title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Semi-resonant start circuits are mainly restricted to use in commercial installations because of the higher initial cost of circuit components. However, there are no starter switches to be replaced and cathode damage is reduced during starting making lamps last longer, reducing maintenance costs. Because of the high open circuit tube voltage, this starting method is particularly good for starting tubes in cold locations. Additionally, the circuit power factor is almost 1.0, and no additional power factor correction is needed in the lighting installation. As the design requires that twice the supply voltage must be lower than the cold-cathode striking voltage (or the tubes would erroneously instant-start), this design cannot be used with AC power unless the tubes are at least length. Semi-resonant start fixtures are generally incompatible with energy saving T8 retrofit tubes, because such tubes have a higher starting voltage than T12 lamps and may not start reliably, especially in low temperatures. Recent proposals in some countries to phase out T12 tubes will reduce the application of this starting method.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Electronic ballasts employ transistors to change the supply frequency into high-frequency AC while regulating the current flow in the lamp. These ballasts take advantage of the higher efficacy of lamps, which rises by almost 10% at , compared to efficacy at normal power frequency. When the AC period is shorter than the relaxation time to de-ionize mercury atoms in the discharge column, the discharge stays closer to optimum operating condition. Electronic ballasts convert supply frequency AC power to variable frequency AC. The conversion can reduce lamp brightness modulation at twice the power supply frequency.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Low cost ballasts contain only a simple oscillator and series resonant LC circuit. This principle is called the current resonant inverter circuit. After a short time the voltage across the lamp reaches about 1 kV and the lamp instant-starts in cold cathode mode. The cathode filaments are still used for protection of the ballast from overheating if the lamp does not ignite. A few manufacturers use positive temperature coefficient (PTC) thermistors to disable instant starting and give some time to preheat the filaments.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: More complex electronic ballasts use programmed start. The output frequency is started above the resonance frequency of the output circuit of the ballast; and after the filaments are heated, the frequency is rapidly decreased. If the frequency approaches the resonant frequency of the ballast, the output voltage will increase so much that the lamp will ignite. If the lamp does not ignite, an electronic circuit stops the operation of the ballast.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Many electronic ballasts are controlled by a microcontroller, and these are sometimes called digital ballasts. Digital ballasts can apply quite complex logic to lamp starting and operation. This enables functions such as testing for broken electrodes and missing tubes before attempting to start, detection of tube replacement, and detection of tube type, such that a single ballast can be used with several different tubes. Features such as dimming can be included in the embedded microcontroller software, and can be found in various manufacturers' products.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Since introduction in the 1990s, high-frequency ballasts have been used in general lighting fixtures with either rapid start or pre-heat lamps. These ballasts convert the incoming power to an output frequency in excess of . This increases lamp efficiency. These ballasts operate with voltages that can be almost 600 volts, requiring some consideration in housing design, and can cause a minor limitation in the length of the wire leads from the ballast to the lamp ends.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: The life expectancy of a fluorescent lamp is primarily limited by the life of the cathode electrodes. To sustain an adequate current level, the electrodes are coated with an emission mixture of metal oxides. Every time the lamp is started, and during operation, some small amount of the cathode coating is sputtered off the electrodes by the impact of electrons and heavy ions within the tube. The sputtered material collects on the walls of the tube, darkening it. The starting method and frequency affect cathode sputtering. A filament may also break, disabling the lamp.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Low-mercury designs of lamps may fail when mercury is absorbed by the glass tube, phosphor, and internal components, and is no longer available to vaporize in the fill gas. Loss of mercury initially causes an extended warm-up time to full light output, and finally causes the lamp to glow a dim pink when the argon gas takes over as the primary discharge.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Subjecting the tube to asymmetric current flow, effectively operates it under a DC bias, and causes asymmetric distribution of mercury ions along the tube. The localized depletion of mercury vapor pressure manifests itself as pink luminescence of the base gas in the vicinity of one of the electrodes, and the operating lifetime of the lamp may be dramatically shortened. This can be an issue with some poorly designed inverters.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: The phosphors lining the lamp degrade with time as well, until a lamp no longer produces an acceptable fraction of its initial light output.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Failure of the integral electronic ballast of a compact fluorescent bulb will also end its usable life.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: The spectrum of light emitted from a fluorescent lamp is the combination of light directly emitted by the mercury vapor, and light emitted by the phosphorescent coating. The spectral lines from the mercury emission and the phosphorescence effect give a combined spectral distribution of light that is different from those produced by incandescent sources. The relative intensity of light emitted in each narrow band of wavelengths over the visible spectrum is in different proportions compared to that of an incandescent source. Colored objects are perceived differently under light sources with differing spectral distributions. For example, some people find the color rendition produced by some fluorescent lamps to be harsh and displeasing. A healthy person can sometimes appear to have an unhealthy skin tone under fluorescent lighting. The extent to which this phenomenon occurs is related to the light's spectral composition, and may be gauged by its color rendering index (CRI).


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Correlated color temperature (CCT) is a measure of the "shade" of whiteness of a light source compared with a blackbody. Typical incandescent lighting is 2700 K, which is yellowish-white. Halogen lighting is 3000 K. Fluorescent lamps are manufactured to a chosen CCT by altering the mixture of phosphors inside the tube. Warm-white fluorescents have CCT of 2700 K and are popular for residential lighting. Neutral-white fluorescents have a CCT of 3000 K or 3500 K. Cool-white fluorescents have a CCT of 4100 K and are popular for office lighting. Daylight fluorescents have a CCT of 5000 K to 6500 K, which is bluish-white.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: High CCT lighting generally requires higher light levels. At dimmer illumination levels, the human eye perceives lower color temperatures as more pleasant, as related through the Kruithof curve. So, a dim 2700 K incandescent lamp appears comfortable and a bright 5000 K lamp also appears natural, but a dim 5000 K fluorescent lamp appears too pale. Daylight-type fluorescents look natural only if they are very bright.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Color rendering index (CRI) is a measure of how well colors can be perceived using light from a source, relative to light from a reference source such as daylight or a blackbody of the same color temperature. By definition, an incandescent lamp has a CRI of 100. Real-life fluorescent tubes achieve CRIs of anywhere from 50 to 98. Fluorescent lamps with low CRI have phosphors that emit too little red light. Skin appears less pink, and hence "unhealthy" compared with incandescent lighting. Colored objects appear muted. For example, a low CRI 6800 K halophosphate tube (an extreme example) will make reds appear dull red or even brown. Since the eye is relatively less efficient at detecting red light, an improvement in color rendering index, with increased energy in the red part of the spectrum, may reduce the overall luminous efficacy.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Lighting arrangements use fluorescent tubes in an assortment of tints of white. Mixing tube types within fittings can improve the color reproduction of lower quality tubes.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Some of the least pleasant light comes from tubes containing the older, halophosphate-type phosphors (chemical formula Ca(PO)(F, Cl):Sb, Mn). This phosphor mainly emits yellow and blue light, and relatively little green and red. In the absence of a reference, this mixture appears white to the eye, but the light has an incomplete spectrum. The color rendering index (CRI) of such lamps is around 60.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Since the 1990s, higher-quality fluorescent lamps use "triphosphor" mixture, based on europium and terbium ions, which have emission bands more evenly distributed over the spectrum of visible light. Triphosphor tubes gives a more natural color reproduction to the human eye. The CRI of such lamps is typically 85.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Fluorescent lamps come in many shapes and sizes. The compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) is becoming more popular. Many compact fluorescent lamps integrate the auxiliary electronics into the base of the lamp, allowing them to fit into a regular light bulb socket.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: In US residences, fluorescent lamps are mostly found in kitchens, basements, or garages, but schools and businesses find the cost savings of fluorescent lamps to be significant and rarely use incandescent lights. Electricity costs, tax incentives and building codes result in higher use in places such as California. Fluorescent use is declining as LED lighting, which is more energy efficient and doesn't contain mercury, is replacing fluorescents.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: In other countries, residential use of fluorescent lighting varies depending on the price of energy, financial and environmental concerns of the local population, and acceptability of the light output. In East and Southeast Asia it is very rare to see incandescent bulbs in buildings anywhere.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Many countries are encouraging the phase-out of incandescent light bulbs and substitution of incandescent lamps with fluorescent lamps or LED and other types of energy-efficient lamps.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: In addition to general lighting, special fluorescent lights are often used in stage lighting for film and video production. They are cooler than traditional halogen light sources, and use high-frequency ballasts to prevent video flickering and high color-rendition index lamps to approximate daylight color temperatures.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Fluorescent lamps convert more of the input power to visible light than incandescent lamps. A typical 100 watt tungsten filament incandescent lamp may convert only 5% of its power input to visible white light (400–700 nm wavelength), whereas typical fluorescent lamps convert about 22% of the power input to visible white light.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: The efficacy of fluorescent tubes ranges from about 16 lumens per watt for a 4 watt tube with an ordinary ballast to over 100 lumens per watt with a modern electronic ballast, commonly averaging 50 to 67 lm/W overall. Ballast loss can be about 25% of the lamp power with magnetic ballasts, and around 10% with electronic ballasts.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Fluorescent lamp efficacy is dependent on lamp temperature at the coldest part of the lamp. In T8 lamps this is in the center of the tube. In T5 lamps this is at the end of the tube with the text stamped on it. The ideal temperature for a T8 lamp is while the T5 lamp is ideally at .


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Typically a fluorescent lamp will last 10 to 20 times as long as an equivalent incandescent lamp when operated several hours at a time. Under standard test conditions fluorescent lamps last 6,000 to 80,000 hours (2 to 27 years at 8 hours per day).


