Minnesota Minnesota ( -LSB- -LSB- ˌmɪnəˈso̞ɾɐ -RSB- help = no -RSB- ) is a state in the midwestern and northern regions of the United States . Minnesota was admitted as the 32nd U.S. state on May 11 , 1858 , created from the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory . The state has a large number of lakes , and is known by the slogan `` Land of 10,000 Lakes '' . Its official motto is L'Étoile du Nord ( French : Star of the North ) .   Minnesota is the 12th largest in area and the 21st most populous of the U.S. states ; nearly 60 percent of its residents live in the Minneapolis -- Saint Paul metropolitan area ( known as the `` Twin Cities '' ) , the center of transportation , business , industry , education , and government and home to an internationally known arts community . The remainder of the state consists of western prairies now given over to intensive agriculture ; deciduous forests in the southeast , now partially cleared , farmed and settled ; and the less populated North Woods , used for mining , forestry , and recreation .   Minnesota is known for its progressive political orientation and its high rate of civic participation and voter turnout . Until European settlement , Minnesota was inhabited by the Dakota and Ojibwe/Anishinaabe . During the 19th and early 20th centuries , a large number of European settlers entered the state who had mainly emigrated from Scandinavia and Germany . The state remains today a center of Scandinavian American and German American culture . In recent decades , immigration from Asia , the Horn of Africa , and Latin America has broadened its historic demographic and cultural composition . Minnesota 's standard of living index is among the highest in the United States , and the state is also among the best-educated and wealthiest in the nation .


Confessions sold at least 1.1 million copies so far in the US.

Confessions (Usher album) Confessions is the fourth studio album by American singer Usher . It was released on March 23 , 2004 , by Arista Records . Recording sessions for the album took place during 2003 to 2004 , with its production handled by his longtime collaborator Jermaine Dupri , alongside with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and Lil Jon , among others . Primarily an R&B album , Confessions showcases Usher as a crooner through a mixture of ballads and up-tempos , incorporating musical genres of dance-pop , hip hop and crunk . The album 's themes generated controversy about Usher 's personal relationships ; however , the album 's primary producer Jermaine Dupri claimed the album reflects his personal story .   The album became an instant commercial success in the United States , selling 1.1 million copies in its first week . Its continued success was bolstered by its four chart-topping singles . To begin strategizing of boosting its sales amid threats of bootlegging , the special edition for the album was issued , which includes the hit single , `` My Boo '' ; a duet with Alicia Keys . Despite some mixed criticism towards its lyrical substance , Confessions received mostly positive reviews and earned Usher several awards ; including the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album .   The album has been regarded by music writers as Usher 's greatest work , and according to Billboard , is the second best-selling album of the 2000s decade in the United States . With over eight million copies sold in 2004 , the album 's commercial success was viewed as a sign of recovering album sales in the US , following three years of decline . It was also exemplary of urban music 's commercial peak and dominance of the Billboard charts in 2004 . Confessions has been certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) and , as of 2016 , has sold over 11 million copies in the US and over 20 million copies worldwide .


Lahore is the place where one can find the Shalimar Gardens.

Lahore Lahore ( -LSB- lə ` hɔər -RSB- ) ( -LSB- , -LSB- ) is the capital city of the Pakistani province of Punjab . It is the second most populous city in Pakistan and the 32nd most populous city in the world . The city is located in the north-eastern end of Pakistan 's Punjab province , near the border with the Indian state of Punjab . Lahore is ranked as a beta - world city , and is one of Pakistan 's wealthiest cities with an estimated GDP of $ 58.14 billion ( PPP ) as of 2014 .   Lahore is the historic cultural centre of the Punjab region , and is the largest Punjabi city in the world . The city has a long history , and was once under the rule of the Hindu Shahis , Ghaznavids , Ghurids , and the Delhi Sultanate . Lahore reached the height of its splendour under the Mughal Empire , serving as its capital city for a number of years . The city was captured by the forces of Persian Safavid Emperor Nader Shah during his invasion of the Mughal Empire . The city was then contested between different powers before it became capital of the Sikh Empire , and then the capital of the Punjab under British rule . Lahore was central to the independence movements of both India and Pakistan , with the city being the site of both the declaration of Indian Independence , and the resolution calling for the establishment of Pakistan . Following the independence of Pakistan in 1947 , Lahore became the capital of Pakistan 's Punjab province .   Lahore is one of Pakistan 's most liberal and cosmopolitan cities . It exerts a strong cultural influence over Pakistan . Lahore is a major centre for Pakistan 's publishing industry , and remains the foremost centre of Pakistan 's literary scene . The city is also a major centre of education in Pakistan , with some of Pakistan 's leading universities based in the city . Lahore is also home to Pakistan 's film industry , Lollywood , and is a major centre of Qawwali music . The city also hosts much of Pakistan 's tourist industry , with major attractions including the old Walled City , and the Badshahi and Wazir Khan mosques . Lahore is also home to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Lahore Fort and Shalimar Gardens .


Tony Blair was involved in a process in Northern Ireland.

Tony Blair Anthony Charles Lynton Blair ( born 6 May 1953 ) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007 . He remains the most recent Labour Party leader to have won a general election .   From 1983 to 2007 , Blair was the Member of Parliament ( MP ) for Sedgefield . He was elected Labour Party leader in July 1994 , following the sudden death of his predecessor , John Smith , who together with his predecessor , Neil Kinnock , had started to move the party closer to the political centre , in the hope of winning power . Under Blair 's leadership , the party used the phrase `` New Labour '' , to distance it from previous Labour policies and the traditional conception of socialism . Blair declared support for a new conception that he referred to as `` social-ism '' , involving politics that recognised individuals as socially interdependent , and advocated social justice , cohesion , the equal worth of each citizen , and equal opportunity , also referred to as the Third Way . Critics of Blair denounced him for having the Labour Party abandon genuine socialism and accepting capitalism . Supporters , including the party 's public opinion pollster Philip Gould , stated that after four consecutive general election defeats , from 1979 to 1992 , the Labour Party had to demonstrate that it had made a decisive break from its left-wing past , in order to win an election again .   In May 1997 , the Labour Party won a landslide general election victory , the largest in its history , allowing Blair , at 43 years old , to become the youngest Prime Minister since 1812 . In September 1997 , Blair attained early personal popularity , receiving a 93 % public approval rating , after his public response to the death of Princess Diana . The Labour Party went on to win two more elections under his leadership : in 2001 , in which it won another landslide victory , and in 2005 , with a reduced majority . In the first years of the New Labour government , Blair 's government introduced the National Minimum Wage Act , Human Rights Act , and Freedom of Information Act . Blair 's government also devolved power , establishing the Scottish Parliament , the National Assembly for Wales , and the Northern Ireland Assembly . In Northern Ireland , Blair was involved in the 1998 Good Friday Agreement .   Blair strongly supported the foreign policy of the Bush administration , and ensured that the British Armed Forces participated in the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan and , more controversially , the 2003 invasion of Iraq . Blair has faced strong criticism for his role in the invasion of Iraq , including calls for having him tried for war crimes and waging a war of aggression . In 2016 , the Iraq Inquiry strongly criticised his actions and described the invasion of Iraq as unjustified and unnecessary . Blair also intervened militarily in Kosovo and Sierra Leone .   Blair was succeeded as the leader of the Labour Party and as Prime Minister by Gordon Brown in June 2007 . On the day that Blair resigned as Prime Minister , he was appointed the official Special Envoy of the Quartet on the Middle East , an office which he held until May 2015 . He now runs a consultancy business and has set up various foundations in his own name , including the Tony Blair Faith Foundation .


Good Friday Agreement The Good Friday Agreement ( GFA ) or Belfast Agreement ( Comhaontú Aoine an Chéasta or Comhaontú Bhéal Feirste Ulster-Scots : Guid Friday Greeance or Bilfawst Greeance ) , was a major political development in the Northern Ireland peace process of the 1990s .   Northern Ireland 's present devolved system of government is based on the agreement . The agreement also created a number of institutions between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland , and between the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom .   The agreement is made up of two inter-related documents , both agreed in Belfast on Good Friday , 10 April 1998 :   a multi-party agreement by most of Northern Ireland 's political parties ( the Multi-Party Agreement ) ;  an international agreement between the British and Irish governments ( the British-Irish Agreement ) .   The agreement set out a complex series of provisions relating to a number of areas including :   The status and system of government of Northern Ireland within the United Kingdom . ( Strand 1 )  The relationship between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland . ( Strand 2 )  The relationship between the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom . ( Strand 3 )   Issues relating to sovereignty , civil and cultural rights , decommissioning of weapons , justice and policing were central to the agreement .   The agreement was approved by voters across the island of Ireland in two referendums held on 22 May 1998 . In Northern Ireland , voters were asked whether they supported the multi-party agreement . In the Republic of Ireland , voters were asked whether they would allow the state to sign the agreement and allow necessary constitutional changes to facilitate it . The people of both jurisdictions needed to approve the agreement in order to give effect to it .   The British-Irish Agreement came into force on 2 December 1999 . The Democratic Unionist Party ( DUP ) was the only major political group in Northern Ireland to oppose the Good Friday Agreement .


