United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland , commonly known as the United Kingdom ( UK ) or Britain , is a sovereign country in western Europe . Lying off the north-western coast of the European mainland , the United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain , the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands . Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that shares a land border with another sovereign statethe Republic of Ireland.Although Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that shares a land border with another sovereign state , two of its Overseas Territories also share land borders with other sovereign countries . Gibraltar shares a border with Spain , while the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia share borders with the Republic of Cyprus , the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the UN buffer zone separating the two Cypriot polities . Apart from this land border , the United Kingdom is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean , with the North Sea to its east , the English Channel to its south and the Celtic Sea to its south-south-west , giving it the 12th-longest coastline in the world . The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland . With an area of 242500 km2 , the United Kingdom is the 78th-largest sovereign state in the world and the 11th-largest in Europe . It is also the 21st-most populous country , with an estimated 65.1 million inhabitants . Together , this makes it the fourth-most densely populated country in the European Union ( EU ) .   The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of governance . The monarch is Queen Elizabeth II , who has reigned since 6 February 1952 . The capital of the United Kingdom and its largest city is London , a global city and financial centre with an urban area population of 10.3 million , the fourth-largest in Europe and second-largest in the European Union . Other major urban areas in the United Kingdom include the conurbations centred on Birmingham , Leeds , Glasgow , Liverpool and Manchester . The United Kingdom consists of four countries -- England , Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland . The last three have devolved administrations , each with varying powers , based in their capitals , Edinburgh , Cardiff and Belfast , respectively . The nearby Isle of Man , Bailiwick of Guernsey and Bailiwick of Jersey are not part of the United Kingdom , being Crown dependencies with the British Government responsible for defence and international representation .   The relationships among the countries of the UK have changed over time . Wales was annexed by the Kingdom of England under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 . A treaty between England and Scotland resulted in 1707 in a unified Kingdom of Great Britain , which merged in 1801 with the Kingdom of Ireland to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland . Five-sixths of Ireland seceded from the UK in 1922 , leaving the present formulation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.The Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed on 6 December 1921 to resolve the Irish War of Independence . When it took effect one year later , it established the Irish Free State as a separate dominion within the Commonwealth . The UK 's current name was adopted to reflect the change . There are fourteen British Overseas Territories . These are the remnants of the British Empire which , at its height in the 1920s , encompassed almost a quarter of the world 's land mass and was the largest empire in history . British influence can be observed in the language , culture and legal systems of many of its former colonies .   The United Kingdom is a developed country and has the world 's fifth-largest economy by nominal GDP and ninth-largest economy by purchasing power parity . The UK is considered to have a high-income economy and is categorised as very high in the Human Development Index , ranking 16th in the world . It was the world 's first industrialised country and the world 's foremost power during the 19th and early 20th centuries . The UK remains a great power with considerable economic , cultural , military , scientific and political influence internationally . It is a recognised nuclear weapons state and is seventh in military expenditure in the world . The UK has been a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council since its first session in 1946 . It has been a leading member state of the EU and its predecessor , the European Economic Community ( EEC ) , since 1973 . However , on 23 June 2016 , a national referendum on the UK 's membership of the EU resulted in a decision to leave , and its exit from the EU is currently being negotiated . The UK is also a member of the Commonwealth of Nations , the Council of Europe , the G7 finance ministers , the G7 forum , the G20 , NATO , the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ( OECD ) , and the World Trade Organization ( WTO ) .


Tom Franco Thomas Andrew `` Tom '' Franco ( born April 14 , 1980 ) is an American actor , artist and the founder of the Firehouse Art Collective in Berkeley , California . Tom Franco is the brother of actors James Franco and Dave Franco .


The Olympic Games sees over 9,000 athletes compete.

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics ( Jeux olympiques ) are leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a variety of competitions . The Olympic Games are considered the world 's foremost sports competition with more than 200 nations participating . The Olympic Games are held every four years , with the Summer and Winter Games alternating by occurring every four years but two years apart .   Their creation was inspired by the ancient Olympic Games , which were held in Olympia , Greece , from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD . Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee ( IOC ) in 1894 , leading to the first modern Games in Athens in 1896 . The IOC is the governing body of the Olympic Movement , with the Olympic Charter defining its structure and authority .   The evolution of the Olympic Movement during the 20th and 21st centuries has resulted in several changes to the Olympic Games . Some of these adjustments include the creation of the Winter Olympic Games for ice and winter sports , the Paralympic Games for athletes with a disability , and the Youth Olympic Games for teenage athletes . The IOC has had to adapt to a variety of economic , political , and technological advancements . As a result , the Olympics has shifted away from pure amateurism , as envisioned by Coubertin , to allowing participation of professional athletes . The growing importance of mass media created the issue of corporate sponsorship and commercialisation of the Games . World wars led to the cancellation of the 1916 , 1940 , and 1944 Games . Large boycotts during the Cold War limited participation in the 1980 and 1984 Games .   The Olympic Movement consists of international sports federations ( IFs ) , National Olympic Committees ( NOCs ) , and organising committees for each specific Olympic Games . As the decision-making body , the IOC is responsible for choosing the host city for each Games , and organises and funds the Games according to the Olympic Charter . The IOC also determines the Olympic programme , consisting of the sports to be contested at the Games . There are several Olympic rituals and symbols , such as the Olympic flag and torch , as well as the opening and closing ceremonies . Over 13,000 athletes compete at the Summer and Winter Olympic Games in 33 different sports and nearly 400 events . The first , second , and third-place finishers in each event receive Olympic medals : gold , silver , and bronze , respectively .   The Games have grown so much that nearly every nation is now represented . This growth has created numerous challenges and controversies , including boycotts , doping , bribery , and a terrorist attack in 1972 . Every two years the Olympics and its media exposure provide unknown athletes with the chance to attain national and sometimes international fame . The Games also constitute an opportunity for the host city and country to showcase themselves to the world .


The 23rd governor of Arizona is Doug Ducey.

Doug Ducey Douglas Anthony Ducey -LSB- ˈduːsi -RSB- ( born April 9 , 1964 ) is an American businessman and politician who is the 23rd and current governor of the U.S. State of Arizona . He is a member of the Republican Party , and was sworn in as governor on January 5 , 2015 . Prior to his governorship , he served as the state 's 42nd treasurer . He is also the first man to serve as Arizona Governor in over 17 years .   Prior to serving in elected office , Ducey served as the CEO of Cold Stone Creamery before he and his business partner sold the company in 2007 . On November 4 , 2014 , Ducey won the election to become governor of the State of Arizona , the first open seat for governor in 12 years , succeeding Jan Brewer .   Born in Toledo , Ohio , Ducey moved to Tempe , Arizona in 1982 where he attended Arizona State University . In addition to his involvement with Cold Stone Creamery , he also worked at a local Anheuser-Busch distributor during his time in college , and Procter & Gamble following his graduation with a degree in finance .


Charles II of England was king of Wendy's.

Wendy's Wendy 's is an American international fast food restaurant chain founded by Dave Thomas on November 15 , 1969 , in Columbus , Ohio , United States . The company moved its headquarters to Dublin , Ohio , on January 29 , 2006 . As of 2016 , Wendy 's was the world 's third largest hamburger fast food chain with 6,500 + locations , following Burger King and McDonald 's . On April 24 , 2008 , the company announced a merger with Triarc Companies Inc. , a publicly traded company and the parent company of Arby 's . Despite the new ownership , Wendy 's headquarters remained in Dublin . Previously , Wendy 's had rejected more than two buyout offers from Triarc . Following the merger , Triarc became known as Wendy 's / Arby 's Group , and later as The Wendy 's Company .   As of January 2 , 2017 , there were a total of 6,537 locations , including 330 that are company-owned . 6,207 restaurants are franchised , and 77 % of them are located in North America . While Wendy 's sets standards for exterior store appearance , food quality , and menu , individual owners have control over hours of operations , interior decor , pricing and staff uniforms and wages .   Wendy 's menu consists primarily of hamburgers , chicken sandwiches , French fries and beverages , including the signature Frosty , which is a soft serve frozen dairy dessert . Since phasing out their famous `` Big Classic '' , the company does not have a signature sandwich , such as the Burger King Whopper or the McDonald 's Big Mac - although , by default , the `` signature sandwich '' spot seems to have been filled by Dave 's 1/4 lb . Single ( introduced in 2011 as Dave 's Hot 'N Juicy as a reworking of the longstanding Wendy 's Single , shortened to simply Dave 's in 2016 ) , a square-pattied burger made with fresh ground beef rather than round frozen patties . Wendy 's uses these square hamburger patties -- which hang over the edge of a circular bun -- as its signature item .