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: The higher initial cost of a fluorescent lamp compared with an incandescent lamp is usually compensated for by lower energy consumption over its life.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Compared with an incandescent lamp, a fluorescent tube is a more diffuse and physically larger light source. In suitably designed lamps, light can be more evenly distributed without point source of glare such as seen from an undiffused incandescent filament; the lamp is large compared to the typical distance between lamp and illuminated surfaces.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Fluorescent lamps give off about one-fifth the heat of equivalent incandescent lamps. This greatly reduces the size, cost, and energy consumption devoted to air conditioning for office buildings that would typically have many lights and few windows.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Frequent switching (more than every 3 hours) will shorten the life of lamps. Each start cycle slightly erodes the electron-emitting surface of the cathodes; when all the emission material is gone, the lamp cannot start with the available ballast voltage. Fixtures for flashing lights (such as for advertising) use a ballast that maintains cathode temperature when the arc is off, preserving the life of the lamp.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: The extra energy used to start a fluorescent lamp is equivalent to a few seconds of normal operation; it is more energy-efficient to switch off lamps when not required for several minutes.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: If a fluorescent lamp is broken, a very small amount of mercury can contaminate the surrounding environment. About 99% of the mercury is typically contained in the phosphor, especially on lamps that are near the end of their life. Broken lamps may release mercury if not cleaned with correct methods.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Due to the mercury content, discarded fluorescent lamps must be treated as hazardous waste. For large users of fluorescent lamps, recycling services are available in some areas, and may be required by regulation. In some areas, recycling is also available to consumers.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Fluorescent lamps emit a small amount of ultraviolet (UV) light. A 1993 study in the US found that ultraviolet exposure from sitting under fluorescent lights for eight hours is equivalent to one minute of sun exposure. Ultraviolet radiation from compact fluorescent lamps may exacerbate symptoms in photosensitive individuals.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Fluorescent lamps require a ballast to stabilize the current through the lamp, and to provide the initial striking voltage required to start the arc discharge. Often one ballast is shared between two or more lamps. Electromagnetic ballasts can produce an audible humming or buzzing noise. In North America, magnetic ballasts are usually filled with a tar-like potting compound to reduce emitted noise. Hum is eliminated in lamps with a high-frequency electronic ballast. Energy lost in magnetic ballasts is around 10% of lamp input power according to GE literature from 1978. Electronic ballasts reduce this loss.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Simple inductive fluorescent lamp ballasts have a power factor of less than unity. Inductive ballasts include power factor correction capacitors. Simple electronic ballasts may also have low power factor due to their rectifier input stage.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Fluorescent lamps are a non-linear load and generate harmonic currents in the electrical power supply. The arc within the lamp may generate radio frequency noise, which can be conducted through power wiring. Suppression of radio interference is possible. Very good suppression is possible, but adds to the cost of the fluorescent fixtures.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Fluorescent lamps near end of life can present a serious radio frequency interference hazard. Oscillations are generated from the negative differential resistance of the arc, and the current flow through the tube can form a tuned circuit whose frequency depends on path length.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Fluorescent lamps operate best around room temperature. At lower or higher temperatures, efficacy decreases. At below-freezing temperatures standard lamps may not start. Special lamps may be used for reliable service outdoors in cold weather.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Fluorescent tubes are long, low-luminance sources compared with high pressure arc lamps, incandescent lamps and LEDs. However, low luminous intensity of the emitting surface is useful because it reduces glare. Lamp fixture design must control light from a long tube instead of a compact globe. The compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) replaces regular incandescent bulbs in many light fixtures where space permits.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Fluorescent lamps with magnetic ballasts flicker at a normally unnoticeable frequency of 100 or 120 Hz and this flickering can cause problems for some individuals with light sensitivity; they are listed as problematic for some individuals with autism, epilepsy, lupus, chronic fatigue syndrome, Lyme disease, and vertigo.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: A stroboscopic effect can be noticed, where something spinning at just the right speed may appear stationary if illuminated solely by a single fluorescent lamp. This effect is eliminated by paired lamps operating on a lead-lag ballast. Unlike a true strobe lamp, the light level drops in appreciable time and so substantial "blurring" of the moving part would be evident.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Fluorescent lamps may produce flicker at the power supply frequency (50 or 60 Hz), which is noticeable by more people. This happens if a damaged or failed cathode results in slight rectification and uneven light output in positive and negative going AC cycles. Power frequency flicker can be emitted from the ends of the tubes, if each tube electrode produces a slightly different light output pattern on each half-cycle. Flicker at power frequency is more noticeable in the peripheral vision than it is when viewed directly.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Near the end of life, fluorescent lamps can start flickering at a frequency lower than the power frequency. This is due to instability in the negative resistance of arc discharge, which can be from a bad lamp or ballast or poor connection.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: New fluorescent lamps may show a twisting spiral pattern of light in a part of the lamp. This effect is due to loose cathode material and usually disappears after a few hours of operation.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Electromagnetic ballasts may also cause problems for video recording as there can be a so-called "beat effect" between the video frame rate and the fluctuations in intensity of the fluorescent lamp.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Fluorescent lamps with electronic ballasts do not flicker, since above about 5 kHz, the excited electron state half-life is longer than a half cycle, and light production becomes continuous. Operating frequencies of electronic ballasts are selected to avoid interference with infrared remote controls. Poor quality or faulty electronic ballasts may have considerable 100/120 Hz modulation of the light.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Fluorescent light fixtures cannot be connected to dimmer switches intended for incandescent lamps. Two effects are responsible for this: the waveform of the voltage emitted by a standard phase-control dimmer interacts badly with many ballasts, and it becomes difficult to sustain an arc in the fluorescent tube at low power levels. Dimming installations require a compatible dimming ballast. Some models of compact fluorescent lamps can be dimmed; in the United States, such lamps are identified as complying with UL standard 1993.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Systematic nomenclature identifies mass-market lamps as to general shape, power rating, length, color, and other electrical and illuminating characteristics.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: In the United States and Canada, lamps are typically identified by a code such as FxxTy, where F is for fluorescent, the first number (xx) indicates either the power in watts or length in inches, the T indicates that the shape of the bulb is tubular, and the last number (y) is the diameter in eighths of an inch (sometimes in millimeters, rounded-up to the nearest millimeter). Typical diameters are T12 or T38 (1+1⁄2 inch or 38 mm) for residential lamps, T8 or T26 (1 inch or 25 mm) for commercial energy-saving lamps.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Overdriving a fluorescent lamp is a method of getting more light from each tube than is obtained under rated conditions. ODNO (Overdriven Normal Output) fluorescent tubes are generally used when there isn't enough room to put in more bulbs to increase the light. The method is effective, but generates some additional issues. This technique has become popular among aquatic gardeners as a cost-effective way to add more light to their aquariums. Overdriving is done by rewiring lamp fixtures to increase lamp current; however, lamp life is reduced.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Blacklights are a subset of fluorescent lamps that are used to provide near ultraviolet light (at about 360 nm wavelength). They are built in the same fashion as conventional fluorescent lamps but the glass tube is coated with a phosphor that converts the short-wave UV within the tube to long-wave UV rather than to visible light. They are used to provoke fluorescence (to provide dramatic effects using blacklight paint and to detect materials such as urine and certain dyes that would be invisible in visible light) as well as to attract insects to bug zappers. So-called "blacklite blue" lamps are also made from more expensive deep purple glass known as Wood's glass rather than clear glass. The deep purple glass filters out most of the visible colors of light directly emitted by the mercury-vapor discharge, producing proportionally less visible light compared with UV light. This allows UV-induced fluorescence to be seen more easily (thereby allowing blacklight posters to seem much more dramatic). The blacklight lamps used in bug zappers do not require this refinement so it is usually omitted in the interest of cost; they are called simply "blacklite" (and not blacklite blue).


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: The lamps used in tanning beds contain a different phosphor blend (typically 3 to 5 or more phosphors) that emits both UVA and UVB, provoking a tanning response in most human skin. Typically, the output is rated as 3–10% UVB (5% most typical) with the remaining UV as UVA. These are mainly F71, F72, or F73 HO (100 W) lamps, although 160 W VHO are somewhat common. One common phosphor used in these lamps is lead-activated barium disilicate, but a europium-activated strontium fluoroborate is also used. Early lamps used thallium as an activator, but emissions of thallium during manufacture were toxic.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: The lamps used in phototherapy contain a phosphor that emits only UVB ultraviolet light. There are two types: broadband UVB that gives 290–320 nanometer with peak wavelength of 306 nm, and narrowband UVB that gives 311–313 nanometer. Because of the longer wavelength, the narrowband UVB bulbs do not cause erythema in the skin like the broadband. They requires a 10–20 times higher dose to the skin and they require more bulbs and longer exposure time. The narrowband is good for psoriasis, eczema (atopic dermatitis), vitiligo, lichen planus, and some other skin diseases. The broadband is better for increasing Vitamin D3 in the body.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Grow lamps contain phosphor blends that encourage photosynthesis, growth, or flowering in plants, algae, photosynthetic bacteria, and other light-dependent organisms. These often emit light primarily in the red and blue color range, which is absorbed by chlorophyll and used for photosynthesis in plants.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Lamps can be made with a lithium metaluminate phosphor activated with iron. This phosphor has peak emissions between 675 and 875 nanometers, with lesser emissions in the deep red part of the visible spectrum.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Deep blue light generated from a europium-activated phosphor is used in the light therapy treatment of jaundice; light of this color penetrates skin and helps in the breakup of excess bilirubin.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Germicidal lamps contain no phosphor at all, making them mercury vapor gas discharge lamps rather than fluorescent. Their tubes are made of fused quartz transparent to the UVC light emitted by the mercury discharge. The 254 nm UVC emitted by these tubes will kill germs and the 184.45 nm far UV will ionize oxygen to ozone. Lamps labeled OF block the 184.45 nm far UV and do not produce significant ozone. In addition the UVC can cause eye and skin damage. They are sometimes used by geologists to identify certain species of minerals by the color of their fluorescence when fitted with filters that pass the short-wave UV and block visible light produced by the mercury discharge. They are also used in some EPROM erasers. Germicidal lamps have designations beginning with G, for example G30T8 for a 30-watt, diameter, long germicidal lamp (as opposed to an F30T8, which would be the fluorescent lamp of the same size and rating).