William McKinley William McKinley Jr. ( January 29 , 1843 -- September 14 , 1901 ) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the 25th President of the United States from March 4 , 1897 until his assassination in September 1901 , six months into his second term . McKinley led the nation to victory in the Spanish -- American War , raised protective tariffs to promote American industry , and maintained the nation on the gold standard in a rejection of inflationary proposals .   McKinley was the last president to have served in the American Civil War , and the only one to have started the war as an enlisted soldier , beginning as a private in the Union Army and ending as a brevet major . After the war , he settled in Canton , Ohio , where he practiced law and married Ida Saxton . In 1876 , he was elected to Congress , where he became the Republican Party 's expert on the protective tariff , which he promised would bring prosperity . His 1890 McKinley Tariff was highly controversial ; which together with a Democratic redistricting aimed at gerrymandering him out of office , led to his defeat in the Democratic landslide of 1890 . He was elected Ohio 's governor in 1891 and 1893 , steering a moderate course between capital and labor interests . With the aid of his close adviser Mark Hanna , he secured the Republican nomination for president in 1896 , amid a deep economic depression . He defeated his Democratic rival , William Jennings Bryan , after a front-porch campaign in which he advocated `` sound money '' ( the gold standard unless altered by international agreement ) and promised that high tariffs would restore prosperity .   Rapid economic growth marked McKinley 's presidency . He promoted the 1897 Dingley Tariff to protect manufacturers and factory workers from foreign competition , and in 1900 , he secured the passage of the Gold Standard Act . McKinley hoped to persuade Spain to grant independence to rebellious Cuba without conflict , but when negotiation failed , he led the nation into the Spanish -- American War of 1898 ; the U.S. victory was quick and decisive . As part of the peace settlement , Spain turned over to the United States its main overseas colonies of Puerto Rico , Guam , and the Philippines ; Cuba was promised independence , but at that time remained under the control of the U.S. Army . The United States annexed the independent Republic of Hawaii in 1898 and it became a U.S. territory .   Historians regard McKinley 's 1896 victory as a realigning election , in which the political stalemate of the post -- Civil War era gave way to the Republican-dominated Fourth Party System , which began with the Progressive Era . McKinley defeated Bryan again in the 1900 presidential election , in a campaign focused on imperialism , protectionism , and free silver . However , his legacy was quickly cut short when he was shot on September 6 , 1901 by Leon Czolgosz , a second-generation Polish-American with anarchist leanings ; McKinley died eight days later , and was succeeded by his Vice President Theodore Roosevelt . As an innovator of American interventionism and pro-business sentiment , McKinley 's presidency is generally considered above average , though his universally positive public perception was soon overshadowed by Roosevelt .


Bruce Lee was a martial artist and actor.

Bruce Lee Lee Jun-fan ( ; November 27 , 1940 -- July 20 , 1973 ) , known professionally as Bruce Lee , was a Hong Kong and American martial artist , actor , philosopher , filmmaker , and founder of the martial art Jeet Kune Do . Lee was the son of Cantonese opera star Lee Hoi-chuen . He is widely considered by commentators , critics , media , and other martial artists to be one of the most influential martial artists of all time , and a pop culture icon of the 20th century . He is often credited with helping to change the way Asians were presented in American films .   Lee was born in Chinatown , San Francisco , on November 27 , 1940 , to parents from Hong Kong and was raised in Kowloon , Hong Kong , with his family until his late teens . He was introduced to the film industry by his father and appeared in several films as a child actor . Lee moved to the United States at the age of 18 to receive his higher education , at the University of Washington , at Seattle and it was during this time that he began teaching martial arts . His Hong Kong and Hollywood-produced films elevated the traditional Hong Kong martial arts film to a new level of popularity and acclaim , sparking a surge of interest in Chinese martial arts in the West in the 1970s . The direction and tone of his films changed and influenced martial arts and martial arts films in the US , Hong Kong and the rest of the world .   He is noted for his roles in five feature-length films : Lo Wei 's The Big Boss ( 1971 ) and Fist of Fury ( 1972 ) ; Golden Harvest 's Way of the Dragon ( 1972 ) , directed and written by Lee ; Golden Harvest and Warner Brothers ' Enter the Dragon ( 1973 ) and The Game of Death ( 1978 ) , both directed by Robert Clouse . Lee became an iconic figure known throughout the world , particularly among the Chinese , as he portrayed Chinese nationalism in his films . He trained in the art of Wing Chun and later combined his other influences from various sources , in the spirit of his personal martial arts philosophy , which he dubbed Jeet Kune Do ( The Way of the Intercepting Fist ) .  Lee held dual nationality of Hong Kong and the US . He died in Kowloon Tong on July 20 , 1973 at the age of 32 .


George Lucas created the Indiana Jones franchise.

George Lucas George Walton Lucas Jr. ( born May 14 , 1944 ) is an American filmmaker and entrepreneur . He is best known as the creator of the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises , as well as the founder of Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic . He was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer ( CEO ) of Lucasfilm , before selling it to The Walt Disney Company in 2012 .   Upon graduating from the University of Southern California in 1967 , Lucas co-founded American Zoetrope with fellow filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola . Lucas wrote and directed THX 1138 ( 1971 ) , based on his earlier student short Electronic Labyrinth : THX 1138 4EB , which was a critical success but a financial failure . His next work as a writer-director was the film , American Graffiti ( 1973 ) , inspired by his teen years in early 1960s Modesto , California , and produced through the newly founded Lucasfilm . The film was critically and commercially successful , and received five Academy Award nominations including Best Picture .   Lucas 's next film , an epic space opera titled Star Wars ( 1977 ) , went through a troubled production process ; however , it was a surprise hit , becoming the highest-grossing film at the time , as well as a winner of six Academy Awards and a cultural phenomenon . Following the first Star Wars film , Lucas produced and co-wrote the following installments in the trilogy , The Empire Strikes Back ( 1980 ) and Return of the Jedi ( 1983 ) . Along with Steven Spielberg , Lucas co-created and wrote the Indiana Jones films Raiders of the Lost Ark ( 1981 ) , Temple of Doom ( 1984 ) , and The Last Crusade ( 1989 ) . Lucas also produced and wrote a variety of films through Lucasfilm in the 1980s and 1990s .   In 1997 , Lucas re-released the original Star Wars trilogy as part of a Special Edition , where he made several alterations to the films ; home media releases with further changes were released in 2004 and 2011 . Lucas also returned to directing with the Star Wars prequel trilogy , consisting of The Phantom Menace ( 1999 ) , Attack of the Clones ( 2002 ) , and Revenge of the Sith ( 2005 ) . He later collaborated on the story for the Indiana Jones sequel Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ( 2008 ) , and served as the story writer and executive producer for the war film , Red Tails ( 2012 ) .   Five of Lucas 's seven features are among the 100 highest-grossing movies at the North American box office , adjusted for ticket-price inflation . Lucas is one of the American film industry 's most financially successful filmmakers , and has been personally nominated for four Academy Awards . Lucas is considered a significant figure in the New Hollywood era .


Daft Punk gained popularity during the 1990's.

Daft Punk Daft Punk are a French electronic music duo formed in 1993 by Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter . The duo achieved significant popularity in the late 1990s as part of the French house movement and had continuous success in the years following , combining elements of house music with funk , techno , disco , rock music and synthpop influences . They are also known for their visual stylization and disguises associated with their music ; the duo have worn ornate helmets and gloves to assume robot personas in most of their public appearances since 2001 and rarely grant interviews or appear on television . The duo were managed from 1996 to 2008 by Pedro Winter ( also known as Busy P ) , the head of Ed Banger Records .   Bangalter and de Homem-Christo were originally briefly in an indie rock band named Darlin ' . When the group disbanded , it left the two to experiment musically with drum machines and synthesisers . The duo released their debut studio album Homework through Virgin Records in 1997 to highly positive reviews . The duo 's next album Discovery ( 2001 ) was even more successful , driven by the release of the hit singles `` One More Time '' , `` Digital Love '' and `` Harder , Better , Faster , Stronger '' . In March 2005 , the duo released their third album Human After All to mixed reviews . However , the singles `` Robot Rock '' and `` Technologic '' achieved considerable success in the United Kingdom .   Daft Punk toured throughout 2006 and 2007 and released the live album Alive 2007 , which won a Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album . The duo later composed the score for the Disney film Tron : Legacy in 2010 , and released its soundtrack album that same year . In January 2013 , Daft Punk left Virgin for Columbia Records , and released their next album Random Access Memories in 2013 to worldwide critical acclaim . The album 's lead single `` Get Lucky '' became an international success , peaking on top 10 charts in 32 countries . Random Access Memories won five Grammy Awards in 2014 , including Album of the Year and Record of the Year for `` Get Lucky '' . Daft Punk later gained their first number one on the Billboard Hot 100 with the song `` Starboy '' , a collaboration with The Weeknd .


Natalie Portman directed her first film in 2016.

Natalie Portman Natalie Portman ( born Neta-Lee Hershlag , נטע-לי הרשלג June 9 , 1981 ) is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship . Her first role was in the 1994 action thriller Léon : The Professional , opposite Jean Reno . She was later cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy ( released in 1999 , 2002 and 2005 ) .   Born in Jerusalem to an Israeli father and American mother , Portman grew up in the eastern United States from the age of three . She studied dancing and acting in New York , and starred in Star Wars : Episode I -- The Phantom Menace while still at high school on Long Island . In 1999 , Portman enrolled at Harvard University to study psychology , alongside her work as an actress ; she completed a bachelor 's degree in 2003 . During her studies she starred in a second Star Wars film and opened in New York City 's The Public Theater production of Anton Chekhov 's The Seagull in 2001 .   Portman won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Academy Award for starring in the 2004 drama Closer , appeared in Star Wars : Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith the following year , and won a Constellation Award for Best Female Performance and the Saturn Award for Best Actress for her starring role in the political thriller V for Vendetta ( 2006 ) . She played leading roles in the historical dramas Goya 's Ghosts ( 2006 ) and The Other Boleyn Girl ( 2008 ) , and also appeared in Thor ( 2011 ) and its 2013 sequel . In 2010 , Portman starred in the psychological thriller film Black Swan . Her performance received widespread critical acclaim and she earned her first Academy Award for Best Actress , her second Golden Globe Award , the SAG Award , the BAFTA Award and the BFCA Award in 2011 . In 2016 , she portrayed First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy in the biographical drama Jackie . She was nominated for an Academy Award , a BAFTA Award , a Golden Globe Award , a Screen Actors Guild Award and won the BFCA for Best Actress .   In May 2008 , Portman served as the youngest member of the 61st Annual Cannes Film Festival jury . The same year she directed a segment of the collective film New York , I Love You . Her first feature film as a director , A Tale of Love and Darkness , was released in 2015 .