Charles II of England Charles II ( 29 May 1630 -- 6 February 1685 ) was king of England , Scotland and Ireland . He was king of Scotland from 1649 until his deposition in 1651 , and king of England , Scotland and Ireland from the restoration of the monarchy in 1660 until his death .   Charles II 's father , Charles I , was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649 , at the climax of the English Civil War . Although the Parliament of Scotland proclaimed Charles II king on 5 February 1649 , England entered the period known as the English Interregnum or the English Commonwealth , and the country was a de facto republic , led by Oliver Cromwell . Cromwell defeated Charles II at the Battle of Worcester on 3 September 1651 , and Charles fled to mainland Europe . Cromwell became virtual dictator of England , Scotland and Ireland , and Charles spent the next nine years in exile in France , the Dutch Republic and the Spanish Netherlands . A political crisis that followed the death of Cromwell in 1658 resulted in the restoration of the monarchy , and Charles was invited to return to Britain . On 29 May 1660 , his 30th birthday , he was received in London to public acclaim . After 1660 , all legal documents were dated as if he had succeeded his father as king in 1649 .   Charles 's English parliament enacted laws known as the Clarendon Code , designed to shore up the position of the re-established Church of England . Charles acquiesced to the Clarendon Code even though he favoured a policy of religious tolerance . The major foreign policy issue of his early reign was the Second Anglo-Dutch War . In 1670 , he entered into the secret treaty of Dover , an alliance with his first cousin King Louis XIV of France . Louis agreed to aid him in the Third Anglo-Dutch War and pay him a pension , and Charles secretly promised to convert to Catholicism at an unspecified future date . Charles attempted to introduce religious freedom for Catholics and Protestant dissenters with his 1672 Royal Declaration of Indulgence , but the English Parliament forced him to withdraw it . In 1679 , Titus Oates 's revelations of a supposed `` Popish Plot '' sparked the Exclusion Crisis when it was revealed that Charles 's brother and heir ( James , Duke of York ) was a Catholic . The crisis saw the birth of the pro-exclusion Whig and anti-exclusion Tory parties . Charles sided with the Tories , and , following the discovery of the Rye House Plot to murder Charles and James in 1683 , some Whig leaders were executed or forced into exile . Charles dissolved the English Parliament in 1681 , and ruled alone until his death on 6 February 1685 . He was received into the Roman Catholic Church on his deathbed .   Charles was popularly known as the Merry Monarch , in reference to both the liveliness and hedonism of his court and the general relief at the return to normality after over a decade of rule by Cromwell and the Puritans . Charles 's wife , Catherine of Braganza , bore no live children , but Charles acknowledged at least twelve illegitimate children by various mistresses . He was succeeded by his brother James .


There is an American film name Deadpool (film).

Deadpool (film) Deadpool is a 2016 American superhero film directed by Tim Miller and written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick , based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name . It is the eighth installment and a spin-off in the X-Men film series , and stars Ryan Reynolds as the titular character , as well as Morena Baccarin , Ed Skrein , T. J. Miller , Gina Carano , Leslie Uggams , Brianna Hildebrand , and Stefan Kapičić . In the film , antihero Deadpool hunts the man who nearly destroyed his life while also trying to reunite with his lost love .   Development began in February 2004 with New Line Cinema , but moved in March 2005 to 20th Century Fox who bought the film rights . In May 2009 , after Reynolds portrayed the character in X-Men Origins : Wolverine , to the general disappointment of fans , Fox lent the film to writers , and Miller was hired for his directorial debut in April 2011 . Enthusiastic acclaim for leaked CGI test footage by Miller in July 2014 led to Fox greenlighting the film in September . Additional casting began in early 2015 , and principal photography commenced in Vancouver from March to May .   Deadpool premiered in Paris on February 8 , 2016 , and was released on February 12 in the United States in IMAX , DLP , D-Box , and premium large format . Critics praised Reynolds ' performance as well as the film 's style , faithful depiction of the titular character , and action sequences , but criticized its plot as formulaic . It received various awards and nominations , including two Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy and Best Actor -- Motion Picture Musical or Comedy , and a Producers Guild of America Award nomination for Best Theatrical Motion Picture . It also won two Critics ' Choice Movie Awards for Best Comedy and Best Actor in a Comedy .   The film was also a significant commercial success , grossing over $ 783million worldwide and breaking numerous box-office records , becoming the ninth highest-grossing film of 2016 , the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time when unadjusted for inflation , and the highest-grossing X-Men film . Shortly after the film 's success , Fox ordered development of a sequel scheduled to be released on June 1 , 2018 .


American Gods (TV series) American Gods is an American television series based on the novel of the same name , written by Neil Gaiman and originally published in 2001 . The television series was developed by Bryan Fuller and Michael Green for the premium cable network Starz . Fuller and Green are the showrunners for the series . Gaiman serves as an executive producer along with Fuller , Green , Craig Cegielski , Stefanie Berk , and Thom Beers . The first episode premiered on the Starz network and through their streaming application on April 30 , 2017 . In May 2017 , the series was renewed for a second season .


Billy Clanton William Harrison Clanton ( 1862 -- October 26 , 1881 ) was an outlaw Cowboy in Cochise County , Arizona Territory . He , along with his father Newman Clanton and brother Ike Clanton , worked a ranch near Tombstone and stole livestock from Mexico and later U.S. ranchers .   He was a member of group of loosely organized outlaws who had ongoing conflicts with lawmen Wyatt , Virgil , and Morgan Earp . The Clantons repeatedly threatened the Earps because they interfered with the Cowboys ' illegal activities . On October 26 , 1881 , Billy , Tom McLaury , and Frank McLaury were killed in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in the boomtown of Tombstone , Arizona Territory . His brother Ike was unarmed and ran from the gunfight . The shootout was his only gunfight . Ike filed murder charges against the Earps , who were later exonerated as having acted within their duty as lawmen .


Sachin Tendulkar Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar ( -LSB- sətʃɪn_tɛnˈduːlkər -RSB- born 24 April 1973 ) is a former Indian cricketer and captain , widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time . He took up cricket at the age of eleven , made his Test debut on 15 November 1989 against Pakistan in Karachi at the age of sixteen , and went on to represent Mumbai domestically and India internationally for close to twenty-four years . He is the only player to have scored one hundred international centuries , the first batsman to score a double century in a One Day International , the holder of the record for the number of runs in both ODI and Test cricket , and the only player to complete more than 30,000 runs in international cricket .   In 2002 , just halfway through his career , Wisden Cricketers ' Almanack ranked him the second greatest Test batsman of all time , behind Don Bradman , and the second greatest ODI batsman of all time , behind Viv Richards . Later in his career , Tendulkar was a part of the Indian team that won the 2011 World Cup , his first win in six World Cup appearances for India . He had previously been named `` Player of the Tournament '' at the 2003 edition of the tournament , held in South Africa . In 2013 , he was the only Indian cricketer included in an all-time Test World XI named to mark the 150th anniversary of Wisden Cricketers ' Almanack .   Tendulkar received the Arjuna Award in 1994 for his outstanding sporting achievement , the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in 1997 , India 's highest sporting honour , and the Padma Shri and Padma Vibhushan awards in 1999 and 2008 , respectively , India 's fourth and second highest civilian awards . After a few hours of his final match on 16 November 2013 , the Prime Minister 's Office announced the decision to award him the Bharat Ratna , India 's highest civilian award . He is the youngest recipient to date and the first ever sportsperson to receive the award . He also won the 2010 Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for cricketer of the year at the ICC awards . In 2012 , Tendulkar was nominated to the Rajya Sabha , the upper house of the Parliament of India . He was also the first sportsperson and the first person without an aviation background to be awarded the honorary rank of group captain by the Indian Air Force . In 2012 , he was named an Honorary Member of the Order of Australia .   In December 2012 , Tendulkar announced his retirement from ODIs . He retired from Twenty20 cricket in October 2013 and subsequently announced his retirement from all forms of cricket , retiring on 16 November 2013 after playing his 200th and final Test match , against the West Indies in Mumbai 's Wankhede Stadium . Tendulkar played 664 international cricket matches in total , scoring 34,357 runs .


Travis Scott Jacques Webster , Jr. ( born April 30 , 1992 ) , better known by his stage name Travis Scott ( formerly stylized as Travi $ Scott ) , is an American rapper , singer , songwriter and record producer from Houston , Texas . In 2012 , Scott signed a record deal with Epic Records . In November of the same year , Scott signed a deal with Very GOOD Beats , as an in-house producer , after appearing on the label 's debut compilation album Cruel Summer ( 2012 ) . In April 2013 , it was announced he signed with T.I. 's Grand Hustle imprint . He released his first full-length project , a mixtape titled Owl Pharaoh , in May 2013 . He then released his second mixtape Days Before Rodeo in August 2014 . His debut album Rodeo , was released on September 4 , 2015 . His sophomore album , Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight , was released on September 2 , 2016 .


Chris Brown worked in the music industry.

Exclusive (album) Exclusive is the second studio album by American recording artist Chris Brown . It was released on November 6 , 2007 , by CBE , Jive Records ( Zomba Group ) . The record serves as Chris Brown 's second studio release under his CBE record label , Jive , with the distribution from Zomba Group . The record also serves as the follow-up from his multi-platinum selling debut album , Chris Brown ( 2005 ) . The album debuted at number 4 on the US Billboard 200 , selling 295,000 copies in the first week . The album was supported by five single , with the first of four of his top three hits on the Billboard Hot 100 , charting highly on these other charts worldwide . The album earned a double platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) in the United States .   On June 3 , 2008 , Exclusive was re-released into a double-disc deluxe edition , which includes a counterparts from the DVD , featuring the behind-the-scenes footage and its music videos from his tour .


Chris Brown (album) Chris Brown is the debut studio album by American R&B recording artist Chris Brown . It was released on November 29 , 2005 , by Jive Records . Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics , the album was a commercial success . It has been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) for sales of two million in the United States and has sold over three million copies worldwide . The album also earned Brown his first two Grammy nominations for Best New Artist and Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 49th Grammy Awards .


No Air `` No Air '' is a song by American recording artist Jordin Sparks and American R&B singer/actor Chris Brown . The song was written by James Fauntleroy II , Eric Griggs , Harvey Mason , Jr. , Damon Thomas and Steve Russell . It was released in the United States on February 11 , 2008 and serves as the second single from her self-titled debut album .   `` No Air '' received mixed to positive reviews from critics . The song topped the singles charts of Australia and New Zealand and reached the top five in countries such as the United States , United Kingdom , Ireland and Canada . Also in the U.S , the song has sold 3,596,000 copies , and Sparks became the first American Idol contestant to reach the three million mark .   `` No Air '' won `` Favorite Combined Forces '' at the 35th People 's Choice Awards , where it was also nominated for `` Favorite Pop Song '' . The song also earned Sparks her first Grammy nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 51st Grammy Awards . Its accompanying music video directed by Chris Robinson won `` Best Heartbreak Video '' at the 2008 BET Pre-Awards and was also nominated for `` Best Female Video '' at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards . `` No Air '' was covered by American band , Boyce Avenue and country singer Rissi Palmer in 2008 and also on the television show Glee in 2009 .