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Electrodeless induction lamps are fluorescent lamps without internal electrodes. They have been commercially available since 1990. A current is induced into the gas column using electromagnetic induction. Because the electrodes are usually the life-limiting element of fluorescent lamps, such electrodeless lamps can have a very long service life, although they also have a higher purchase price.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Cold-cathode fluorescent lamps were used as backlighting for LCDs in computer monitors and televisions before the use of LED-backlit LCDs. They are also popular with computer case modders in recent years.


title: Fluorescent lamp

text: Fluorescent lamps can be illuminated by means other than a proper electrical connection. These other methods, however, result in very dim or very short-lived illumination, and so are seen mostly in science demonstrations. Static electricity or a Van de Graaff generator will cause a lamp to flash momentarily as it discharges a high-voltage capacitance. A Tesla coil will pass high-frequency current through the tube, and since it has a high voltage as well, the gases within the tube will ionize and emit light. This also works with plasma globes. Capacitive coupling with high-voltage power lines can light a lamp continuously at low intensity, depending on the intensity of the electric field.


title: Ballers

text: Ballers is an American sports comedy drama television series created by Stephen Levinson and starring Dwayne Johnson as Spencer Strasmore, a retired NFL player who must navigate his new career of choice as the financial manager of other NFL players. The series premiered on the American cable television network HBO on June 21, 2015, with a pilot episode written by Stephen Levinson and directed by Peter Berg. The fifth and final season premiered on August 25, 2019, and concluded on October 13, 2019.


title: Ballers

text: The series premiered in the U.S. on HBO on June 21, 2015, in Canada on June 21, 2015 on HBO Canada, in India on June 22, 2015 on HBO Defined, in the United Kingdom on September 8, 2015 on Sky Atlantic, and in Australia on September 15, 2015 on Showcase.


title: Ballers

text: The second season premiered on July 17, 2016 and a third on July 23, 2017. On August 8, 2017, HBO picked up "Ballers" for a fourth season, which premiered on August 12, 2018. On September 6, 2018, HBO renewed the series for a fifth season.


title: Ballers

text: On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season has an approval rating of 81% based on 47 reviews, with an average rating of 6.43/10. The site's critical consensus reads, ""Ballers" may not be a game-changer, but it scores points with Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, who brings charm and depth to the NFL version of Entourage." On Metacritic, the season has a score of 65 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".


title: Ballers

text: On Rotten Tomatoes season 2 has a rating of 70% based on 10 reviews, with an average rating of 6.65/10. On Metacritic, the season has a score of 63 out of 100, based on 4 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".


title: Ballers

text: On Rotten Tomatoes, the third season has a rating of 60%, based on 5 reviews, with an average rating of 5/10.


title: Ballers

text: The series has been released on Blu-ray and DVD; season 1 on June 14, 2016, Season 2 on January 31, 2017, Season 3 on April 3, 2018, and Season 4 on January 29, 2019. Season 5's DVD and manufacture on demand Blu-ray was released on January 28, 2020 by Warner Home Entertainment and Warner Archive Collection respectively. In addition, the complete series box set was released on DVD the same day.


title: Haitham bin Tariq

text: Haitham bin Tariq Al Said (; born 13 October 1954) is the current Sultan of Oman, reigning since January 2020 following the death of his cousin, Sultan Qaboos bin Said.


title: Haitham bin Tariq

text: Prior to becoming sultan, Haitham served for multiple decades in the cabinet of Sultan Qaboos bin Said, his cousin. He was Minister of Heritage and Culture from 2002 to 2020. Sultan Qaboos named Haitham as his successor in his will, and he was proclaimed sultan on 11 January 2020, hours after Qaboos's death.


title: Haitham bin Tariq

text: Haitham bin Tariq is a son of Sayyid Tariq bin Taimur, son of Sultan Taimur bin Feisal. Haitham has six brothers and two half-sisters (Amal and Nawwal who is the former wife of Sultan Qaboos). His brother Asa'ad bin Tariq was the Deputy Prime Minister for relations and international cooperation affairs and his brother Shihab bin Tariq is the Deputy Prime Minister for Defense Affairs (and the father of his daughter-in-law, Meyyan). His other brothers, Talal, Qais, Adham, and Faris, are all businessmen and are not involved in politics. He has four children, two sons and two daughters. His eldest son, Theyazin bin Haitham, is the crown prince of Oman.


title: Haitham bin Tariq

text: Haitham is described by "The Economist" as "outward-looking and Western-oriented". He attended Pembroke College, University of Oxford, graduating from the Foreign Service Programme (FSP) in 1979.


title: Haitham bin Tariq

text: A sports enthusiast, Haitham served as the first head of the Oman Football Association in the early 1980s. He served as the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs from 1986 to 1994, and was later appointed as the Secretary General for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1994–2002). He was later appointed as Minister of Heritage and Culture in March 2002 and later chaired the national census committee in 2003. He usually represented Oman abroad in a diplomatic capacity; in 2016, he personally welcomed Charles, Prince of Wales, and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, on a visit to Oman.


title: Haitham bin Tariq

text: Haitham is also chairman of the committee for the future vision of "Oman 2040" along with being honorary president of the Oman Association for the Disabled. His record in government under Sultan Qaboos bin Said has been described by "The Economist" as poor.


title: Haitham bin Tariq

text: After the death of Sultan Qaboos, Haitham's first cousin, on 10 January 2020, Haitham was named by the royal family and Qaboos's will as Sultan of Oman the next day and took an oath before an emergency session of the Council of Oman in Al-Bustan. Oman state TV said the former sultan's letter was opened by the Defence Council and his identity was announced shortly thereafter. As sultan, he also held the positions of prime minister, supreme commander of the armed forces, minister of defence, minister of finance, and minister of foreign affairs until 18 August 2020 when he appointed Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Al Busaidi as foreign minister and Sultan bin Salem bin Saeed al-Habsi as minister of finance. In his first public speech, he promised to uphold his predecessor's peace-making foreign policy and to further develop Oman's economy. Haitham bin Tariq is married and, unlike his predecessor, also has children, two sons and two daughters.


title: Haitham bin Tariq

text: On 12 January 2021, the Sultan issued a royal decree appointing his eldest son, Sayyid Theyazin, as the country's first crown prince. He also changed the Basic Law of Oman to grant citizens and residents freedom of expression and opinion, removed a law that allowed the state to monitor private phone conversations, social media or postal correspondence, and granted the freedom to practice religious rites according to recognized customs provided it does not violate the public order or contradict morals.


title: Haitham bin Tariq

text: In May and June 2021, there were many protests against the Omani government over economic concerns such as unemployment and corruption. Some protesters were arrested and then released.


title: Haitham bin Tariq

text: Haitham's visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Kingdom have been seen as a move to maintain peaceful and cordial relations with Oman's important partners. His visit to Saudi Arabia was the first political visit by an Omani royal to the kingdom in over a decade. During his visit to the United Kingdom, he met Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle and was honoured with a GCMG. On 19 September 2022, Haitham attended the state funeral of Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey, London.


title: Balika Vadhu

text: Balika Vadhu (English: The Child Bride) is an Indian soap opera that was aired on Colors TV between 21 July 2008 and 31 July 2016 with 2,248 episodes. The story is set in rural Rajasthan and revolves around the life of a child bride from childhood to womanhood.


title: Balika Vadhu

text: The show consists of two parts. The first part, Balika Vadhu - Kacchi Umar Ke Pakke Rishte (English: "Child Bride - Strong Relationships of Tender Age") which ran for 2,164 episodes, focused on Anandi and Jagdish, who were married in childhood. The second part, Balika Vadhu - Lamhe Pyaar Ke (English: "Child Bride - Moments of Love") which ran for 84 episodes, reflects the life of Anandi's daughter, Dr. Nandini, also known as Nimboli, who was also a child bride. After airing for 8 years, the serial ended on 31 July 2016.


title: Balika Vadhu

text: Balika Vadhu follows the lives of Anandi and Jagdish, who were married as children, and the challenges they and their families face over several decades.


title: Balika Vadhu

text: "Balika Vadhu" became one of the most watched Hindi GEC in its runtime and is one of the shows which helped get newly launched channel Colors TV to the first position in Hindi GEC, beating the nine years top position maintained by Star Plus.


title: Balika Vadhu

text: "Balika Vadhu" opened to a mix of positive and negative responses. While some appreciated it for portraying the issues of child marriage, some criticised it for glorifying child marriage. It had a very low initial rating of 0.7 TVR, but by five weeks after launch, it had entered the top 5 most-watched Hindi GEC and had become Colors TV's top programme.


title: Balika Vadhu

text: In five weeks after launch, it entered the top 5 most-watched Hindi GEC. Thus, Balika Vadhu helped Colors TV's top positioning a lot. "Balika Vadhu" often held top position mostly on the ratings charts from 2008 to till 2013.


title: Balika Vadhu

text: In 11 week of 2009, it occupied third position with 5.9 TVR. In week ending 13 June 2009, it was at fourth position with 5.3 TVR.


title: Balika Vadhu

text: In week 11 of 2010, it occupied top position and garnered 7.7 TVR. In week 30 of 2010, it occupied with the top position with 6.9 TVR.


title: Balika Vadhu

text: In week ending 28 May 2011, it occupied the top position with 4.91 TVR. In week 24 of 2011, it was at second position with 4.81 TVR. In first two weeks of August 2011, it garnered 6.1 and 5.2 TVRs maintaining its top position.


title: Balika Vadhu

text: In the first week of 2012, it occupied the second position with 4.76 TVR. In week 50 of 2012, it was at top position with 5.8 TVR.


title: Balika Vadhu

text: The series received a mix of both positive and negative responses. While some applauded the series for portraying the issues of child marriage, which had never before been shown on Indian television, others criticized the series glorifying child marriage.


title: Balika Vadhu

text: The series was also addressed in Indian Parliaments during 2009, prompting the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to stop its telecast, condemning it for portraying child marriage against the Indian constitutional law.


title: Balika Vadhu

text: A reboot of the show named "Balika Vadhu 2", aired on the same channel from 9 August 2021 to 29 March 2022.


title: Balika Vadhu

text: An animated series, "Chhoti Anandi", was launched in 2016. The show focuses on the adventures of an 8 years old Anandi and her friends. It was simulcasted on Colors TV and Rishtey from January to April 2016. The animation was provided by HopMotion animation studio.


title: Colton Underwood

text: Colton Scott Underwood (born January 26, 1992) is an American reality television personality and former professional football player. He played defensive end at Illinois State and was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2014, and was on the practice squads of the Oakland Raiders and Philadelphia Eagles. After being released by the Raiders, Underwood became a contestant on the 14th season of "The Bachelorette", and was then announced as the lead of the 23rd season of "The Bachelor". He is the first lead in "Bachelor" franchise history to come out as gay.