Boston Latin School The Boston Latin School is a public `` exam school '' in Boston , Massachusetts . Established on April 23 , 1635 , it is the oldest school as well as the first public school in the United States . The Public Latin School was a bastion for educating the sons of the Boston `` Brahmin '' elite , resulting in the School claiming many prominent Bostonians , Massachusetts citizens and New Englanders as alumni . Its curriculum follows that of the 18th century Latin-school movement , which holds the `` classics '' to be the basis of an educated mind . Four years of Latin are mandatory for all pupils who enter the School in the 7th grade , three years for those who enter in the 9th . In 2007 , the School was named one of the top twenty high schools in the United States by U.S. News & World Report magazine . It is a part of Boston Public Schools ( BPS ) .   The School was named a 2011 `` Blue Ribbon School of Excellence '' , the U.S. Department of Education 's highest award .   As of 2016 , the School is listed under the `` gold medal '' list , ranking 51 out of the top 100 high schools in the United States ( more than 20,000 public high schools from 50 states and the District of Columbia were analyzed ) by U.S. News & World Report magazine .


PewDiePie Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg ( -LSB- ˈʃɛlbɜːrɡ -RSB- , -LSB- ˈfeːlɪks ² ɕɛlːˌbærj -RSB- ; born on 24 October 1989 ) , better known by his online pseudonym PewDiePie ( -LSB- ˈpjuːdipaɪ -RSB- ) , is a Swedish web-based comedian and video producer . He is known for his Let 's Play commentaries and vlogs on YouTube .   Born in Gothenburg , Sweden , PewDiePie originally pursued a degree in industrial economics and technology management at Chalmers University of Technology . In 2010 , during his time at the university , he registered a YouTube account under the name PewDiePie . The following year , he dropped out of Chalmers after growing bored with his degree field , much to the dismay of his parents . After failing to earn an apprenticeship with an advertising agency in Scandinavia , he then decided to focus on creating content for his YouTube channel . In order to fund his videos , PewDiePie began selling prints of his Photoshop art projects and working at a hot dog stand . PewDiePie soon gathered a rapidly increasing online following , and in July 2012 , his channel surpassed one million subscribers .   Early on , PewDiePie was signed under the multi-channel network Machinima . After dissatisfaction with the network , he signed with Maker Studios , having his channel under Maker 's sub-networks Polaris , and later , Revelmode . Throughout his time on YouTube , PewDiePie has produced content that has been praised as genuine and unfiltered , but also been received as abrasive , and in some cases , met with controversy . As a result of an early 2017 controversy regarding allegations of anti-Semitism in several of PewDiePie 's videos , the Disney-operated Maker Studios ended their partnership with him , dropping him from their network . While he criticised the coverage of the situation and defended his content as jokes that were taken out of context , he conceded its offensiveness .   Since 15 August 2013 , PewDiePie has been the most-subscribed user on YouTube , being surpassed briefly in November and December 2013 by YouTube 's Spotlight channel . Holding the position since 22 December 2013 , the channel has over 55 million subscribers as of May 2017 . From 29 December 2014 to 14 February 2017 , PewDiePie 's channel held the distinction of being the most viewed of all time , and as of May 2017 , the channel has received over 15 billion video views .   PewDiePie refers to his fanbase as the `` Bro Army '' , and individual fans as `` bros '' . Through his Bro Army fanbase , PewDiePie has raised money for charities . Due to his popularity , PewDiePie 's coverage of indie games has created an Oprah effect , boosting sales for titles he plays . In 2016 , Time named him one of `` The World 's 100 Most Influential People '' . PewDiePie lives in Brighton with his girlfriend , Italian YouTube personality Marzia Bisognin .


Black Panther (film) Black Panther is an upcoming American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name . Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures , it is intended to be the eighteenth film installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe . The film is directed by Ryan Coogler from a screenplay by himself and Joe Robert Cole , and stars Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa / Black Panther , alongside Michael B. Jordan , Lupita Nyong ` o , Danai Gurira , Martin Freeman , Daniel Kaluuya , Angela Bassett , Forest Whitaker , and Andy Serkis . In Black Panther , T'Challa returns home as king of Wakanda but finds his sovereignty challenged by a long-time adversary in a conflict that has global consequences .   Wesley Snipes first mentioned his intention to work on a Black Panther film in 1992 , with that project going through multiple iterations over the next decade but never coming to fruition . A Black Panther film was announced as one of the ten Marvel films that would be developed by Marvel Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures in September 2005 , with Mark Bailey hired to write a script in January 2011 . Black Panther was officially announced in October 2014 , with Boseman appearing first in Captain America : Civil War . By the end of 2015 , Cole and Coogler had both joined the film , and additional cast members came on board beginning in May 2016 . Principal photography for the film took place from January to April 2017 , at EUE/Screen Gems Studios and Pinewood Atlanta Studios in the Atlanta metropolitan area , and Busan , South Korea .   Black Panther is set to be released in the United States on February 16 , 2018 , in IMAX .


Pitch Perfect 3 Pitch Perfect 3 is an upcoming American musical comedy film directed by Trish Sie and written by Kay Cannon , Mike White , and Dana Fox . A sequel to 2015 's Pitch Perfect 2 and the third installment in the Pitch Perfect series , the film will star Anna Kendrick , Anna Camp , Rebel Wilson , Brittany Snow , Hailee Steinfeld , Alexis Knapp , Ester Dean , Hana Mae Lee , Chrissie Fit , Kelley Jakle , and Shelley Regner as the Bellas and Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins . The film is scheduled to be released on December 22 , 2017 .


Antarctica's annual precipitation is 8.5 inches along the coast.

Antarctica Antarctica ( UK English -LSB- ænˈtɑːktɪkə -RSB- or -LSB- ænˈtɑːtɪkə -RSB- , US English -LSB- æntˈɑːrktɪkə -RSB- ) is Earth 's southernmost continent . It contains the geographic South Pole and is situated in the Antarctic region of the Southern Hemisphere , almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle , and is surrounded by the Southern Ocean . At 14000000 km2 , it is the fifth-largest continent . For comparison , Antarctica is nearly twice the size of Australia . About 98 % of Antarctica is covered by ice that averages 1.9 km in thickness , which extends to all but the northernmost reaches of the Antarctic Peninsula .   Antarctica , on average , is the coldest , driest , and windiest continent , and has the highest average elevation of all the continents . Antarctica is a desert , with annual precipitation of only 200 mm ( 8 in ) along the coast and far less inland . The temperature in Antarctica has reached − 89.2 ° C ( − 128.6 ° F ) , though the average for the third quarter ( the coldest part of the year ) is − 63 ° C ( − 81 ° F ) . Anywhere from 1,000 to 5,000 people reside throughout the year at the research stations scattered across the continent . Organisms native to Antarctica include many types of algae , bacteria , fungi , plants , protista , and certain animals , such as mites , nematodes , penguins , seals and tardigrades . Vegetation , where it occurs , is tundra .   Although myths and speculation about a Terra Australis ( `` Southern Land '' ) date back to antiquity , Antarctica is noted as the last region on Earth in recorded history to be discovered and colonised by humans , being only first sighted in 1820 by the Russian expedition of Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev on Vostok and Mirny , who sighted the Fimbul ice shelf . The continent , however , remained largely neglected for the rest of the 19th century because of its hostile environment , lack of easily accessible resources , and isolation . In 1895 , the first confirmed landing was conducted by a team of Norwegians .   Antarctica is a de facto condominium , governed by parties to the Antarctic Treaty System that have consulting status . Twelve countries signed the Antarctic Treaty in 1959 , and thirty-eight have signed it since then . The treaty prohibits military activities and mineral mining , prohibits nuclear explosions and nuclear waste disposal , supports scientific research , and protects the continent 's ecozone . Ongoing experiments are conducted by more than 4,000 scientists from many nations .


Glenn Close was incapable of performing on stage in New York her whole life.

Glenn Close Glenn Close ( born March 19 , 1947 ) is an American actress , singer and film producer . With an acting career spanning over 40 years , she has been consistently acclaimed for her versatility and is widely regarded as one of the finest actresses of her generation . She has won three Emmy Awards , three Tony Awards , four Golden Globe Awards , and has received six Academy Award nominations .   Close began her professional stage career in 1974 in Love for Love , and was mostly a New York stage actress through the rest of the 1970s and early 1980s , appearing in both plays and musicals , including the Broadway productions of Barnum in 1980 and The Real Thing in 1983 , for which she won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play . Her film debut was in The World According to Garp ( 1982 ) , which she followed up with supporting roles in The Big Chill ( 1983 ) and The Natural ( 1984 ) ; all three earned her nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress . She would later receive nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performances in Fatal Attraction ( 1987 ) , Dangerous Liaisons ( 1988 ) and Albert Nobbs ( 2011 ) . She won two more Tony Awards in the 1990s , for Death and the Maiden in 1992 and Sunset Boulevard in 1995 , while she won her first Emmy Award for the 1995 TV film Serving in Silence : The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story .   She starred as Eleanor of Aquitaine in the 2003 TV film The Lion in Winter , winning a Golden Globe Award . In 2005 , she starred in the drama series The Shield . Then , from 2007 to 2012 , she starred as Patty Hewes in the FX drama series Damages , a role that won her a Golden Globe and two Emmys . She has voiced the character of Mona Simpson in the animated sitcom The Simpsons since 1995 . She returned to Broadway in November 2014 , in a revival of Edward Albee 's A Delicate Balance . Her other films include Jagged Edge ( 1985 ) , Hamlet ( 1990 ) , Reversal of Fortune ( 1990 ) , 101 Dalmatians ( 1996 ) , Paradise Road ( 1997 ) , Air Force One ( 1997 ) , Cookie 's Fortune ( 1999 ) , Heights ( 2005 ) , Guardians of the Galaxy ( 2014 ) and The Girl With All The Gifts ( 2016 ) .   Close is a six-time Academy Award nominee , tying the record for being the actress with the most nominations never to have won ( along with Deborah Kerr and Thelma Ritter ) . As of 2016 , Close has more Oscar nominations without a win than any other living actor . In addition , she has been nominated for four Tonys ( three wins ) , fourteen Emmys ( three wins ) , thirteen Golden Globes ( two wins ) , two Drama Desk Awards ( one win ) and eight Screen Actors Guild Awards ( one win ) . She has also won an Obie award and has been nominated for three Grammy Awards and a BAFTA . Close has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and has been inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame .


Helena Bonham Carter Helena Bonham Carter , ( born 26 May 1966 ) is an English actress . She is known for her roles in low-budget arthouse and independent films to large-scale Hollywood productions . She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as Kate Croy in The Wings of the Dove ( 1997 ) . For her role as Queen Elizabeth in The King 's Speech ( 2010 ) , she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role . She also won the 2010 International Emmy Award for Best Actress for her role as British author Enid Blyton in the TV film Enid ( 2009 ) .   Bonham Carter began her film career playing the title character in Lady Jane ( 1986 ) , and playing Lucy Honeychurch in A Room with a View ( 1986 ) . Her other film roles include Ophelia in Hamlet ( 1990 ) , Where Angels Fear to Tread ( 1991 ) , Howards End ( 1992 ) , Elizabeth Lavenza in Mary Shelley 's Frankenstein ( 1994 ) , Woody Allen 's Mighty Aphrodite ( 1995 ) , Fight Club ( 1999 ) , Bellatrix Lestrange in the Harry Potter series ( 2007 -- 11 ) , Terminator Salvation ( 2009 ) , Miss Havisham in Great Expectations ( 2012 ) , Madame Thénardier in Les Misérables ( 2012 ) , and The Fairy Godmother in Cinderella ( 2015 ) . She has frequently collaborated with director Tim Burton ; in Planet of the Apes ( 2001 ) , Big Fish ( 2003 ) , Corpse Bride ( 2005 ) , Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ( 2005 ) , Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd : The Demon Barber of Fleet Street ( 2007 ) , Dark Shadows ( 2012 ) , and playing the Red Queen in Alice in Wonderland ( 2010 ) and its sequel Alice Through the Looking Glass ( 2016 ) . Her other television films include A Pattern of Roses ( 1983 ) , Fatal Deception : Mrs. Lee Harvey Oswald ( 1993 ) , Live from Baghdad ( 2002 ) , Toast ( 2010 ) , and Burton & Taylor ( 2013 ) .   She was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire ( CBE ) in the 2012 New Year Honours list for services to drama , and in January 2014 , the British prime minister , David Cameron , announced that Bonham Carter had been appointed to Britain 's new national Holocaust Commission .


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 .


Carrie Fisher worked as a script writer.

Script doctor A script doctor , also called a script consultant , is a screenwriter or playwright hired by a film , television , or theatre production to rewrite an existing script or polish specific aspects of it , including structure , characterization , dialogue , pacing , theme , and other elements .   Script doctors generally do their work uncredited , for a variety of commercial and artistic reasons . They are usually brought in for scripts that have been almost `` green-lit , '' during the development and pre-production phases of a film , to address specific issues with the script , as identified by the financiers , production team , and cast .   Under the Writers Guild of America screenwriting credit system , a screenwriter must contribute more than 50 percent of an original screenplay or 33 percent of an adaptation to receive credit . Uncredited screenwriters are not eligible to win the Academy Award or the Writers Guild of America Award .


Carrie Fisher Carrie Frances Fisher ( October 21 , 1956 -- December 27 , 2016 ) was an American actress , writer and humorist who first became known for playing Princess Leia in the Star Wars film series . Her other film roles included Shampoo ( 1975 ) , The Blues Brothers ( 1980 ) , Hannah and Her Sisters ( 1986 ) , The ` Burbs ( 1989 ) , and When Harry Met Sally ... ( 1989 ) .   Fisher wrote several semi-autobiographical novels , including Postcards from the Edge and the screenplay for the film of the book , as well as an autobiographical one-woman play , and its non-fiction book , Wishful Drinking , based on the play . She worked on other writers ' screenplays as a script doctor . In later years , she earned praise for speaking publicly about her experiences with bipolar disorder and drug addiction .   The daughter of the singer Eddie Fisher and actress Debbie Reynolds , Fisher and her mother appear in Bright Lights : Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds , a 2016 documentary about their relationship . It premiered at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival . Fisher died of cardiac arrest on December 27 , 2016 , at age 60 , four days after experiencing a medical emergency during a transatlantic flight from London to Los Angeles . Her final film , Star Wars : The Last Jedi , is scheduled to be released on December 15 , 2017 .


Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis is noted for her elegance.

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis ( née Bouvier ; -LSB- ˈbuːvieɪ -RSB- July 28 , 1929 -- May 19 , 1994 ) was the wife of the 35th President of the United States , John F. Kennedy , and First Lady of the United States from 1961 until his assassination in 1963 .   Bouvier was the elder daughter of Wall Street stockbroker John Vernou Bouvier III and socialite Janet Lee Bouvier . In 1951 , she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in French literature from George Washington University and went on to work for the Washington Times-Herald as an inquiring photographer .   In 1952 , Bouvier met Congressman John F. Kennedy at a dinner party . In November of that year , he was elected as a United States Senator from Massachusetts , and the couple married in 1953 . They had four children , two of whom died in infancy . As First Lady , she was known for her highly publicized restoration of the White House and her emphasis on arts and culture . On November 22 , 1963 , she was riding with the President in a motorcade in Dallas , Texas , when he was assassinated . She and her children withdrew from public view after his funeral , and in 1968 she married Aristotle Onassis .   Following her second husband 's death in 1975 , she had a career as a book editor for the final two decades of her life . She is remembered for her lifelong contributions to the arts and preservation of historic architecture , as well as for her style , elegance , and grace . She was a fashion icon , and her famous ensemble of pink Chanel suit and matching pillbox hat has become a symbol of her husband 's assassination . She ranks as one of the most popular First Ladies and in 1999 was named on Gallup 's list of Most Admired Men and Women in 20th-century America .


Houston has a population from various religious backgrounds.

Houston Houston ( -LSB- ˈhjuːstən -RSB- ) is the most populous city in the state of Texas and the fourth-most populous city in the United States . With a census-estimated 2014 population of 2.239 million within an area of 667 sqmi , it is also the largest city in the southern United States and the seat of Harris County . Located in Southeast Texas near the Gulf of Mexico , it is the principal city of the Greater Houston metro area , which is the fifth-most populated MSA in the United States .   Houston was founded on August 28 , 1836 , near the banks of Buffalo Bayou ( now known as Allen 's Landing ) and incorporated as a city on June 5 , 1837 . The city was named after former General Sam Houston , who was president of the Republic of Texas and had commanded and won at the Battle of San Jacinto 25 mi east of where the city was established . The burgeoning port and railroad industry , combined with oil discovery in 1901 , has induced continual surges in the city 's population . In the mid-20th century , Houston became the home of the Texas Medical Center -- the world 's largest concentration of healthcare and research institutions -- and NASA 's Johnson Space Center , where the Mission Control Center is located .   Houston 's economy has a broad industrial base in energy , manufacturing , aeronautics , and transportation . Leading in health care sectors and building oilfield equipment , outside of New York City , Houston has more Fortune 500 headquarters than any other U.S. municipality within its city limits . The Port of Houston ranks first in the United States in international waterborne tonnage handled and second in total cargo tonnage handled . Nicknamed the `` Space City '' , Houston is a global city , with strengths in business , international trade , entertainment , culture , media , fashion , science , sports , technology , education , medicine , and research . The city has a population from various ethnic and religious backgrounds and a large and growing international community . Houston is the most diverse city in Texas and has been described as the most racially and ethnically diverse major metropolis in the U.S. . It is home to many cultural institutions and exhibits , which attract more than 7 million visitors a year to the Museum District . Houston has an active visual and performing arts scene in the Theater District and offers year-round resident companies in all major performing arts .


Usain Bolt holds world records for the 200 meter event.

Usain Bolt Usain St Leo Bolt , OJ , CD ( -LSB- ˈjuːseɪn -RSB- born 21 August 1986 ) is a Jamaican sprinter . He is the first person to hold both the 100 metres and 200 metres world records since fully automatic time became mandatory . He also holds the world record as a part of the 4 × 100 metres relay . He is the reigning world and Olympic champion in these three events . Due to his unprecedented dominance and achievements in sprint competition , he is widely considered to be the greatest sprinter of all time .   An eight-time Olympic gold medalist , Bolt won the 100 m , 200 m and 4 × 100 m relay at three consecutive Olympic Games , although he subsequently lost one of the gold medals ( as well as the world record set therein ) nine years after the fact due to teammate Nesta Carter 's disqualification for doping offences . He gained worldwide popularity for his double sprint victory at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in world record times . Bolt is the only sprinter to win Olympic 100 m and 200 m titles at three consecutive olympics ( 2008 , 2012 and 2016 ) , a feat referred to as the `` triple double . ''   An eleven-time World Champion , he won consecutive World Championship 100 m , 200 m and 4 × 100 metres relay gold medals from 2009 to 2015 , with the exception of a 100 m false start in 2011 . He is the most successful athlete of the World Championships and was the first athlete to win three titles in both the 100 m and 200 m at the competition .   Bolt improved upon his first 100 m world record of 9.69 with 9.58 seconds in 2009 -- the biggest improvement since the start of electronic timing . He has twice broken the 200 metres world record , setting 19.30 in 2008 and 19.19 in 2009 . He has helped Jamaica to three 4 × 100 metres relay world records , with the current record being 36.84 seconds set in 2012 . Bolt 's most successful event is the 200 m , with three Olympic and four World titles . The 2008 Olympics was his international debut over 100 m ; he had earlier won numerous 200 m medals ( including 2007 World Championship silver ) and holds the world under-20 and world under-18 records for the event .   His achievements as a sprinter have earned him the media nickname `` Lightning Bolt '' , and his awards include the IAAF World Athlete of the Year , Track & Field Athlete of the Year , and Laureus World Sportsman of the Year ( four times ) . Bolt has stated that he intends to retire from athletics after the 2017 World Championships .


The Fifth Element was the most expensive European film ever made at the time of its taping.

The Fifth Element The Fifth Element ( Le Cinquième Élément ) is a 1997 English-language French science-fiction action film directed and co-written by Luc Besson . It stars Bruce Willis , Gary Oldman and Milla Jovovich . Primarily set in the 23rd century , the film 's central plot involves the survival of planet Earth , which becomes the responsibility of Korben Dallas ( Willis ) , a taxicab driver and former special forces major , after a young woman ( Jovovich ) falls into his cab . Dallas joins forces with her to recover four mystical stones essential for the defence of Earth against an impending attack .   Besson started writing the story that became The Fifth Element when he was 16 years old ; he was 38 when the film opened in cinemas . Besson wanted to shoot the film in France , but suitable locations could not be found ; filming took place instead in London and Mauritania . Comics writers Jean `` Moebius '' Giraud and Jean-Claude Mézières , whose comics provided inspiration for parts of the film , were hired for production design . Costume design was by Jean Paul Gaultier .   The Fifth Element received mainly positive reviews , although it tended to polarize critics . It has been called both the best and worst summer blockbuster of all time . The film was a financial success , earning more than $ 263 million at the box office on a $ 90 million budget . At the time of its release it was the most expensive European film ever made , and it remained the highest-grossing French film at the international box office until the release of The Intouchables in 2011 .


Hopman Cup has been attended monthly by Harry Hopman's widow.

Hopman Cup The Hopman Cup is an annual international eight-team indoor hardcourt tennis tournament held in Perth , Western Australia in early January ( sometimes commencing in late December ) each year , which plays mixed-gender teams on a country-by-country basis .   The championship is named in honour of Harry Hopman ( 1906 -- 1985 ) , an Australian tennis player and coach who guided the country to 15 Davis Cup titles between 1938 and 1969 . Since the Hopman Cup was founded in 1989 , it has been attended each year by Harry Hopman 's widow , his second wife Lucy , who travels to the tournament annually from her home in the United States .   The tournament is a sanctioned event in the calendar of the International Tennis Federation ( ITF ) , but while individual player results are tallied , they are not included in the calculation of tennis world rankings . The competition receives extensive television coverage in Australia and is an important lead-up tournament to the Australian Open each January as part of the Australian Open Series . The winning team receives a silver cup perpetual trophy and up to 2014 the winning team members were presented with distinctive individual trophies in the shape of a tennis ball encrusted with diamonds from the Argyle diamond mine in the Kimberley region of Western Australia . In 2014 and 2015 , the individual trophies were created in the shape of an intricate diamond encrusted tennis racket and ball , using just under an ounce of 18-carat white , yellow and rose gold and approximately half an ounce of pink argyle diamonds . These trophies are valued at $ 26,000 .   Until 2012 , the Hopman Cup was played at the Burswood Dome . Since 2013 , the Hopman Cup has been played at the Perth Arena .


Taylor Kitsch Taylor Kitsch ( born April 8 , 1981 ) is a Canadian actor and model . He is best known for his work in films such as X-Men Origins : Wolverine ( 2009 ) , Battleship ( 2012 ) , John Carter ( 2012 ) , Savages ( 2012 ) , and Lone Survivor ( 2013 ) .   Kitsch is also known for his work in television , he portrayed Tim Riggins in the NBC series Friday Night Lights ( 2006 -- 2011 ) , starred in the second season of the HBO series True Detective as Paul Woodrugh , and appeared in the television film The Normal Heart ( 2014 ) as Bruce Niles .


The freedom of the press is limited in Singapore.

Singapore Singapore ( -LSB- ˈsɪŋgəpɔr -RSB- ) , officially the Republic of Singapore , sometimes referred to as the Lion City , the Garden City or the Little Red Dot , is a sovereign city-state in Southeast Asia . It lies one degree ( 137 km ) north of the equator , at the southern tip of peninsular Malaysia , with Indonesia 's Riau Islands to the south . Singapore 's territory consists of one main island along with 62 other islets . Since independence , extensive land reclamation has increased its total size by 23 % ( 130 km2 ) , and its greening policy has covered the densely populated island with tropical flora , parks and gardens .   Stamford Raffles founded colonial Singapore in 1819 as a trading post of the East India Company ; after its collapse and the eventual establishment of the British Raj , the islands were ceded to Britain and became part of its Straits Settlements in 1826 . During the Second World War , Singapore was occupied by Japan . It gained independence from the UK in 1963 by federating with other former British territories to form Malaysia , but separated two years later over ideological differences , becoming a sovereign nation in 1965 . After early years of turbulence , and despite lacking natural resources and a hinterland , the nation developed rapidly as an Asian Tiger economy , based on external trade and its workforce .   Singapore is a global commerce , finance and transport hub . Its standings include : the most `` technology-ready '' nation ( WEF ) , top International-meetings city ( UIA ) , city with `` best investment potential '' ( BERI ) , second-most competitive country , third-largest foreign exchange market , third-largest financial centre , third-largest oil refining and trading centre , and the second-busiest container port . The country has also been identified as a tax haven .   Singapore ranks 5th on the UN Human Development Index and the 3rd highest GDP per capita . It is ranked highly in education , healthcare , life expectancy , quality of life , personal safety , and housing . Although income inequality is high , 90 % of homes are owner-occupied . 38 % of Singapore 's 5.6 million residents are permanent residents and other foreign nationals . There are four official languages : English ( common and first language ) , Malay , Mandarin , Tamil ; almost all Singaporeans are bilingual .   Singapore is a unitary multiparty parliamentary republic , with a Westminster system of unicameral parliamentary government . The People 's Action Party has won every election since self-government in 1959 . The dominance of the PAP , coupled with a low level of press freedom and restrictions on civil liberties and political rights , has led to Singapore being classified by some as a semi-authoritarian regime . One of the five founding members of the ASEAN , Singapore is also the host of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation ( APEC ) Secretariat , and a member of the East Asia Summit , Non-Aligned Movement , and the Commonwealth of Nations .


Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford , Jr. ( born Leslie Lynch King , Jr. ; July 14 , 1913 -- December 26 , 2006 ) was an American politician who served as the 38th President of the United States from 1974 to 1977 , following the resignation of Richard Nixon . Prior to this he served eight months as the 40th Vice President of the United States , following the resignation of Spiro Agnew . He was the first person appointed to the vice presidency under the terms of the 25th Amendment , and consequently the only person to have served as both Vice President and President of the United States without being elected to executive office . Before his appointment to the vice presidency , Ford served 25 years as U.S. Representative from Michigan 's 5th congressional district , the final nine of them as the House Minority Leader .   As President , Ford signed the Helsinki Accords , marking a move toward détente in the Cold War . With the conquest of South Vietnam by North Vietnam nine months into his presidency , U.S. involvement in Vietnam essentially ended . Domestically , Ford presided over the worst economy in the four decades since the Great Depression , with growing inflation and a recession during his tenure . One of his most controversial acts was to grant a presidential pardon to President Richard Nixon for his role in the Watergate scandal . During Ford 's presidency , foreign policy was characterized in procedural terms by the increased role Congress began to play , and by the corresponding curb on the powers of the President . In the Republican presidential primary campaign of 1976 , Ford defeated former California Governor Ronald Reagan for the Republican nomination . He narrowly lost the presidential election to the Democratic challenger , former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter , making him the first President who succeeded to office as a result of a mid-term vacancy since Chester A. Arthur not to be elected in his own right .   Following his years as President , Ford remained active in the Republican Party . After experiencing health problems , he died at home on December 26 , 2006 . Ford lived longer than any other U.S. president -- 93 years and 165 days -- while his 895-day presidency was the shortest of all presidents who did not die in office .


Oz the Great and Powerful was released through the RealD 3D format in 2015.

Oz the Great and Powerful Oz the Great and Powerful ( working title Brick ) is a 2013 American fantasy adventure film directed by Sam Raimi and produced by Joe Roth , from a screenplay written by David Lindsay-Abaire and Mitchell Kapner . The film stars James Franco as the titular character , Mila Kunis , Rachel Weisz , and Michelle Williams with Zach Braff , Bill Cobbs , Joey King , and Tony Cox in supporting roles . Based on L. Frank Baum 's Oz novels and set 20 years before the events of the original novel , Oz the Great and Powerful is a spiritual prequel to the 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film , The Wizard of Oz . The film tells the story of Oscar Diggs , a deceptive magician who arrives in the Land of Oz and encounters three witches : Theodora , Evanora , and Glinda . Oscar is then enlisted to restore order in Oz , while struggling to resolve conflicts with the witches and himself .   Kapner began developing an origin story for the Wizard of Oz after a lifelong interest of wanting to create one for the character . Walt Disney Pictures commissioned the film 's production in 2009 , with Joe Roth as producer and Grant Curtis , Joshua Donen , Philip Steuer , and Palak Patel serving as executive producers . Raimi was hired to direct the following year . After Robert Downey Jr. and Johnny Depp declined the titular role , Franco was cast in February 2011 , with principal photography commencing five months later . Danny Elfman composed the film 's score .   Oz the Great and Powerful premiered at the El Capitan Theatre on February 14 , 2013 , and with general theatrical release on March 8 , 2013 , through the Disney Digital 3-D , RealD 3D and IMAX 3D formats , as well as in conventional theaters . It grossed over $ 493 million worldwide against a $ 215 million budget and is the thirteenth highest-grossing film of 2013 . The film won the Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Live Action Family Film . Kunis , for her portrayal as the Wicked Witch of the West , won the MTV Movie Award for Best Villain .


David Dhawan David Dhawan ( born Rajinder Dhawan on 16 August 1955 ) is an Indian film director who works in Hindi films . He is the father of Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan and director Rohit Dhawan . He is best known for directing several successful films , including the comedies Swarg ( 1990 ) , Shola Aur Shabnam ( 1992 ) , Judwaa ( 1997 ) , Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge ( 2000 ) , Mujhse Shaadi Karogi ( 2004 ) , Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya ? ( 2005 ) , Partner ( 2007 ) , Chashme Baddoor ( 2013 ) and Main Tera Hero ( 2014 ) . The 1993 action thriller Aankhen and the 1999 comedy Biwi No. 1 earned him the Filmfare Award for Best Director nominations .