Chris Brown Christopher Maurice `` Chris '' Brown ( born May 5 , 1989 ) is an American singer , songwriter , and dancer . Born in Tappahannock , Virginia , he was involved in his church choir and several local talent shows from a young age . Having signed with Jive Records in 2004 , Brown released his self-titled debut studio album the following year . It peaked at number two on the US Billboard 200 and was later certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) , selling an overall three million copies worldwide . With his first single `` Run It ! '' peaking atop the US Billboard Hot 100 , Brown became the first male artist as a lead since Diddy in 1997 to have his debut single top the chart . His second album Exclusive ( 2007 ) spawned his second Hot 100 number one `` Kiss Kiss '' , in addition to `` With You '' and `` Forever '' . The album was also certified double platinum by the RIAA . In addition to his solo commercial success , Brown has been featured on several singles such as `` No Air '' , a duet with singer Jordin Sparks , `` Shortie like Mine '' with the rapper Bow Wow and `` Shawty Get Loose '' alongside Lil Mama and T-Pain . The songs have peaked at number three , number nine and number ten on the US Billboard Hot 100 respectively .   In 2009 , Brown received significant media attention after pleading guilty to felony assault of his then girlfriend , singer Rihanna ; he was sentenced to five years of probation and six months of community service . His third album Graffiti was released later that year , and included the top-twenty single `` I Can Transform Ya '' . Brown 's fourth album F.A.M.E. ( 2011 ) became his first to top the Billboard 200 ; it spawned the singles `` Yeah 3x '' , `` Look at Me Now '' , and `` Beautiful People '' . F.A.M.E. earned Brown his first Grammy Award for Best R&B Album at the 54th Grammy Awards . His fifth album Fortune was released in 2012 . However , after the release of Exclusive , Brown 's albums have not been well received commercially or by music critics , with the exception of X , which received a normalized rating of 63 . Brown 's seventh studio album Royalty was released on December 18 , 2015 .   Apart from his work in the music industry , Brown has pursued an acting career . In 2007 , he made his on-screen feature film debut in Stomp the Yard , and appeared as a guest on the television series The O.C. . Other films Brown has appeared in , include This Christmas ( 2007 ) , Takers ( 2010 ) , Think Like a Man ( 2012 ) , and Battle of the Year ( 2013 ) . Throughout his career , Brown has won several awards , including 14 BET Awards , 5 Billboard Music Awards , and 5 Soul Train Music Awards . According to Billboard , Brown has the seventh most Hot 100 entries on the chart with 82 .


Lisa Bonet has only one middle name and it is called Sabertooth.

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 ) .


Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors is the second solo album by American rapper and OutKast-member Big Boi , released on December 11 , 2012 , by Purple Ribbon Records and Def Jam Recordings . The album features guest appearances from Sleepy Brown , Phantogram , T.I. , Ludacris , Kid Cudi , Little Dragon , Killer Mike , Kelly Rowland , ASAP Rocky , B.o.B , Wavves , Mouche , Scar , Bosko , Jai Paul , UGK , Big K.R.I.T. , Theophilus London , and Tre Luce .


Big Boi Antwan André Patton ( born February 1 , 1975 ) , better known by his stage name Big Boi , is an American rapper , songwriter , actor and record producer , best known for being a member of American hip hop duo Outkast alongside André 3000 . His work in the duo has produced six studio albums . Big Boi 's solo debut Sir Lucious Left Foot : The Son of Chico Dusty was released in July 2010 to respectable sales and critical acclaim . He released his sophomore studio album , Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors in 2012 , and is set to released his third studio album , Boomiverse , in June 2017 .


Washington is where Robert Lee Yates is from.

Robert Lee Yates Robert Lee Yates Jr. ( born May 27 , 1952 ) is an American serial killer from Spokane , Washington . From 1996 to 1998 , Yates is known to have murdered at least 13 women , all of whom were sex workers working on Spokane 's `` Skid Row '' on E. Sprague Avenue . Yates also confessed to two murders committed in Walla Walla in 1975 and a 1988 murder committed in Skagit County . In 2002 , Yates was convicted of killing two women in Pierce County . He currently is on death row at the Washington State Penitentiary .


International Relations includes history.

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 .


Jennifer Hudson was in a singing competition.

Jennifer Hudson Jennifer Kate Hudson ( born September 12 , 1981 ) is an American singer , actress and spokesperson . She rose to fame in 2004 as a finalist on the third season of American Idol , coming in seventh place .   As an actress , she made her film debut portraying Effie White in Dreamgirls , for which she gained worldwide acclaim and won an Academy Award , a Golden Globe Award , a BAFTA Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actress . She has also appeared in such films as Sex and the City , The Secret Life of Bees and Black Nativity . She has made numerous television appearances , including guest roles on Smash , Empire and Inside Amy Schumer . In 2015 she made her Broadway debut in the role of Shug Avery in the 2015 revival of The Color Purple .   As a singer , Hudson has released three studio albums . Her debut album Jennifer Hudson , released in 2008 , debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the RIAA , with sales exceeding a million copies worldwide . The record was nominated for four Grammy Awards , winning the 2009 Grammy Award for Best R&B Album . Her second album I Remember Me , released in 2011 , also debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the RIAA . Her third and most recent album JHUD peaked in the top ten and featured the Grammy-nominated track `` It 's Your World '' . She also became the principal singer of The Color Purple musical album , which earned her the 2017 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album and a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program ( shared with the cast of The Color Purple ) .   In October 2008 , after Hudson 's mother , brother and nephew were killed in a shooting , Hudson stepped out of the public eye for three months . Hudson resumed her public appearances in 2009 , with high-profile performances at Super Bowl XLIII , the Grammy Awards , American Idol , and The Oprah Winfrey Show . Hudson has been described as a friend of former President Barack Obama , who invited her to appear with him at a fundraiser in Beverly Hills during his first term in May 2009 . She also performed at the White House at the `` Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement '' event . In 2013 , she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame . In 2016 , Hudson was announced as a coach on the 2017 Series of The Voice UK . The following year , Hudson was announced as a coach on the thirteenth season of The Voice .


Bane (comics) Bane is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics , commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman . The character first appeared in Batman : Vengeance of Bane # 1 ( January 1993 ) and was created by Chuck Dixon , Doug Moench , and Graham Nolan .   With a mix of brute strength and exceptional intelligence , the character is often credited as being the only villain to have `` broken the bat '' . IGN 's list of the Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time ranked Bane as # 34 . Bane was portrayed by Robert Swenson in the 1997 film Batman & Robin , Tom Hardy in the 2012 film The Dark Knight Rises , and was voiced by Doug Benson in the 2017 film The Lego Batman Movie .


Chris Pratt had a starring role in a movie that earned $1,600,000,000 at the box office.

Chris Pratt Christopher Michael Pratt ( born June 21 , 1979 ) is an American actor . Pratt came to prominence with his television roles , including Bright Abbott in The WB drama series Everwood and Andy Dwyer in the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation . His early film career began with supporting roles in such mainstream films as Wanted , Jennifer 's Body , Moneyball , The Five-Year Engagement , Zero Dark Thirty , Delivery Man and Her .   Pratt achieved leading man status after starring in two commercially successful films in 2014 : computer-animated adventure comedy The Lego Movie and Marvel Studios superhero film Guardians of the Galaxy ( in which he portrayed Star-Lord ) . In 2015 , he starred in Jurassic World , the fourth installment in the Jurassic Park franchise and his most financially successful film to date , earning $ 1.6 billion at the box office . Later that year , Time named Pratt one of the 100 most influential people in the world on the annual Time 100 list .   Pratt continued his leading man status with The Magnificent Seven and Passengers . He reprised his role as Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol . 2 , and will play the character again in Avengers : Infinity War and an untitled fourth Avengers film .


Aluminium is highly poisonous to plants.

Aluminium Aluminium or aluminum ( see below ) is a chemical element in the boron group with symbol Al and atomic number 13 . It is a silvery-white , soft , nonmagnetic , ductile metal . By mass , aluminium makes up about 8 % of the Earth 's crust ; it is the third most abundant element after oxygen and silicon and the most abundant metal in the crust , though it is less common in the mantle below . Aluminium metal is so chemically reactive that native specimens are rare and limited to extreme reducing environments . Instead , it is found combined in over 270 different minerals . The chief ore of aluminium is bauxite .   Aluminium is remarkable for the metal 's low density and its ability to resist corrosion through the phenomenon of passivation . Aluminium and its alloys are vital to the aerospace industry and important in transportation and structures , such as building facades and window frames . The oxides and sulfates are the most useful compounds of aluminium .   Despite its prevalence in the environment , no known form of life uses aluminium salts metabolically , but aluminium is well tolerated by plants and animals . Because of these salts ' abundance , the potential for a biological role for them is of continuing interest , and studies continue .


All My Children was created by a monkey.

Agnes Nixon Agnes Nixon ( née Eckhardt ; December 10 , 1922 -- September 28 , 2016 ) was an American television writer and producer . She is best known as the creator of the long-running soap operas One Life to Live , All My Children , and Loving .   Nixon 's work as producer and writer introduced a number of new storylines to American daytime television -- the first health-related storyline , the first storyline related to the Vietnam War , the first on-screen lesbian kiss and the first on-screen abortion . She won five Writers ' Guild of America Awards , five Daytime Emmy Awards , and in 2010 received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences . Nixon was often referred to as the `` Queen '' of the modern American soap opera .