title: Colton Underwood

text: Underwood was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, to Scott and Donna Underwood. Both of his parents were star athletes at Illinois State University: Scott played college football for the Illinois State Redbirds and Donna played volleyball. Scott and Colton both attended Washington Community High School; Colton graduated in 2010. Colton has a younger brother named Connor.


title: Colton Underwood

text: Colton Underwood graduated from Illinois State University, where he followed his father's footsteps to play college football for the Redbirds.


title: Colton Underwood

text: On May 10, 2014, Underwood was signed as an undrafted free agent by the San Diego Chargers. On August 30, 2014, he was waived. On September 3, 2014, Underwood was signed to the Philadelphia Eagles' practice squad. On September 9, 2014, he was released from practice squad.


title: Colton Underwood

text: On September 23, 2014, Underwood returned to the Chargers and was signed to their practice squad. On December 29, 2014, he signed a future contract. On September 5, 2015, he was waived. On September 6, 2015, he was placed on injured reserve. On September 10, 2015, he was waived from injured reserve.


title: Colton Underwood

text: On December 1, 2015, Underwood was signed to the Oakland Raiders' practice squad. On August 29, 2016, he was released by the Raiders.


title: Colton Underwood

text: After getting eliminated in week 8 after hometown dates, Underwood was cast in season 5 of "Bachelor in Paradise". After being linked to fellow contestant Tia Booth, Underwood broke up with her, and both left Paradise separately in the fourth week.


title: Colton Underwood

text: On September 4, 2018, ABC announced that Underwood would star in the 23rd season of "The Bachelor". The announcement received mixed reactions on social media. On September 21, 2018, ABC announced that Colton had started filming "The Bachelor" and had already met three of his contestants on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show".


title: Colton Underwood

text: On April 14, 2021, "Variety" reported that Underwood was in production for his own unscripted series at Netflix. The six-episode series, "Coming Out Colton", premiered on Netflix on December 3, 2021. In the series, he meets with other openly gay public figures, including Gus Kenworthy, Michael Sam, and CMT host Cody Alan.


title: Colton Underwood

text: In January 2016, Underwood founded the Colton Underwood Legacy Foundation to raise money for cystic fibrosis research and medical equipment. Underwood started the foundation after his cousin Harper was diagnosed with the disease. In January 2018, the foundation began the Legacy Project, with the goal of delivering AffloVests, chest wall oscillation devices which clear excess mucus from lung airways as part of the daily treatment for cystic fibrosis, to children in 50 US states.


title: Colton Underwood

text: Underwood has spoken publicly about his choice to remain a virgin, and how appearing on "The Bachelorette" helped him discuss the topic. He began dating speech pathology student Cassie Randolph after meeting her on season 23 of "The Bachelor". When Randolph initially ended their relationship during the final three, Underwood broke up with the other two women and asked Randolph for a second chance without the pressure of an engagement. Underwood and Randolph were in a relationship from November 2018 until May 2020.


title: Colton Underwood

text: In September 2020, Randolph filed a restraining order against Underwood, alleging that he stalked her outside her Los Angeles apartment and her parents' Huntington Beach house, sent harassing text messages using an anonymous number, and installed a tracking device underneath her car. Randolph was granted a temporary restraining order against Underwood ahead of the October hearing. Randolph dropped the restraining order in November, and Underwood stated "I do not believe Cassie did anything wrong in filing for the restraining orders and also believe she acted in good faith."


title: Colton Underwood

text: On April 14, 2021, Underwood publicly came out as gay in an interview with Robin Roberts on "Good Morning America", making him the first lead in the Bachelor franchise to come out as gay.


title: Colton Underwood

text: In an interview with "Variety", Underwood stated that he was blackmailed into coming out. An anonymous man, claiming to be a fan, took a picture of Underwood nude at a gay sauna in Los Angeles in 2019. The man sent Underwood an email threatening to out him to the press. Underwood forwarded the email to his publicist, and this caused him to come out publicly. During the interview, Underwood also stated that he experimented with men before appearing on "The Bachelor" franchise, stating he used the dating app Grindr under an alias from 2016 to 2017.


title: Colton Underwood

text: On September 1, 2021, Underwood was reported to be dating Democratic strategist Jordan C. Brown after the two were spotted vacationing together in Hawaii, which he confirmed in December 2021 in a birthday post for Brown. In February 2022, Underwood confirmed that he and Brown had gotten engaged shortly after his 30th birthday the previous month.


title: Danielle Campbell

text: Danielle Marie Campbell (born January 30, 1995) is an American actress. She is known for her starring roles as Jessica Olson in the 2010 Disney Channel Original Movie "Starstruck", Simone Daniels in the 2011 Disney film "Prom", Davina Claire in the 2013 CW television drama series "The Originals" and Kayla Powell and Olivia Moon in the 2018 CBS All Access television psychological thriller series "Tell Me a Story".


title: Danielle Campbell

text: Campbell is from Hinsdale, Illinois. Her parents are Georganne and John Campbell, and she has a younger brother. She was discovered in a hair salon in Chicago at age ten.


title: Danielle Campbell

text: Campbell's first acting role was as a guest star in five episodes of "Prison Break." She also appeared in a nationwide commercial for Build-A-Bear Workshop and played the character of Darla in the 2008 movie "The Poker House". In 2010, she appeared in the Disney Channel television series "Zeke and Luther" as Dani, before starring in the television movie "Starstruck" with Sterling Knight the same year. Upon "Starstruck"'s release, she signed a development deal with Disney. She starred in the movie "Prom", released on April 29, 2011, co-starring with Nicholas Braun, Nolan Sotillo, and Aimee Teegarden.


title: Danielle Campbell

text: In 2013, she was cast in a starring role on the television series "The Originals" as a powerful sixteen-year-old witch named Davina. In late 2013, producers of the 2015 film "16 South" announced that Campbell would star in the film alongside Luke Benward. In April 2015, Campbell shot the movie "Race To Redemption" in which she starred alongside Aiden Flowers and Luke Perry; the movie was released in 2016. Campbell was also cast as Ellie Reed in the 2016 television series "SINs", and Maddy in the 2017 Fine Brothers production "F the Prom". In March 2018, she appeared in the music video for "Better With You" by Jesse McCartney.


title: Danielle Campbell

text: In 2018, Campbell had a recurring role in the second season of the Freeform television series "Famous in Love". In June 2018 she was cast in a starring role in the CBS All Access television drama series "Tell Me a Story". In 2021, Campbell starred in the Broadway production of Alice Childress's "Trouble in Mind".


title: Eurodance

text: Eurodance (sometimes referred to as Euro-NRG, Euro-electronica or Euro) is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s in Europe. It combines many elements of hip hop, techno, Hi-NRG, house music, and Euro disco. This genre of music is heavily influenced by the use of rich vocals, sometimes with rapped verses. This, combined with cutting-edge synthesizers, strong bass rhythm and melodic hooks, establishes the core foundation of Eurodance music.


title: Eurodance

text: Eurodance music originated in the late 1980s in central Europe, especially in Germany, where rave parties were becoming popular. By 1987, a German party scene was started by Tauseef Alam, based on the well established Chicago house sound and Belgian new beat in Frankfurt. The following year saw acid house making a significant impact on popular consciousness in Germany and central Europe as it had in England. In 1989, German DJs Westbam and Dr. Motte established the Ufo Club, an illegal party venue, and co-founded the Love Parade. The parade first occurred in July 1989, when 150 people took to the streets in Berlin. It was conceived as a political demonstration for peace and international understanding through love and music. On 19 July 1989, Black Box's single "Ride on Time" was released. The song spent six weeks at No. 1 in the United Kingdom and it was the UK's best-selling single of 1989. It contained the Korg M1's "house piano" which can be found in many Eurodance releases. On 27 September 1989, Technotronic's single "Pump Up the Jam" was released. It reached number one in Belgium and Spain, and it popularised the house variant called hip house in Europe. On 9 November 1989, the Berlin Wall fell; free underground techno parties mushroomed in East Berlin, and a rave scene comparable to that in the UK was established. East German DJ Paul van Dyk has remarked that the techno-based rave scene was a major force in re-establishing social connections between East and West Germany during the unification period. In the same year, German producers Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti (under the pseudonyms Benito Benites and John "Virgo" Garrett III) formed the Snap! project in Frankfurt. Snap! songs combined imported hip hop and soul vocals adding rhythm by using computer technology and mixing electronic sounds, bass and drums, mainly house music. By doing so a new genre was born: Eurodance.


title: Eurodance

text: Snap!'s first single, "The Power", released in 1990, reached number one in the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, and it helped to raise awareness of the genre within Europe. In the following years, other Eurodance acts formed in Frankfurt, including Jam and Spoon, Intermission and Culture Beat. After the breakthrough single "Rhythm is a Dancer" by Snap! in 1992 (number 1 in 12 countries), new groups started to pop up all over Europe, mainly in Belgium, Netherlands and Italy. From 1992 till the decline of popularity after 1995, the sound became more and more NRG-oriented, leading to songs raising in B.P.M. up to 150. The notable songs which defined the genre in this period, dubbed as the "golden era" of Eurodance, are "It's My Life" by Dr. Alban in 1992 (number 1 in 8 countries), "No Limit" by Dutch group 2 Unlimited in 1993 (number 1 in 14 countries, it was Europe's biggest-selling song for 1993), "What Is Love" by Haddaway in the same year (number 1 in 13 countries), "Mr. Vain" by Culture Beat also in the same year (number 1 in 13 countries), "Cotton Eye Joe" by Rednex in 1994 (number 1 in 12 countries) and "Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)" by Scatman John in the same year (number 1 in 9 countries). In the same period the popularity of the genre also expanded further to East Asia, in nations such as Japan, South Korea and Taiwan; towards the end of the golden era also in Russia.


