James Marsden gained prominence with his portrayal of Scott Summers and he was successful.

James Marsden James Paul Marsden ( born September 18 , 1973 ) is an American actor , singer and former Versace model . Marsden began his acting career guest-starring in television shows Saved by the Bell : The New Class , Touched by an Angel , and Party of Five . He gained prominence with his portrayal of Scott Summers/Cyclops in the X-Men film series and starred in 2006 's Superman Returns . Since 2016 , Marsden has starred as gunslinger Teddy Flood , a sentient android , in the HBO science fiction-western thriller series Westworld , as part of the main ensemble .   Following his breakthrough in comic book films , Marsden went on to star in various genre films including 2007 's Hairspray which was a critical and commercial success and won many awards for its ensemble cast . As Corny Collins , he sang two songs for the film 's soundtrack which has been certified Platinum by the RIAA . He 's had starring roles in family-friendly films such as Enchanted and Hop and leading man roles in 27 Dresses and The Best of Me .   Marsden later starred in a range of independent films such as Small Apartments , Bachelorette , and Robot & Frank . He also returned to television guest-starring in Modern Family and playing Liz Lemon 's love interest , Criss Chros in 30 Rock in a supporting role . Marsden then portrayed President John F. Kennedy in Lee Daniels ' The Butler and had a supporting role as an antagonist in Anchorman 2 : The Legend Continues .


Twitter's headquarters are in the most populous US state.

California California ( -LSB- kælᵻˈfɔːrnjə , _ - ni.ə -RSB- , ) is the most populous state in the United States and the third most extensive by area . Located on the western ( Pacific Ocean ) coast of the U.S. , California is bordered by the other U.S. states of Oregon , Nevada , and Arizona and shares an international border with the Mexican state of Baja California . The state capital is Sacramento . Los Angeles is California 's most populous city , and the country 's second largest after New York City . The Greater Los Angeles Area and the San Francisco Bay Area are the nation 's second - and fifth-most populous urban regions , respectively . California also has the nation 's most populous county , Los Angeles County , and its largest county by area , San Bernardino County .   California 's diverse geography ranges from the Pacific Coast in the west to the Sierra Nevada mountain range in the east ; and from the redwood -- Douglas fir forests in the northwest to the Mojave Desert in the southeast . The Central Valley , a major agricultural area , dominates the state 's center . Though California is well-known for its warm Mediterranean climate , the large size of the state means it can vary from moist temperate rainforest in the north , to arid desert in the interior , as well as snowy alpine in the mountains .   What is now California was first settled by various Native American tribes before being explored by a number of European expeditions during the 16th and 17th centuries . The Spanish Empire then claimed it as part of Alta California in their New Spain colony . The area became a part of Mexico in 1821 following its successful war for independence , but was ceded to the United States in 1848 after the Mexican -- American War . The western portion of Alta California then was organized as the State of California , and admitted as the 31st state on September 9 , 1850 . The California Gold Rush starting in 1848 led to dramatic social and demographic changes , with large-scale emigration from the east and abroad with an accompanying economic boom .   If it were a country , California would be the 6th largest economy in the world and the 35th most populous . It is also regarded as a global trendsetter in both popular culture and politics , and is the origin of the film industry , the hippie counterculture , the Internet , and the personal computer , among others . Fifty-eight percent of the state 's economy is centered on finance , government , real estate services , technology , and professional , scientific and technical business services . The San Francisco Bay Area has the nation 's highest median household income by metropolitan area , and is the headquarters of three of the world 's largest 40 firms by revenue , Chevron , Apple , and McKesson . Although it accounts for only 1.5 percent of the state 's economy , California 's agriculture industry has the highest output of any U.S. state .


Twitter Twitter ( -LSB- ˈtwɪtər -RSB- ) is an online news and social networking service where users post and interact with messages , `` tweets '' , restricted to 140 characters . Registered users can post tweets , but those who are unregistered can only read them . Users access Twitter through its website interface , SMS or a mobile device app . Twitter Inc. is based in San Francisco , California , United States , and has more than 25 offices around the world .   Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey , Noah Glass , Biz Stone , and Evan Williams and launched in July . The service rapidly gained worldwide popularity . In 2012 , more than 100 million users posted 340 million tweets a day , and the service handled an average of 1.6 billion search queries per day . In 2013 , it was one of the ten most-visited websites and has been described as `` the SMS of the Internet '' . As of 2016 , Twitter had more than 319 million monthly active users . On the day of the 2016 U.S. presidential election , Twitter proved to be the largest source of breaking news , with 40 million election-related tweets sent by 10 p.m. ( Eastern Time ) that day .


Narendra Modi is the Member of Parliament for Varanasi.

Narendra Modi Narendra Damodardas Modi ( -LSB- ˈnəɾeːnd̪rə d̪aːmoːd̪əɾˈd̪aːs ˈmoːd̪iː -RSB- , born 17 September 1950 ) is an Indian politician who is the 14th and current Prime Minister of India , in office since May 2014 . He was the Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 , and is the Member of Parliament for Varanasi . Modi , a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP ) , is a Hindu nationalist and member of the right-wing Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ( RSS ) .   Born to a Gujarati family in Vadnagar , Modi helped his father sell tea as a child , and later ran his own stall . He was introduced to the RSS at the age of eight , beginning a long association with the organisation . He left home after graduating from school , partly because of an arranged marriage which he rejected . Modi traveled around India for two years , and visited a number of religious centres . He returned to Gujarat and moved to Ahmedabad in 1969 or 1970 . In 1971 he became a full-time worker for the RSS . During the state of emergency imposed across the country in 1975 , Modi was forced to go into hiding . The RSS assigned him to the BJP in 1985 , and he held several positions within the party hierarchy until 2001 , rising to the rank of general secretary .   Modi was appointed Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2001 , due to Keshubhai Patel 's failing health and poor public image following the earthquake in Bhuj . Modi was elected to the legislative assembly soon after . His administration has been considered complicit in the 2002 Gujarat riots , or otherwise criticised for its handling of it , although a court found no evidence to prosecute Modi . His policies as chief minister , credited with encouraging economic growth , have received praise . His administration has been criticised for failing to significantly improve health , poverty , and education indices in the state .   Modi led the BJP in the 2014 general election , which gave the party a majority in the Lok Sabha , the first time a single party had achieved this since 1984 . Modi himself was elected to parliament from Varanasi . Since taking office , Modi 's administration has tried to raise foreign direct investment in the Indian economy , increased spending on infrastructure , and reduced spending on healthcare and social welfare programmes . Modi has attempted to improve efficiency in the bureaucracy , and centralised power through the abolition of the planning commission . He has begun a high-profile sanitation campaign , and weakened or abolished environmental and labour laws . Credited with engineering a political realignment towards right-wing politics , Modi remains a figure of controversy domestically and internationally over his Hindu nationalist beliefs and his role during the 2002 Gujarat riots , cited as evidence of an exclusionary social agenda .


The national legislature of Malaysia is outside of Kuala Lumpur.

Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur ( -LSB- ˈkwɑːlə ˈlʊmpʊə -RSB- or -LSB- - pər -RSB- -LSB- ˈkwalə ˈlumpʊr -RSB- ) , officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur , or more commonly KL , is the national capital of Malaysia as well as its largest city . The only alpha world city in Malaysia , it covers an area of 243 km2 and has an estimated population of 1.73 million . Greater Kuala Lumpur , also known as the Klang Valley , is an urban agglomeration of 7.25 million people . It is among the fastest growing metropolitan regions in South-East Asia , in both population and economic development .   Kuala Lumpur is the cultural , financial and economic centre of Malaysia , home to the Parliament of Malaysia , and the official residence of the Malaysian King , the Istana Negara . The city once held the headquarters of the executive and judicial branches of the federal government as well , but they were moved to Putrajaya in early 1999 . Some sections of the judiciary still remain in Kuala Lumpur .   Kuala Lumpur is one of three Federal Territories of Malaysia , enclaved within the state of Selangor , on the central west coast of Peninsular Malaysia . Since the 1990s , the city has played host to many international sporting , political and cultural events including the 1998 Commonwealth Games and the Formula One Grand Prix . Kuala Lumpur has undergone rapid development in recent decades . It is home to the tallest twin buildings in the world , the Petronas Twin Towers , which have become an iconic symbol of Malaysia 's futuristic development .


Parliament of Malaysia The Parliament of Malaysia is the national legislature of Malaysia , based on the Westminster system . The bicameral parliament consists of the Dewan Rakyat ( House of Representatives ) and the Dewan Negara ( Senate ) . The Yang di-Pertuan Agong ( King ) as the Head of State is the third component of Parliament .   The Parliament assembles in the Malaysian Houses of Parliament , located in the national capital city of Kuala Lumpur .   The term `` Member of Parliament ( MP ) '' usually refers to a member of the Dewan Rakyat , the lower house of the Parliament .   The term `` Senator '' usually refers to a member of the Dewan Negara , the upper house of the Parliament .


Tiger The tiger ( Panthera tigris ) is the largest cat species , most recognisable for their pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with a lighter underside . The species is classified in the genus Panthera with the lion , leopard , jaguar and snow leopard . Tigers are apex predators , primarily preying on ungulates such as deer and bovids . They are territorial and generally solitary but social animals , often requiring large contiguous areas of habitat that support their prey requirements . This , coupled with the fact that they are indigenous to some of the more densely populated places on Earth , has caused significant conflicts with humans .   Tigers once ranged widely across eastern Eurasia , from the Black Sea in the west , to the Indian Ocean in the south , and from Kolyma to Sumatra in the east . Over the past 100 years , they have lost 93 % of their historic range , and have been extirpated from Western and Central Asia , from the islands of Java and Bali , and from large areas of Southeast , Southern and Eastern Asia . Today , they range from the Siberian taiga to open grasslands and tropical mangrove swamps . The remaining six tiger subspecies have been classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN ) . The global population in the wild is estimated to number between 3,062 and 3,948 individuals , down from around 100,000 at the start of the 20th century , with most remaining populations occurring in small pockets isolated from each other , of which about 2,000 exist on the Indian subcontinent . A 2016 global census estimated the population of wild tigers at approximately 3,890 individuals . Major reasons for population decline include habitat destruction , habitat fragmentation and poaching . The extent of area occupied by tigers is estimated at less than 1184911 km2 , a 41 % decline from the area estimated in the mid-1990s . In 2016 , wildlife conservation group at WWF declared that world 's count of wild tigers has risen for the first time in a century .   Tigers are among the most recognisable and popular of the world 's charismatic megafauna . They have featured prominently in ancient mythology and folklore , and continue to be depicted in modern films and literature . They appear on many flags , coats of arms , and as mascots for sporting teams . The tiger is the national animal of Bangladesh , India , Malaysia and South Korea .