All My Children All My Children ( often shortened to AMC ) is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC for 41 years , from January 5 , 1970 , to September 23 , 2011 , and on The Online Network ( TOLN ) from April 29 to September 2 , 2013 , via Hulu , Hulu Plus , and iTunes . Created by Agnes Nixon , All My Children is set in Pine Valley , Pennsylvania , a fictional suburb of Philadelphia , which is modeled on the actual Philadelphia suburb of Rosemont . The original series featured Susan Lucci as Erica Kane , one of daytime 's most popular characters . The title of the series refers to the bonds of humanity . All My Children was the first new network daytime drama to debut in the 1970s . Originally owned by Creative Horizons , Inc. , the company created by Nixon and her husband , Bob , the show was sold to ABC in January 1975 . The series started at a half-hour in per-installment length , then was expanded to a full hour on April 25 , 1977 . Earlier , the show had experimented with the full-hour format for one week starting on June 30 , 1975 , after which Ryan 's Hope premiered .   From 1970 to 1990 , All My Children was recorded at ABC 's TV18 at 101 West 67th St , now a 50-story apartment tower . From March 1990 to December 2009 , it was taped at ABC 's Studio TV23 at 320 West 66th Street in Manhattan , New York City , New York . In December 2009 , the locale for taping the series moved from Manhattan to less costly Los Angeles , California . The show was then produced in Stages 1 and 2 at the Andrita Studios in Los Angeles , California , from 2010 to 2011 , and then at the Connecticut Film Center in Stamford , Connecticut . All My Children started taping in high definition on January 4 , 2010 , and began airing in high definition on February 3 , 2010 . All My Children became the third soap opera to be produced and broadcast in high definition .   At one point , the program 's popularity positioned it as the most widely recorded television show in the United States . Also , in a departure from societal norms at the time , All My Children , in the mid-1970s , had an audience that was estimated to be 30 % male . The show ranked No. 1 in the daytime Nielsen ratings in the 1978 -- 79 season . Throughout most of the 1980s and into the early 1990s , All My Children was the No. 2 daytime soap opera on the air . However , like the rest of the soap operas in the United States , All My Children experienced unprecedented declines in its daytime ratings during the 2000s . By the 2010s , it had become one of the least watched soap operas in daytime television .   On April 14 , 2011 , it was announced that ABC canceled All My Children after 41 years on the air due to low ratings . On July 7 , 2011 , ABC sold the licensing rights of All My Children to third-party production company Prospect Park with the show set to continue on the internet as a series of webisodes . The show taped its final scenes for ABC on August 30 , 2011 , and its final episode on the network aired on September 23 , 2011 , with a cliffhanger . On September 26 , 2011 , the following Monday , ABC replaced All My Children with a newly debuted talk show The Chew . Prospect Park had suspended its plan to revive the series on November 23 , 2011 , due to lack of funding and unsuccessful negotiation with the union organizations representing the actors and crews . On January 7 , 2013 , Prospect Park officially brought back its project to restore All My Children as a web series . The show taped its first scenes for Prospect Park TOLN on February 18 , 2013 , and its first episode on the network aired on April 29 , 2013 . However , the new series faced several behind-the-scene obstacles throughout its run . On November 11 , 2013 , several All My Children cast members announced that Prospect Park had closed production and canceled the series again . ABC regained the rights to the show in December 2016 .


The UK is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the Council of Europe, the G7 finance ministers, the G7 forum, the G20, NATO, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the World Trade Organization (WTO).

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland , commonly known as the United Kingdom ( UK ) or Britain , is a sovereign country in western Europe . Lying off the north-western coast of the European mainland , the United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain , the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands . Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that shares a land border with another sovereign statethe Republic of Ireland.Although Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that shares a land border with another sovereign state , two of its Overseas Territories also share land borders with other sovereign countries . Gibraltar shares a border with Spain , while the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia share borders with the Republic of Cyprus , the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the UN buffer zone separating the two Cypriot polities . Apart from this land border , the United Kingdom is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean , with the North Sea to its east , the English Channel to its south and the Celtic Sea to its south-south-west , giving it the 12th-longest coastline in the world . The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland . With an area of 242500 km2 , the United Kingdom is the 78th-largest sovereign state in the world and the 11th-largest in Europe . It is also the 21st-most populous country , with an estimated 65.1 million inhabitants . Together , this makes it the fourth-most densely populated country in the European Union ( EU ) .   The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of governance . The monarch is Queen Elizabeth II , who has reigned since 6 February 1952 . The capital of the United Kingdom and its largest city is London , a global city and financial centre with an urban area population of 10.3 million , the fourth-largest in Europe and second-largest in the European Union . Other major urban areas in the United Kingdom include the conurbations centred on Birmingham , Leeds , Glasgow , Liverpool and Manchester . The United Kingdom consists of four countries -- England , Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland . The last three have devolved administrations , each with varying powers , based in their capitals , Edinburgh , Cardiff and Belfast , respectively . The nearby Isle of Man , Bailiwick of Guernsey and Bailiwick of Jersey are not part of the United Kingdom , being Crown dependencies with the British Government responsible for defence and international representation .   The relationships among the countries of the UK have changed over time . Wales was annexed by the Kingdom of England under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 . A treaty between England and Scotland resulted in 1707 in a unified Kingdom of Great Britain , which merged in 1801 with the Kingdom of Ireland to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland . Five-sixths of Ireland seceded from the UK in 1922 , leaving the present formulation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.The Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed on 6 December 1921 to resolve the Irish War of Independence . When it took effect one year later , it established the Irish Free State as a separate dominion within the Commonwealth . The UK 's current name was adopted to reflect the change . There are fourteen British Overseas Territories . These are the remnants of the British Empire which , at its height in the 1920s , encompassed almost a quarter of the world 's land mass and was the largest empire in history . British influence can be observed in the language , culture and legal systems of many of its former colonies .   The United Kingdom is a developed country and has the world 's fifth-largest economy by nominal GDP and ninth-largest economy by purchasing power parity . The UK is considered to have a high-income economy and is categorised as very high in the Human Development Index , ranking 16th in the world . It was the world 's first industrialised country and the world 's foremost power during the 19th and early 20th centuries . The UK remains a great power with considerable economic , cultural , military , scientific and political influence internationally . It is a recognised nuclear weapons state and is seventh in military expenditure in the world . The UK has been a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council since its first session in 1946 . It has been a leading member state of the EU and its predecessor , the European Economic Community ( EEC ) , since 1973 . However , on 23 June 2016 , a national referendum on the UK 's membership of the EU resulted in a decision to leave , and its exit from the EU is currently being negotiated . The UK is also a member of the Commonwealth of Nations , the Council of Europe , the G7 finance ministers , the G7 forum , the G20 , NATO , the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ( OECD ) , and the World Trade Organization ( WTO ) .


Steve Buscemi Steven Vincent Buscemi ( -LSB- buːˈsɛmi -RSB- born December 13 , 1957 ) is an American actor and film director . Buscemi has starred and supported in successful Hollywood and indie films , including Parting Glances , New York Stories , Mystery Train , Reservoir Dogs , Desperado , Con Air , Armageddon , The Grey Zone , Ghost World , Big Fish , and The Sopranos . He is also known for his appearances in many films by the Coen brothers : Miller 's Crossing , Barton Fink , The Hudsucker Proxy , Fargo , and The Big Lebowski . Buscemi provides the voice of Randall Boggs in the Monsters , Inc. franchise .   From 2010 to 2014 , he portrayed Enoch `` Nucky '' Thompson in the critically acclaimed series Boardwalk Empire , which earned him two Screen Actors Guild Awards , a Golden Globe , and two nominations for an Emmy Award . He made his directorial debut in 1996 , with Trees Lounge , in which he also starred . Other works include Animal Factory ( 2000 ) , Lonesome Jim ( 2005 ) and Interview ( 2007 ) . He has also directed numerous episodes of TV shows , including Homicide : Life on the Street , The Sopranos , Oz , 30 Rock , and Nurse Jackie . He currently hosts the Emmy Award-winning AOL On comedy talk-show Park Bench .


Star Trek had four television series spun-off from the original.

Star Trek Star Trek is an American science fiction media franchise based on the television series created by Gene Roddenberry . The first television series , simply called Star Trek and now referred to as The Original Series , debuted in 1966 and aired for three seasons on the television network NBC . It followed the interstellar adventures of Captain James T. Kirk ( William Shatner ) and his crew aboard the starship USS Enterprise , a space exploration vessel , built by the interstellar federal republic United Federation of Planets in the twenty-third century . The Star Trek canon of the franchise includes The Original Series , an animated series , four spin-off television series , its film franchise and an upcoming television series scheduled to debut in 2017 .   In creating Star Trek , Roddenberry was inspired by the Horatio Hornblower novels , the satirical book Gulliver 's Travels , and by works of western genre such as the television series Wagon Train . These adventures continued in the short-lived Star Trek : The Animated Series and six feature films . Four spin-off television series were eventually produced : Star Trek : The Next Generation followed the crew of a new starship Enterprise set a century after the original series ; Star Trek : Deep Space Nine and Star Trek : Voyager set contemporaneously with The Next Generation ; and Star Trek : Enterprise set before the original series in the early days of human interstellar travel . The adventures of The Next Generation crew continued in four additional feature films . In 2009 , the film franchise underwent a `` reboot '' set in an alternate timeline , or `` Kelvin Timeline '' , entitled simply Star Trek . This film featured a new cast portraying younger versions of the crew from the original show ; their adventures were continued in the sequel film , Star Trek Into Darkness ( 2013 ) . The thirteenth film feature and sequel , Star Trek Beyond ( 2016 ) , was released to coincide with the franchise 's 50th anniversary . A new Star Trek TV series , entitled Star Trek : Discovery , is set to premiere on the digital platform CBS All Access .   Star Trek has been a cult phenomenon for decades . Fans of the franchise are called Trekkies or Trekkers . The franchise spans a wide range of spin-offs including games , figurines , novels , toys , and comics . Star Trek had a themed attraction in Las Vegas that opened in 1998 and closed in September 2008 . At least two museum exhibits of props travel the world . The series has its own full-fledged constructed language , Klingon . Several parodies have been made of Star Trek . In addition , viewers have produced several fan productions . As of July 2016 , the franchise had generated $ 10 billion in revenue , making Star Trek one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time .   Star Trek is noted for its cultural influence beyond works of science fiction . The franchise is also noted for its progressive civil rights stances . The Original Series included one of television 's first multiracial casts . Star Trek references may be found throughout popular culture from movies such as the submarine thriller Crimson Tide to the animated series South Park .


Lewis Hamilton Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton , MBE ( born 7 January 1985 ) is a British Formula One racing driver from England , currently racing for the Mercedes AMG Petronas team . A three-time Formula One World Champion , he is regarded by fellow and former drivers as one of the greatest Formula One drivers in the history of the sport . He won his first title with McLaren in 2008 before moving to Mercedes , where he won back-to-back titles in 2014 and 2015 .   In December 1995 , at the age of ten , he approached McLaren team principal Ron Dennis at the Autosport Awards ceremony and told him , `` I want to race for you one day ... I want to race for McLaren . '' Less than three years later McLaren and Mercedes-Benz signed him to their Young Driver Support Programme . After winning the British Formula Renault , Formula Three Euroseries , and GP2 championships on his way up the racing career ladder , he drove for McLaren in 2007 , making his Formula One debut 12 years after his initial encounter with Dennis . Hamilton 's contract for the McLaren driver development program made him the youngest ever driver to secure a contract which later resulted in a Formula One drive .   Coming from a mixed background , with a black father and white mother , Hamilton is the first black driver to race in Formula One . Hamilton commented on this , saying `` The way I see it , my colour is an advantage in that it 's something people talk about '' , `` Being the first black man does n't matter much to me personally , but for the sport itself it probably means quite a lot . ''   In his first season in Formula One , Hamilton set numerous records while finishing second in the 2007 Formula One Championship , just one point behind Kimi Räikkönen . He won the World Championship the following season in dramatic fashion , becoming the then-youngest Formula One World Champion in history before Sebastian Vettel broke the record two years later . Following his second world title in 2014 , he was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year . In 2015 , he became the first British driver in history to win consecutive F1 titles , and the second British driver to win three titles after Jackie Stewart . He also became the first English driver to reach that milestone . He is the first driver in the history of F1 to have made the podium after starting 20th place or lower at least 3 times . He is the only driver in the history of the sport to have won at least one race in each season he has competed to date , with McLaren from 2007 until 2012 , and with Mercedes since 2013 . He has more race victories than any other British driver in the history of Formula One . His Grand Prix victories is the second highest of all-time having surpassed Alain Prost 's total of 51 at the 2016 Brazilian Grand Prix , behind only Michael Schumacher at 91 . Hamilton also holds the record for most wins in the season without winning the World Championship , after winning 10 times in the 2016 season where he finished runner-up to teammate Nico Rosberg .


The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a country in Central Africa.

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo ( -LSB- ˈkɒŋɡəʊ -RSB- -LSB- kɔ̃ɡo -RSB- ; République démocratique du Congo ) , also known as DR Congo , DRC , DROC , Congo-Kinshasa or simply the Congo , is a country located in Central Africa . The DRC borders the Central African Republic and South Sudan to the north ; Uganda , Rwanda , Burundi and Tanzania to the east ; Zambia and Angola to the south ; the Republic of the Congo to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the southwest . It is the second-largest country in Africa by area and eleventh largest in the world . With a population of over 80 million , the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the most populated officially Francophone country , the fourth most-populated nation in Africa and the eighteenth most populated country in the world .   The territory of the DR Congo was first settled by humans around 90,000 years ago . Bantu peoples began migrating into the region in the 5th century and again in the 10th century . In the West of the region the Kingdom of Kongo ruled from the 14th to 19th centuries , while in the centre and East of the region the kingdoms of Luba and Lunda ruled from the 16th and 17th centuries to the 19th century . In the 1870s , before the onset of the Scramble for Africa , European exploration of the Congo was carried out , first led by Sir Henry Morton Stanley under the sponsorship of King Leopold II of Belgium . Leopold formally acquired rights to the Congo territory at the Conference of Berlin in 1885 and made the land his private property . He named it the Congo Free State . During the Free State the colonial military unit , the Force Publique , forced the local population into producing rubber , and from 1885 to 1908 millions of Congolese died as a consequence of disease and exploitation . In 1908 Belgium , despite initial reluctance , formally annexed the Free State from Leopold , which became the Belgian Congo .   The Belgian Congo achieved independence on 30 June 1960 under the name Republic of the Congo ( Léopoldville ) . Congolese nationalist Patrice Lumumba was elected the first Prime Minister , while Joseph Kasa-Vubu became the first President . Conflict arose over the administration of the territory which became known as the Congo Crisis . The provinces of Katanga , under Moïse Tshombe , and South Kasai attempted to secede from the Congo . On 5 September 1960 , Kasa-Vubu dismissed Lumumba from office , encouraged by the United States and Belgium after Lumumba turned to the Soviet Union for assistance in the crisis . On 14 September , with U.S. and Belgian support , Lumumba was arrested by forces loyal to Army Chief of Staff Joseph-Désiré Mobutu , who had gained de facto control over the country through a coup d'état the same day , and on 17 January 1961 Lumumba was handed over to Katangan authorities and executed by Belgian-led Katangese troops .   In 1965 Joseph-Désiré Mobutu , who later renamed himself Mobutu Sese Seko , officially came into power through a second coup . In 1971 he renamed the country Zaire . The country was run as a one-party state with his Popular Movement of the Revolution as the sole legal party . Mobutu 's government received considerable support from the United States for its anti-communist stance during the Cold War . By the early 1990s Mobutu 's government began to weaken . Disenfranchisement of the eastern Congolese Tutsi population led to a 1996 invasion led by Tutsi-ruled Rwanda , which began the First Congo War . On 17 May 1997 Laurent-Désiré Kabila , a leader of Tutsi forces from the province of South Kivu , became President , bringing about the end of Mobutu 's 32-year rule . Tensions between President Kabila and the Rwandan and Tutsi presence in the country led to the Second Congo War from 1998 to 2003 . Ultimately , nine African countries and around twenty armed groups became involved in the war , which resulted in the deaths of 5.4 million people . The two wars together devastated the country . President Laurent-Désiré Kabila was assassinated by one of his bodyguards on 16 January 2001 and was succeeded eight days later as President by his son Joseph Kabila .   The Democratic Republic of Congo is extremely rich in natural resources but has had political instability , a lack of infrastructure , issues with corruption and centuries of both commercial and colonial extraction and exploitation with little holistic development . Besides the capital Kinshasa , the two next largest cities Lubumbashi and Mbuji-Mayi are both mining communities . DR Congo 's largest export is raw minerals , with China accepting over 50 % of DRC 's exports in 2012 . , according to the Human Development Index ( HDI ) , DR Congo 's level of human development ranks 176 out of 187 countries .


Ronda Rousey was the first American woman to earn an Olympic medal in judo.

Ronda Rousey Ronda Jean Rousey ( -LSB- ˈraʊzi -RSB- born February 1 , 1987 ) is an American mixed martial artist , judoka , and actress .   Rousey was the first American woman to earn an Olympic medal in judo ( bronze ) , which she won at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing . She is the former UFC Women 's Bantamweight Champion , as well as the last Strikeforce Women 's Bantamweight Champion . She won 12 consecutive MMA fights , six in the Ultimate Fighting Championship ( UFC ) , before suffering her first loss to Holly Holm in November 2015 ; she won 11 of those fights in the first round , nine of them by armbar submission . Rousey trains under Gokor Chivichyan of the Hayastan MMA Academy , and Edmond Tarverdyan of the Glendale Fighting Club .   In May 2015 , two magazines ranked Rousey as the most `` dominant '' active athlete . In September 2015 , voters in an online ESPN poll selected Rousey as the Best Female Athlete Ever . Later that month , she claimed to be the UFC 's highest paid fighter , male or female . In 2015 , she was the third most searched person on Google . As of January 2017 , Rousey is ranked the # 4 female bantamweight fighter in the world according to the UFC , and # 9 by Sherdog .   Rousey 's first feature film role was the 2014 film The Expendables 3 . In 2015 , she had roles in the films Furious 7 and Entourage .


Michelle Pfeiffer acted in Dangerous Liaisons.

Michelle Pfeiffer Michelle Marie Pfeiffer ( -LSB- ˈfaɪfər -RSB- born April 29 , 1958 ) is an American actress , singer and producer . Described by the media as a character actress , Pfeiffer is known for her versatility , period roles , ability to mask her true feelings while in character , and portraying funny , intelligent female characters with strong sex appeal throughout the 1980s and 1990s . She began her acting career in 1978 and had her first starring film role in Grease 2 ( 1982 ) , before receiving mainstream attention for her breakout performance in Scarface ( 1983 ) . Her greatest commercial successes include Batman Returns ( 1992 ) , Dangerous Minds ( 1995 ) , What Lies Beneath ( 2000 ) and Hairspray ( 2007 ) .   Pfeiffer was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Dangerous Liaisons ( 1988 ) , and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress -- Motion Picture Drama for The Fabulous Baker Boys ( 1989 ) . She received a third Oscar nomination for Love Field ( 1992 ) . Her other notable film roles include The Witches of Eastwick ( 1987 ) , Married to the Mob ( 1988 ) , Frankie and Johnny ( 1991 ) , The Age of Innocence ( 1993 ) , Wolf ( 1994 ) and White Oleander ( 2002 ) .