title: Eurodance

text: By 1995, Eurodance dominated European charts with 5 singles in the top 10 of the singles charts. Despite its success, many observers within the music industry said that the Eurodance sound had to change or die, and Eurodance producers and singers started to follow different paths and different sounds, such as happy hardcore and house music, but not all the groups followed this trend immediately. Notably, the group 2 Unlimited wanted to remain within Eurodance sounds in order to remain chartbusters, although the producer De Coster predicted a retreat from a poppy to a more clubby sound. Nevertheless, in the second half of the decade the popularity of Eurodance started to decline, and "Scatman's World" by Scatman John was the last major hit of the original Eurodance sound in the Eurochart Hot 100, being number 1 for 3 weeks between late August and early September 1995.


title: Eurodance

text: In late 1990s the classic Eurodance sound gradually morphed into progressive house. Notable examples of successful Eurodance songs of this era are "Coco Jamboo" by German band Mr. President in 1996, "Freed from Desire" and "Let a Boy Cry" by Italian singer Gala and "Bailando" by Paradisio in the same year, "Barbie Girl" by Danish-Norwegian group Aqua in 1997, "Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!!" by Dutch group Vengaboys in 1998, "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" by Italian group Eiffel 65 in 1999 and "Around the World (La La La La La)" by German group ATC in 2000. Basshunter, Scooter and Cascada saw significant success during the 2000s, however, by the early 2010s, popularity waned, and by about 2012, Eurodance music disappeared almost completely from the majority of European radio airplay.


title: Eurodance

text: The term "Eurodance" gradually became associated with a specific style of European dance music. During its golden years in the mid-1990s, it was referred as "Euro-NRG"; in Europe it was often called "dancefloor".


title: Eurodance

text: While some use a much broader definition of what is considered "Eurodance", over time, the term particularly came to refer to an NRG-based genre from the 1990s which included a solo vocalist or a rapper/vocalist duet.


title: Eurodance

text: Most Eurodance is characterized by synthesizer riffs, one or more vocals with simple chorus, one or more rap parts, sampling and a drum machine clap beat. Sometimes non-rap vocals are used. Giorgio Moroder, Donna Summer, and Silver Convention were early examples of pre Eurodance musicians. Swedish disco and pop group ABBA gained disco hits such as "Gimme Gimme Gimme", "Summer Night City", and "Voulez-Vous".


title: Eurodance

text: Eurodance often carries a positive, upbeat attitude; the lyrics usually involve issues of love and peace, dancing and partying, or expressing and overcoming difficult emotions. The early to mid-1990s Eurodance vocals were frequently done by a solo vocalist or a mixed rapper-vocalist duet such as the male–female duets of 2 Unlimited, La Bouche and Magic Affair.


title: Eurodance

text: Many groups used variations of the rapper-vocalist theme, such as a German rapper with American singers (Real McCoy), or the use of reggae rap as in Ice MC and Fun Factory, or combination of rapper and reggae vocalist like in the "Life in the Streets" album, or scat singing as in Scatman John. Solo singing artists such as Alexia, Whigfield and DJ BoBo also contributed to the genre. Some acts like the Swedish dance-pop originated group Ace of Base use more pop vocals rather than rap/soul vocals along with Eurodance sound. Pop vocals were particularly popular in the late 1990s Eurodance productions. The Swedish group Rednex also introduced American country music elements into the sound.


title: Eurodance

text: Eurodance lyrics are almost always sung in English, regardless of the artist's nationalities. However, there are cases like in the Belgian group's Paradisio where Spanish lyrics are used along with latin music elements, or Italian act Mo-Do with lyrics exclusively in German.


title: Eurodance

text: Almost all Eurodance emphasizes percussion and rhythm. The tempo is typically around 140 beats per minute, but may vary from 110 to 150.


title: Eurodance

text: Most Eurodance is very melody-driven. Most Eurodance songs are in minor keys, similarly to techno. This, along with positive lyrics, helps contribute to the overall powerful and emotional sound of Eurodance. Besides the contribution of the female or male vocals, there is often a noticeable use of rapid synthesizer arpeggios.


title: Eurodance

text: From the early to mid-1990s, Eurodance was popular in Europe; the style received extensive airplay on radio stations and television shows, resulting in many singles appearing in the charts. For example, in Italy there were seven singles in the top ten of the chart at the end of May 1995. Technotronic from Belgium had hits with ”Pump Up the Jam" and "Get Up" (featuring Ya Kid K).


title: Eurodance

text: By 1996, the popularity of this genre had started to decline. From then, the classic Eurodance sound gradually morphed into progressive house. By 1997 and towards the end of the millennium house and trance music increased popularity over Eurodance in Europe's commercial, chart-oriented dance records. In the early 2000s, the mainstream music industry in Europe moved away from Eurodance in favour of other styles of dance music such as nu-disco, electro house, dance-pop and R&B.


title: Eurodance

text: Italo dance is an offshoot of the Eurodance music genre. One of the first examples is Black Box’s "Everybody Everybody" which climbed the charts and was a big hit in 1990. Italo Dance was popular in Italy in the late 1990s to the early 2000s and gained some popularity after the release of the single "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" by Eiffel 65. The genre had its infancy from 1993 to 1995 and its golden age from 1999 to 2005. Although Italo hits by Eiffel 65, Prezioso and Gabry Ponte still receive substantial airplay, the genre is far from mainstream today where it has been replaced by mostly electro and house music.


title: Eurodance

text: Italo dance is predominantly nightclub-oriented music and mainly produced in Italy. The genre never really became mainstream enough for the whole European market, but received much airplay on Italian radio, especially the dance radio station m2o, and in southern parts of Europe plus in the German speaking European countries.


title: Eurodance

text: After Cappella's Gianfranco Bortolotti set up Media Records in Brescia, northern Italy to release his 'commercial European dance music' (a set-up which included fifteen studios featuring various production teams working almost non-stop on a huge number of records) he decided to take the label into other markets and set up a UK office in the UK. Run by Peter Pritchard and featuring many records by Stu Allan's British Eurodance act Clock, this record company would eventually turn into hard house label Nukleuz (known for its DJ Nation releases).


title: Eurodance

text: As Media turned into Nukleuz, it would fall to All Around the World Productions to be the label in the 21st Century which was more likely to release Eurodance tracks in the UK than other, with its Clubland TV music channel still having regular blocks of Eurodance videos in 2020 (though extending its scope to include hits by David Guetta as well as Cascada and Scooter)


title: Eurodance

text: During the 1990s, Eurodance became popular in Canada, which produced its own variant called Candance (although it was mostly referred to as "Eurodance" or "dance music"). Eurodance received significant airplay on radio stations in the Greater Toronto Area such as Power 88.5, Energy 108 and Hot 103.5. Montreal was also a major Eurodance market, with MC Mario's famous radio show on Mix 96, called "Party Mix" and "Bouge de là", a popular TV show on MusiquePlus. Beginning in mid-1992, Eurodance began to dominate the "RPM" dance chart in Canada, with acts such as 2 Unlimited, Snap!, Captain Hollywood Project, Culture Beat, Haddaway, Whigfield, each reaching number-one.


title: Eurodance

text: From approximately 1992 to 2000, Canadian acts such as Capital Sound, Love Inc., Jacynthe and Emjay had success with the Eurodance sound. The Toronto sound was more pop-oriented, while the Montreal one was more house-oriented.


title: Eurodance

text: Eurodance is not well known in the United States outside of the major cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami. Exemplifying this is the Eurodance classic "Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)", by Scatman John, an American artist; despite topping the charts in multiple European countries and reaching number 3 in the United Kingdom, it only reached as high as "number 60" on the US Hot 100. Another notable example is the "Life in the Streets" album, a combined Eurodance music project from American rapper Marky Mark and Caribbean reggae vocalist Prince Ital Joe, which was not released in the United States, but was a huge success in several European countries including singles like "Happy People" and "United" that topped the German charts.


title: Eurodance

text: A few Eurodance artists including 2 Unlimited, Haddaway, La Bouche and Ace of Base made the Rhythmic Top 40, Top 40 Mainstream and the "Billboard" Hot 100 during the early to mid-1990s. However, the sound tended to be more house and the rap-oriented artists received airplay. For instance, the German hip-house project Snap!, the Belgian hip-house project Technotronic and the Dutch techno dance project L.A. Style received quite a bit of airplay early on.


title: Eurodance

text: The more Hi-NRG-oriented artists were typically played only during special "mix" shows, and it was often necessary to go to a club to hear Eurodance music. While Eurodance did become popular with club DJs in the United States, radio stations were cautious about playing anything that sounded too much like disco during most of the 1980s and 1990s. By the end of the 1990s, however, some of the later acts such as Italian group Eiffel 65 and Danish group Aqua did receive extensive airplay.


title: Eurodance

text: Despite lack of widespread radio play, many Hi-NRG and Eurodance songs are popular at professional sporting events in the United States, especially ice hockey and basketball.


title: Eurodance

text: Compilation albums, such as the "DMA Dance: Eurodance" series of compilation albums (1995–1997) from Interhit Records and "Dance Music Authority" magazine, were popular and helped to define the genre as well as to make it accessible in the U.S. and Canada.


title: Eurodance

text: Hands Up (also known as handz up! (stylized as HandzUp!) or dancecore in East Europe) is a style of trance music, and a derivation of Eurodance. The genre comes from its name, meaning music that requires listeners to "put their hands up", as well as fitness and danceability.


title: Eurodance

text: The genre developed in Germany in the mid- to late 1990s as part of the emerging trance music scene. Representatives of Eurodance such as Starsplash and Mark 'Oh are sometimes regarded as forerunners of Hands Up. The biggest commercial success was the music until the mid-2000s.


title: Eurodance

text: The synthesizer melodies are often catchy and simple. Often the vocal melody is accompanied by a synthesizer. In contrast to techno, short, high-pitched synthesizer tones are used. Hands Up does not rely on the structure of tension build-up, but rather is based on the typical verse-chorus pop music scheme. The main elements are the bassline, drums and a catchy lead sound. A typical stylistic device of Hands Up is pitched female or resulting feminine vocals, but male vocals are also common. In addition, distorted, autotuned, chopped and repeated spoken phrases are common characteristics.


