own Institute, the Tanjore Dance Music & Art Research Centre at Baroda with his son Guru Shri Ramesh Tanjorkar and Guru Smt. Leela R. Tanjorkar (Kubernath Tanjorkar's family is devoted to Bharatnatyam dance now including their grandsons Rajesh and Ashish). So what we have here is a tradition of very distinguished Bharatanatyam dancers and teachers, members of a family considered an offshoot of the Tanjore Quartet bani (stylistic schools; Gaston 1996: 159), already established in Gujarat by the time Mrinalini set up her own academy. Yet there is a sense that what she did was not new.


title: Sayajirao Gaekwad III

text: Maharaja Sayajirao initially married Chimnabai of Tanjore (Chimnabai I) (1864–1884) on 6 January 1880, by whom he had a son and two daughters:


title: Sayajirao Gaekwad III

text: His first wife died young from tuberculosis, and Sayajirao married on 28 December 1885 another Maratha lady from Dewas, Shrimant Lakshmibai Mohite (1871–1958), who became Chimnabai II upon her wedding. A strong proponent of rights for Indian women, she proved every bit as willful and capable as her husband for the 53 years of their marriage, becoming equally well known throughout India. They had several sons and one daughter:


title: Sayajirao Gaekwad III

text: Other descendants of Sayajirao would wed the rulers of Kolhapur, Sawantwadi, Akkalkot, Jath, Dewas Jr., Kota, Dhar, Jasdan, Sandur and Gwalior.


title: Sayajirao Gaekwad III

text: After a long and eventful reign of 63 years, Sayajirao Gaekwad III died on 6 February 1939, one month shy of 76. His grandson and heir, Pratapsinhrao Gaekwad, became the next Maharaja of Baroda


title: Allotropes of phosphorus

text: Elemental phosphorus can exist in several allotropes, the most common of which are white and red solids. Solid violet and black allotropes are also known. Gaseous phosphorus exists as diphosphorus and atomic phosphorus.


title: Allotropes of phosphorus

text: White phosphorus, yellow phosphorus or simply tetraphosphorus () exists as molecules made up of four atoms in a tetrahedral structure. The tetrahedral arrangement results in ring strain and instability. The molecule is described as consisting of six single P–P bonds. Two crystalline forms are known. The α form is defined as the standard state of the element, but is actually metastable under standard conditions. It has a body-centered cubic crystal structure, and transforms reversibly into the β form at 195.2 K. The β form is believed to have a hexagonal crystal structure.


title: Allotropes of phosphorus

text: White phosphorus is a translucent waxy solid that quickly becomes yellow when exposed to light. For this reason it is also called yellow phosphorus. It glows greenish in the dark (when exposed to oxygen) and is highly flammable and pyrophoric (self-igniting) upon contact with air. It is toxic, causing severe liver damage on ingestion and phossy jaw from chronic ingestion or inhalation. The odour of combustion of this form has a characteristic garlic smell, and samples are commonly coated with white "diphosphorus pentoxide", which consists of tetrahedral with oxygen inserted between the phosphorus atoms and at their vertices. White phosphorus is only slightly soluble in water and can be stored under water. Indeed, white phosphorus is safe from self-igniting only when it is submerged in water; due to this, unreacted white phosphorus can prove hazardous to beachcombers who may collect washed-up samples while unaware of their true nature. is soluble in benzene, oils, carbon disulfide, and disulfur dichloride.


title: Allotropes of phosphorus

text: The white allotrope can be produced using several methods. In the industrial process, phosphate rock is heated in an electric or fuel-fired furnace in the presence of carbon and silica. Elemental phosphorus is then liberated as a vapour and can be collected under phosphoric acid. An idealized equation for this carbothermal reaction is shown for calcium phosphate (although phosphate rock contains substantial amounts of fluoroapatite):


title: Allotropes of phosphorus

text: White phosphorus has an appreciable vapour pressure at ordinary temperatures. The vapour density indicates that the vapour is composed of molecules up to about 800 °C. Above that temperature, dissociation into molecules occurs.