Xbox One Xbox One is a line of home video game consoles developed by Microsoft . Announced in May 2013 , it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third console in the Xbox family . It was first released in North America , parts of Europe , Australia , and Brazil in November 2013 , and in Japan , China , and other European countries in September 2014 . It is the first Xbox game console to be released in China , specifically in the Shanghai Free-Trade Zone . Microsoft marketed the device as an `` all-in-one entertainment system '' . The Xbox One line mainly competes against consoles such as Sony 's PlayStation 4 and Nintendo 's Wii U as part of the eighth generation of video game consoles .   Moving away from its predecessor 's PowerPC-based architecture , Xbox One marks a shift back to the x86 architecture used in the original Xbox ; it features an AMD Accelerated Processing Unit ( APU ) built around the x86-64 instruction set . Xbox One 's controller was redesigned over the Xbox 360 's , with a redesigned body , D-pad and triggers capable of delivering directional haptic feedback . The console places an increased emphasis on cloud computing , as well as social networking features , and the ability to record and share video clips or screenshots from gameplay , or live-stream directly to streaming services such as Mixer and Twitch . Games can also be played off-console via a local area network on supported Windows 10 devices . The console can play Blu-ray Disc , and overlay live television programming from an existing set-top box or a digital tuner for digital terrestrial television with an enhanced program guide . The console optionally included a redesigned Kinect sensor , marketed as the `` Kinect 2.0 '' , providing improved motion tracking and voice recognition for use in its graphical user interface ( GUI ) and games .   Xbox One received mostly positive reception for its refined controller design , multimedia features , and voice navigation . Its quieter and cooler design was praised for making the console more reliable than its predecessor on-launch , but the console was generally criticized for running games at a technically lower graphical level than the PlayStation 4 . Its original user interface was panned for being nonintuitive , although changes made to it and other aspects of the console 's software post-launch received positive reception . Its Kinect received praise for its improved motion-tracking accuracy , its face recognition logins , and its voice commands .   In August 2016 , Microsoft released a refreshed Xbox One model known as Xbox One S ; it has a streamlined design , native support for 4K video playback and upscaling , and HDR10 high-dynamic-range color . It was praised for its smaller size , its on-screen visual improvements , and its lack of an external power supply , but its regressions such as the lack of a native Kinect port were noted . A future hardware revision codenamed `` Project Scorpio '' is scheduled for late-2017 ; it will feature major hardware upgrades focused on enabling 4K gameplay and support for virtual reality hardware , and will be backward compatible with all existing Xbox One software and hardware .


Spread (food) A spread is a food that is literally spread , generally with a knife , onto food products such as bread and crackers . Spreads are added to food in order to enhance the flavor or texture of the food , which may be considered bland without it . Spreads should be distinguished from dips , such as salsa , which are generally not applied to spread onto food but have food dipped into them instead . Peanut butter is a typical example of spread .   Common spreads include dairy spreads ( such as cheeses , creams , and butters -- although the term butter is broadly applied to many spreads ) , honey , plant-derived spreads ( such as jams , jellies , and hummus ) , yeast spreads ( such as vegemite and marmite ) , and meat-based spreads ( such as pâté ) .


Machine Gun Kelly (rapper) released an album called Lace Up.

Machine Gun Kelly (rapper) Colson Baker ( born April 22 , 1990 ) , better known by his stage names MGK and Machine Gun Kelly , is an American rapper and actor , from Cleveland , Ohio . MGK embarked on a musical career as a teenager , releasing a mixtape in 2006 . He would then go on to release four further mixtapes .   MGK then secured a recording contract with Bad Boy and Interscope Records in 2011 . His major label debut album , Lace Up , was released in October 2012 to positive response from critics . The record contained the singles `` Wild Boy '' , `` Invincible '' , `` Stereo '' , and `` Hold On ( Shut Up ) '' , and debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 chart ; it was later confirmed to have sold more than 178,000 copies . In early 2015 , he released the singles `` Till I Die '' and `` A Little More '' for his second studio album , General Admission , which released in October 2015 , and also debuted at number four in the US . The album incorporated darker tones , rap rock , R&B , and storytelling .   MGK has also appeared in various films , starring in Beyond the Lights , as Kid Culprit . He would then star in Roadies as Wesley ( a.k.a. Wes ) , before being cast in lead roles in Viral , Punk 's Dead : SLC Punk 2 and Nerve .


Catherine of Alexandria is a Christian saint martyred in the early 4th century.

Catherine of Alexandria Saint Catherine of Alexandria , also known as Saint Catherine of the Wheel and The Great Martyr Saint Catherine is , according to tradition , a Christian saint and virgin , who was martyred in the early 4th century at the hands of the pagan emperor Maxentius . According to her hagiography , she was both a princess and a noted scholar , who became a Christian around the age of fourteen , and converted hundreds of people to Christianity . She was martyred around the age of 18 . Over 1,100 years following her martyrdom , Saint Joan of Arc identified Catherine as one of the Saints who appeared to her and counselled her .   The Eastern Orthodox Church venerates her as a Great Martyr and celebrates her feast day on 24 or 25 November ( depending on the regional tradition ) . In Catholicism she is traditionally revered as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers . In 1969 the Roman Catholic Church removed her feast day from the General Roman Calendar ; however , she continued to be commemorated in the Roman Martyrology on 25 November . In 2002 , her feast was restored to the General Roman Calendar as an optional memorial .


BoJack Horseman BoJack Horseman is an American adult animated sitcom created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg . The series stars Will Arnett as the title character , BoJack Horseman . The supporting cast includes Amy Sedaris , Alison Brie , Paul F. Tompkins , and Aaron Paul . The series ' first season premiered on August 22 , 2014 , on Netflix , with a Christmas special premiering on December 19 . The show is designed by the cartoonist Lisa Hanawalt , who had previously worked with Bob-Waksberg on the webcomic Tip Me Over , Pour Me Out .   Despite giving mixed reviews upon its debut , critics were notably more positive towards the second half of the first season , before acclaiming the subsequent seasons . The critical consensus from Rotten Tomatoes is representative of this critical improvement , as the first season was stated to `` pale in comparison to similar comedies '' , while the consensus for season three referred to the show as `` one of the funniest and most heartbreaking shows on television '' . The series was renewed for a fourth season , scheduled to premiere in summer 2017 .


Olivia Wilde Olivia Wilde ( born Olivia Jane Cockburn ; March 10 , 1984 ) is an American actress , model , director , and producer . She is well known for her role as Dr. Remy `` Thirteen '' Hadley on the award-winning medical television series House ( 2007 -- 12 ) and her roles in Alpha Dog ( 2007 ) , Tron : Legacy ( 2010 ) , Cowboys & Aliens ( 2011 ) , Her ( 2013 ) , Drinking Buddies ( 2013 ) , and Rush ( 2013 ) . She starred in HBO 's rock 'n' roll drama series Vinyl ( 2016 ) .


Baahubali: The Beginning is a 2015 Indian film.

Baahubali: The Beginning Baahubali : The Beginning ( stylized as bãhubali ; The One with Strong Arms ) is a 2015 Indian epic historical fiction film directed by S. S. Rajamouli . The film was produced by Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni and was simultaneously shot in Telugu and Tamil . The film stars Prabhas , Rana Daggubati , Anushka Shetty and Tamannaah in the lead roles , with Ramya Krishnan , Sathyaraj , and Nassar in supporting roles . The first of two cinematic parts , The Beginning is a tale of the lost rightful heir of the fictional kingdom of Mahishmati , who learns about his true identity while falling in love with a rebellious warrior , who ( among with her group ) intends to rescue the former queen of Mahismati .   The film was conceived by Rajamouli 's father K. V. Vijayendra Prasad , who randomly told him a story about Sivagami , a woman who carries a baby in her hand while crossing a river , and a few years later about Kattapa , which intrigued Rajamouli . His fascination with mythology and the tales of Amar Chitra Katha comics further fueled his interest in the story . However , it took the writers three months to finalise the final draft . The soundtrack and background score were composed by M. M. Keeravani while the cinematography , production design , and VFX were handled by K. K. Senthil Kumar , Sabu Cyril and V. Srinivas Mohan respectively .   The film was made on a budget of 1.8 billion , making it the most expensive Indian film at its time of release . The film opened worldwide on 10 July 2015 , garnering critical acclaim and record breaking box office success . With the worldwide box office gross of 6.5 billion , it became the highest grossing film in India and the third-highest grossing Indian film worldwide , and the highest-grossing South Indian film at the time of its release . Its Hindi dubbed version also broke several records by becoming the highest grossing dubbed film in India . Both budget and box office records since has been surpassed by its sequel , Baahubali 2 : The Conclusion . The Beginning is the highest grossing Indian film of 2015 and the fourth highest grossing Indian film of all time .   It received several accolades . It won the National Film Award for Best Special Effects and Best Feature Film , becoming the first Telugu film to win the award . At the 63rd Filmfare Awards South , the Telugu version won five awards from ten nominations , including Best Film , Best Director for Rajamouli and Best Supporting Actress for Krishnan . The Beginning became the first Indian film to be nominated for Saturn Awards , receiving five nominations at the 42nd ceremony , including Best Fantasy Film and Best Supporting Actress for Tamannaah . The film 's second and final cinematic part was released on 28 April 2017 .


Ireland has several navigable rivers extending inland.