Varun Dhawan Varun Dhawan ( born 24 April 1987 ) is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi films . The son of film director David Dhawan , he studied Business Management from the Nottingham Trent University , after which he worked as an assistant director to Karan Johar on the 2010 drama My Name Is Khan . Dhawan made his acting debut with Johar 's 2012 romantic comedy Student of the Year , for which he received a Filmfare nomination for Best Male Debut .   Dhawan established himself in Bollywood by starring in the romance Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania ( 2014 ) and the dance film ABCD 2 ( 2015 ) , both of which earned over worldwide . He garnered a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor for portraying an avenger in the crime thriller Badlapur ( 2015 ) . Dhawan subsequently starred in the action drama Dilwale ( 2015 ) , the crime drama Dishoom ( 2016 ) , and the romantic comedy Badrinath Ki Dulhania ( 2017 ) ; the former ranks among the highest-grossing Bollywood films .


Franklin D. Roosevelt was born in 1882 to an old, prominent Dutch family.

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt ( -LSB- ˈroʊzəvəlt -RSB- , his own pronunciation , or -LSB- - en ˈroʊzəvɛlt -RSB- January 30 , 1882 -- April 12 , 1945 ) , commonly known as FDR , was an American statesman and political leader who served as the 32nd President of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945 . A Democrat , he won a record four presidential elections and emerged as a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century . He directed the United States government during most of the Great Depression and World War II . As a dominant leader of his party , he built the New Deal Coalition , realigning American politics into the Fifth Party System and defining American liberalism throughout the middle third of the 20th century . He is often rated by scholars as one of the three greatest U.S. Presidents , along with George Washington and Abraham Lincoln .   Roosevelt was born in 1882 to an old , prominent Dutch family from Dutchess County , New York and attended Groton School . He went on to graduate from Harvard College in 1903 and attended Columbia Law School . At age 23 in 1905 , he married Eleanor Roosevelt , and the couple went on to have six children . He entered politics in 1910 , serving in the New York State Senate , and then as Assistant Secretary of the Navy under President Woodrow Wilson . In 1920 , presidential candidate James M. Cox selected Roosevelt as his running mate , but the Cox/Roosevelt ticket lost to the Republican ticket of Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge . In 1921 , Roosevelt was stricken with debilitating polio , which cost him the use of his legs . The disability put his future political career in jeopardy , but he attempted to recover from the illness and founded the treatment center in Warm Springs , Georgia for people with polio . Roosevelt returned to political life when he nominated Alfred E. Smith at the 1924 Democratic National Convention . At Smith 's behest , Roosevelt successfully ran for Governor of New York in 1928 . He was in office from 1929 to 1933 and served as a reform governor , promoting the enactment of programs to combat the depression besetting the United States at the time .   In the 1932 presidential election , Roosevelt defeated incumbent Republican president Herbert Hoover in a landslide to win the presidency . Roosevelt took office while the United States was in the midst of the worst economic crisis in its history . Energized by his personal victory over polio , FDR relied on his persistent optimism and activism to renew the national spirit . During his first 100 days in office , Roosevelt spearheaded unprecedented federal legislation and issued a profusion of executive orders that instituted the New Deal -- a variety of programs designed to produce relief ( government jobs for the unemployed ) , recovery ( economic growth ) , and reform ( through regulation of Wall Street , banks and transportation ) . He created numerous programs to support the unemployed and farmers , and to encourage labor union growth while more closely regulating business and high finance . His support for the repeal of Prohibition in 1933 added to his popularity , helping him win re-election by a landslide in 1936 . The economy improved rapidly from 1933 -- 37 , but then relapsed into a deep recession in 1937 -- 38 . The bipartisan Conservative Coalition that formed in 1937 prevented his packing the Supreme Court , and blocked almost all proposals for major liberal legislation ( except the minimum wage , which did pass ) . When the war began and unemployment ended , conservatives in Congress repealed the two major relief programs , the Works Progress Administration ( WPA ) and Civilian Conservation Corps ( CCC ) . However , they kept most of the regulations on business . Along with several smaller programs , major surviving programs include the Securities and Exchange Commission , the Wagner Act , the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and Social Security .   With World War II looming after 1938 with the Japanese invasion of China and the aggression of Nazi Germany , Roosevelt gave strong diplomatic and financial support to China and the United Kingdom , while remaining officially neutral . His goal was to make America the `` Arsenal of Democracy '' , which would supply munitions to the Allies . In March 1941 , Roosevelt , with Congressional approval , provided Lend-Lease aid to Britain and China . Following the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7 , 1941 , which he famously called `` a date which will live in infamy '' , Roosevelt sought and obtained the quick approval on the following day for Congress to declare war on Japan and , a few days later , on Germany . Assisted by his top aide Harry Hopkins , and with very strong national support , he worked closely with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill , Soviet leader Joseph Stalin and Chinese Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek in leading the Allies against Nazi Germany , Fascist Italy and Imperial Japan in World War II . He supervised the mobilization of the U.S. economy to support the war effort , and also ordered the internment of 100,000 Japanese American civilians . As an active military leader , Roosevelt implemented a war strategy on two fronts that ended in the defeat of the Axis Powers , and he initiated the development of the world 's first atomic bomb . His work also influenced the later creation of the United Nations and Bretton Woods . Roosevelt 's physical health seriously declined during the war years , and he died weeks into his fourth term . He was then succeeded by his vice president Harry S. Truman , and a few months after Truman 's inauguration , the United States bombed the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki , leading to Japan 's surrender .


Dan Martin (cyclist) Daniel `` Dan '' Martin ( born 20 August 1986 ) is an Irish professional road racing cyclist who rides for UCI ProTeam . Born and raised in England , Martin has competed for Ireland since 2006 .   Martin 's accomplishments since turning professional in 2008 include winning a stage at the 2011 Vuelta a España , winning a stage at the 2013 Tour de France , and winning the overall classification at the 2010 Tour de Pologne and the 2013 Volta a Catalunya . In one-day races , he won the 2010 Japan Cup , the 2010 Tre Valli Varesine , the 2011 Giro di Toscana , the 2013 Liège -- Bastogne -- Liège , and the 2014 Giro di Lombardia .


Michael Schumacher won a driving title in the early 2000.

Michael Schumacher Michael Schumacher ( -LSB- ˈmɪçaʔɛl ˈʃuːmaxɐ -RSB- ; born 3 January 1969 ) is a German retired racing driver . He is a seven-time Formula One World Champion and is widely regarded as one of the greatest Formula One drivers of all time . He was named Laureus World Sportsman of the Year twice . He won two titles with Benetton in and before moving to Ferrari where he drove for eleven years . His time with Ferrari yielded five consecutive titles between and .   Schumacher holds many of Formula One 's driver records , including most championships , race victories , fastest laps , pole positions and races won in a single season -- 13 in 2004 ( the last record was equalled by fellow German Sebastian Vettel nine years later ) . In 2002 , he became the only driver in Formula One history to finish in the top three in every race of a season and then also broke the record for most consecutive podium finishes . According to the official Formula One website , he is `` statistically the greatest driver the sport has ever seen '' .   After beginning in karting , Schumacher won the German drivers ' championships in Formula König and Formula Three before joining Mercedes in the World Sportscar Championship . In 1991 , his Mercedes-funded race debut for the Jordan Formula One team resulted in Schumacher being signed by Benetton Formula One team as their driver for the rest of that season . Establishing himself as a top driver , finishing third in 1992 and fourth in 1993 , Schumacher became the first German World Drivers ' Champion in 1994 by one point over Damon Hill . In 1995 he repeated the success , this time with a greater margin . Schumacher moved to Ferrari in 1996 . Schumacher came close to winning the 1997 and 1998 titles , before breaking his leg at the 1999 British Grand Prix , ending another title run . Schumacher won five consecutive drivers ' titles from 2000 to 2004 . Schumacher retired from Formula One driving in 2006 staying with Ferrari as an advisor . He came close to an eighth title that year , but due to technical problems in the final two races he fell short to Fernando Alonso . Schumacher agreed to return for Ferrari part-way through 2009 , as cover for the badly injured Felipe Massa , but was prevented by a neck injury . Schumacher returned to Formula One on a permanent basis from 2010 with the Mercedes team before retiring for a second time at the conclusion of the 2012 season .   His career was not without controversy , including being twice involved in collisions in the final race of a season that determined the outcome of the World Championship , with Damon Hill in 1994 in Adelaide , and with Jacques Villeneuve in 1997 in Jerez . Off the track , Schumacher is an ambassador for UNESCO and a spokesman for driver safety . He has been involved in numerous humanitarian efforts throughout his life and donated tens of millions of dollars to charity . Schumacher and his younger brother , Ralf , are the only brothers to win races in Formula One , and they were the first brothers to finish 1st and 2nd in the same race , a feat they repeated in four subsequent races .   In December 2013 , Schumacher suffered a serious head injury in a skiing accident . He was airlifted to a hospital and placed in a medically induced coma , having suffered a traumatic brain injury . He was in the coma for six months from 29 December 2013 until 16 June 2014 . He left the hospital in Grenoble for further rehabilitation at the University Hospital ( CHUV ) in Lausanne . On 9 September 2014 , Schumacher was relocated to his home where he continues to receive medical treatment and rehabilitation privately .


United States Army The United States Army ( USA ) is the largest branch of the United States Armed Forces and performs land-based military operations . It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States and is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution , Article 2 , Section 2 , Clause 1 and United States Code , Title 10 , Subtitle B , Chapter 301 , Section 3001 . As the largest and senior branch of the U.S. military , the modern U.S. Army has its roots in the Continental Army , which was formed ( 14 June 1775 ) to fight the American Revolutionary War ( 1775 -- 1783 ) -- before the U.S. was established as a country . After the Revolutionary War , the Congress of the Confederation created the United States Army on 3 June 1784 , to replace the disbanded Continental Army . The United States Army considers itself descended from the Continental Army , and dates its institutional inception from the origin of that armed force in 1775 .   As a uniformed military service , the Army is part of the Department of the Army , which is one of the three military departments of the Department of Defense . The U.S. Army is headed by a civilian senior appointed civil servant , the Secretary of the Army ( SECARMY ) , and by a chief military officer , the Chief of Staff of the Army ( CSA ) who is also a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff . In the fiscal year 2017 , the projected end strength for the Regular Army ( USA ) was 460,000 soldiers ; the Army National Guard ( ARNG ) had 335,000 soldiers , and the United States Army Reserve ( USAR ) had 195,000 soldiers ; the combined-component strength of the U.S. Army was 990,000 soldiers . As a branch of the armed forces , the mission of the U.S. Army is `` to fight and win our Nation 's wars , by providing prompt , sustained , land dominance , across the full range of military operations and the spectrum of conflict , in support of combatant commanders . '' The branch participates in conflicts worldwide and is the major ground-based offensive and defensive force of the United States .


Gregor Clegane is a fictional character.

Gregor Clegane Ser Gregor Clegane , nicknamed The Mountain , is a fictional character in the A Song of Ice and Fire series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin , and its television adaptation Game of Thrones . He is a retainer to House Lannister . An enormous man , he is well known for his size , prowess in battle and cruelty .   Introduced in 1996 's A Game of Thrones , Gregor is the older brother of Sandor Clegane , from the fictional kingdom of Westeros . He subsequently appeared in Martin 's A Clash of Kings ( 1998 ) , A Storm of Swords ( 2000 ) and in A Dance with Dragons ( 2011 ) as Ser Robert Strong .   Ser Gregor Clegane is a huge knight and the elder brother of Sandor Clegane . Called `` The Mountain That Rides '' , he is known for his incredibly cruel nature and uncontrollable temper . His size and strength make him a fearsome warrior , and he has earned a reputation for cruelty and brutality . He is able to wield a two-handed sword one handed . When they were children , Gregor shoved Sandor 's face into a brazier , gruesomely scarring him .   Gregor Clegane is portrayed by Conan Stevens in season one , by Ian Whyte in season two , and by Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson in seasons four , five , and six in the HBO television adaptation .


Genghis Khan is regarded as the founding father of Mongolia.

Genghis Khan Genghis Khan ( -LSB- ˈdʒɛŋɡɪs_ˈkɑːn -RSB- , usually pronounced -LSB- ˈɡɛŋɡɪs_ˈkɑːn -RSB- Чингис хаан , Çingis hán -LSB- t͡ʃʰiŋɡɪs xaːŋ -RSB- , c. 1162 August 18 , 1227 ) , born Temüjin , was the Great Khan and founder of the Mongol Empire , which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his death .   He came to power by uniting many of the nomadic tribes of Northeast Asia . After founding the Empire and being proclaimed `` Genghis Khan '' , he started the Mongol invasions that conquered most of Eurasia . Campaigns initiated in his lifetime include those against the Qara Khitai , Caucasus , and Khwarazmian , Western Xia and Jin dynasties . These campaigns were often accompanied by large-scale massacres of the civilian populations -- especially in the Khwarazmian and Western Xia controlled lands . By the end of his life , the Mongol Empire occupied a substantial portion of Central Asia and China .   Before Genghis Khan died he assigned Ögedei Khan as his successor . Later his grandsons split his empire into khanates . He died in 1227 after defeating the Western Xia . He was buried in an unmarked grave somewhere in Mongolia . His descendants extended the Mongol Empire across most of Eurasia by conquering or creating vassal states in all of modern-day China , Korea , the Caucasus , Central Asia , and substantial portions of Eastern Europe and Southwest Asia . Many of these invasions repeated the earlier large-scale slaughters of local populations . As a result , Genghis Khan and his empire have a fearsome reputation in local histories .   Beyond his military accomplishments , Genghis Khan also advanced the Mongol Empire in other ways . He decreed the adoption of the Uyghur script as the Mongol Empire 's writing system . He also practiced meritocracy and encouraged religious tolerance in the Mongol Empire , and unified the nomadic tribes of Northeast Asia . Present-day Mongolians regard him as the founding father of Mongolia .   Although known for the brutality of his campaigns and considered by many to have been a genocidal ruler , Genghis Khan is also credited with bringing the Silk Road under one cohesive political environment . This brought communication and trade from Northeast Asia into Muslim Southwest Asia and Christian Europe , thus expanding the horizons of all three cultural areas .


Fences stars Jovan Adepo and Denzel Washington.

Fences (film) Fences is a 2016 American period drama film directed by and starring Denzel Washington and written by August Wilson , based on his Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name ( Wilson died in 2005 , but completed a screenplay before his death ) . In addition to Washington , the film also stars Viola Davis , Stephen Henderson , Jovan Adepo , Russell Hornsby , Mykelti Williamson and Saniyya Sidney .   Principal photography on the film began on April 25 , 2016 , in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , in the Hill District , and wrapped in mid-June 2016 . Fences was released in the United States on December 16 , 2016 , by Paramount Pictures , received positive reviews and grossed $ 64 million . The film was chosen by the American Film Institute as one of the top ten films of 2016 , and has been nominated for numerous awards , including four Oscar nominations at the 89th Academy Awards : Best Picture , Best Actor ( Washington ) , Best Supporting Actress ( Davis ) , and Best Adapted Screenplay , with Davis winning for her performance . It also received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor for Washington and a Best Supporting Actress win for Davis .


One constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is Aruba.

Aruba Aruba ( -LSB- əˈruːbə -RSB- ; -LSB- aːˈrubaː -RSB- ) is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the southern Caribbean Sea , located about 1600 km west of the main part of the Lesser Antilles and 29 km north of the coast of Venezuela . It measures 32 km long from its northwestern to its southeastern end and 10 km across at its widest point . Together with Bonaire and Curaçao , Aruba forms a group referred to as the ABC islands . Collectively , Aruba and the other Dutch islands in the Caribbean are often called the Dutch Caribbean .   Aruba is one of the four countries that form the Kingdom of the Netherlands , along with the Netherlands , Curaçao and Sint Maarten . The citizens of these countries all share a single nationality : Dutch . Aruba has no administrative subdivisions , but , for census purposes , is divided into eight regions . Its capital is Oranjestad .   Unlike much of the Caribbean region , Aruba has a dry climate and an arid , cactus-strewn landscape . This climate has helped tourism as visitors to the island can reliably expect warm , sunny weather . It has a land area of 179 km2 and is densely populated , with a total of 102,484 inhabitants at the 2010 Census . It lies outside Hurricane Alley .


The Formula (1980 film) had, as its director, John G. Avildsen.

The Formula (1980 film) The Formula is a 1980 American mystery film directed by John G. Avildsen and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer . It features a preeminent cast including Marlon Brando , George C. Scott , John Gielgud , and Marthe Keller . Craig T. Nelson also makes a brief appearance as a geologist .


Darius Rucker is the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of Hootie & the Blowfish.

Darius Rucker Darius Carlos `` Hootie '' Rucker ( born May 13 , 1966 ) is an American singer and songwriter . He first gained fame as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Grammy Award-winning American rock band Hootie & the Blowfish , which he founded in 1986 at the University of South Carolina along with Mark Bryan , Jim `` Soni '' Sonefeld and Dean Felber . The band has released five studio albums with him as a member , and charted six top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 . Rucker co-wrote the majority of the band 's songs with the other three members .   He released a solo R&B album , Back to Then , in 2002 on Hidden Beach Recordings but did not chart any singles from it . Six years later , Rucker signed to Capitol Nashville as a country music singer , releasing the album , Learn to Live that year . Its first single , `` Do n't Think I Do n't Think About It '' , made him the first black artist to reach number one on the Hot Country Songs charts since Charley Pride in 1983 . ( Ray Charles hit number one in March 1985 in a duet with Willie Nelson with Seven Spanish Angels ) . It was followed by two more number one singles , `` It Wo n't Be Like This for Long '' and `` Alright '' and the number three , `` History in the Making . '' In 2009 , he became the first black American to win the New Artist Award from the Country Music Association , and only the second black to win any award from the association . A second album , Charleston , SC 1966 , was released on October 12 , 2010 . The album includes the number one singles , `` Come Back Song '' and `` This '' .


Collision Course (album) Collision Course is a collaborative EP from American rapper Jay-Z and nu metal band Linkin Park , released on November 30 , 2004 by Roc-A-Fella , Machine Shop , Warner Bros. and Def Jam records . Before the album , Jay-Z had released collaborations with The Roots and R. Kelly , and Linkin Park had collaborated with various artists on their remix album Reanimation . The album was inspired by The Grey Album by Danger Mouse , which was a mash-up album between Jay-Z and The Beatles . MTV had originally planned on mashing up only one or two songs , but the project was eventually expanded to a six song EP . The album was mostly produced by Mike Shinoda and Jay-Z , and was recorded between July 16 and July 19 .   Upon release , Collision Course reached # 1 on the Billboard 200 . As of June 2014 , it has sold 2 million copies in the United States alone . The album spawned one single , Numb/Encore which eventually won Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 2006 Grammy Awards .


Shingles is not more common among older people.

Shingles Shingles , also known as herpes zoster , is a viral disease characterized by a painful skin rash with blisters in a localized area . Typically the rash occurs in a single stripe either on the left or right of the body or face . Two to four days before the rash occurs there may be tingling or local pain in the area . Otherwise there are typically few symptoms . The rash usually heals within two to four weeks ; however , some people develop ongoing nerve pain which can last for months or years , a condition called postherpetic neuralgia . In those with poor immune function the rash may occur widely . If the rash involves the eye , vision loss may occur .   Shingles is due to a reactivation of varicella zoster virus ( VZV ) within a person 's body . Chickenpox is due to an initial infection with VZV . Once chickenpox has resolved , the virus may remain inactive in nerve cells . When it reactivates it travels from the nerve body to the endings in the skin producing blisters . Risk factors for reactivation include old age , poor immune function , and having had chickenpox before 18 months of age . How the virus remains in the body or subsequently re-activates is not well understood . Exposure to the virus in the blisters can cause chickenpox in someone who has not had it before but will not trigger shingles . Diagnosis is typically based on a person 's signs and symptoms . Varicella zoster virus is not the same as herpes simplex virus ; however , they belong to the same family of viruses .   The shingles vaccine decreases the chance of shingles by about half in those between the ages of 50 and 80 . It also decreases rates of postherpetic neuralgia , and if an outbreak occurs , its severity . After 80 the vaccine is still effective , just less so . It contains the same material as the varicella vaccine , just at a higher dose . If shingles develops , antiviral medications such as aciclovir can reduce the severity and duration of disease if started within 72 hours of the appearance of the rash . Evidence does not show a significant effect of antivirals or steroids on rates of postherpetic neuralgia . Paracetamol , NSAIDs , or opioids may be used to help with the acute pain .   It is estimated that about a third of people develop shingles at some point in their life . While more common among older people , children may also get the disease . The number of new cases per year ranges from 1.2 -- 3.4 per 1,000 among healthy individuals to 3.9 -- 11.8 per 1,000 among those older than 65 years of age . About half of those living to age 85 will have at least one attack , and less than 5 % will have more than one attack . The disease has been recognized since ancient times .


The Netherlands hosts the Permanent Court of Arbitration.

Netherlands The Netherlands , ( -LSB- ˈnɛðərləndz -RSB- Nederland -LSB- ˈneːdərˌlɑnt -RSB- ; Nederlân ) also known informally as Holland , is the main constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands . It is a densely populated country located in Western Europe with three island territories in the Caribbean.designated Bonaire , Sint Eustatius and Saba within ISO ISO 3166-1 . The European part of the Netherlands borders Germany to the east , Belgium to the south , and the North Sea to the northwest , sharing maritime borders with Belgium , the United Kingdom , and Germany .   The four largest cities in the Netherlands are Amsterdam , Rotterdam , The Hague and Utrecht ( collectively known as G4 ) . Amsterdam is the country 's capital , while The Hague holds the Dutch seat of parliament and government . The port of Rotterdam is the world 's largest port outside East-Asia , and the largest port in Europe . The name Holland is used informally to refer to the whole of the country of the Netherlands.Formally ` Holland ' refers only to two of the country 's twelve provinces : North Holland and South Holland .   `` Netherlands '' literally means `` lower countries '' , influenced by its low land and flat geography , with only about 50 % of its land exceeding one metre above sea level . Most of the areas below sea level are artificial . Since the late 16th century , large areas ( polders ) have been reclaimed from the sea and lakes , amounting to nearly 17 % of the country 's current land mass . With a population density of 412 people per km2 -- 507 ( January 2017 ) if water is excluded -- the Netherlands is classified as a very densely populated country . Only Bangladesh , South Korea , and Taiwan have both a larger population and higher population density . Nevertheless , the Netherlands is the world 's second-largest exporter of food and agricultural products , after the United States . This is partly due to the fertility of the soil and the mild climate . The Netherlands was the third country in the world to have an elected parliament , and since 1848 it has been governed as a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy , organised as a unitary state . The Netherlands has a long history of social tolerance and is generally regarded as a liberal country , having legalised abortion , prostitution and euthanasia , while maintaining a progressive drugs policy . In 2001 , it became the world 's first country to legalise same-sex marriage .   The Netherlands is a founding member of the EU , Eurozone , G-10 , NATO , OECD and WTO ; as well as being a part of the Schengen Area and the trilateral Benelux Union . The country is host to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and five international courts : the Permanent Court of Arbitration , the International Court of Justice , the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia , the International Criminal Court and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon . The first four are situated in The Hague , as is the EU 's criminal intelligence agency Europol and judicial co-operation agency Eurojust . This has led to the city being dubbed `` the world 's legal capital . '' The country also ranks second highest in the world 's 2016 Press Freedom Index , as published by Reporters Without Borders .   The Netherlands has a market-based mixed economy , ranking 17th of 177 countries according to the Index of Economic Freedom . It had the thirteenth-highest per capita income in the world in 2013 according to the International Monetary Fund . In 2013 , the United Nations World Happiness Report ranked the Netherlands as the seventh-happiest country in the world , reflecting its high quality of life . The Netherlands also ranks joint third highest in the Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index , along with Australia .


Michael Gambon acted in six Harry Potter films.

Michael Gambon Sir Michael John Gambon ( born 19 October 1940 ) is an Irish-born English actor who has worked in theatre , television and film . Gambon has played the eponymous mystery writer protagonist in the BBC television serial The Singing Detective , Jules Maigret in the 1990s ITV serial Maigret , and Professor Albus Dumbledore in the final six Harry Potter films after the death of previous actor Richard Harris . He has won four BAFTA TV Awards and three Olivier Awards .


The 79th Academy Awards took place on July 4th, 2007.

79th Academy Awards The 79th Academy Awards ceremony , presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ( AMPAS ) , honored the best films of 2006 and took place February 25 , 2007 , at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood , Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. . During the ceremony , the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented Academy Awards ( commonly referred to as Oscars ) in 24 categories . The ceremony , televised in the United States by ABC , was produced by Laura Ziskin and directed by Louis J. Horvitz . Actress Ellen DeGeneres hosted for the first time . Two weeks earlier in a ceremony at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills , California held on February 10 , the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement were presented by host Maggie Gyllenhaal .   The Departed won four awards , including Best Picture and Best Director for Martin Scorsese . Other winners included Pan 's Labyrinth with three , An Inconvenient Truth , Dreamgirls , and Little Miss Sunshine with two , and Babel , The Blood of Yingzhou District , The Danish Poet , Happy Feet , The Last King of Scotland , Letters from Iwo Jima , The Lives of Others , Marie Antoinette , Pirates of the Caribbean : Dead Man 's Chest , The Queen , and West Bank Story with one . The telecast garnered nearly 40 million viewers in the United States .


Britney Spears made at least two studio singles.

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears ( born December 2 , 1981 ) is an American singer , dancer , and actress . Born in McComb , Mississippi , and raised in Kentwood , Louisiana , she performed acting roles in stage productions and television shows as a child before signing with Jive Records in 1997 . Spears 's first and second studio albums , ... Baby One More Time ( 1999 ) and Oops ! ... I Did It Again ( 2000 ) , became international successes , with the former becoming the best-selling album by a teenage solo artist . Title tracks '' ... Baby One More Time '' and `` Oops ! ... I Did It Again '' broke international sales records . In 2001 , Spears released her self-titled third studio album , Britney , and played the starring role in the film Crossroads ( 2002 ) . She assumed creative control of her fourth studio album , In the Zone ( 2003 ) , which yielded the worldwide success of the single `` Toxic '' .   In 2007 , Spears 's much-publicized personal issues sent her career into hiatus . Her fifth studio album , Blackout , was released later that year , and spawned singles such as `` Gim me More '' and `` Piece of Me '' . Her erratic behavior and hospitalizations continued through the following year , at which point she was placed under a still ongoing conservatorship . Spears 's sixth studio album , Circus ( 2008 ) , included the international chart-topping single `` Womanizer '' . Her seventh studio album , Femme Fatale ( 2011 ) , became her first to yield three top-ten singles in the United States . She released her eighth studio album Britney Jean in 2013 . Later that year , Spears began the four-year residency show , Britney : Piece of Me , at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas . In 2016 , Spears released her ninth studio album , Glory . In 2017 , she announced that her residency show would develop into a world tour , Britney : Live in Concert .   Spears is regarded as a pop icon and credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s . She became the best-selling teenage artist of all time and garnered honorific titles including the `` Princess of Pop '' . Her work has earned her numerous awards and accolades , including a Grammy Award , six MTV Video Music Awards including the Lifetime Achievement Award , seven Billboard Music Awards including the Millennium Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame . In 2009 , Billboard ranked her as the 8th overall Artist of the Decade , and also recognized her as the best-selling female artist of the 2000s , as well as the fifth overall . The Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) lists Spears as the eighth top-selling female artist in the United States , with 34 million certified albums . She has sold over 100 million records worldwide making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time . According to Billboard Spears has sold about 22.38 million singles in digital downloads in US and is the fourth best-selling female artist since Nielsen SoundScan began .   Rolling Stone recognized her instant success as one of the Top 25 Teen Idol Breakout Moments of all time , while VH1 ranked her eleventh on their `` 100 Greatest Women in Music '' list in 2012 , and Billboard named her the sexiest woman in music . Forbes reported that Spears was the highest paid female musician of 2012 , with earnings of $ 58 million , having last topped the list in 2002 .


Moana is a musical fantasy-adventure film.

Moana (2016 film) Moana ( -LSB- moʊˈɑːnə -RSB- ) is a 2016 American computer-animated musical fantasy-adventure film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures . It is the 56th Disney animated feature film . Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker , co-directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams , the film introduces Auli'i Cravalho as Moana and features the voices of Dwayne Johnson , Rachel House , Temuera Morrison , Jemaine Clement , Nicole Scherzinger , and Alan Tudyk . The film features music written by Lin-Manuel Miranda , Opetaia Foa'i , and Mark Mancina .   The film tells the story of Moana , the strong-willed daughter of the chief of a Polynesian tribe , who is chosen by the ocean itself to reunite a mystical relic with a goddess . When a blight strikes her island , Moana sets sail in search of Maui , a legendary demigod , in the hope of saving her people .   Moana was released theatrically in the United States on November 23 , 2016 to critical acclaim , with critics particularly praising the film for its animation , music , and voice cast . The film went on to gross over $ 642 million worldwide . Along with Zootopia , it marked the first time since 2002 that Walt Disney Animation Studios released two feature films in the same year . It received two Academy Award nominations at the 89th Academy Awards : one for Best Animated Feature and another for Best Original Song ( `` How Far I 'll Go '' ) .