title: Allotropes of phosphorus

text: It ignites spontaneously in air at about , and at much lower temperatures if finely divided (due to melting-point depression). Phosphorus reacts with oxygen, usually forming "two" oxides depending on the amount available oxygen: (phosphorus trioxide) when reacted with a limited supply of oxygen, and when reacted with excess oxygen. On rare occasions, , , and are also formed, but in small amounts. This combustion gives phosphorus(V) oxide:


title: Allotropes of phosphorus

text: Although white phosphorus converts to the thermodynamically more stable red allotrope, the formation of the cubic- molecule is not observed in the condensed phase. Analogs of this hypothetical molecule have been prepared from phosphaalkynes. White phosphorus in the gaseous state and as waxy solid consists of reactive molecules.


title: Allotropes of phosphorus

text: Red phosphorus may be formed by heating white phosphorus to in the absence of air or by exposing white phosphorus to sunlight. Red phosphorus exists as an amorphous network. Upon further heating, the amorphous red phosphorus crystallizes. Red phosphorus does not ignite in air at temperatures below , whereas pieces of white phosphorus ignite at about . Ignition is spontaneous at room temperature with finely divided material as the high surface area allows the surface oxidation to rapidly heat the sample to the ignition temperature.


title: Allotropes of phosphorus

text: Under standard conditions it is more stable than white phosphorus, but less stable than the thermodynamically stable black phosphorus. The standard enthalpy of formation of red phosphorus is −17.6 kJ/mol. Red phosphorus is kinetically most stable.


title: Allotropes of phosphorus

text: It was first presented by Anton von Schrötter before the Vienna Academy of Sciences on December 9, 1847, although others had doubtless had this substance in their hands before, such as Berzelius.


title: Allotropes of phosphorus

text: Red phosphorus can be used as a very effective flame retardant, especially in thermoplastics (e.g. polyamide) and thermosets (e.g. epoxy resins or polyurethanes). The flame retarding effect is based on the formation of polyphosphoric acid. Together with the organic polymer material, these acids create a char that prevents the propagation of the flames. The safety risks associated with phosphine generation and friction sensitivity of red phosphorus can be effectively minimized by stabilization and micro-encapsulation. For easier handling, red phosphorus is often used in form of dispersions or masterbatches in various carrier systems. However, for electronic/electrical systems, red phosphorus flame retardant has been effectively banned by major OEMs due to its tendency to induce premature failures. One persistent problem is that red phosphorus in epoxy molding compounds induces elevated leakage current in semiconductor devices. Another problem was acceleration of hydrolysis reactions in PBT insulating material.


title: Allotropes of phosphorus

text: Red phosphorus can be used as an elemental photocatalyst for hydrogen formation from the water. They display a steady hydrogen evolution rates of 633 μmol/(h⋅g) by the formation of small-sized fibrous phosphorus.


title: Allotropes of phosphorus

text: Monoclinic phosphorus, or violet phosphorus, is also known as Hittorf's metallic phosphorus. In 1865, Johann Wilhelm Hittorf heated red phosphorus in a sealed tube at 530 °C. The upper part of the tube was kept at 444 °C. Brilliant opaque monoclinic, or rhombohedral, crystals sublimed as a result. Violet phosphorus can also be prepared by dissolving white phosphorus in molten lead in a sealed tube at 500 °C for 18 hours. Upon slow cooling, Hittorf's allotrope crystallises out. The crystals can be revealed by dissolving the lead in dilute nitric acid followed by boiling in concentrated hydrochloric acid. In addition, a fibrous form exists with similar phosphorus cages. The lattice structure of violet phosphorus was presented by Thurn and Krebs in 1969. Imaginary frequencies, indicating the irrationalities or instabilities of the structure, were obtained for the reported violet structure from 1969. The single crystal of violet phosphorus was also produced. The lattice structure of violet phosphorus has been obtained by single‐crystal "x"‐ray diffraction to be monoclinic with space group of "P"2/"n" (13) ("a" = 9.210, "b" = 9.128, "c" = 21.893 Å, "β" = 97.776°, CSD-1935087). The optical band gap of the violet phosphorus was measured by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy to be around 1.7 eV. The thermal decomposition temperature was 52 °C higher than its black phosphorus counterpart. The violet phosphorene was easily obtained from both mechanical and solution exfoliation.


title: Allotropes of phosphorus

text: It does not ignite in air until heated to 300 °C and is insoluble in all solvents. It is not attacked by alkali and only slowly reacts with halogens. It can be oxidised by nitric acid to phosphoric acid.