title: 2022 Victorian state election

text: The 2022 Victorian state election was held on Saturday, 26 November 2022 to elect the 60th Parliament of Victoria. All 88 seats in the Legislative Assembly (lower house) and all 40 seats in the Legislative Council (upper house) were up for election at the time the writs were issued, however the election in the district of Narracan was deferred due to the death of a candidate. The second-term incumbent Labor government, led by Premier Daniel Andrews, won a third four-year term, defeating the Liberal/National Coalition opposition, led by Opposition Leader Matthew Guy, increasing their majority from their 2018 landslide election result. Minor party the Greens led by Samantha Ratnam also contested the election, as well as other minor parties and independent candidates.


title: 2022 Victorian state election

text: Labor won 56 seats in the 88-seat Legislative Assembly, a net increase of one seat from the previous election in 2018. This was the sixth time that a Labor government was re-elected in Victoria, and it was Victorian Labor's second-best seat count at a state election. The Liberal/National Coalition maintained their overall total of 27 seats: the Liberal Party won 18 seats, a net decrease of three from the previous election, while the Nationals won 9 seats, a net increase of three. The Greens won 4 seats, a net increase of one seat. All incumbent independents failed to retain their seats.


title: 2022 Victorian state election

text: In the Legislative Council, Labor won 15 seats, six short of a majority, and the Coalition won 14 seats. On the crossbench, the Greens won 4 seats, Legalise Cannabis won 2 seats, and one seat each was won by Animal Justice, One Nation, Democratic Labour, the Liberal Democrats and Shooters, Fishers and Farmers.


title: 2022 Victorian state election

text: Several days after Labor's victory, the Third Andrews ministry was sworn in by the Governor, however it was only slightly different following the significant reshuffle earlier in 2022. The following week the Liberal Party elected John Pesutto leader of the party, who became Opposition Leader in the new parliament, after Guy had announced earlier he would stand down from the position.


title: 2022 Victorian state election

text: For the election, Victoria had compulsory voting and used majoritarian preferential voting in single-member seats for the Legislative Assembly, and single transferable voting (STV) along with a group voting ticket (GVT) in multi-member seats for the proportionally represented Legislative Council. The Legislative Council had 40 members serving four-year terms, elected from eight electoral regions each with five members. With each region electing 5 members, the quota in each region for election, after distribution of preferences, was 16.7% (one-sixth) of the valid votes cast in that district.


title: 2022 Victorian state election

text: The election was conducted by the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC), an independent body answerable to parliament.


title: 2022 Victorian state election

text: Pursuant to the "Electoral Act 2002", Victoria has fixed terms, with all elections since the 2006 election held every four years on the last Saturday of November. This means that the date for the election was set for 26 November 2022. This could change only if Parliament had been dissolved unexpectedly beforehand.


title: 2022 Victorian state election

text: The Daniel Andrews-led Labor government was returned to power after one term in opposition by winning a majority of seats in the Legislative Assembly at the 2014 state election. The Labor party was decisively re-elected at the 2018 state election with a 5.3% two-party preferred swing, winning 55 seats in the Assembly. This was equal to Victorian Labor's second-best seat count ever at a state election. The Liberal/National Coalition dropped to 27 seats, the Greens won 3 seats and independents won the remaining 3 seats. There were no by-elections for the Assembly in the 59th parliament and the Assembly’s composition was otherwise unchanged.


title: 2022 Victorian state election

text: In the Legislative Council, the Labor party won 18 of the 40 seats, the Coalition 11 and the remaining seats were won by an array of minor parties. During the term, two Labor MLC's left the party to sit as independents; (Adem Somyurek in June 2020 and Kaushaliya Vaghela in March 2022) while one Liberal MLC (Bernie Finn) was expelled from the party and joined the Democratic Labour Party in June 2022. This left the government with 16 seats in the Legislative Council, and opposition with 10, by the time of the election.


title: 2022 Victorian state election

text: Daniel Andrews and the Labor government was seeking a third four-year term, something only John Cain Jr and Steve Bracks have previously achieved for Labor. Opposition Leader Matthew Guy stood down as Liberal leader several days after the party's poor result at the 2018 election and was replaced by Michael O'Brien. O'Brien’s leadership was challenged twice in 2021, the second time resulting in O'Brien being replaced by Guy in a party room vote and Guy returning to the position.


title: 2022 Victorian state election

text: Victorian state elections are conducted by the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC). Though Victoria has compulsory voting, at the 2018 election the voter turnout was just over 90%. Victoria uses instant-runoff voting in single-member seats for the Legislative Assembly, and single transferable vote in multi-member seats for the partially proportionally represented Legislative Council. The Legislative Council presently has 40 members serving four-year terms, elected from eight electoral regions each with five members. With each region electing 5 members, the quota in each region for election, after distribution of preferences, is 16.7% (one-sixth plus 1). Victoria is the only jurisdiction in Australia, at a state or federal level, that retains group voting tickets for the election of its upper house, resulting in preferences of voters voting “above-the-line” being transferred by inter-party agreements. Western Australia, the only other state to employ the system, abolished group voting tickets after the 2021 state election.


title: 2022 Victorian state election

text: The Electoral Boundaries Commission (EBC) of the Victorian Electoral Commission conducted a redistribution of electoral boundaries as there had been two general elections since the last redistribution. The previous redistribution took place prior to the 2014 election, and the new one was conducted in October 2021. According to commentators, Victoria's "booming population" would see new districts created in outer-suburban and inner-city areas, at the expense of middle-suburban areas. At the 2018 election the voter enrollment in individual districts ranged from 61,814 in Cranbourne to 38,937 in Mount Waverley.


title: 2022 Victorian state election

text: On 30 June 2021, the EBC released draft boundaries for the Victorian Legislative Assembly for the 2022 election. The draft boundaries saw the creation of new electorates and the abolition of current ones. The EBC's final report was released on 28 October 2021.


title: 2022 Victorian state election

text: A further 5 applications to register were rejected by the VEC by parties that failed to meet the statutory threshold of 500 registered members: the Australian Democrats, Australian Federation, Fusion, Independence and Indigenous-Aboriginal parties. The application for one party, Family Matters Australia, remains pending.


title: 2022 Victorian state election

text: In addition, three parties sought to register but later withdrew. Family First Victoria, unrelated to the party of the same name that contested the 2022 South Australian state election, announced it would withdraw its registration on 12 August. On 13 August, the Victorians Party―which had been formally registered by the VEC and had announced a series of candidates―announced it would not contest the election and was later deregistered by the VEC. On 29 September, the Legalise Marijuana Party confirmed it would withdraw after its application was challenged by the Legalise Cannabis party.


title: 2022 Victorian state election

text: A record 740 candidates nominated to contest the 88 Legislative Assembly seats at the Victorian election on 26 November, well up on the previous record of 543 candidates in 2014 and the 507 in 2018. The 454 candidates for the Legislative Council is the highest number of upper house candidates in a Victorian election, up from 380 in 2018.


title: 2022 Victorian state election

text: In the lead-up to the state election, Labor Premier Daniel Andrews committed to reviving the State Electricity Commission if re-elected. The government would have a 51% shareholding in the new State Electricity Commission. Andrews committed to amending the state’s constitution to protect public ownership of the revived State Electricity Commission if re-elected, to make it harder, although not impossible, for it to be privatised again in the future. Re-privatising the commission after such legislation would require a "special majority" of 60% of both the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council, a situation which already exists for any potential privitisation of water services in Victoria under the Constitution of Victoria.


title: 2022 Victorian state election

text: Matthew Guy and the Liberal Party began their election campaign on 2 November with a press conference that saw Guy unveil their "Ditch Dan" vehicle, a 1970s era ambulance emblazoned with anti-Andrews slogans & graphics. The vehicle having the "Ambulance" designation above the drivers area caused the head of the Victorian Ambulance Union, Danny Hill, to question the legality of the vehicle as the state’s Ambulance Services Act makes it an offence to use the word “ambulance” on any vehicle that is not owned or operated by an ambulance service without written authority of the Department of Health. The ambulance was used to tie into Guy's promise regarding the building of new hospitals and recruiting 40,000 new medical staff. Guy also promised to axe stamp duty for first home buyers on properties up to $1 million for 12 months.


title: 2022 Victorian state election

text: On 8 November, Guy defended his party advertising attacking Dan Andrews for being a "prick", and the use of footage from antivax protests in Melbourne where protestors urinated on the Shrine of Remembrance and attacked police.


title: 2022 Victorian state election

text: On 10 November, Guy downplayed his deputy David Southwick using two staffers employed by Southwick as actors in campaign ads without disclosing they are members of his campaign staff. When Guy was asked if the use of paid staffers in campaign ads was misleading, Guy replied by endorsing Southwick and stating that "it was not misleading" regardless of the lack of a disclaimer.


title: 2022 Victorian state election

text: On 16 November, Australian Values Party leader Heston Russell leaked a video to the "Herald Sun" of him to talking to Glenn Druery about a potential preference deal, declaring that the AVP felt the co-ordination of the group voting ticket system used by Druery was immoral and needed to be exposed. This led to calls for the abolition of the group voting ticket, which Matthew Guy has said he would support and asked Andrews to commit to scrapping it, regardless of the election result. Andrews said he would wait until after the previously scheduled electoral reform review, due after the election, before making any changes.


title: 2022 Victorian state election

text: On 17 November, the Victorian Electoral Commission announced that it had referred Guy and his former chief of staff to the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission after it had exhausted attempts to investigate an alleged violation of political donation disclosure laws. The investigation followed a leak of documents showing a proposed contract requiring a Liberal donor to pay a total of $125,000 to the chief of staff's private marketing firm, potentially in breach of the $4,210 limit on donations from individuals or organisations. In a statement outlining the referral, the Victorian electoral commissioner stressed that the VEC had not "received full co-operation from those connected to its investigation". However, Guy denied allegations of wrongdoing and insisted that he had provided material to the VEC. The following day, the Liberals accused the VEC of deliberate electoral interference and an "intent to damage the Liberal Party in the State Election" in a cease and desist letter by the party's lawyers.


title: 2022 Victorian state election

text: On 19 November, the Liberal Party dumped Renee Heath, the first ranked candidate for the Liberal ticket in the Eastern Victoria Region of the upper house Victorian Legislative Council, from the party after her conservative religious views, including support for conversion therapy, were bought to light by a newspaper investigation. The decision came too late for Heath to be disendorsed by the party, and her position on the ticket makes it an effective certainty that she will win a position in Parliament. Questions were raised over how much Guy and the Liberal Party knew of her views, and the accusations of Entryism made regarding Heath and her family by Liberal party member Cathrine Burnett-Wake in her final address to Parliament after Heath defeated her for pre-selection.