Dangerous Liaisons Dangerous Liaisons is a 1988 American historical drama film based upon Christopher Hampton 's play Les liaisons dangereuses , which in turn was a theatrical adaptation of the 18th-century French novel Les Liaisons dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos .   The film was directed by Stephen Frears . The performances of Glenn Close , John Malkovich and Michelle Pfeiffer , the cinematography of Philippe Rousselot , the costume design by James Acheson , and the screenplay by Christopher Hampton , garnered critical acclaim . Swoosie Kurtz , Mildred Natwick and Peter Capaldi appeared in supporting roles , as did the young , and then-relatively unknown , actors Keanu Reeves and Uma Thurman .   The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards , including Best Picture ; it won those for Best Adapted Screenplay , Best Costume Design , and Best Art Direction .


Helen Keller campaigned for the right of women to vote in elections.

Helen Keller Helen Adams Keller ( June 27 , 1880 -- June 1 , 1968 ) was an American author , political activist , and lecturer . She was the first deaf-blind person to earn a bachelor of arts degree . The story of how Keller 's teacher , Anne Sullivan , broke through the isolation imposed by a near complete lack of language , allowing the girl to blossom as she learned to communicate , has become widely known through the dramatic depictions of the play and film The Miracle Worker . Her birthplace in West Tuscumbia , Alabama , is now a museum and sponsors an annual `` Helen Keller Day '' . Her birthday on June 27 is commemorated as Helen Keller Day in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and was authorized at the federal level by presidential proclamation by President Jimmy Carter in 1980 , the 100th anniversary of her birth .   A prolific author , Keller was well-traveled and outspoken in her convictions . A member of the Socialist Party of America and the Industrial Workers of the World , she campaigned for women 's suffrage , labor rights , socialism , antimilitarism , and other similar causes . She was inducted into the Alabama Women 's Hall of Fame in 1971 and was one of twelve inaugural inductees to the Alabama Writers Hall of Fame on June 8 , 2015 . Helen proved to the world that deaf people could all learn to communicate and that they could survive in the hearing world . She also taught that deaf people are capable of doing things that hearing people can do . She is one of the most famous deaf people in history and she is an idol to many deaf people in the world .


Bam Margera Brandon Cole `` Bam '' Margera ( -LSB- mɑrˈdʒɛərə -RSB- or ; born September 28 , 1979 ) is an American professional skateboarder , stunt performer , and television personality . He came to prominence after appearing in MTV 's Jackass crew . He has since appeared in MTV 's Viva La Bam and Bam 's Unholy Union , all three Jackass movies , and Haggard and Minghags , both of which he co-wrote and directed .


Tokyo only ranked second in the Global Economic Power Index.

Tokyo Tokyo ( -LSB- toːkjoː -RSB- , -LSB- langˈtoʊki.oʊ -RSB- ) , officially Tokyo Metropolis , is the capital of Japan and one of its 47 prefectures . The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world . It is the seat of the Emperor of Japan and the Japanese government . Tokyo is in the Kantō region on the southeastern side of the main island Honshu and includes the Izu Islands and Ogasawara Islands . Formerly known as Edo , it has been the de facto seat of government since 1603 when Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu made the city his headquarters . It officially became the capital after Emperor Meiji moved his seat to the city from the old capital of Kyoto in 1868 ; at that time Edo was renamed Tokyo . Tokyo Metropolis was formed in 1943 from the merger of the former and the .   Tokyo is often referred to as a city , but is officially known and governed as a `` metropolitan prefecture '' , which differs from and combines elements of a city and a prefecture , a characteristic unique to Tokyo . The Tokyo metropolitan government administers the 23 Special Wards of Tokyo ( each governed as an individual city ) , which cover the area that was the City of Tokyo before it merged and became the metropolitan prefecture in 1943 . The metropolitan government also administers 39 municipalities in the western part of the prefecture and the two outlying island chains . The population of the special wards is over 9 million people , with the total population of the prefecture exceeding 13 million . The prefecture is part of the world 's most populous metropolitan area with upwards of 37.8 million people and the world 's largest urban agglomeration economy . The city hosts 51 of the Fortune Global 500 companies , the highest number of any city in the world . Tokyo ranked third in the International Financial Centres Development IndexEdit . The city is also home to various television networks such as Fuji TV , Tokyo MX , TV Tokyo , TV Asahi , Nippon Television , NHK and the Tokyo Broadcasting System .   Tokyo ranked first in the Global Economic Power Index and fourth in the Global Cities Index . The city is considered an alpha + world city -- as listed by the GaWC 's 2008 inventory -- and in 2014 , Tokyo was ranked first in the `` Best overall experience '' category of TripAdvisor '' 's World City Survey ( the city also ranked first in the following categories : `` helpfulness of locals '' , `` nightlife '' , `` shopping '' , `` local public transportation '' and `` cleanliness of streets '' ) . In 2015 , Tokyo was ranked as the 11th most expensive city for expatriates , according to the Mercer consulting firm , and also the world 's 11th most expensive city , according to the Economist Intelligence Unit 's cost-of-living survey . In 2015 , Tokyo was named the Most Liveable City in the world by the magazine Monocle '' . The Michelin Guide has awarded Tokyo by far the most Michelin stars of any city in the world .  Tokyo ranked first in the world in the Safe Cities Index . The 2016 edition of QS Best Student Cities ranked Tokyo as the 3rd-best city in the world to be a university student . Tokyo hosted the 1964 Summer Olympics , the 1979 G-7 summit , the 1986 G-7 summit , and the 1993 G-7 summit , and will host the 2020 Summer Olympics and the 2020 Summer Paralympics .


Jon Huntsman Jr. was a the official diplomatic representative from the United States to the Republic of Singapore.

Diplomat A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or international organisations . The main functions of diplomats are : representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state ; initiation and facilitation of strategic agreements ; treaties and conventions ; promotion of information ; trade and commerce ; technology ; and friendly relations . Seasoned diplomats of international repute are used in international organisations ( e.g. United Nations ) as well as multinational companies for their experience in management and negotiating skills . Diplomats are members of foreign services and diplomatic corps of various nations of the world .   Diplomats are the oldest form of any of the foreign policy institutions of the state , predating by centuries foreign ministers and ministerial offices . They usually have diplomatic immunity .


Jon Huntsman Jr. Jon Meade Huntsman Jr. ( born March 26 , 1960 ) is an American politician , businessman , and diplomat who served as the 16th Governor of Utah from 2005 to 2009 , and as United States Ambassador to Singapore from 1992 to 1993 , and China from 2009 to 2011 . He has served in the administrations of five U.S. Presidents and was a candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination . In January 2014 , Huntsman was named Chairman of the Washington-based foreign policy think-tank the Atlantic Council . It has been reported he was chosen to be the next Ambassador to Russia in March 2017 .   Huntsman has served in every presidential administration since Ronald Reagan . He began his career as a White House staff assistant for Ronald Reagan , and was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce and United States Ambassador to Singapore by George H.W. Bush . Later as Deputy U.S. Trade Representative under George W. Bush , he launched global trade negotiations in Doha in 2001 and guided the accession of China into the World Trade Organization . He also served as CEO of his family-owned Huntsman Corporation and chairman of the Huntsman Cancer Foundation . In 2009 , he was appointed United States Ambassador to China by Barack Obama .   While Governor , he was named Chairman of the Western Governors Association , and joined the Executive Committee of the National Governors Association . Under his leadership , Utah was named the best managed state in America by the Pew Center on the States . He won re-election in 2008 with nearly 78 % of the vote and left office with approval ratings over 80 % .


United States Ambassador to Singapore The following individuals served as United States Ambassador to the Republic of Singapore .   The position of ambassador to Singapore has been vacant since Wagar resigned in January 2017 , as is customary for ambassadors when a new administration takes office . Former Deputy US National Security Adviser K. T. McFarland has reportedly been offered the ambassadorship to Singapore ; the position requires confirmation by the US Senate .


Tardigrade Tardigrades ( -LSB- ˈtɑrdᵻˌgreɪd -RSB- also known as water bears , space bears , or moss piglets ) are water-dwelling , eight-legged , segmented micro-animals . They were first discovered by the German zoologist Johann August Ephraim Goeze in 1773 . The name Tardigrada ( meaning `` slow stepper '' ) was given three years later by the Italian biologist Lazzaro Spallanzani . They have been found everywhere from mountaintops to the deep sea , mud volcanoes , and from tropical rain forests to the Antarctic .   Tardigrades are one of the most resilient animals known : they can survive extreme conditions that would be rapidly fatal to nearly all other known life forms . They can withstand temperature ranges from 1 K ( close to absolute zero ) to about 420 K for several minutes , pressures about six times greater than those found in the deepest ocean trenches , ionizing radiation at doses hundreds of times higher than the lethal dose for a human , and the vacuum of outer space . They can go without food or water for more than 30 years , drying out to the point where they are 3 % or less water , only to rehydrate , forage , and reproduce . Tardigrades living in harsh conditions undergo an annual process of cyclomorphosis .   They are not considered extremophilic because they are not adapted to exploit these conditions . This means that their chances of dying increase the longer they are exposed to the extreme environments , whereas true extremophiles thrive in a physically or geochemically extreme environment that would harm most other organisms .   Usually , tardigrades are about 0.5 mm long when they are fully grown . They are short and plump with four pairs of legs , each with four to eight claws also known as `` disks '' . The first three pairs of legs are directed ventrolaterally and are the primary means of locomotion , while the fourth pair is directed posteriorly on the terminal segment of the trunk and is used primarily for grasping the substrate . Tardigrades are prevalent in mosses and lichens and feed on plant cells , algae , and small invertebrates . When collected , they may be viewed under a very low-power microscope , making them accessible to students and amateur scientists .   Tardigrades form the phylum Tardigrada , part of the superphylum Ecdysozoa . It is an ancient group , with fossils dating from 530 million years ago , in the Cambrian period . About 1,150 species of tardigrades have been described . Tardigrades can be found throughout the world , from the Himalayas ( above 6000 m ) , to the deep sea ( below 4000 m ) and from the polar regions to the equator .