title: Allotropes of phosphorus

text: If it is heated in an atmosphere of inert gas, for example nitrogen or carbon dioxide, it sublimes and the vapour condenses as white phosphorus. If it is heated in a vacuum and the vapour condensed rapidly, violet phosphorus is obtained. It would appear that violet phosphorus is a polymer of high relative molecular mass, which on heating breaks down into molecules. On cooling, these would normally dimerize to give molecules (i.e. white phosphorus) but, in a vacuum, they link up again to form the polymeric violet allotrope.


title: Allotropes of phosphorus

text: Black phosphorus is the thermodynamically stable form of phosphorus at room temperature and pressure, with a heat of formation of −39.3 kJ/mol (relative to white phosphorus which is defined as the standard state). It was first synthesized by heating white phosphorus under high pressures (12,000 atmospheres) in 1914. As a 2D material, in appearance, properties, and structure, black phosphorus is very much like graphite with both being black and flaky, a conductor of electricity, and having puckered sheets of linked atoms.


title: Allotropes of phosphorus

text: Black phosphorus has an orthorhombic pleated honeycomb structure and is the least reactive allotrope, a result of its lattice of interlinked six-membered rings where each atom is bonded to three other atoms. In this structure, each phosphorus atom has five outer shell electrons. Black and red phosphorus can also take a cubic crystal lattice structure. The first high-pressure synthesis of black phosphorus crystals was made by the Nobel prize winner Percy Williams Bridgman in 1914. Metal salts catalyze the synthesis of black phosphorus.


title: Allotropes of phosphorus

text: The similarities to graphite also include the possibility of scotch-tape delamination (exfoliation), resulting in phosphorene, a graphene-like 2D material with excellent charge transport properties, thermal transport properties and optical properties. Distinguishing features of scientific interest include a thickness dependent band-gap, which is not found in graphene. This, combined with a high on/off ratio of ~10 makes phosphorene a promising candidate for field-effect transistors (FETs). The tunable bandgap also suggests promising applications in mid-infrared photodetectors and LEDs. Exfoliated black phosphorus sublimes at 400 °C in vacuum. It gradually oxidizes when exposed to water in the presence of oxygen, which is a concern when contemplating it as a material for the manufacture of transistors, for example. Exfoliated black phosphorus is an emerging anode material in the battery community, showing high stability and lithium storage.


title: Allotropes of phosphorus

text: Ring-shaped phosphorus was theoretically predicted in 2007. The ring-shaped phosphorus was self-assembled inside evacuated multi-walled carbon nanotubes with inner diameters of 5–8 nm using a vapor encapsulation method. A ring with a diameter of 5.30 nm, consisting of 23 and 23 units with a total of 230 P atoms, was observed inside a multi-walled carbon nanotube with an inner diameter of 5.90 nm in atomic scale. The distance between neighboring rings is 6.4 Å.


title: Allotropes of phosphorus

text: Single-layer blue phosphorus was first produced in 2016 by the method of molecular beam epitaxy from black phosphorus as precursor.


title: Allotropes of phosphorus

text: The diphosphorus allotrope () can normally be obtained only under extreme conditions (for example, from at 1100 kelvin). In 2006, the diatomic molecule was generated in homogeneous solution under normal conditions with the use of transition metal complexes (for example, tungsten and niobium).


title: Allotropes of phosphorus

text: Diphosphorus is the gaseous form of phosphorus, and the thermodynamically stable form between 1200 °C and 2000 °C. The dissociation of tetraphosphorus () begins at lower temperature: the percentage of at 800 °C is ≈ 1%. At temperatures above about 2000 °C, the diphosphorus molecule begins to dissociate into atomic phosphorus.


title: Allotropes of phosphorus

text: Red/brown phosphorus was shown to be stable in air for several weeks and have properties distinct from those of red phosphorus. Electron microscopy showed that red/brown phosphorus forms long, parallel nanorods with a diameter between 3.4 Å and 4.7 Å.


title: Exo discography

text: The discography of the South Korean-Chinese boy band Exo consists of seven studio albums (five of which have been reissued under different titles), seven extended plays, four live albums and twenty-eight singles. Exo was formed by the Korean entertainment company SM Entertainment in 2011, and formerly consisted of twelve members separated into two sub-groups, Exo-K and Exo-M, releasing the same music simultaneously in both Korean and Mandarin in South Korea and China, respectively. The group's first release, the extended play "Mama", was released in April 2012. The album topped Korean music charts on its release. With the release of "Don't Mess Up My Tempo" in November 2018, Exo became the first South Korean artist who debuted in the 21st century to sell 10 million albums cumulatively.