Ireland Ireland ( -LSB- ˈaɪərlənd -RSB- Éire -LSB- ˈeːɾʲə -RSB- ; Ulster-Scots : Airlann -LSB- - scoˈɑːrlən -RSB- ) is an island in the North Atlantic . It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel , the Irish Sea , and St George 's Channel . Ireland is the second-largest island of the British Isles , the third-largest in Europe , and the twentieth-largest on Earth .   Politically , Ireland is divided between the Republic of Ireland ( officially named Ireland ) , which covers five-sixths of the island , and Northern Ireland , which is part of the United Kingdom , in the northeast of the island . In 2011 , the population of Ireland was about 6.4 million , ranking it the second-most populous island in Europe after Great Britain . Just under 4.6 million live in the Republic of Ireland and just over 1.8 million live in Northern Ireland .   The island 's geography comprises relatively low-lying mountains surrounding a central plain , with several navigable rivers extending inland . The island has lush vegetation , a product of its mild but changeable climate which avoids extremes in temperature . Thick woodlands covered the island until the Middle Ages . As of 2013 , the amount of land that is wooded in Ireland is about 11 % of the total , compared with a European average of 35 % . There are twenty-six extant mammal species native to Ireland . The Irish climate is very moderate and classified as oceanic . As a result , winters are milder than expected for such a northerly area . However , summers are cooler than those in Continental Europe . Rainfall and cloud cover are abundant .   The earliest evidence of human presence in Ireland is dated at 10,500 BC . Gaelic Ireland had emerged by the 1st century CE . The island was Christianised from the 5th century onward . Following the Norman invasion in the 12th century , England claimed sovereignty over Ireland . However , English rule did not extend over the whole island until the 16th -- 17th century Tudor conquest , which led to colonisation by settlers from Britain . In the 1690s , a system of Protestant English rule was designed to materially disadvantage the Catholic majority and Protestant dissenters , and was extended during the 18th century . With the Acts of Union in 1801 , Ireland became a part of the United Kingdom . A war of independence in the early 20th century was followed by the partition of the island , creating the Irish Free State , which became increasingly sovereign over the following decades , and Northern Ireland , which remained a part of the United Kingdom . Northern Ireland saw much civil unrest from the late 1960s until the 1990s . This subsided following a political agreement in 1998 . In 1973 the Republic of Ireland joined the European Economic Community while the United Kingdom , and Northern Ireland , as part of it , did the same .   Irish culture has had a significant influence on other cultures , especially in the fields of literature . Alongside mainstream Western culture , a strong indigenous culture exists , as expressed through Gaelic games , Irish music , and the Irish language . The culture of the island also shares many features with that of Great Britain , including the English language , and sports such as association football , rugby , horse racing , and golf .


Jared Leto Jared Joseph Leto ( -LSB- ˈlɛtoʊ -RSB- born December 26 , 1971 ) is an American actor , singer-songwriter , and director . After starting his career with television appearances in the early 1990s , Leto achieved recognition for his role as Jordan Catalano on the television series My So-Called Life ( 1994 ) . He made his film debut in How to Make an American Quilt ( 1995 ) and received critical praise for his performance in Prefontaine ( 1997 ) . Leto played supporting roles in The Thin Red Line ( 1998 ) , Fight Club ( 1999 ) and American Psycho ( 2000 ) , as well as the lead role in Urban Legend ( 1998 ) , and earned critical acclaim after portraying heroin addict Harry Goldfarb in Requiem for a Dream ( 2000 ) . He later began focusing increasingly on his music career , returning to acting with Panic Room ( 2002 ) , Alexander ( 2004 ) , Lord of War ( 2005 ) , Lonely Hearts ( 2006 ) , Chapter 27 ( 2007 ) , and Mr. Nobody ( 2009 ) . In 2012 , he directed the documentary film Artifact . In 2016 , he played the DC Comics supervillain Joker in the DC Extended Universe film Suicide Squad .   Leto 's performance as a transgender woman in Dallas Buyers Club ( 2013 ) earned him an Academy Award , a Golden Globe Award , and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actor . Leto is considered to be a method actor , known for his constant devotion to and research of his roles . He often remains completely in character for the duration of the shooting schedules of his films , even to the point of adversely affecting his health . He is also known to be selective about his film roles .   Leto is the lead vocalist , multi-instrumentalist and main songwriter for Thirty Seconds to Mars , a band he formed in 1998 in Los Angeles , California , with his older brother Shannon Leto . Their debut album , 30 Seconds to Mars ( 2002 ) , was released to positive reviews but only to limited success . The band achieved worldwide fame with the release of their second album A Beautiful Lie ( 2005 ) . Their following releases , This Is War ( 2009 ) and Love , Lust , Faith and Dreams ( 2013 ) , received further critical and commercial success . As of September 2014 , the band has sold over 15 million albums worldwide . Leto has also directed music videos , including the MTV Video Music Award -- winning `` The Kill '' ( 2006 ) , `` Kings and Queens '' ( 2009 ) , and `` Up in the Air '' ( 2013 ) .


Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was published by Bloomsbury Publishing, Scholastic and Raincoat Books.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the seventh and final novel of the Harry Potter series , written by British author J. K. Rowling . The book was released on 21 July 2007 by Bloomsbury Publishing in the United Kingdom , in the United States by Scholastic , and in Canada by Raincoast Books , ending the series that began in 1997 with the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher 's Stone . The novel chronicles the events directly following Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ( 2005 ) , and the final confrontation between the wizards Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort , as well as revealing the previously concealed back story of several main characters . The title of the book refers to three mythical objects featured in the story , collectively known as the `` Deathly Hallows '' -- an unbeatable wand , a stone to bring the dead to life , and a cloak of invisibility .   Rowling finished writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in January 2007 . Before its release , Bloomsbury reportedly spent # 10 million to keep the book 's contents safe before its release date . American publisher Arthur Levine refused any copies of the novel to be released in advance for press review , although two reviews were submitted early . Shortly before release , photos of all 759 pages of the U.S. edition were leaked and transcribed , leading Scholastic to look for the source that had leaked it .   Released globally in 93 countries , Deathly Hallows broke sales records as the fastest-selling book ever , a record it still held in 2012 . It sold 15 million copies in the first 24 hours following its release , including more than 11 million in the U.S. and UK alone . The previous record , 9 million in its first day , had been held by Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince . The novel has also been translated into over 120 languages . The title proved difficult to translate and was often rendered closer to `` Harry Potter and the Relics of Death '' in other languages .   Major themes in the novel are death and living in a corrupted society , and critics have compared them to Christian allegories . Generally well-received , the book won the 2008 Colorado Blue Spruce Book Award , and the American Library Association named it a `` Best Book for Young Adults '' . A two-part film adaptation began showing in November 2010 when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 1 was released ; Part 2 was released on 15 July 2011 .


The terrain of Kazakhstan includes flatland.

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan ( -LSB- USkæzækˈstæn , _ ˌkɑːzɑːkˈstɑːn -RSB- , -LSB- ˌkæzəkˈstɑːn , _ - ˈstæn -RSB- Қазақстан , tr . Qazaqstan , -LSB- qɑzɑqˈstɑn -RSB- ; Казахстан , tr . Kazakhstan ) , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan ( Қазақстан Республикасы , tr . Qazaqstan Respwblïkası ; Республика Казахстан , tr . Respublika Kazakhstan ) , is a transcontinental country in northern Central Asia and Eastern Europe . Kazakhstan is the world 's largest landlocked country , and the ninth largest in the world , with an area of 2,724,900 km ² . Kazakhstan is the dominant nation of Central Asia economically , generating 60 % of the region 's GDP , primarily through its oil/gas industry . It also has vast mineral resources .   Kazakhstan is officially a democratic , secular , unitary , constitutional republic with a diverse cultural heritage . Kazakhstan shares borders with Russia , China , Kyrgyzstan , Uzbekistan , and Turkmenistan , and also adjoins a large part of the Caspian Sea . The terrain of Kazakhstan includes flatlands , steppe , taiga , rock canyons , hills , deltas , snow-capped mountains , and deserts . Kazakhstan has an estimated 18 million people , Given its large land area , its population density is among the lowest , at less than 6 people per square kilometre ( 15 people per sq. mi . ) . The capital is Astana , where it was moved in 1997 from Almaty , the country 's largest city .   The territory of Kazakhstan has historically been inhabited by nomadic tribes . This changed in the 13th century , when Genghis Khan occupied the country as part of the Mongolian Empire . Following internal struggles among the conquerors , power eventually reverted to the nomads . By the 16th century , the Kazakh emerged as a distinct group , divided into three jüz ( ancestor branches occupying specific territories ) . The Russians began advancing into the Kazakh steppe in the 18th century , and by the mid-19th century , they nominally ruled all of Kazakhstan as part of the Russian Empire . Following the 1917 Russian Revolution , and subsequent civil war , the territory of Kazakhstan was reorganised several times . In 1936 , it was made the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic , part of the Soviet Union .   Kazakhstan was the last of the Soviet republics to declare independence during the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 . The current President , Nursultan Nazarbayev , has been leader of the country since then , and is characterised as authoritarian , with a government history of human rights abuses and suppression of political opposition . Kazakhstan has worked to develop its economy , especially its dominant hydrocarbon industry . Human Rights Watch says that `` Kazakhstan heavily restricts freedom of assembly , speech , and religion , '' and other human rights organisations regularly describe Kazakhstan 's human rights situation as poor .   Kazakhstan 's 131 ethnicities include Kazakhs ( 63 % of the population ) , Russians , Uzbeks , Ukrainians , Germans , Tatars , and Uyghurs . Islam is the religion of about 70 % of the population , with Christianity practised by 26 % ; Kazakhstan officially allows freedom of religion , but religious leaders who oppose the government are suppressed . The Kazakh language is the state language , and Russian has equal official status for all levels of administrative and institutional purposes .


Philosophy is included in International Relations.

International relations International relations ( IR ) or international affairs , depending on academic institution , is either a field of political science , an interdisciplinary academic field similar to global studies , or an entirely independent academic discipline in which students take a variety of internationally focused courses in social science and humanities disciplines . In both cases , the field studies relationships between political entities ( polities ) such as states , sovereign states , empires , inter-governmental organizations ( IGOs ) , international non-governmental organizations ( INs ) , non-governmental organizations ( NGOs ) , and multinational corporations ( MNCs ) , and the wider world-systems produced by this interaction . International relations is an academic and a public policy field , and so can be positive and normative , because it analyzes and formulates the foreign policy of a given State .   As political activity , international relations dates from the time of the Greek historian Thucydides ( c. 460 -- 395 BC ) , and , in the early 20th century , became a discrete academic field ( No. 5901 in the 4-digit UNESCO Nomenclature ) within political science . In practice International Relations and International Affairs forms a separate academic program or field from Political Science , and the courses taught therein are highly interdisciplinary .   For example , international relations draws from the fields of : technology and engineering , economics , communication studies , history , international law , demography , philosophy , geography , social work , sociology , anthropology , criminology , psychology , gender studies , cultural studies , culturology , and diplomacy . The scope of international relations comprehends globalization , diplomatic relations , state sovereignty , international security , ecological sustainability , nuclear proliferation , nationalism , economic development , global finance , as well as terrorism and organized crime , human security , foreign interventionism , and human rights , as well , as , more recently , comparative religion .