The Conjuring 2 was directed by James Cameron.

The Conjuring 2 The Conjuring 2 is a 2016 American horror film directed by James Wan and written by Carey Hayes , Chad Hayes , Wan and David Leslie Johnson . It is the sequel to 2013 's The Conjuring and the third film in The Conjuring franchise . Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga reprise their roles as paranormal investigators and authors Ed and Lorraine Warren from the first film . The film follows the Warrens as they travel to England to assist the Hodgson family , who are experiencing poltergeist activity at their Brimsdown , Enfield council house in 1977 which later became referred to as the Enfield Poltergeist .   The Conjuring 2 was released in North America on June 10 , 2016 . The film received generally positive reviews from critics and has grossed over $ 320 million worldwide . A spin-off film , The Nun , is scheduled to be released in 2018 with Wan and Safran producing .


Scooby-Doo is in multiple entertain industries.

Scooby-Doo Scooby-Doo is an American animated cartoon franchise , comprising several animated television series produced from 1969 to the present day . The original series , Scooby-Doo , Where Are You ! , was created for Hanna-Barbera Productions by writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears in 1969 . This Saturday-morning cartoon series featured four teenagers -- Fred Jones , Daphne Blake , Velma Dinkley , and Norville `` Shaggy '' Rogers -- and their talking brown Great Dane named Scooby-Doo , who solve mysteries involving supposedly supernatural creatures through a series of antics and missteps .   Following the success of the original series , Hanna-Barbera and its successor Warner Bros. . Animation have produced numerous follow-up and spin-off animated series and several related works , including television specials and made-for-TV movies , a line of direct-to-video films , and two Warner Bros. -- produced theatrical feature films . Some versions of Scooby-Doo feature different variations on the show 's supernatural theme , and include characters such as Scooby 's cousin Scooby-Dum and nephew Scrappy-Doo in addition to or instead of some of the original characters .   Scooby-Doo was originally broadcast on CBS from 1969 to 1975 , when it moved to ABC . ABC aired the show until canceling it in 1986 , and presented a spin-off featuring the characters as children , A Pup Named Scooby-Doo , from 1988 until 1991 . New Scooby-Doo series aired as part of Kids ' WB on The WB Network and its successor , The CW Network , from 2002 until 2008 . Scooby-Doo ! Mystery Incorporated aired on Cartoon Network from 2010 to 2013 , and Be Cool , Scooby-Doo ! debuted on Cartoon Network in 2015 . Repeats of the various Scooby-Doo series are broadcast frequently on Cartoon Network and its sister channel Boomerang in the United States as well as other countries .   In 2013 , TV Guide ranked Scooby-Doo the fifth Greatest TV Cartoon of All Time .


One can obtain a medical degree at Boston University.

Boston University Boston University ( commonly referred to as BU ) is a private research university located in Boston , Massachusetts . The university is nonsectarian , and is historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church .   The university has more than 3,900 faculty members and nearly 33,000 students , and is one of Boston 's largest employers . It offers bachelor 's degrees , master 's degrees , and doctorates , and medical , dental , business , and law degrees through 17 schools and colleges on two urban campuses . The main campus is situated along the Charles River in Boston 's Fenway-Kenmore and Allston neighborhoods , while the Boston University Medical Campus is in Boston 's South End neighborhood .   BU is categorized as an R1 : Doctoral University ( very high research activity ) in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education . BU is a member of the Boston Consortium for Higher Education and the Association of American Universities . The University was ranked 39th among undergraduate programs at national universities , and 32nd among global universities by U.S. News & World Report in its 2017 rankings .   Among its alumni and current or past faculty , the university counts eight Nobel Laureates , 23 Pulitzer Prize winners , 10 Rhodes Scholars , six Marshall Scholars , 48 Sloan Fellows , nine Academy Award winners , and several Emmy and Tony Award winners . BU also has MacArthur , Fulbright , Truman and Guggenheim Fellowship holders as well as American Academy of Arts and Sciences and National Academy of Sciences members among its past and present graduates and faculty . In 1876 , BU professor Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in a BU lab . American Civil Rights Movement leader and 1964 Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Martin Luther King , Jr. received his PhD in Theology from BU in 1955 .   The Boston University Terriers compete in the NCAA 's Division I. BU athletic teams compete in the Patriot League , and Hockey East conferences , and their mascot is Rhett the Boston Terrier . Boston University is well known for men 's hockey , in which it has won five national championships , most recently in 2009 .


Songs of Innocence (U2 album) Songs of Innocence is the thirteenth studio album by Irish rock band U2 . Released on 9 September 2014 , it was produced by Danger Mouse , with additional production from Paul Epworth , Ryan Tedder , Declan Gaffney , and Flood . The album was announced at an Apple Inc. product launch event and released the same day to all iTunes Store customers at no cost . It was exclusive to iTunes , iTunes Radio , and Beats Music until 13 October 2014 , when it received a physical release on Island and Interscope Records . The digital release made the record available to over 500 million iTunes customers , for what Apple CEO Tim Cook marketed as `` the largest album release of all time '' .   After the relatively lukewarm commercial performance of their previous record , No Line on the Horizon ( 2009 ) , lead singer Bono expressed uncertainty over how the band could remain musically relevant . During the five-and-a-half-year gestation period for Songs of Innocence -- the longest gap between albums of their career -- the group reportedly worked on three separate projects with multiple producers , including an aborted companion to their previous record called Songs of Ascent . However , they struggled to complete an album to their satisfaction and continually delayed a release . After working with Danger Mouse for two years , the group collaborated with Flood , Epworth , and Tedder to complete the record . Thematically , it revisits the group members ' youth in Ireland in the 1970s , touching on childhood memories , loves , and losses , while paying tribute to musical inspirations Ramones and the Clash . Bono described it as `` the most personal album we 've written '' .   The album 's lead single , `` The Miracle ( Of Joey Ramone ) '' , was featured in an Apple television commercial as part of a promotional campaign for the band on which the company reportedly spent $ 100 million . Approximately 81 million iTunes users listened to the album in its first month of release , 26 million of whom downloaded the entire record . Songs of Innocence received mixed reviews and drew criticism for its digital release strategy ; the album was automatically added to users ' iTunes accounts , which for many , triggered an unprompted download to their devices . Upon its commercial release , Songs of Innocence sold just 101,000 copies in North America and charted for just eight and nine weeks in the US and UK , respectively . The group 's press tour for the album was interrupted after Bono was seriously injured in a bicycle accident . The record received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rock Album . In 2015 , U2 supported the album with the successful Innocence + Experience Tour .


With or Without You `` With or Without You '' is a song by Irish rock band U2 . It is the third track from their fifth studio album , The Joshua Tree ( 1987 ) , and was released as the album 's lead single on 16 March 1987 . The song was the group 's most successful single at the time , becoming their first number-one hit in both the United States and Canada by topping the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks and the RPM national singles chart for one week , with a further three weeks at number two .   `` With or Without You '' features sustained guitar parts played by guitarist the Edge with a prototype of the Infinite Guitar , along with vocals by lead singer Bono and a bassline by bassist Adam Clayton . The song originated from a demo recorded in late 1985 that the group continued to work on throughout The Joshua Tree sessions . Ostensibly a troubled love song , the track 's lyrics were inspired by Bono 's conflicting feelings about the lives he led as a musician and domestic man .   Critics praised the song upon its release . It is frequently performed on the band 's tours , and it has appeared on many of their compilation albums and concert films . `` With or Without You '' is U2 's second most frequently covered song . In 2010 , Rolling Stone magazine placed the song at number 132 on their list of `` The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time '' .


The Joshua Tree The Joshua Tree is the fifth studio album by Irish rock band U2 . It was produced by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno , and was released on 9 March 1987 on Island Records . In contrast to the ambient experimentation of their 1984 release , The Unforgettable Fire , the band aimed for a harder-hitting sound within the limitation of conventional song structures on The Joshua Tree . The album is influenced by American and Irish roots music , and through sociopolitically conscious lyrics embellished with spiritual imagery , it contrasts the group 's antipathy for the `` real America '' with their fascination with the `` mythical America '' .   Inspired by American tour experiences , literature , and politics , U2 chose America as a theme for the record . Recording began in January 1986 in Ireland , and to foster a relaxed , creative atmosphere , the group primarily recorded in two houses . Several events during the sessions helped shape the conscious tone of the album , including the band 's participation in the Conspiracy of Hope benefit concerts for Amnesty International , the death of roadie Greg Carroll , and lead vocalist Bono 's travels to Central America . Recording was completed in November 1986 ; additional production continued into January 1987 . Throughout the sessions , U2 sought a `` cinematic '' quality for the record , one that would evoke a sense of location , in particular , the open spaces of the United States . They represented this in the sleeve photography depicting them in American desert landscapes .   The Joshua Tree received critical acclaim , topped the charts in over 20 countries , and became the fastest-selling album in British history . According to Rolling Stone , the album increased the band 's stature `` from heroes to superstars '' . It produced the hit singles `` With or Without You '' , `` I Still Have n't Found What I 'm Looking For '' , and `` Where the Streets Have No Name '' , the first two of which became the group 's only number-one singles in the US . The album won Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 1988 . The group supported the record with the Joshua Tree Tour throughout 1987 .   Frequently featured on critics ' lists of the greatest records , The Joshua Tree is one of the world 's best-selling albums , with over 25 million copies sold . U2 commemorated the record 's 20th anniversary with a remastered re-release , and its 30th anniversary with announcements of an anniversary concert tour and reissue . In 2014 , it was deemed `` culturally , historically , or aesthetically significant '' by the US Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry .


Sunday Bloody Sunday `` Sunday Bloody Sunday '' is a song by Irish rock band U2 . It is the opening track from their 1983 album War and was released as the album 's third single on 11 March 1983 in Germany and the Netherlands . `` Sunday Bloody Sunday '' is noted for its militaristic drumbeat , harsh guitar , and melodic harmonies . One of U2 's most overtly political songs , its lyrics describe the horror felt by an observer of the Troubles in Northern Ireland , mainly focusing on the Bloody Sunday incident in Derry where British troops shot and killed unarmed civil rights protesters and bystanders who were there to rally against Operation Demetrius-related internment ( imprisonment without trial ) , while at the same time rejecting hate and revenge as a response noted in the lyrics , `` There 's many lost , but tell me who has won . '' Along with `` New Year 's Day , '' the song helped U2 reach a wider listening audience . It was generally well received by critics on the album 's release .   The song has remained a staple of U2 's live concerts . During its earliest performances , the song created controversy . Lead singer Bono reasserted the song 's anti-sectarian-violence message to his audience for many years . Today , it is considered one of U2 's signature songs , and is one of the band 's most performed tracks . Critics rate it among the best political protest songs , and it has been covered by over a dozen artists . It was named the 272nd-greatest song by Rolling Stone on their list of `` The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time . ''


How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb is the eleventh studio album by Irish rock band U2 . It was released on 22 November 2004 on Island Records and Interscope Records . Much like their previous album , All That You Ca n't Leave Behind , How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb exhibits a more mainstream rock sound after the band experimented with alternative rock and dance music in the 1990s . The album was produced by Steve Lillywhite , with additional production from Chris Thomas , Jacknife Lee , Nellee Hooper , Flood , Daniel Lanois , Brian Eno , and Carl Glanville .   Looking for a more hard-hitting sound than that of their previous album , U2 began recording How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb in February 2003 with Thomas . After nine months of work , the band had an album 's worth of material ready for release , but they were not satisfied with the results . The group subsequently enlisted Lillywhite to take over as producer in Dublin in January 2004 . Lillywhite , along with his assistant Lee , spent six months with the band reworking songs and encouraging better performances . U2 lead singer Bono described the album as `` our first rock album . It 's taken us twenty years or whatever it is , but this is our first rock album . '' Thematically , the record touches on life , death , love , war , faith , and family .   How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb received favourable reviews and reached number one in 30 countries , including the US , where first-week sales of 840,000 copies nearly doubled the band 's previous personal best . The album and its singles won all nine Grammy Awards for which they were nominated ( U2 themselves were awarded eight out of the nine ) . The album also was the fourth-highest-selling album of 2004 , with over 9 million copies sold , and it yielded several successful singles in `` Vertigo '' , `` City of Blinding Lights '' and `` Sometimes You Ca n't Make It on Your Own '' . The album was also included in Rolling Stones list of the `` 100 Best Albums of the Decade '' at number 68 .


Pop (U2 album) Pop is the ninth studio album by Irish rock band U2 . It was produced by Flood , Howie B , and Steve Osborne , and was released on 3 March 1997 on Island Records . The album was a continuation of the band 's 1990s musical reinvention , as they incorporated alternative rock , techno , dance , and electronica influences into their sound . Pop employed a variety of production techniques that were relatively new to U2 , including sampling , loops , programmed drum machines , and sequencing .   Recording sessions began in 1995 with various record producers , including Nellee Hooper , Flood , Howie B , and Osborne , who were introducing the band to various electronica influences . At the time , drummer Larry Mullen Jr. was inactive due to a back injury , prompting the other band members to take different approaches to songwriting . Upon Mullen 's return , the band began re-working much of their material but ultimately struggled to complete songs . After the band allowed manager Paul McGuinness to book their upcoming 1997 PopMart Tour before the record was completed , they felt rushed into delivering it . Even after delaying the album 's release date from the 1996 Christmas and holiday season to March 1997 , U2 ran out of time in the studio , working up to the last minute to complete songs .   In February 1997 , U2 released Pops techno-heavy lead single , `` Discothèque '' , one of six singles from the album . The record initially received favourable reviews from critics and reached number one in 35 countries , including the United Kingdom and the United States . However , the album 's lifetime sales are among the lowest in U2 's catalogue , and it received only a single platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America . Retrospectively , the album is viewed by some of the music press and public as a disappointment . The finished product was not to U2 's liking , and they subsequently re-recorded and remixed many of the songs for single and compilation album releases . The time required to complete Pop cut into the band 's rehearsal time for the tour , which affected the quality of initial shows .


U2 U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin formed in 1976 . The group consists of Bono ( lead vocals and rhythm guitar ) , the Edge ( lead guitar , keyboards , and backing vocals ) , Adam Clayton ( bass guitar ) , and Larry Mullen Jr. ( drums and percussion ) . Initially rooted in post-punk , U2 's sound grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music , yet has maintained an anthemic sound built on Bono 's expressive vocals and the Edge 's effects-based guitar textures . Their lyrics , often embellished with spiritual imagery , focus on personal themes and sociopolitical concerns . Popular for their live performances , the group have staged several ambitious and elaborate tours over their career .   The band formed at Mount Temple Comprehensive School in 1976 when the members were teenagers with limited musical proficiency . Within four years , they signed with Island Records and released their debut album , Boy ( 1980 ) . Subsequent work such as their first UK number-one album , War ( 1983 ) , and the singles `` Sunday Bloody Sunday '' and `` Pride ( In the Name of Love ) '' helped establish U2 's reputation as a politically and socially conscious group . By the mid-1980s , they had become renowned globally for their live act , highlighted by their performance at Live Aid in 1985 . The group 's fifth album , The Joshua Tree ( 1987 ) , made them international superstars and was their greatest critical and commercial success . Topping music charts around the world , it produced their only number-one singles in the US , `` With or Without You '' and `` I Still Have n't Found What I 'm Looking For '' . Facing a backlash and creative stagnation , U2 reinvented themselves in the 1990s through a new musical direction and public image . Beginning with their acclaimed seventh album , Achtung Baby ( 1991 ) , and the multimedia intensive Zoo TV Tour , the band integrated influences from alternative rock , electronic dance music , and industrial music into their sound , and embraced a more ironic , flippant image . This experimentation continued through their ninth album , Pop ( 1997 ) , and the PopMart Tour , which were mixed successes . U2 regained critical and commercial favour with the records All That You Ca n't Leave Behind ( 2000 ) and How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb ( 2004 ) , which established a more conventional , mainstream sound for the group . Their U2 360 ° Tour of 2009 -- 2011 is the highest-attended and highest-grossing concert tour in history . The group 's thirteenth album , Songs of Innocence ( 2014 ) , was released at no cost through the iTunes Store , but received criticism for its automatic placement in users ' music libraries .   U2 have released 13 studio albums and are one of the world 's best-selling music artists of all time , having sold more than 170 million records worldwide . They have won 22 Grammy Awards , more than any other band , and in 2005 , they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility . Rolling Stone ranked U2 at number 22 on its list of the `` 100 Greatest Artists of All Time '' . Throughout their career , as a band and as individuals , they have campaigned for human rights and philanthropic causes , including Amnesty International , Jubilee 2000 , the ONE/DATA campaigns , Product Red , War Child , and Music Rising .


Achtung Baby Achtung Baby ( -LSB- pronˈɑːktuːŋ_ˈbeɪbiː -RSB- ) is the seventh studio album by Irish rock band U2 . It was produced by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno , and was released on 18 November 1991 on Island Records . Stung by criticism of their 1988 release , Rattle and Hum , U2 shifted their musical direction to incorporate influences from alternative rock , industrial music , and electronic dance music into their sound . Thematically , Achtung Baby is darker , more introspective , and at times more flippant than their previous work . The album and the subsequent multimedia-intensive Zoo TV Tour were central to the group 's 1990s reinvention , by which they abandoned their earnest public image for a more lighthearted and self-deprecating one .   Seeking inspiration from German reunification , U2 began recording Achtung Baby at Berlin 's Hansa Studios in October 1990 . The sessions were fraught with conflict , as the band argued over their musical direction and the quality of their material . After tensions and slow progress nearly prompted the group to disband , they made a breakthrough with the improvised writing of the song `` One '' . Morale and productivity improved during subsequent recording sessions in Dublin , where the album was completed in 1991 . To confound the public 's expectations of the band and their music , U2 chose the record 's facetious title and colourful multi-image sleeve .   Achtung Baby is one of U2 's most successful records ; it received favourable reviews and debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 Top Albums , while topping the charts in many other countries . Five songs were released as commercial singles , all of which were chart successes , including `` One '' , `` Mysterious Ways '' , and `` The Fly '' . The album has sold 18 million copies worldwide and won a Grammy Award in 1993 for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal . Achtung Baby has since been acclaimed by writers and music critics as one of the greatest albums of all time . The record was reissued in October 2011 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of its original release .