title: Exo discography

text: In 2021, Exo became "sextuple million sellers", meaning the band has sold over one million copies apiece for six different albums. Since their debut in 2012, the group has sold 23.8 million downloads as of December 2017, and more than 11.9 million physical albums as of August 2019, in South Korea.


title: Barry Sherman

text: Bernard Charles "Barry" Sherman, (February 25, 1942 – December 13, 2017) was a Canadian businessman and philanthropist who was chairman and CEO of Apotex Inc. With an estimated net worth of US$3.2 billion at the time of his death, according to "Forbes", Sherman was the 12th-wealthiest man in Canada. Another publication, "Canadian Business", stated his fortune at CA$4.77 billion, ranking him the 15th richest man in Canada.


title: Barry Sherman

text: Sherman, a University of Toronto graduate with a doctorate in engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, got his start in the pharmaceutical business in the 1960s, when the estate of his uncle Louis Lloyd Winter let him run Empire Laboratories, the late uncle's drug company. This eventually led Sherman to form Apotex, where he earned a reputation among both competitors and government regulators for extreme combativeness, often including litigation. Sherman's four cousins, who were supposed to have received five-percent stakes in Empire, later sued Sherman unsuccessfully over his sale of the company.


title: Barry Sherman

text: In 1971, Sherman married his wife Honey, who would later rise to prominence in Canadian philanthropy, serving on the boards of several prominent charities. The two were found dead in their home in late 2017. Initially investigators from the Toronto Police Service considered the deaths a murder-suicide, a conclusion widely disputed in the media. In April 2019, the police said they had a "working theory" of the case and an "idea of what happened", and as of May 2022 the investigation was "active and ongoing".


title: Barry Sherman

text: Barry Sherman was born into a Jewish family in Toronto to Herbert Dick "Hyman" Sherman, a business partner for a zipper company, and Sara "Sarah" Sherman, an occupational therapist after her husband's death. His grandparents from both sides had fled persecution of Jews in Russia and Poland. Sherman's father died from a heart attack when Bernard was ten years old.


title: Barry Sherman

text: Sherman won a national physics contest while attending the Forest Hill Collegiate Institute and graduated with top marks. In the summer of 1958, he signed up for a Canadian Army organized student militia, but found he didn't like submitting to authority. The same year, he entered the University of Toronto's (U of T) engineering science program, at age 16 he was one of the youngest students ever to join the University’s Engineering Science program. Sherman later wrote that he chose that program specifically because it was reputedly the university's hardest.


title: Barry Sherman

text: During summers, Sherman worked for his uncle, Louis Lloyd Winter, at Winter's company Empire Laboratories, then Canada's largest wholly owned pharmaceutical company. Sherman worked as a driver, primarily picking up urine samples for pregnancy tests. When his uncle would travel, Sherman often helped watch over the operations.


title: Barry Sherman

text: Sherman graduated from U of T in 1964 with the highest honours in his class, and received the university's Governor General's Award for his thesis. He then enrolled at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, from which he received a PhD in astrophysics in 1967.


title: Barry Sherman

text: Sherman later recalled that his interest in business as career was piqued when he was aged 10, when his father brought him to work at his zipper factory in downtown Toronto and gave Sherman some zippers to count and box. He later wrote that his father was surprised at how well he did, filling "more than would have been done in the same time by any of his paid staff". He also recalled feeling insulted when his father counted them.


title: Barry Sherman

text: In 1967, after completing his PhD, Sherman purchased Empire Laboratories from the executor of the estate of Louis Lloyd Winter and his wife, Beverley. The couple had died seventeen days apart in November 1965, leaving four orphaned young children: Paul Timothy, Jeffrey Andrew, Kerry Joel Dexter, and Dana Charles. Empire had been the first company to secure the compulsory rights to manufacture Hoffmann-La Roche's Valium (diazepam) in Canada, and was one of the country's largest manufacturers of Pfizer's Vibramycin (doxycycline), Upjohn Company's Orinase (tolbutamide), and the dietary sweetener saccharin. Winter's estate allowed Sherman to buy a majority stake in Empire and run it only on the condition that the four Winter children be allowed to work for the company when they reached 21, with the option to buy five-percent stakes in the company two years later, with 15-year royalties on four of its patented products. The agreement would be voided if Sherman sold Empire.


title: Barry Sherman

text: That voiding happened in 1969. Sherman worked out a deal to swap shares with Empire's largest customer that put it in control of the company. In 1970 he invested in the American firm Barr Laboratories with US-based partners, became its largest shareholder and served as Barr's president. He would eventually control a third of Barr's stock. Barr won the first rights to manufacture generic versions of Eli Lilly's Prozac. Today, Barr is a part of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, the world's largest generic drugmaker, following Teva's acquisition of Barr in 2008.


title: Barry Sherman

text: In January 1972, Sherman and Ulster Limited sold Empire to the Quebec-based Canadian operations of publicly traded International Chemical and Nuclear Corporation (ICN) of California, for 57,000 shares (Valeant Pharmaceuticals). This transaction voided his arrangement with the Winter estate. A year later, Sherman started Apotex with a few former Empire personnel; it was incorporated in 1974. This privately owned and Sherman-controlled company claims to be Canada's largest domestic pharmaceutical manufacturer. Sherman also became involved in nutraceutical manufacturing and other businesses, founding the National Institute of Nutrition (NION) with Richard Kashenberg. He later sold NION to Schiff and continued on to Apotex.


title: Barry Sherman

text: By 2016, Apotex employed over 10,000 people as one of Canada's largest drug manufacturers, with over 260 products selling in over 115 countries. Revenues were about $1.5 billion annually.


title: Barry Sherman

text: Sherman also personally invested in other, non-pharmaceutical businesses. Often these had dubious prospects and turned out to be fraudulent schemes. For example, Sherman put money into a yacht-chartering company which turned out to be a shell corporation that had never bought any yachts. Later, he bought a majority stake in a company that sold a nutritional supplement marketed by American fraudster Kevin Trudeau. In 1996, when US regulators began investigating the fraud claims would later lead to Trudeau's imprisonment, Sherman sold half his stake to the Apotex Foundation. Sherman's associates felt he was often too generous and trusting with these businesses, failing to do proper due diligence.


title: Barry Sherman

text: For fifteen years, Sherman partnered with Frank D'Angelo, a fruit-juice maker who was trying to branch out into other businesses. The two produced the Cheetah Power Surge energy drink and started Steelback Brewery; when D'Angelo Brands went bankrupt in 2007, Sherman lost C$100 million. Sherman continued backing D'Angelo's filmmaking venture even after D'Angelo was arrested on sexual assault and obstruction of justice charges, later dropped, in 2009. Sherman's money financed all eight films D'Angelo made through 2013.


title: Barry Sherman

text: In the late 2010s, Sherman worked with another man later convicted of fraud, Shaun Rootenberg. The two had been introduced by a mutual friend, Cineplex Odeon co-founder Myron Gottlieb, who had met Rootenberg in prison following his conviction for fraud in the collapse of Livent. Rootenberg persuaded Sherman to invest in his development of an online trivia game; Sherman later filed a lawsuit against Rootenberg, alleging the latter had simply pocketed the money.


title: Barry Sherman

text: Sherman married Honey Reich in 1971, a fellow U of T graduate of Austrian nationality who was the daughter of Polish Jewish Holocaust survivors. The couple had four children: a son, Jonathon, and three daughters, Lauren, Alexandra and Kaelen.


title: Barry Sherman

text: While Sherman socialized regularly with Honey, he was known to his friends and family as a workaholic. At the social events they attended, she was more outgoing while he often kept to himself and discussed mainly his businesses. The Sherman family frequented a ski club on winter weekends, but while Honey and the children availed themselves of the trails, Sherman remained in the lodge poring over documents. Similarly, Sherman did not play golf and would spend vacations reviewing business material.


title: Barry Sherman

text: Even as his fortune grew, Sherman drove his cars until they reached an advanced state of disrepair; a friend worried that one, a Ford Mustang, was so decrepit that it was leaking carbon monoxide into the passenger compartment. For his 50th birthday, Honey gave him a red sports car with a bow on it in front of assembled guests. He asked her to take it back, and she did.


title: Barry Sherman

text: Sherman, with his wife, donated a record $50 million to the United Jewish Appeal, and other Jewish charities, despite Sherman himself being an atheist. The couple provided funds to build a major addition to the Baycrest Health Sciences geriatric centre, and to other community centres in the Toronto area. The couple were also major donors to the United Way. The Apotex Foundation had donated over $50 million worth of medicines to disaster zones since 2007. Sherman personally often loaned money to Apotex employees who needed help.


title: Barry Sherman

text: After his death, "MacLean's" found that Sherman himself, through one of the many companies he controlled, had made large donations to several of the foundations he had set up in his or Apotex's name. Under Canadian tax law, this entitled him to an equivalent tax credit. The foundations were then allowed to loan him back money and did, loaning him almost the total of the $6 million he gave, an unusually high amount. The leader of a private charity watchdog group said Sherman was "using his foundations as a piggy bank" and called on Canadian lawmakers to change the law.


title: Barry Sherman

text: Sherman had a mixed reputation, or what the "National Post" called "Two Legacies". Sherman and his wife were described by Toronto Mayor John Tory as "kind, good people", and he was widely praised for his philanthropic giving. On the other hand, Morton Shulman, a physician and former member of the Ontario Parliament who late in his life fought Sherman over drug development, called him "the only person I have ever met with no redeeming features whatsoever". A "Bloomberg" writer reporting on Sherman's death said that some rival generic drug company executives used "unprintable" language to describe him.


title: Barry Sherman

text: University of Ottawa law professor Amir Attaran described Sherman as "a deplorable human being" in reference to his business practices, claiming that he gouged Canadians with high drug prices: "Canadians pay more for generic drugs than almost every other country. He sought to manipulate our system to enrich himself and impoverish Canadian patients who used his drugs." Attaran accused Sherman of crossing ethical lines concerning intellectual property rights to "fight as many as 100 battles at a time in court to challenge drug patents and make way for Apotex's generic prescriptions" with little end benefit to consumers. By contrast, Sherman saw Apotex as a force for good, saying, "If we're thieves, we're Robin Hoods."


title: Barry Sherman

text: As told in Jeffrey Robinson's 2001 book "Prescription Games: Money, Ego and Power Inside the Pharmaceutical Industry", Sherman himself acknowledged the long-running conflict between Apotex and the major pharmaceutical companies over drug patents, saying, "The branded drug companies hate us. They have private investigators on us all the time. The thought once came to my mind: why didn't they just hire someone to knock me off?" Private investigators working for the German company Bayer AG, one of the world's largest drug companies, reportedly considered planting illegal drugs in Sherman's car during an operation to lure Apotex employees into informing on whether the company was knowingly infringing Bayer's patents.


title: Barry Sherman

text: Apotex was much more likely than other Canadian companies to respond to adverse regulatory decisions by suing the government agencies involved. At the time of Sherman's death, the company had filed an estimated 1,200 cases against the government in Federal Court; a spokesman for Health Canada, named as a defendant in dozens of Apotex's suits, complained that the company's litigiousness had cost Canadian taxpayers millions of dollars in legal fees. "It was intimidating to come back from lunch and find an urgent memo on your desk saying you’ve got to get over to Federal Court because Sherman was at it again," recalled Michele Brill-Edwards, former Health Canada head of drug regulation. "He quickly demonstrated that in fact you can bully the government and you can intimidate." One of Apotex's lawsuits, over the company's application to make a generic version of the antidepressant Trazodone, took thirty years until the Federal Court of Appeal ruled that the government had mishandled it. Sherman himself once told employees that Apotex was primarily a legal company that sold medications on the side. After his death, "Maclean's" wrote: "He was a billionaire driven to litigation less by money than something more primal: a sense of righteous certitude that propelled him to prevail at any cost."


title: Barry Sherman

text: Competitors and regulators were not the only targets of Apotex's litigation. In the 1990s, following an extension of patents that made generic drugs less profitable to produce, the company began exploring making branded drugs of its own. One of them was deferiprone, a potential treatment for the blood disorder thalassemia. Trials were overseen by U of T hematologist Dr. Nancy Olivieri at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. By 1998, Olivieri had serious concerns as to whether the drug was effective or safe, and broke a confidentiality agreement with Apotex to publish her findings. Apotex responded by attempting to damage her reputation and filing a lawsuit; U of T took the company's side rather than risk the loss of a $20 million donation for a planned research center and removed Olivireri from her position as head of a research program on hemoglobin disorders. Eventually Olivieri regained her position after years of her own litigation; the incident helped inspire John le Carré's novel "The Constant Gardener".