title: 2022 Victorian state election

text: Also on 19 November, Australian Values candidate and state MP Catherine Cumming declared at an anti-lockdown rally that she wished for Premier Daniel Andrews to be turned into a "red mist". These comments were denounced by both Andrews and leader of the Victorian opposition Matthew Guy, and led to the Victoria Police opening an investigation into Cumming for alleged promotion of violence.


title: 2022 Victorian state election

text: On 20 November, "The Age" reported that the Liberal candidate for Narre Warren North, Timothy Dragan, opposed all recognition of Aboriginal people, said that he would vote against any legislation aimed at tacking climate change, would support a total ban on abortion, and that he called Liberal MP Brad Battin, the member for Berwick, a "prick".


title: 2022 Victorian state election

text: Richmond Labor candidate Lauren O'Dwyer had some controversies relating to her Aboriginal heritage claim disputed by some.


title: 2022 Victorian state election

text: The only state leaders debate between Andrews and Guy was held on 22 November on Sky News Australia and Sky News Regional. Andrews was declared the winner, with 38% of the vote.


title: 2022 Victorian state election

text: Labor accused a 'Greens-dominated' Darebin council of removing Labor billboards in the seat of Northcote.


title: 2022 Victorian state election

text: Prior to the election, several newspapers around the country published editorials endorsing the party they believed should win. News Corp's Melbourne tabloid the "Herald Sun", and its Sunday edition the "Sunday Herald Sun" endorsed the Coalition. News Corp's national masthead "The Australian" gave an endorsement to the Coalition. The company has been accused by several other media outlets of biased coverage against the Labor Party and Premier Daniel Andrews, with former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd describing their electoral coverage as "dog-whistling to conspiracy theorists".


title: 2022 Victorian state election

text: Nine Entertainment's national masthead the "Australian Financial Review" endorsed the Coalition, while Nine's Melbourne-based "The Age" endorsed Labor. Although the paper conceded that Andrews had become "arrogant", his party offered the better plan for the state.


title: Christopher Knight (actor)

text: Christopher Anton Knight (born November 7, 1957) is an American actor and businessman. He is best known for playing Peter Brady on the 1970s series "The Brady Bunch". He has since gone on to become a successful businessman and enjoyed a semi-resurgence in the public eye with television appearances in the 2000s.


title: Christopher Knight (actor)

text: Knight was born in New York City, New York, the son of Wilma and Edward Knight, an actor. Knight's father was born Edward Kozumplik, to parents from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, while Knight's mother was Jewish.


title: Christopher Knight (actor)

text: After the end of his "Brady Bunch" appearances, Knight's acting career consisted mostly of making guest appearances on other television shows ("Happy Days", "The Love Boat"), and occasional film roles ("Just You and Me, Kid", "Curfew", "Good Girls Don't", "The Doom Generation", and "Nowhere"). He reunited with his former "Brady" costars in the holiday TV movie "A Very Brady Christmas" (1988). Before the "Brady Bunch" series, he had had some small television roles, including an appearance on the first season of "Mannix", in a 1967 episode called "Coffin for a Clown".


title: Christopher Knight (actor)

text: In 1988, Knight, a self-described "geek", left acting to pursue a business career in the computer industry. He got a job as an account sales manager for Martec, Inc. and landed that company's first million-dollar sales deal within his first 18 months on the job, for which he was named Employee of the Year. In 1989, he was named Vice President of Design System Marketing and Sales at New Image Industry.


title: Christopher Knight (actor)

text: In 1991, he co-founded Visual Software, a pioneering 3D graphics company. In 1995, he founded Kidwise Learningware, a company that manufactures interactive educational products. In 1996, he joined the keyboard manufacturer Adesso, and in 1997, he became Vice President of Marketing at iXMicro, a video hardware company. In 1998, he founded his own TV tuner company, Eskape Labs; it was purchased by Hauppauge Computer Works in 2000.


title: Christopher Knight (actor)

text: On April 17, 1994, Knight lost his professional wrestling debut in a "Dark Match" at the Spring Stampede in Chicago at the Rosemont Horizon. His adversary was another child star from 1970s television, the "Partridge Family"s Danny Bonaduce.


title: Christopher Knight (actor)

text: Knight appeared on a special episode of "The Weakest Link" that featured "The Brady Bunch" cast members squaring off against each other. Knight won the show and donated the proceeds ($49,000) to his selected charity, Zero Population Growth.


title: Christopher Knight (actor)

text: Continuing to pursue TV opportunities, Knight appeared on VH1's fourth season of "The Surreal Life". The show garnered Knight more attention than he had received in quite some time, in part because he appeared shirtless on the show, revealing a well-built body. During his stint on the show, he began a romance with castmate model Adrianne Curry, winner of "America's Next Top Model" cycle 1, who is almost 25 years younger than Knight. After the show, the two moved in together and got engaged, as documented on the VH1 series "My Fair Brady", which premiered on September 11, 2005. The series was renewed for another season, and the couple wed in Curry's hometown of Joliet, Illinois, on May 29, 2006, in a Gothic-style wedding.


title: Christopher Knight (actor)

text: Knight was featured in Click Five's music videos for "Just the Girl", in which he played a high school teacher, and for "Catch Your Wave", as the hotel manager.


title: Christopher Knight (actor)

text: Knight and former "Brady Bunch" co-star Barry Williams appeared in a 2006 episode of "That '70s Show", in which he and Williams portrayed a gay couple who moved in next door. The two had remained close friends since their "Brady Bunch" days, and Williams appeared several times on "My Fair Brady". Florence Henderson, who played Carol Brady, Susan Olsen, who played Cindy Brady, and Mike Lookinland, who played Bobby Brady, also appeared in an episode of that series.


title: Christopher Knight (actor)

text: Knight participated in VH-1's retrospective miniseries, "I Love The '70s: Volume II". He, his family, and friends appeared on the season finale of NBC's "Celebrity Family Feud" on July 29, 2008.


title: Christopher Knight (actor)

text: During the 2008–09 television season, Knight hosted the syndicated game show, "". He has hosted a series of Jonathan Goodson-produced game show specials for the Michigan Lottery, "Make Me Rich". The first special was scheduled for October 16, 2009, with a second scheduled for February 2010. The show aired periodically until early 2012. Knight joined with the other "Brady Bunch" cast in the 2019 television series "A Very Brady Renovation" on HGTV. In 2021, he starred in the Lifetime Christmas movie, "Blending Christmas", alongside his "Brady Bunch" co-stars Barry Williams, Mike Lookinland, Susan Olsen, and Robbie Rist.


title: Christopher Knight (actor)

text: In 2022, Knight, Williams, and Lookinland competed in season eight of "The Masked Singer" as "Mummies". They were eliminated in the third episode, which aired as the October 3 "TV Theme Night" alongside Daymond John as "Fortune Teller".


title: Christopher Knight (actor)

text: Knight has been married four times. Knight proposed to his third wife, model and reality television personality Adrianne Curry, on the season finale of "My Fair Brady", on VH1, which aired on November 6, 2005. The show was renewed for a second season that began in June 2006, and focused on the couple's wedding preparations. The couple wed in Curry's hometown of Joliet, Illinois on May 29, 2006, in a gothic-style wedding. Knight's manager, Phil Viardo, told a celebrity gossip website on May 29, 2011, that Knight and Curry were announcing their separation. The date was the couple's fifth wedding anniversary. On February 2, 2012, on G4's "Attack of the Show", Curry said the divorce had been finalized. He married his fourth wife, Cara Kokenes, in November 2016.


title: Amaravati

text: Amaravati () is the capital of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located on the banks of the river Krishna in Guntur district.


title: Amaravati

text: The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone at a ceremonial event in Uddandarayunipalem village on 22 October 2015.


title: Amaravati

text: Dharanikota, the ancient city site nearby, was founded more than 2,200 years ago, serving as an ancient capital. The Amaravati Stupa was an important Buddhist site of pilgrimage and holy learning. Under the British Raj, many ancient Buddhist sculptures were taken to other museums in India and Britain.


title: Amaravati

text: The office of the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh has operated from Velagapudi since April 2016. The Andhra Pradesh Legislature remained in Hyderabad until March 2017, when it was relocated to newly constructed interim legislative buildings in Velagapudi.


title: Amaravati

text: The name "Amaravati" only dates back to the 18th century; the Amaravathi village, is near Dharanikota, the ancient capital of the Satavahana dynasty. The metropolitan areas of Guntur, Vijayawada and Tenali are the major conurbations of Amaravati. "Amaravati" translates literally as 'the place for immortals'.


title: Amaravati

text: Dharanikota (Dhānyakatakam) near Amaravati was an important city in the cultural heritage and history of Andhra Pradesh. Its history dates back to 2nd Century BCE when it was the capital of the Satavahana Dynasty of the (Andhras), one of the earliest Indian empires and the ancestral dynasty of Andhra Pradesh. The Satavahanas are prominent in the history of Andhra Pradesh. Their main language was Prakrit written using Brahmi Script, which served as the base for the script of Telugu Language. They issued many coins with this Prakrit language which can be found in many inscriptions in this region today. The practice of Buddhism was predominant during this period and the dynasty was partly responsible for the prevalence of Buddhism in the region.


title: Amaravati

text: The city was also once a holy site of Mahayana Buddhism. The city used to have a large Buddhist Stupa now known as Amaravati Stupa but then called a Mahachaitya, which was ruined over time. It was also the centre of Buddhist learning and art where many buddhist followers from many South East Asian countries used to visit. It can be seen from the Amaravati Stupa, many Buddhist inscriptions, sculptures and Gautam Buddha Statue in the city. Many other ancient Amaravati sculptures and Buddhist relics from the region were unfortunately destroyed over the time and the largest group was removed to the Government Museum, Chennai and others to the British Museum during British rule, which can be seen there today. The sculptures from Amaravati depict many scenes from Buddhist art, inscriptions and Buddhist stupas. The city along with Nagarjuna Konda is viewed as one of the richest holy sites of Buddhism in the whole of India.