Kanye West was featured on Unpredictable.

Unpredictable (Jamie Foxx album) Unpredictable is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter and actor Jamie Foxx . It was released on December 27 , 2005 , by J Records . Recording sessions took place from 2004 to 2005 , with the production that was provided by Timbaland , Mike City , Sean Garrett and Jim Jonsin , among others . The album serves as a follow-up to the release of Peep This ( 1994 ) , which occurred to be his first studio release in eleven years . The album was supported by four singles : `` Extravaganza '' featuring Kanye West , the title track `` Unpredictable '' featuring Ludacris , `` DJ Play a Love Song '' featuring Twista , and `` Can I Take U Home '' .   Upon its release , Unpredictable received generally mixed reviews from music critics , who were ambivalent towards its lyrical content and production . The album debuted at number 2 , beating behind Mary J. Blige 's The Breakthrough on the US Billboard 200 , with 597,000 copies in its first week . In the second week , the album rose to number one , overtaking Blige , making Foxx as the fourth artist to ever won a Academy Award for acting , while achieving a number-one album on the US Billboard charts .


Gabon is bordered by the Central African country Equatorial Guinea.

Gabon Gabon ( -LSB- ɡəˈbɒn -RSB- -LSB- ɡabɔ̃ -RSB- ) , officially the Gabonese Republic ( République gabonaise ) , is a sovereign state on the west coast of Central Africa . Located on the equator , Gabon is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest , Cameroon to the north , the Republic of the Congo on the east and south , and the Gulf of Guinea to the west . It has an area of nearly 270000 sqkm and its population is estimated at 1.5 million people . Its capital and largest city is Libreville .   Since its independence from France in 1960 , Gabon has had three presidents . In the early 1990s , Gabon introduced a multi-party system and a new democratic constitution that allowed for a more transparent electoral process and reformed many governmental institutions . Gabon was also a temporary member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2010 -- 2011 term .   Abundant petroleum and foreign private investment have helped make Gabon one of the most prosperous countries in Sub-Saharan Africa , with the 4th highest HDI and the third highest GDP per capita ( PPP ) ( after Equatorial Guinea and Botswana ) in the region . GDP grew by more than 6 % per year from 2010 to 2012 . However , because of inequality in income distribution , a significant proportion of the population remains poor .


Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinea ( Guinea Ecuatorial , Guinée équatoriale , Guiné Equatorial ) , officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea ( República de Guinea Ecuatorial , République de Guinée équatoriale , República da Guiné Equatorial ) , is a country located in Central Africa , with an area of 28000 km2 . Formerly the colony of Spanish Guinea , its post-independence name evokes its location near both the Equator and the Gulf of Guinea . Equatorial Guinea is the only sovereign African state in which Spanish is an official language . , the country had an estimated population of 1,222,245 .   Equatorial Guinea consists of two parts , an insular and a mainland region . The insular region consists of the islands of Bioko ( formerly Fernando Pó ) in the Gulf of Guinea and Annobón , a small volcanic island south of the equator . Bioko Island is the northernmost part of Equatorial Guinea and is the site of the country 's capital , Malabo . The island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe is located between Bioko and Annobón . The mainland region , Río Muni , is bordered by Cameroon on the north and Gabon on the south and east . It is the location of Bata , Equatorial Guinea 's largest city , and Oyala , the country 's planned future capital . Rio Muni also includes several small offshore islands , such as Corisco , Elobey Grande , and Elobey Chico . The country is a member of the African Union , Francophonie , OPEC and the CPLP .   Since the mid-1990s , Equatorial Guinea has become one of sub-Saharan Africa 's largest oil producers . It is the richest country per capita in Africa , and its gross domestic product ( GDP ) adjusted for purchasing power parity ( PPP ) per capita ranks 43rd in the world ; However , the wealth is distributed very unevenly and few people have benefited from the oil riches . The country ranks 144th on the UN 's 2014 Human Development Index . The UN says that less than half of the population has access to clean drinking water and that 20 % of children die before reaching the age of five .   The country 's authoritarian government has one of the worst human rights records in the world , consistently ranking among the `` worst of the worst '' in Freedom House 's annual survey of political and civil rights . Reporters Without Borders ranks President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo among its `` predators '' of press freedom . Human trafficking is a significant problem , with the U.S.Trafficking in Persons Report , 2012 , stating that `` Equatorial Guinea is a source and destination for women and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking . '' The report rates Equatorial Guinea as a `` Tier 3 '' country , the lowest ( worst ) ranking : `` Countries whose governments do not fully comply with the minimum standards and are not making significant efforts to do so . ''


Girl with a Pearl Earring (film) Girl with a Pearl Earring is a 2003 drama film directed by Peter Webber . The screenplay was adapted by screenwriter Olivia Hetreed , based on the novel of the same name by Tracy Chevalier . Scarlett Johansson stars as Griet , a young 17th-century servant in the household of the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer ( played by Colin Firth ) at the time he painted Girl with a Pearl Earring ( 1665 ) in the city of Delft in Holland . Other cast members include Tom Wilkinson , Cillian Murphy , and Judy Parfitt .   Hetreed read the novel before its publication , and her husband 's production company convinced Chevalier to sell the film rights . Initially , the production was to feature Kate Hudson as Griet with Mike Newell directing . Hudson withdrew shortly before filming began , however , and the film was placed in hiatus until the hire of Webber , who re-initiated the casting process . In this , which was his feature film debut , Webber sought to avoid employing traditional characteristics of the period film drama . Cinematographer Eduardo Serra used distinctive lighting and colour schemes similar to Vermeer 's paintings .   Released on 12 December 2003 in North America and on 16 January 2004 in the United Kingdom , Girl with a Pearl Earring earned a worldwide gross of $ 31,466,789 . It garnered a mostly positive critical reception , with a 72 % approval rating from Rotten Tomatoes . Critics generally applauded the film 's visuals and performances while questioning elements of its story . The film was subsequently nominated for ten British Academy Film Awards , three Academy Awards , and two Golden Globe Awards .


Tim Henman has been to the Wimbledon Championships.

Tim Henman Timothy Henry `` Tim '' Henman ( born 6 September 1974 ) is a retired English professional tennis player . Henman played a serve-and-volley style of tennis . He was the first male player from the United Kingdom since Roger Taylor in the 1970s to reach the semi-finals of the Wimbledon Men 's Singles Championship . Henman never reached the finals of any Grand Slam but reached six Grand Slam semifinals and won 15 career ATP titles ( 11 in singles and four in doubles ) , including the Paris Masters in 2003 . Also , he scored 40 wins and 14 losses with the Great Britain Davis Cup team .   Henman was ranked British number 1 in 1996 and again from 1999 to 2005 , from which point he was succeeded by Andy Murray . He reached a career high ranking of World No. 4 during three different periods between July 2002 and October 2004 . He is one of Britain 's most successful open era male tennis players , winning $ 11,635,542 prize money . In the 2004 New Year Honours , he was appointed an OBE .   Henman started playing tennis before the age of three , and began systematic training in the Slater Squad at eleven . After suffering a serious injury which affected him for the better part of two years , he began touring internationally as a junior and achieved some successes . He rose quickly up the ATP rankings , and by 1996 had reached the quarter-finals of the Wimbledon Championships . Throughout his career , Henman was a noted grass specialist , only becoming truly comfortable on clay and hard court before the end of his career , when in 2004 he reached the semi-finals in both the French and US Open . The year 2005 began a decline for Henman , and from that year onwards he never managed to pass through the third round in a Grand Slam tournament . Henman retired from professional tennis in late 2007 , but he remains active in the ATP Champions Tour ( a tour for former professional tennis players ) .


A Monster Calls (film) A Monster Calls is a 2016 dark fantasy drama film directed by J. A. Bayona and written by Patrick Ness , based on his novel of the same name . The film stars Sigourney Weaver , Felicity Jones , Toby Kebbell , Lewis MacDougall , and Liam Neeson , and tells the story of Conor ( MacDougal ) , a child whose mother ( Jones ) is terminally ill ; one night , he is visited by a giant tree-like monster ( Neeson ) , who states that he will come back and tell him three stories .   A Monster Calls premiered on September 10 , 2016 , at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival . It was then released in Spain on October 7 , 2016 , and in the United Kingdom on January 1 , 2017 . In the United States , the film began a limited release in on December 23 , 2016 , followed by a wide release on January 6 , 2017 . It received positive reviews , being praised for its themes , directing , performances and visual effects . The film has grossed $ 45.6 million worldwide .


Ice hockey has only domestic competitions.

Ice hockey Ice hockey is a contact team sport played on ice , usually in a rink , in which two teams of skaters use their sticks to shoot a vulcanized rubber puck into their opponent 's net to score points . The sport is known to be fast-paced and physical , with teams usually consisting of six players each : one goaltender , and five players who skate up and down the ice trying to take the puck and score a goal against the opposing team .   Ice hockey is most popular in Canada , central and eastern Europe , Scandinavia , and the northern regions of the United States . Ice hockey is the official national winter sport of Canada , where the modern version of the sport was created , and enjoys immense popularity ; alongside Canada , hockey is the most popular winter sport in Finland , Latvia , the Czech Republic , Sweden , Slovakia , Belarus and Switzerland . In North America , the National Hockey League ( NHL ) is the highest level for men 's hockey and the most popular . The Kontinental Hockey League ( KHL ) is the highest league in Russia and much of Eastern Europe . The International Ice Hockey Federation ( IIHF ) is the formal governing body for international ice hockey , with the IIHF managing international tournaments and maintaining the IIHF World Ranking . Worldwide , there are ice hockey federations in 74 countries .   Ice hockey is believed to have evolved from simple stick and ball games played in the 18th and 19th century United Kingdom and elsewhere . These games were brought to North America and several similar winter games using informal rules were developed , such as `` shinny '' and `` ice polo '' . The contemporary sport of ice hockey was developed in Canada , most notably in Montreal , where the first indoor hockey game was played on March 3 , 1875 . Some characteristics of that game , such as the length of the ice rink and the use of a puck , have been retained to this day . Amateur ice hockey leagues began in the 1880s , and professional ice hockey originated around 1900 . The Stanley Cup , emblematic of ice hockey club supremacy , was first awarded in 1893 to recognize the Canadian amateur champion and later became the championship trophy of the NHL . In the early 1900s , the Canadian rules were adopted by the Ligue Internationale de Hockey sur Glace , the precursor of the IIHF and the sport was played for the first time in the Olympics in the Olympic Games of 1920 .   In international competitions , the national teams of six countries ( the `` Big Six '' ) predominate : Canada , Czech Republic , Finland , Russia , Sweden and the United States . Of the 69 medals awarded all-time in men 's competition at the Olympics , only six medals were not awarded to one of those countries . In the annual Ice Hockey World Championships , 177 of 201 medals have been awarded to the six nations . Teams outside the `` Big Six '' have won only five medals in either competition since 1953 : All 12 Women 's Olympic and 36 IIHF World Women 's Championships medals have been awarded to one of these six countries , and every gold medal in both competitions has been won by either the Canadian national team or the United States national team .   In Canada , the United States , and some European countries it is known simply as hockey ; the name `` ice hockey '' is used in places where `` hockey '' more often refers to field hockey , such as South America , Asia , Africa , Australasia , and some European countries . In Russia and Ukraine , where `` hockey '' can also refer to bandy , ice hockey is often called `` hockey with puck '' .


We Found Love's music video was directed by Melina Matsoukas.

We Found Love `` We Found Love '' is a song recorded by Bajan singer Rihanna from her sixth studio album , Talk That Talk ( 2011 ) . It was written and produced by , and features Scottish DJ Calvin Harris ; the song was also featured on his third album 18 Months ( 2012 ) . `` We Found Love '' premiered on September 22 , 2011 , on the Capital FM radio station in the United Kingdom , and was made available to download on the same day as the lead single from Talk That Talk . `` We Found Love '' is an uptempo electro house song , with elements of techno and Europop . The song 's lyrics speak of a couple who `` found love in a hopeless place '' .   `` We Found Love '' was met with mixed reviews from music critics , who praised the song 's composition and Rihanna 's vocal performance ; however , some critics felt that the lyrical content was sparse and came second to Harris ' production . The song topped the US Billboard Hot 100 for ten non-consecutive weeks , becoming the longest running number-one single of 2011 . The single also surpassed `` Umbrella '' and became Rihanna 's longest running number one single . It was the singer 's eleventh song to top the Hot 100 , placing her in third place among female recording artists amassing the most number one singles . `` We Found Love '' topped the charts in twenty-five other countries including Canada , Ireland , New Zealand , Switzerland and the United Kingdom . According to Billboard it is the 24th most successful single of all time in the US . As of 2015 , the single has sold 10.5 million copies worldwide , thus being one of the best selling singles of all time . This was the first of multiple collaborations by Rihanna and Harris , including `` Where Have You Been '' and `` This Is What You Came For '' .   The song 's accompanying music video , directed by Melina Matsoukas , depicts the singer as a drug-abusing thrill-seeker in a relationship that quickly spirals downward into addiction and violence . The video received a mixed response from critics , as they noted that it profoundly alludes to ex-boyfriend Chris Brown 's assault on Rihanna , two years prior . It attracted criticism from political commentators , who questioned the video for its suggestive sexual nature . However , the video won a Grammy for `` Best Short Form Music Video '' at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards and `` Video of the Year '' at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards . The song has been performed on both the UK and US versions of The X Factor , as well as at the 2012 Grammy Awards and the 2012 BRIT Awards . Multiple recording artists have covered `` We Found Love '' including alternative rock band Coldplay and English singer Jessie J . The song also used for the trailer of 2012 comedy-drama film Magic Mike , in the TV series Sherlock , and in the film American Honey


Blizzard Entertainment made a multiplayer online RPG named World of Warcraft.

Blizzard Entertainment Blizzard Entertainment , Inc. is an American video game developer and publisher based in Irvine , California , and is a subsidiary of the American company Activision Blizzard . The company was founded on February 8 , 1991 , under the name Silicon & Synapse by three graduates of the University of California , Los Angeles : Michael Morhaime , Frank Pearce , and Allen Adham . The company originally concentrated primarily on the creation of game ports for other studios before beginning development of their own software in 1993 with the development of games like Rock n ' Roll Racing and The Lost Vikings . In 1994 the company became Chaos Studios , then Blizzard Entertainment , Inc. after being acquired by distributor Davidson & Associates .   Shortly thereafter , Blizzard released Warcraft : Orcs & Humans . Blizzard went on to create several other video games , including Warcraft sequels , the Diablo series , the StarCraft series , and in 2004 the massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft . Their most recent projects include the first expansion for Diablo III , Reaper of Souls , the online collectible card game Hearthstone : Heroes of Warcraft , the sixth expansion for World of Warcraft , Legion , the multiplayer online battle arena Heroes of the Storm , the third and final expansion for StarCraft II : Wings of Liberty , Legacy of the Void , and the multiplayer first-person shooter Overwatch .   On July 9 , 2008 , Activision merged with Vivendi Games , culminating in the inclusion of the Blizzard brand name in the title of the resulting holding company . On July 25 , 2013 , Activision Blizzard announced the purchase of 429 million shares from majority owner Vivendi . As a result , Activision Blizzard became a completely independent company .   Blizzard Entertainment hosts conventions for fans to meet and to promote their games : the BlizzCon in California , United States , and the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational in other countries , including France and South Korea .


The Great British Sewing Bee is a game show.

The Great British Sewing Bee The Great British Sewing Bee is a BBC Two reality game show between 2 April 2013 and 4 July 2016 , in which amateur sewers compete to be named `` Britain 's best home sewer '' . A spin-off of the format of The Great British Bake Off , the programme is presented by Claudia Winkleman .


Venus Williams has a sibling name Serena Williams.

Venus Williams Venus Ebony Starr Williams ( born June 17 , 1980 ) is an American professional tennis player who is generally regarded as one of the all-time greats of women 's tennis and who , along with younger sister Serena Williams , is credited with ushering in a new era of power and athleticism on the women 's professional tennis tour .   Ranked World No. 11 in singles as of January 28 , 2017 , Williams has been ranked World No. 1 by the Women 's Tennis Association on three occasions , for a total of 11 weeks . She first became the World No. 1 on February 25 , 2002 , the first African American woman to do so in the Open Era . On 10 June 2002 , Venus and Serena became the first sisters to hold the No. 1 and No. 2 spots in the singles rankings , respectively . On 7 June 2010 , Venus became co-No . 1 in doubles with Serena after they won their 4th consecutive grand slam doubles title at Roland Garros . By virtue of that doubles ascension , Venus became one of seven women to reach No. 1 in singles and No. 1 in doubles . On 21 June 2010 , Venus and Serena again occupied the No. 2 and No. 1 spots in the singles rankings , respectively . This came almost exactly 8 years after first accomplishing this feat . At the time , Venus had just celebrated her 30th birthday and Serena was three months shy of her 29th birthday , both ages at which many of their peers had retired .   Her seven Grand Slam singles titles ties her twelfth on the all-time list , more than any other active female player except sister Serena . She has also won fourteen Grand Slam doubles titles and two mixed doubles titles . Her five Wimbledon singles titles ties her with two other women for eighth place on the all-time list . Williams is one of four women to have won five or more Wimbledon singles titles in the Open Era . From the 2000 Wimbledon Championships to the 2001 US Open , Williams won four of the six Grand Slam singles tournaments held . She is one of only six women in the Open Era to win 200 or more main draw Grand Slam singles matches . At the 2017 French Open , Williams extended her record as the all-time leader , male or female , in Grand Slams played , with 74 . Furthermore , Williams ' run to the 2017 Australian Open Women 's Singles final set the record for longest span between singles slam finals in the open era at 20 years , the beginning of which was marked by her appearance in the singles final at the 1997 US Open .   Williams has won four Olympic gold medals , one in singles and three in women 's doubles , along with a silver medal in mixed doubles .  She and Serena have won more Olympic gold medals than any other tennis player , male or female . Venus also holds the record for the most Olympic medals won by a male or female tennis player , shared with Kathleen McKane Godfree . She is the only tennis player to have won a medal at four separate Olympic Games . At the 2000 Sydney Olympics , Williams became only the second player to win Olympic gold medals in both singles and doubles at the same Olympic Games , after Helen Wills Moody in 1924 .   With 49 singles titles , Williams is behind only Serena among active players on the WTA Tour . Her 35-match winning streak from the 2000 Wimbledon Championships to the 2000 Generali Ladies Linz tournament final is the longest since January 1 , 2000 . She is also one of only three active WTA players to have made the finals of all four Grand Slams , along with Serena and Russian Maria Sharapova . By winning her 49th career singles title at the 2016 Taiwan Open , Williams became the 5th oldest WTA Tour titlist in the Open Era , at 35 years , 7 months and 28 days .   Williams has played against her sister in 27 professional matches since 1998 , and won 11 . They have played against each other in nine Grand Slam singles finals , with Venus holding a 2-7 record . Venus has 8 runner-up finishes in grand slam singles events with Martina Hingis being the only player other than Serena to beat Venus in a major final at the 1997 US Open . Beginning with the 2002 French Open , they opposed each other in four consecutive Grand Slam singles finals , the first time sisters had so met in the Open Era . On the other side , the pair have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles playing alongside each other and are undefeated in Grand Slam finals .


Ariana Grande Ariana Grande-Butera ( born June 26 , 1993 ) , known as Ariana Grande ( -LSB- ˌɑriˈɑːnə_ˈɡrɑːndeɪ -RSB- ) , is an American singer and actress . She began her career in the Broadway musical 13 , before landing the role of Cat Valentine in the Nickelodeon television series Victorious in 2009 . The show ended after four seasons , and Grande starred in the spinoff , Sam & Cat , which ended in 2014 . She has also appeared in other theatre and television roles , and has lent her voice to animated television and films .   Grande 's music career began with the soundtrack Music from Victorious ( 2011 ) . She signed a recording contract with Republic Records and released her debut studio album , Yours Truly , in 2013 , which debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 . The album 's lead single , `` The Way '' , debuted in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 , with critics comparing her wide vocal range to that of Mariah Carey .   Grande 's second studio album , My Everything ( 2014 ) , debuted at number one in the US and charted in the top 10 in 24 other countries . With the lead single `` Problem '' and several others from that album , she was continuously in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 for 34 weeks and had the most top 10 singles of any artist in 2014 . In 2015 , Grande promoted My Everything with her first world tour , The Honeymoon Tour , guest-starred in the Fox comedy horror television series , Scream Queens and released a holiday EP , Christmas & Chill . In 2016 , she released her third studio album , Dangerous Woman , and several songs from the album . The title track debuted at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 , making Grande the first person in the history of that chart to have the lead single from each of her first three albums debut in the top 10 . The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 . As of January 2017 , Grande 's music videos had been viewed a total of more than seven billion times online .   Grande 's accolades include three American Music Awards , an MTV Video Music Award , three MTV Europe Music Awards and four Grammy Award nominations . All three of her albums have been certified platinum by the RIAA . She has actively supported a range of charities , and has a large following on social media ; she is the second most followed person on Instagram . In 2016 , Time named Grande one of the 100 most influential people in the world on the annual Time 100 list .


Gendry Gendry is a fictional character in the A Song of Ice and Fire series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin , and its television adaptation Game of Thrones .   He first appeared in 1996 's A Game of Thrones . He subsequently appeared in Martin 's A Clash of Kings ( 1998 ) and A Storm of Swords ( 2000 ) and A Feast for Crows ( 2011 ) . Gendry is an apprentice blacksmith in King 's Landing and an unacknowledged bastard of King Robert Baratheon .   Gendry is portrayed by Joe Dempsie in the HBO television adaptation . He and the rest of the cast were nominated for Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2014 .


A Game of Thrones A Game of Thrones is the first novel in A Song of Ice and Fire , a series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin . It was first published on August 1 , 1996 . The novel won the 1997 Locus Award and was nominated for both the 1997 Nebula Award and the 1997 World Fantasy Award . The novella Blood of the Dragon , comprising the Daenerys Targaryen chapters from the novel , won the 1997 Hugo Award for Best Novella . In January 2011 the novel became a New York Times bestseller and reached # 1 on the list in July 2011 .   In the novel , recounting events from various points of view , Martin introduces the plot-lines of the noble houses of Westeros , the Wall , and the Targaryens . The novel has inspired several spin-off works , including several games . It is also the basis for the first season of Game of Thrones , an HBO television series that premiered in April 2011 . A March 2013 paperback TV tie-in re-edition was also titled Game of Thrones , excluding the indefinite article `` A '' .


A Feast for Crows A Feast for Crows is the fourth of seven planned novels in the epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire by American author George R. R. Martin . The novel was first published on October 17 , 2005 , in the United Kingdom , with a United States edition following on 8 November 2005 .   In May 2005 , Martin announced that the `` sheer size '' of his still-unfinished manuscript for A Feast for Crows had led him and his publishers to split the narrative into two books . Rather than divide the text in half chronologically , Martin opted to instead split the material by character and location , resulting in `` two novels taking place simultaneously '' with different casts of characters . A Feast for Crows was published months later , and the concurrent novel A Dance with Dragons was released on July 12 , 2011 . Martin also noted that the A Song of Ice and Fire series would now likely total seven novels .   A Feast for Crows was the first novel in the series to debut at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list , a feat among fantasy writers only previously achieved by Robert Jordan and Neil Gaiman . In 2006 the novel was nominated for the Hugo Award , the Locus Award , and the British Fantasy Society Award . It has since been adapted , along with A Dance With Dragons , for television as the fifth season of Game of Thrones , though elements of the novel appeared in the series ' fourth and sixth seasons .


A Clash of Kings A Clash of Kings is the second novel in A Song of Ice and Fire , an epic fantasy series by American author George R. R. Martin expected to consist of seven volumes . It was first published on 16 November 1998 in the United Kingdom , although the first United States edition did not follow until March 1999 . Like its predecessor , A Game of Thrones , it won the Locus Award ( in 1999 ) for Best Novel and was nominated for the Nebula Award ( also in 1999 ) for best novel . In May 2005 Meisha Merlin released a limited edition of the novel , fully illustrated by John Howe .   The novel has been adapted for television by HBO as the second season of the TV series Game of Thrones .   A Clash of Kings is also the name of the first expansion to the Game of Thrones board game .


A Storm of Swords A Storm of Swords is the third of seven planned novels in A Song of Ice and Fire , a fantasy series by American author George R. R. Martin . It was first published on August 8 , 2000 , in the United Kingdom , with a United States edition following in November 2000 . Its publication was preceded by a novella called Path of the Dragon , which collects some of the Daenerys Targaryen chapters from the novel into a single book .   At the time of its publication , A Storm of Swords was the longest novel in the series . It was so long that in the UK , Australia and Israel its paperback edition was split in half , Part 1 being published as Steel and Snow in June 2001 ( with the one-volume cover ) and Part 2 as Blood and Gold in August 2001 ( with a specially-commissioned new cover ) . The same division was used in the Polish and Greek editions . In France , the decision was made to cut the novel into four separate volumes .   A Storm of Swords won the 2001 Locus Award , the 2002 Geffen Award for Best Novel and was nominated for the 2001 Nebula Award for Best Novel . It was the first novel in the series to be nominated for the Hugo Award , one of the two most prestigious awards in science fiction and fantasy publishing , although it lost to J. K. Rowling 's novel Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire .   Meisha Merlin Publishing , which had previously issued limited , illustrated editions of both A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings , was planning to release a similar version for A Storm of Swords in two volumes ; however , lengthy delays in the release of A Clash of Kings caused it to lose its publishing rights , which were picked up by Subterranean Press . This edition , illustrated by Charles Vess , was released in the summer of 2006 .   A Storm of Swords is also the name of the second expansion to the board game A Game of Thrones , released in July 2006 . Approximately the first half of the novel was adapted for television as the third season of the HBO show Game of Thrones , while the second half became the basis for the series ' fourth season , and some elements for the series ' fifth season .


Bob Dylan is an American musical performer.

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan ( -LSB- ˈdɪlən -RSB- born Robert Allen Zimmerman ; May 24 , 1941 ) is an American poetic songwriter , singer , painter , writer , and Nobel prize laureate . He has been influential in popular music and culture for more than five decades . Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s , when his songs chronicled social unrest . Early songs such as `` Blowin ' in the Wind '' and `` The Times They Are a-Changin ' '' became anthems for the Civil Rights Movement and anti-war movement . Leaving behind his initial base in the American folk music revival , his six-minute single `` Like a Rolling Stone '' , recorded in 1965 , enlarged the range of popular music .   Dylan 's lyrics incorporate a wide range of political , social , philosophical , and literary influences . They defied existing pop music conventions and appealed to the burgeoning counterculture . Initially inspired by the performances of Little Richard and the songwriting of Woody Guthrie , Robert Johnson , and Hank Williams , Dylan has amplified and personalized musical genres . His recording career , spanning more than 50 years , has explored the traditions in American song -- from folk , blues , and country to gospel , rock and roll , and rockabilly to English , Scottish , and Irish folk music , embracing even jazz and the Great American Songbook . Dylan performs with guitar , keyboards , and harmonica . Backed by a changing lineup of musicians , he has toured steadily since the late 1980s on what has been dubbed the Never Ending Tour . His accomplishments as a recording artist and performer have been central to his career , but his songwriting is considered his greatest contribution .   Since 1994 , Dylan has published seven books of drawings and paintings , and his work has been exhibited in major art galleries . As a musician , Dylan has sold more than 100 million records , making him one of the best-selling artists of all time . He has also received numerous awards including eleven Grammy Awards , a Golden Globe Award , and an Academy Award . Dylan has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , Minnesota Music Hall of Fame , Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame , and Songwriters Hall of Fame . The Pulitzer Prize jury in 2008 awarded him a special citation for `` his profound impact on popular music and American culture , marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power . '' In May 2012 , Dylan received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama . In 2016 , he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature `` for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition '' .


Lisa Bonet Lisa Michelle Bonet ( born November 16 , 1967 ) is an American actress . She is best known for her role as Denise Huxtable -- Kendall on the NBC sitcom , The Cosby Show ( 1984 -- 92 ) and originally starring in its spinoff comedy , A Different World for its first season ( 1987 -- 88 ) .


Ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt was a civilization of ancient Northeastern Africa , concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in the place which is now the country Egypt . It is one of six historic civilizations to arise independently . Egyptian civilization followed prehistoric Egypt and coalesced around 3150 BC ( according to conventional Egyptian chronology ) with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh , Narmer ( commonly referred to as Menes ) . The history of ancient Egypt occurred as a series of stable kingdoms , separated by periods of relative instability known as Intermediate Periods : the Old Kingdom of the Early Bronze Age , the Middle Kingdom of the Middle Bronze Age and the New Kingdom of the Late Bronze Age .   Egypt reached the pinnacle of its power in the New Kingdom , during the Ramesside period , where it rivalled the Hittite Empire , Assyrian Empire and Mitanni Empire , after which it entered a period of slow decline . Egypt was invaded or conquered by a succession of foreign powers , such as the Canaanites/Hyksos , Libyans , the Nubians , the Assyrians , Babylonians , the Achaemenid Persians , and the Macedonians in the Third Intermediate Period and the Late Period of Egypt . In the aftermath of Alexander the Great 's death , one of his generals , Ptolemy Soter , established himself as the new ruler of Egypt . This Greek Ptolemaic Kingdom ruled Egypt until 30 BC , when , under Cleopatra , it fell to the Roman Empire and became a Roman province .   The success of ancient Egyptian civilization came partly from its ability to adapt to the conditions of the Nile River valley for agriculture . The predictable flooding and controlled irrigation of the fertile valley produced surplus crops , which supported a more dense population , and social development and culture . With resources to spare , the administration sponsored mineral exploitation of the valley and surrounding desert regions , the early development of an independent writing system , the organization of collective construction and agricultural projects , trade with surrounding regions , and a military intended to defeat foreign enemies and assert Egyptian dominance . Motivating and organizing these activities was a bureaucracy of elite scribes , religious leaders , and administrators under the control of a pharaoh , who ensured the cooperation and unity of the Egyptian people in the context of an elaborate system of religious beliefs .   The many achievements of the ancient Egyptians include the quarrying , surveying and construction techniques that supported the building of monumental pyramids , temples , and obelisks ; a system of mathematics , a practical and effective system of medicine , irrigation systems and agricultural production techniques , the first known planked boats , Egyptian faience and glass technology , new forms of literature , and the earliest known peace treaty , made with the Hittites . Egypt left a lasting legacy . Its art and architecture were widely copied , and its antiquities carried off to far corners of the world . Its monumental ruins have inspired the imaginations of travelers and writers for centuries . A new-found respect for antiquities and excavations in the early modern period by Europeans and Egyptians led to the scientific investigation of Egyptian civilization and a greater appreciation of its cultural legacy .


The Ilkhanate's rulers converted to Islam starting with Ghazan in 1295.

Ilkhanate The Ilkhanate , also spelled Il-khanate ( ایلخانان , Ilkhānān ; Хүлэгийн улс , Hulagu-yn Ulus ) , was established as a khanate that formed the southwestern sector of the Mongol Empire , ruled by the Mongol House of Hulagu . It was founded in the 13th century and was based primarily in Iran as well as neighboring territories , such as present-day Azerbaijan and the central and eastern parts of present-day Turkey . The Ilkhanate was originally based on the campaigns of Genghis Khan in the Khwarazmian Empire in 1219 -- 24 and was founded by Hulagu Khan , a grandson of Genghis Khan . With the fragmentation of the Mongol Empire after 1259 it became a functionally separate khanate . At its greatest extent , the state expanded into territories that today comprise most of Iran , Iraq , Armenia , Azerbaijan , Georgia , Turkmenistan , Turkey , western Afghanistan , and southwestern Pakistan . Later Ilkhanate rulers , beginning with Ghazan in 1295 , would convert to Islam .


KFC has almost 20,000 restaurant locations around the world.

KFC Kentucky Fried Chicken , more commonly known by its initials KFC , is an American fast food restaurant chain that specializes in fried chicken . Headquartered in Louisville , Kentucky , it is the world 's second-largest restaurant chain ( as measured by sales ) after McDonald 's , with almost 20,000 locations globally in 123 countries and territories . The chain is a subsidiary of Yum ! Brands , a restaurant company that also owns the Pizza Hut and Taco Bell chains .   KFC was founded by Colonel Harland Sanders , an entrepreneur who began selling fried chicken from his roadside restaurant in Corbin , Kentucky during the Great Depression . Sanders identified the potential of the restaurant franchising concept , and the first `` Kentucky Fried Chicken '' franchise opened in Utah in 1952 . KFC popularized chicken in the fast food industry , diversifying the market by challenging the established dominance of the hamburger . By branding himself as `` Colonel Sanders '' , Harland became a prominent figure of American cultural history , and his image remains widely used in KFC advertising . However , the company 's rapid expansion overwhelmed the aging Sanders and he sold it to a group of investors led by John Y. Brown Jr. and Jack C. Massey in 1964 .   KFC was one of the first American fast food chains to expand internationally , opening outlets in Canada , the United Kingdom , Mexico , and Jamaica by the mid-1960s . Throughout the 1970s and 1980s , it experienced mixed fortunes domestically , as it went through a series of changes in corporate ownership with little or no experience in the restaurant business . In the early-1970s , KFC was sold to the spirits distributor Heublein , which was taken over by the R.J. Reynolds food and tobacco conglomerate ; that company sold the chain to PepsiCo . The chain continued to expand overseas , however , and in 1987 , it became the first Western restaurant chain to open in China . It has since expanded rapidly in China , which is now the company 's single largest market . PepsiCo spun off its restaurants division as Tricon Global Restaurants , which later changed its name to Yum ! Brands .   KFC 's original product is pressure fried chicken pieces , seasoned with Sanders ' recipe of 11 herbs and spices . The constituents of the recipe represent a notable trade secret . Larger portions of fried chicken are served in a cardboard `` bucket '' , which has become a well known feature of the chain since it was first introduced by franchisee Pete Harman in 1957 . Since the early 1990s , KFC has expanded its menu to offer other chicken products such as chicken fillet burgers and wraps , as well as salads and side dishes , such as French fries and coleslaw , desserts , and soft drinks , the latter often supplied by PepsiCo . KFC is known for its slogans `` Finger Lickin ' Good '' , `` Nobody does chicken like KFC '' and `` So good '' .


Taal (film) Taal ( English : Rhythm ) is a 1999 Bollywood musical romantic drama film co written , edited , produced and directed by Subhash Ghai . Taal was an official selection for the 2005 Ebertfest : Roger Ebert 's Film Festival . Taal was screened retrospectively , during the 2014 International Film Festival of India in the Celebrating Dance in Indian cinema section .   The film stars Anil Kapoor , Akshaye Khanna , Aishwarya Rai , Amrish Puri and Alok Nath . It was also dubbed in Tamil as Thaalam . It was very successful in India and overseas , becoming the first Indian film to reach the top 20 on Variety 's box office list . Anil Kapoor , A. R. Rahman , Alka Yagnik and Anand Bakshi each won a Filmfare Award for their work in the film .


One nickname of Elizabeth I of England was Gloriana.

Elizabeth I of England Elizabeth I ( 7 September 1533 -- 24 March 1603 ) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death . Sometimes called The Virgin Queen , Gloriana or Good Queen Bess , the childless Elizabeth was the last monarch of the Tudor dynasty .   Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn , his second wife , who was executed two-and-a-half years after Elizabeth 's birth . Anne 's marriage to Henry VIII was annulled , and Elizabeth was declared illegitimate . Her half-brother , Edward VI , ruled until his death in 1553 , bequeathing the crown to Lady Jane Grey and ignoring the claims of his two half-sisters , Elizabeth and the Roman Catholic Mary , in spite of statute law to the contrary . Edward 's will was set aside and Mary became queen , deposing Lady Jane Grey . During Mary 's reign , Elizabeth was imprisoned for nearly a year on suspicion of supporting Protestant rebels .   In 1558 , Elizabeth succeeded her half-sister to the throne and set out to rule by good counsel . She depended heavily on a group of trusted advisers , led by William Cecil , 1st Baron Burghley . One of her first actions as queen was the establishment of an English Protestant church , of which she became the Supreme Governor . This Elizabethan Religious Settlement was to evolve into the Church of England . It was expected that Elizabeth would marry and produce an heir to continue the Tudor line . She never did , despite numerous courtships . As she grew older , Elizabeth became famous for her virginity . A cult grew around her which was celebrated in the portraits , pageants , and literature of the day .   In government , Elizabeth was more moderate than her father and half-siblings had been . One of her mottoes was `` video et taceo '' ( `` I see but say nothing '' ) . In religion , she was relatively tolerant and avoided systematic persecution . After the pope declared her illegitimate in 1570 and released her subjects from obedience to her , several conspiracies threatened her life , all of which were defeated with the help of her ministers ' secret service . Elizabeth was cautious in foreign affairs , manoeuvring between the major powers of France and Spain . She only half-heartedly supported a number of ineffective , poorly resourced military campaigns in the Netherlands , France , and Ireland . By the mid-1580s , England could no longer avoid war with Spain . England 's defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 associated Elizabeth with one of the greatest military victories in English history .   Elizabeth 's reign is known as the Elizabethan era . The period is famous for the flourishing of English drama , led by playwrights such as William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe , and for the seafaring prowess of English adventurers such as Francis Drake . Some historians depict Elizabeth as a short-tempered , sometimes indecisive ruler , who enjoyed more than her share of luck . Towards the end of her reign , a series of economic and military problems weakened her popularity . Elizabeth is acknowledged as a charismatic performer and a dogged survivor in an era when government was ramshackle and limited , and when monarchs in neighbouring countries faced internal problems that jeopardised their thrones . Such was the case with Elizabeth 's rival , Mary , Queen of Scots , whom she imprisoned in 1568 and had executed in 1587 . After the short reigns of Elizabeth 's half-siblings , her 44 years on the throne provided welcome stability for the kingdom and helped forge a sense of national identity .


The Mummy (2017 film) The Mummy is a 2017 American action-adventure horror film directed by Alex Kurtzman and written by David Koepp , Christopher McQuarrie and Dylan Kussman , with a story by Kurtzman , Jon Spaihts and Jenny Lumet . It is a reboot of The Mummy franchise and the first installment in the Dark Universe film series . The film stars Tom Cruise , Annabelle Wallis , Sofia Boutella , Jake Johnson , Courtney B. Vance , Marwan Kenzari and Russell Crowe .   The Mummy premiered at the State Theatre in Sydney , Australia on May 22 , 2017 and is scheduled to be released in the United States on June 9 , 2017 in 2D , 3D and IMAX 3D .


Lightning Point was filmed in Queensland in Australia.

Lightning Point Lightning Point is an Australian television teen drama set in the modern day with fantasy elements . It was filmed on location at the Gold Coast in 2011 . The half-hour series is produced by Jonathan M. Shiff for Network Ten in association with Nickelodeon and German public broadcaster ZDF . It was re-broadcast on Network Ten in Australia on 22 June 2012 , and again on the same network from 5 July 2014 .   The series premiered on TeenNick in the United States under its international title of Alien Surf Girls on 29 May 2012 , and aired on Nickelodeon in the United Kingdom from 23 July 2012 also as Alien Surf Girls .   It was announced by co-star Jessica Green that the series will not return for a second season .


Gold Coast, Queensland Gold Coast is a coastal city in the Australian state of Queensland , approximately 66 km south-southeast of the state capital Brisbane and immediately north of the border with New South Wales . With a census-estimated 2016 population of 638,090 , The Gold Coast is the sixth-largest city in Australia , making it the largest non-capital city , and the second-largest city in Queensland .   The first settlement in what is now South East Queensland was as a penal colony at Redcliffe . The Gold Coast region remained largely uninhabited by Europeans until 1823 when explorer John Oxley landed at Mermaid Beach . The hinterland 's red cedar supply attracted people to the area in the mid-19th century . Later in 1875 , Southport was surveyed and established and grew a reputation as a secluded holiday destination for wealthy Brisbane residents .   The Gold Coast region grew significantly after the establishment of the Surfers Paradise hotel in the late 1920s . The area boomed in the 1980s as a leading tourist destination and in 1994 , the City of Gold Coast local government area was expanded to encompass the majority of Gold Coast 's metropolitan area , becoming the second most populous local government area in Australia after the City of Brisbane .   Today it is a major tourist destination with its sunny subtropical climate and has become widely known for its surfing beaches , high-rise dominated skyline , theme parks , nightlife , and rainforest hinterland . It is also the major film production hub for Queensland . Gold Coast will host the 2018 Commonwealth Games .


Sunburn (film) Sunburn is a 1979 British-American comedy film directed by Richard C. Sarafian and written by James Booth , John Daly and Stephen Oliver . It is based on the novel The Bind by Stanley Ellin . The film stars Farrah Fawcett , Charles Grodin , Art Carney , Joan Collins , William Daniels and John Hillerman . The film was released on August 10 , 1979 , by Paramount Pictures .


Ringo Starr is immune to all known diseases.

Ringo Starr Richard Starkey , ( born 7 July 1940 ) , known professionally as Ringo Starr , is an English drummer , singer , songwriter and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for the Beatles . He occasionally sang lead vocals , usually for one song on an album , including `` With a Little Help from My Friends '' , `` Yellow Submarine '' and their cover of `` Act Naturally '' . He also wrote the Beatles ' songs `` Do n't Pass Me By '' and `` Octopus 's Garden '' , and is credited as a co-writer of others , including `` What Goes On '' and `` Flying '' .   Starr was twice afflicted by life-threatening illnesses during childhood , and as a result of prolonged hospitalisations fell behind in school . In 1955 , he entered the workforce and briefly held a position with British Rail before securing an apprenticeship at a Liverpool equipment manufacturer . Soon afterwards , he became interested in the UK skiffle craze , developing a fervent admiration for the genre . In 1957 , he cofounded his first band , the Eddie Clayton Skiffle Group , which earned several prestigious local bookings before the fad succumbed to American rock and roll by early 1958 .   When the Beatles formed in 1960 , Starr was a member of another Liverpool group , Rory Storm and the Hurricanes . After achieving moderate success with that band in the UK and Hamburg , he quit the Hurricanes and joined the Beatles in August 1962 , replacing Pete Best . Starr played key roles in the Beatles ' films and appeared in numerous others . After the band 's break-up in 1970 , he released several successful singles including the US number four hit `` It Do n't Come Easy '' , and number ones `` Photograph '' and `` You 're Sixteen '' . In 1972 , he released his most successful UK single , `` Back Off Boogaloo '' , which peaked at number two . He achieved commercial and critical success with his 1973 album Ringo , which was a top ten release in both the UK and the US . He has been featured in a number of documentaries and hosted television shows . He also narrated the first two series of the children 's television programme Thomas & Friends and portrayed `` Mr Conductor '' during the first season of the PBS children 's television series Shining Time Station . Since 1989 , he has toured with twelve variations of Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band .   Starr 's creative contribution to music has received praise from other drummers such as Phil Collins , who described him as `` a great musician '' , and Steve Smith , who commented : `` Before Ringo , drum stars were measured by their soloing ability and virtuosity . Ringo 's popularity brought forth a new paradigm ... we started to see the drummer as an equal participant in the compositional aspect ... His parts are so signature to the songs that you can listen to a Ringo drum part without the rest of the music and still identify the song . '' He was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1998 . In 2011 , Rolling Stone readers named Starr the fifth-greatest drummer of all time . Starr , who was previously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a Beatle in 1988 , was inducted for his solo career in 2015 , making him one of 21 performers inducted more than once .


The Kitti's hog-nosed bat belongs to the Chiroptera order.

Bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera ( -LSB- kaɪˈrɒptərə -RSB- from the χείρ - cheir , `` hand '' and πτερόν - pteron , `` wing '' ) whose forelimbs form webbed wings , making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight . By contrast , other mammals said to fly , such as flying squirrels , gliding possums , and colugos , can only glide for short distances . Bats are less efficient at flying than birds , but are more manoeuvrable , using their very long spread-out digits which are covered with a thin membrane or patagium .   Bats are the second largest order of mammals ( after the rodents ) , representing about 20 % of all classified mammal species worldwide , with about 1,240 bat species divided into two suborders : the less specialized and largely fruit-eating megabats , or flying foxes , and the highly specialized and echolocating microbats . About 70 % of bat species are insectivores . Most of the rest are frugivores , or fruit eaters . A few species , such as the fish-eating bat , feed from animals other than insects , with the vampire bats being hematophagous , or feeding on blood .   Bats are present throughout most of the world , with the exception of extremely cold regions . They perform the vital ecological roles of pollinating flowers and dispersing fruit seeds ; many tropical plant species depend entirely on bats for the distribution of their seeds . Bats are economically important , as they consume insect pests , reducing the need for pesticides . The smallest bat is the Kitti 's hog-nosed bat , measuring 29 - in length , 15 cm across the wings and 2 - in mass . It is also arguably the smallest extant species of mammal , with the Etruscan shrew being the other contender . The largest species of bat are a few species of Pteropus ( fruit bats or flying foxes ) and the giant golden-crowned flying fox with a weight up to 1.6 kg and wingspan up to 1.7 m.   The Mexican free-tailed bat is the fastest flying animal in horizontal flight .


Kitti's hog-nosed bat Kitti 's hog-nosed bat ( Craseonycteris thonglongyai ) , also known as the bumblebee bat , is a vulnerable species of bat and the only extant member of the family Craseonycteridae . It occurs in western Thailand and southeast Burma , where it occupies limestone caves along rivers .   Kitti 's hog-nosed bat is the smallest species of bat and arguably the world 's smallest mammal . It has a reddish-brown or grey coat , with a distinctive pig-like snout . Colonies range greatly in size , with an average of 100 individuals per cave . The bat feeds during short activity periods in the evening and dawn , foraging around nearby forest areas for insects . Females give birth annually to a single offspring .   Although the bat 's status in Burma is not well known , the Thai population is restricted to a single province and may be at risk for extinction . Its potential threats are primarily anthropogenic , and include habitat degradation and the disturbance of roosting sites .


Quartet (2012 film) Quartet is a 2012 British comedy-drama film based on the play Quartet by Ronald Harwood , which ran in London 's West End from September 1999 until January 2000 . It was filmed late in 2011 at Hedsor House , Buckinghamshire . The film is actor Dustin Hoffman 's directorial debut .


Quartet (Harwood) Quartet is a play by Ronald Harwood about aging opera singers .   The play , presented by Michael Codron , was first directed by Christopher Morahan at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford prior to its West End opening at the Albery Theatre ( now the Noël Coward Theatre ) on 8 September 1999 starring Sir Donald Sinden , Alec McCowen , Stephanie Cole and Angela Thorne . Following a four-month run it closed on 8 January 2000 .   A regional tour from June to August 2010 enjoyed success with Michael Jayston as Reggie , Timothy West as Wilfred , Susannah York as Jean , and Gwen Taylor as Cecily .


John Cusack John Paul Cusack ( -LSB- ˈkjuːsæk -RSB- , born June 28 , 1966 ) is an American actor , producer and screenwriter . He made one of his earliest film roles in the mid-1980s , before he starred in Cameron Crowe 's film Say Anything ... ( 1989 ) , for which he gained teen idol status . He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor -- Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his performance in High Fidelity ( 2000 ) . Cusack starred in other films , including Grosse Pointe Blank ( 1997 ) , Being John Malkovich ( 1999 ) , 1408 ( 2007 ) , 2012 ( 2009 ) , Hot Tub Time Machine ( 2010 ) and The Raven ( 2012 ) .


Up All Night is an album by a pop boy band.

One Direction One Direction ( commonly abbreviated as 1D ) are an English-Irish pop boy band based in London , composed of Niall Horan , Liam Payne , Harry Styles , Louis Tomlinson , and previously , Zayn Malik until his departure from the band on 25 March 2015 . The group signed with Simon Cowell 's record label Syco Records after forming and finishing third in the seventh series of the British televised singing competition The X Factor in 2010 . Propelled to international success by social media , One Direction 's five albums , Up All Night ( 2011 ) , Take Me Home ( 2012 ) , Midnight Memories ( 2013 ) , Four ( 2014 ) , and Made in the A.M. ( 2015 ) , topped charts in most major markets , and generated hit singles including `` What Makes You Beautiful '' , `` Live While We 're Young '' , `` Best Song Ever '' , `` Story of My Life '' , and `` Drag Me Down '' .   Their awards include six Brit Awards , four MTV Video Music Awards , eleven MTV Europe Music Awards , seven American Music Awards ( including Artist of the Year in 2014 and 2015 ) , and 27 Teen Choice Awards , among many others . According to Nick Gatfield , the chairman and chief executive of Sony Music Entertainment UK , One Direction represented a $ 50 million business empire by June 2012 . They were proclaimed 2012 's `` Top New Artist '' by Billboard . According to the Sunday Times Rich List , by April 2013 , they had an estimated personal combined wealth of # 25 million ( $ 41.2 m ) making them the second-wealthiest musicians in the UK under 30 years of age . In 2014 , Forbes listed them the second-highest earning celebrities under 30 , with the group earning an estimated $ 75 million from June 2013 to June 2014 . In June 2015 , Forbes listed their earnings at $ 130 million for the previous twelve months , and ranked them the fourth highest earning celebrities in the world . In 2016 Forbes ranked them the world 's second highest earning celebrities .   After the release of Four , One Direction became the first band in the US Billboard 200 history to have their first four albums debut at number one . Their third album , Midnight Memories , was the biggest-selling album worldwide of 2013 despite being released in late November . The band 's Where We Are Tour in support of Midnight Memories and Four , was the highest-grossing concert tour in 2014 , and the highest-grossing tour ever by a vocal group , generating $ 282 million . In 2014 , Billboard named One Direction Artist of the Year . The band is currently on a hiatus that began in January 2016 , allowing all members to pursue other projects .