title: Barry Sherman

text: In 2011, Sherman's cousins, the Winter children, sued him for allegedly never paying them royalties and equity in Apotex, contending that he had used the proceeds from the 1972 sale of Empire Laboratories to purchase Apotex in 1973. The cousins sought a twenty-percent interest in Apotex or damages of $1 billion. Sherman responded by withdrawing millions of dollars in financial assistance to his cousins. The Winter children contended that Sherman "had offered the financial assistance in the first place in order to make the cousins dependent on him, and to keep them from learning about their rights to the business", an allegation Sherman denied. In September 2017, an Ontario Superior Court justice ruled against the cousins, saying the case was "wishful thinking, and beyond fanciful." At the time of the judgement, a lawyer for the cousins said they would appeal, though no appeal occurred. Sherman died a few months later.


title: Barry Sherman

text: In 1996, after the Shermans' North York home was completed following five years of construction, the couple was dissatisfied with the work done on it. In particular, they claimed that the garage, a structure with a tennis court on top and a basement lap pool and hot tub, was faulty; Sherman called it a "disaster". He and his wife filed twelve separate suits against all the contractors; ultimately they would recover almost the entire estimated $2.3 million cost of building the house through favourable judgements.


title: Barry Sherman

text: A partial draft of his unpublished memoir, called "Legacy of Thoughts", was submitted as part of Sherman's motion for summary judgment in the lawsuit brought by his orphaned cousins. He described the manuscript as his observations on philosophy, Canadian politics and the pharmaceutical industry. Sherman did not believe in God, free will, altruism or morality. "I find no inconsistency in holding intellectually that life has no meaning, while the same time being highly motivated to survive and to achieve", he once said.


title: Barry Sherman

text: Sherman was targeted by the Canadian wing of the Jewish Defense League, a group on the FBI's terrorist watchlist, and had been sued by Israel's largest generic-drug maker, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries.


title: Barry Sherman

text: Sherman was also known for the vigor of his lobbying efforts. When Prime Minister Brian Mulroney's government passed a law that extended patent protection for brand-name drug makers, Sherman complained that it would be destructive to smaller generic drugmakers and began supporting Jean Chrétien and the Liberal Party, who had promised to review the law if they took power in the 1993 general election. Sherman also donated millions of dollars to U of T for a research center, contributions he withdrew when the letters the university wrote to the Mulroney government opposing the new regulations did not result in those regulations being withdrawn.


title: Barry Sherman

text: In 2006, still unsatisfied, Sherman supported the campaign of Joe Volpe to become Liberal leader. He and other Apotex executives gave $108,000 to Volpe's campaign, all giving the legal maximum of $5,400. This caused some controversy when some of those donations were found to have come from minor children of the executives, although ultimately Elections Canada ruled that no laws were broken.


title: Barry Sherman

text: At the time of his death, Sherman, legally registered as a lobbyist, was under investigation because of a fundraiser he had held for Justin Trudeau in April 2015, allegedly contrary to Canada's lobbying rules. Sherman filed a lawsuit in May 2016 attempting to quash the investigation before it was finished, a legally unprecedented move in Canadian history. "There is basis to conclude that Mr. Sherman is in breach of ... the Lobbyists' Code of Conduct as a consequence of his involvement in the organization of a fundraising event for the (Liberal Party)," according to Phil McIntosh, director of investigations at the Office of the Lobby Commissioner. If that had been proven, Sherman would have been banned from lobbying for five years.


title: Barry Sherman

text: In 2017, the Shermans decided to sell their longtime home on Old Colony Road in North York and move to a new house they were building in Forest Hill, closer to downtown Toronto, where many of their friends and business associates lived. Honey, who according to D'Angelo had initiated the move, had purchased a corner lot in November 2016; the Shermans planned to demolish the existing house on the site. Plans for a replacement on file with the city called for a house with features such as a central swimming pool with retractable skylight and living quarters for staff. The fifteen variances required, including the house's depth, more than twice that allowed in the city's zoning, and a car stacker in the garage, were approved in June 2017.


title: Barry Sherman

text: Construction of the house, and Sherman's ultimately successful effort to recover legal fees from the Winters after their suit was decided in his favour, preoccupied the couple later in the year. They put the North York home on the market, asking almost $7 million, at the end of November, even though construction had not started on the Forest Hill house. On December 12, Honey missed a meeting of the Baycrest Centre Foundation board without notifying them beforehand, which was unusual for her. Reached by email, she said she was "dealing with some stuff".