title: Amaravati

text: The present capital area has its historical significance of having recorded its first-ever legislation 2,200 years ago. The present-day capital region includes the Amaravati village. The area has been ruled by the Mauryas, Satavahanas, Ikshvakus, Vishnukundina, Pallavas, Cholas, Kakatiyas, Delhi Sultanate, Musunuri Nayaks, Bahmani Sultanate, Vijayanagara Empire, Sultanate of Golconda and Mughal Empire successively before the founding of the Nizam of Hyderabad in 1724. It was ceded to France in 1750 but was captured by the East India Company in 1759. Guntur returned to the Nizamate in 1768 but was ceded to Britain again in 1788. It was briefly occupied by Hyder Ali. It was then ruled by Vasireddy Venkatadri Nayudu, who founded the modern Amaravathi village, using building materials from the stupa, which he largely demolished. It was part of the Madras Presidency during the British colonial period.


title: Amaravati

text: As per the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, Hyderabad became the capital of the then newly formed state of Telangana, post bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. However, Hyderabad would remain as the joint capital of both states for a period not exceeding ten years. Hence, Amaravati is being built to serve as the capital of Andhra Pradesh.


title: Amaravati

text: The foundation for the city was laid at Uddandarayunipalem on 22 October 2015. The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi; the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, N. Chandrababu Naidu; the Vice President of India and the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu; then Governor E. S. L. Narasimhan; the Japanese minister for economy trade and industry, Yosuke Takagi; and the Singaporean Minister for Trade and Industry, S. Iswaran, laid the foundation for the city.


title: Amaravati

text: In August 2020, Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly passed Andhra Pradesh Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Act, 2020. According to its provisions, Visakhapatnam is the executive capital while Amaravati and Kurnool serve as legislative and judicial capitals, respectively. The decision resulted in widespread protests by the farmers of Amaravati. The act has been challenged in Andhra Pradesh High Court, which ordered to maintain status quo until the court completes its hearing. On 22 November 2021, the government, led by Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, have withdrawn the act.


title: Amaravati

text: The city is being built in Guntur district and Palnadu district, on the banks of the Krishna River. The city will be south-west of Vijayawada, north of Guntur, south-east of Tenali surrounding the Coromandel Coast of Coastal Andhra region in Andhra Pradesh.


title: Amaravati

text: The 13th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N. Chandrababu Naidu envisioned Amaravati to be the people-centric pioneer Smart City of India, built around sustainability and livability principles, and to be the happiest city in the world. Among the innovative features on the drawing board are navigation canals around the city, and connecting to an island in the Krishna River. The Government has envisaged an investment needed of for the development of the city.


title: Amaravati

text: The city is being designed to have 51% green space and 10% of water bodies, with a plan to house some of the most iconic buildings there. It is being modeled on Singapore, with the master plan being prepared by two Singapore government-appointed consultants. Other international consultants and architects will then be brought in to give the city an international flavor.


title: Amaravati

text: The Andhra Pradesh State Cabinet meeting passed a resolution of 1 September 2014 to locate the Capital City in a central place of the state, around Vijayawada, and to go for decentralized development of the state with 3 Mega Cities and 14 Smart Cities. The State Government identified the Capital City area between Vijayawada and Guntur cities on the Southern bank of River Krishna upstream of Prakasam Barrage. The Amaravati Capital City has an area of 217.23 km and is spread across 25 villages in 3 mandals (Thullur, Mangalagiri and Tadepalli) of Guntur district. The 25 villages in the Capital City area have about 1 lakh population in about 27,000 households. The nearest cities are Vijayawada at a distance of 30 km and Guntur at a distance of 18 km. The nearest railway station is KC Canal railway station near Tadepalli and the nearest airport is Gannavaram which is at a distance of 22 km. The city is planned to spread over 217 km area with a total cost of ₹ 553.43 billions to the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) out of which state government contribution is only ₹ 126 billion (equity ₹ 66.29 billion and supporting grant ₹ 59.71 billion) spread over a period of 8 years from April 2018 to March 2026 (₹ 5 billion in 2018–19, ₹ 18 billion per year for later six years and ₹ 13 billion in 2025–26).


title: Amaravati

text: The contribution from the government is to be repaid by the CRDA after 2037. Ultimately state or union governments are not incurring any expenditure to construct the city but wholly financed by the income accrued from the sale of land for various development schemes (₹ 171.51 billion), loans and the local taxes (₹ 146.41 billion by 2037) to the CRDA. The state and union governments are expected to earn ₹ 120 billion per annum out of which state goods and services tax (State GST) alone is ₹ 60 billion per annum. The entire city construction is planned by self-financing from loans and land selling with the state government's moral support. CRDA is expecting a net surplus income of ₹ 333 billion by 2037 after meeting the total expenditure on the city. Amaravati government complex which is intended to provide world-class facilities needed for the state government and its employees' accommodation is also part of the CRDA project. The bus rapid transit system (BRTS) in Amaravati to connect with the adjacent Vijayawada and Guntur cities by world-class road network is also part of the CRDA project. Both Amaravati government complex and BRTS are planned with an expenditure of ₹ 140 billion.


title: Amaravati

text: In 2019, the new state government allocated a budget of only ₹500 crore and immediately stopped all running projects in the middle of construction that was started by the previous Naidu government. The Amaravati project has substantially slowed with no deadline in sight.


title: Amaravati

text: As of 2020, the fate of Amaravati as the sole capital of Andhra Pradesh hangs in balance as the incumbent YSRCP Government has proposed to move the Executive and Judicial components of the capital to Visakhapatnam and Kurnool respectively. There has been a continuing backlash from the farmers of the region against this decision of the Government for the past 644 days. The agitators are still awaiting the Chief Minister's appointment for a plausible solution.


title: Amaravati

text: Amaravati is an Urban Notified Area and its urban development and planning activities are undertaken by the Amaravati Development Corporation Limited and Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA). The Andhra Pradesh Secretariat at Velagapudi is the administrative block for the employees of the state government.


title: Amaravati

text: The APCRDA has its jurisdiction over the city and is the conurbation covering Andhra Pradesh Capital Region. The capital city is spread over an area of , and will comprise villages (including some hamlets) from three mandals viz., Mangalagiri, Thullur and Tadepalle. The seed capital is spread over an area of .


title: Amaravati

text: The table below lists the identified villages and hamlets under their respective mandals, which became a part of the capital city.


title: Amaravati

text: The residents of Amaravati are mainly Telugu-speaking people along with some Urdu and other minorities. Telugu is the official language of the city. Hindus form a very large majority, but there are also Muslim, Christian, and Buddhist communities. Religious sites include the Amaralingeswara Swamy Temple, and the Amaravati stupa in the Amaravati heritage complex.


title: Amaravati

text: The state government originally initiated the Singapore-based Ascendas-Singbridge and Sembcorp Development consortium for the city's construction. The city's infrastructure was to be developed in 7–8 years in phases, at an estimated cost of ₹33,000 crore. ₹7,500 crore from the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO), $500 million from the World Bank and ₹2,500 crore from the Indian Government, of which ₹1,500 crore has been granted.


title: Amaravati

text: As of July 2019, the World Bank dropped funding for Amaravati. As of September 2019, the Ascendas-Singbridge and Sembcorp Development consortium have also withdrawn from the project. With only state government allocated budget of ₹500 crore in 2019, the Amravati project has substantially slowed, with no deadline in sight.


title: Amaravati

text: Nine themed cities consisting of Finance, Justice, Health, Sports, Media, and Electronics; including Government buildings designed by Norman Foster, Hafeez Contractor, Reliance Group, and NRDC-India will be built within the city. Pi Data Centre, the fourth largest of its kind in Asia with an investment of , and Pi Care Services, a healthcare BPO, were inaugurated at Mangalagiri IT park. HCL Technologies, an IT firm would set up one of its centres in Amaravati.


title: Amaravati

text: Mangalagiri Sarees and Fabrics produced in Mangalagiri mandal, a part of the state capital, were registered as one of the geographical indications from Andhra Pradesh.


title: Amaravati

text: Private institutes like Amrita University, Amity University and the Indo-UK Institute of Health (IUIH) in collaboration with the King's College London, are among others to set up campus in Amaravati. In 2018 the city's first management institute, Xavier School of Management, was under construction near Ainavolu.


title: Amaravati

text: Located on the banks of the Krishna River and between natural getaways and places of heritage, the city has several tourist attractions:


title: Amaravati

text: The buses operated by Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) from Pandit Nehru Bus Station and NTR bus station, Tenali bus station connects the city with Vijayawada and Tenali, Guntur respectively.


title: Amaravati

text: The government, however, is to explore other means of mass transport like ‘monorail’, Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) and tramways. Two new depots, North and South of the APSRTC are proposed to be constructed. Auto rickshaws also operate for shorter distances in the capital city area.


title: Amaravati

text: The Amaravati–Anantapur Expressway, supported by Kurnool and Kadapa Feeder Roads is an ongoing greenfield expressway project, which would provide faster road access from the districts of Anantapur, Guntur, Kadapa, Kurnool and Prakasam to Amaravati, Rajamahendravaram, Kakinada, and Visakhapatnam. The Amaravati seed capital road is an arterial road under construction to access the core capital area from National Highway 16. The Vijayawada-Amaravati road connects the city with Vijayawada.


title: Amaravati

text: A proposed Amaravati high-speed circular railway line would connect the city with the nearby cities of Vijayawada, Guntur and Tenali, extending up to a length of with an estimated cost of .And a metro rail project is proposed between the cities of Tenali, Guntur, and Vijayawada of 100 km circular corridor.


title: Amaravati

text: ACA International Cricket Stadium (also known as the Andhra Cricket Association International Cricket Stadium) is a stadium under construction at Mangalagiri in Amaravati. It is situated in Guntur district and will be spread over 24 acres. The stadium will be owned by Andhra Cricket Association and has a seating capacity of 40,000.


title: Amaravati

text: The complex has been under construction at Vidyadharapuram on of land. It consists of two swimming pools of 50×20 metres and 20×20 metres, an outdoor synthetic track, a multipurpose indoor hall, and a Ground+2 clubhouse. This complex will be the new headquarters for the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP).