title: O. R. Tambo International Airport

text: In December 1993, a R120,000,000 upgrade at the airport was completed. The main part of the projects was an 880 m, 3000 t steel airside corridor consisting of two levels high of 6 m wide with thirteen passenger bridges. The upper levels are connected the departure lounges through security screening points. Lower levels are for arrivals for entry into the immigration and custom areas. A future provision for extensions to this airside corridor was included in the design. A new airside bus terminal was also added for bussing in passengers to aircraft not able dock next to the terminal. Other parts of the project included upgrading the terminal facilities for the passengers.


title: O. R. Tambo International Airport

text: Following the ending of apartheid, the airport's name, and that of other international airports in South Africa, were changed and these restrictions were lifted. With the creation of the Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) in the mid-nineties, a plan to commercialise the airport began with new passenger and retail and airside facilities to handle a larger number of aircraft completing this phase in 2004.


title: O. R. Tambo International Airport

text: The airport overtook Cairo International Airport in 1996 as the busiest airport in Africa and is the fourth-busiest airport in the Africa–Middle East region after Dubai International Airport, Hamad International Airport, and Abu Dhabi International Airport. In fiscal year 2010, the airport handled 8.82 million departing passengers.


title: O. R. Tambo International Airport

text: In late 2005, a name change was proposed for the airport to "O. R. Tambo International", after former ANC President and anti-apartheid activist Oliver Reginald Tambo, an apparent change to the precedent of neutrally-named airports. The name change was formally announced in the Government Gazette of South Africa on 30 June 2006, allowing a 30-day window for the public to register objections. The name change was implemented on 27 October 2006 with the unveiling of new signs at the airport. Critics noted the considerable expense involved in renaming the airport, and the decision to use a politician as the name would be obscure, confusing and in some instances, offensive. Corne Mulder of the Freedom Front Plus has stamped the renaming "nothing less than political opportunism and attempts by the ANC government to dodge the true socio-economic issues of the country". Unnecessary confusion can be caused, for O. R. Tambo is also a district municipality in the Eastern Cape, seated in Mthatha. The town of Mthatha has an international airport known as Mthatha Airport, formerly named the K. D. Matanzima Airport after former Transkei President Kaiser Matanzima.


title: O. R. Tambo International Airport

text: On 26 November 2006, the airport became the first in Africa to host the Airbus A380. The aircraft landed in Johannesburg on its way to Sydney via the South Pole on a test flight.


title: O. R. Tambo International Airport

text: There was no provision for rapid train access until 2010, when the Gautrain project allowed train passengers to reach the airport from the Johannesburg CBD, Sandton and Pretoria.


title: O. R. Tambo International Airport

text: O. R. Tambo International Airport is a hot and high airport. Situated 1,700 metres (5,500 feet) above mean sea level, the air is thin. This is the reason for the long runways.


title: O. R. Tambo International Airport

text: The South African Airways Museum once was located at the airport. This room full of South African Airways memorabilia was started by two fans of the airline as a temporary location until they could set it up in one of Jan Smuts International's buildings in 1987. The museum has since relocated to Rand Airport (FAGM).


title: O. R. Tambo International Airport

text: The airport has two viewing decks. One is located above the Central Terminal Building, and the other in an administrative section of the airport above the international check-in counters. There are regular displays of Oliver Reginald Tambo, the airport's namesake in the viewing decks.


title: O. R. Tambo International Airport

text: O. R. Tambo International Airport has two runways (one pair of parallel runways) adjacent to the airport's terminal buildings. There used to be a third runway, 09/27, but was closed due to the danger it posed. It is now taxiway Juliet. Another decommissioned runway includes runway 14/32, crossing runway 03L/21R and 03R/21L, which has since converted into taxiway Echo.


title: O. R. Tambo International Airport

text: The runways are equipped with approach lighting systems. Sequenced flashers are not used at any South African runways and therefore not installed. Touchdown zone (TDZ) lighting is available, but never turned on. Runway Threshold, Edge and Centerline lights are the only lighting available. During busy periods, outbound flights use the western runway (03L/21R) for take-off, while inbound flights use the eastern runway (03R/21L) for landing. Wind factors may cause numerous variations, but on most days flights will take off to the north and land from the south.


title: O. R. Tambo International Airport

text: O. R. Tambo International Airport has a network of asphalt taxiways connecting runways, aprons and maintenance facilities. All of these taxiways are 30.5 metres wide, except for taxiway Echo and Juliet which is 60 metres wide, as it was formerly runway 14/32 and 09/27, respectively. The airport also has nine aprons. Cargo aircraft park at aprons Golf and Whiskey. Many airlines have their aircraft wait long hours between arriving and departing flights. Such aircraft and other cargo aircraft are parked at aprons Delta and Foxtrot to free up jetbridges. Aprons Alpha, Charlie and Echo have jetbridges that connect them to their respective gates. The Bravo apron is not connected to the terminal building, and thus aircraft that land there must use an airport bus service.


title: O. R. Tambo International Airport

text: ACSA reported that major new developments took place at the airport, in preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.


title: O. R. Tambo International Airport

text: The development includes expansion of the international terminal, with the new international pier (opened in 2009), which includes gates for the Airbus A380 and increased capacity at the same time.


title: O. R. Tambo International Airport

text: A new Central Terminal building, designed by Osmond Lange Architects and Planners, was completed on 1 April 2009. An additional multi-storey parkade was built in January 2010, at a cost of R470 million opposite the Central Terminal Building, plus Terminal A was also upgraded and the associated roadways realigned to accommodate more International Departures space.


title: O. R. Tambo International Airport

text: The Central Terminal Building (CTB) (cost: R2 billion) boosted passenger capacity at the landside of the terminal in 3 levels, and allows direct access from international and domestic terminals. Additional luggage carousels were added on 12 March 2010 to accommodate the Airbus A380. Arrivals are accommodated on Level 1, with departures expanded on Level 3; Level 2 accommodates further retail and commercial activities. The Gautrain Rapid Rail Link station is above the terminal.


title: O. R. Tambo International Airport

text: The new International Pier (cost: R535 million) has increased international arrivals and departures capacity in a two-storey structure with nine additional airside contact stands, four of which are Airbus A380 compatible. Air bridges are already in place and the existing duty-free mall will be extended into this area. Additional lounges and passenger-holding areas will be constructed on the upper level.


title: O. R. Tambo International Airport

text: A second terminal between the two runways has been cancelled. It would have contained its own domestic and international check-in facilities, contact stands, shops and lounges and was projected to cost R8 billion.


title: O. R. Tambo International Airport

text: There are six terminals at the airport, but these can be broken down into three major areas: the international terminals; the domestic terminals; and the transit terminals. The transit terminal housed disused parts of the old domestic terminals. It has been mostly demolished to build a new Central Terminal that will provide an indoor link between domestic and international terminals, as well as a central passenger check-in area and more gates. It was constructed for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Terminals A1 and A2 handle international passengers while the other two terminals handle domestic passengers. Due to the airport's design, departure and arrivals terminals are considered separate terminals. The Central Terminal that is under construction will be named Terminal A3 and it will be used for both international and domestic passengers.


title: O. R. Tambo International Airport

text: The two terminals, Terminal A and Terminal B have been restructured. Several airlines now use Terminal B for all check-ins (top floor, adjacent to the arrivals atrium), for both national and international flights. The airlines that use Terminal B include Air Cote D'Ivoire, RwandAir, South African Airways, Airlink, Lift-Airline, FlySafair, KLM, Air France, Ethiopian Airlines, Qantas and Air Mauritius.


title: O. R. Tambo International Airport

text: Terminals A and B boast over 140 retail stores. The Duty-Free stores are based airside in Terminal A and many of them stock products exclusively available at the airport.


title: O. R. Tambo International Airport

text: The ample parking available at O. R. Tambo International Airport was revamped as part of the upgrades made prior to the 2010 World Cup with the introduction of state-of-the-art technology that allows visitors to identify available parking spaces easily.


title: O. R. Tambo International Airport

text: O. R. Tambo International Airport recorded 21.2 million passengers in 2017–2018, up from 20.7 million passengers the year before. Of those passengers, 9.2 million were international and 11 million domestic, with the remainder being classified as "regional" or "unscheduled". 220,644 aircraft traffic movements were recorded; the majority being domestic services. O. R. Tambo International Airport is the busiest airport in South Africa.


title: O. R. Tambo International Airport

text: South African Airways is headquartered in Airways Park on the grounds of O. R. Tambo International Airport. The building was developed by Stauch Vorster Architects. Airways Park was completed in March 1997 for R70 Million ($17.5 Million). The fourth floor of the West Wing of the Pier Development of O. R. Tambo was also the head office of South African Express until it ceased operating in 2020.<ref>"


title: David Knopfler

text: David Knopfler (born 27 December 1952) is a British singer-songwriter. He was born in Scotland and raised in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England, from the age of two. Together with his older brother Mark Knopfler, John Illsley, and Pick Withers, he founded the rock band Dire Straits in 1977, serving as rhythm guitarist on their first two albums. After quitting the band, Knopfler embarked upon a solo career as a recording artist. Knopfler initially created smaller record labels, publishing companies, and indie labels.


title: David Knopfler

text: Knopfler was born in Glasgow, Scotland, to an English mother, Louisa Mary (née Laidler), a teacher, and a Hungarian Jewish father, Erwin Knopfler, an architect. When Knopfler was four, his family moved to Newcastle upon Tyne, England, where he grew up and later attended Gosforth Grammar School. By the age of 11, Knopfler owned a guitar, a piano and a drum kit, and by 14 he was playing and singing his own compositions in folk clubs. After attending Bristol Polytechnic, Knopfler became a social worker in London.


title: David Knopfler

text: Knopfler introduced his older brother, guitarist Mark Knopfler, to his bassist flatmate John Illsley. After gaining the interest of drummer Pick Withers, the four founded the rock band Dire Straits. One of Mark's friends came up with the band's name, which was supposedly a reference to their financial situation at the time the band was beginning to gain notice in the music industry. David however, asserts on his website that "[the] notion that the band were literally in dire straits is largely retrospective myth making and not really factually supportable. We all had day jobs until we got a whacking big advance from Polygram."


title: David Knopfler

text: Knopfler played rhythm guitar beside his brother, who was lead guitarist in the band. He appeared on Dire Straits' first two albums: "Dire Straits" (1978) and "Communiqué" (1979). The stress of composing, arranging songs, recording the then-requisite two albums and tours to support them took its toll on the brothers, and David left the band during the recording of their third album, "Making Movies" (1980), leaving him uncredited on the album.


title: David Knopfler

text: After leaving Dire Straits, Knopfler released his first solo album in 1983, "Release". Mark Knopfler and John Illsley both played on the album. Harry Bogdanovs, a lifelong friend of Knopfler, is credited with having co-written three of the tracks and playing synthesiser. The album was supported by the single "Soul Kissing" on the label of Peach River Records. The single peaked at No. 82 in the UK Albums Chart, after Knopfler retrieved the rights from the bankrupt record label.


title: David Knopfler

text: "Behind the Lines", his second album, was released in 1985 and his third solo album, "Cut the Wire", followed in 1986. In 1988, the U.S. label Cypress Records released his fourth album, "Lips Against the Steel".


title: David Knopfler

text: Knopfler scored the soundtracks for the films "Shergar" (1984) and "Laser Mission" (1989), and the German productions "" (1984), "Jakob hinter der blauen Tür" (1989) and "".


title: David Knopfler

text: "Lifelines" in 1991 released by Phonogram, was recorded in Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios. That album was followed in 1993 by "The Giver", released by MESA/Bluemoon in the U.S., and Ariola in Europe. Its sparse, acoustic arrangements received positive reviews, as did 1995's "Small Mercies", which Knopfler co-produced with Harry Bogdanovs, featuring Chris White on saxophone. In 2001, Knopfler worked with Bogdanovs again to co-produce the album "Wishbones", which has guest appearances by Chris Rea and Eddi Reader. His ninth solo album, "Ship of Dreams", which featured Chris Rea as guest guitarist, was released in 2004.


title: David Knopfler

text: In May 2005, Knopfler published a book of poetry, "Blood Stones and Rhythmic Beasts", which was released by the UK's BlackWing books ().


title: David Knopfler

text: The Canadian jazz label Justin Time Records released "Ship of Dreams" in October 2005 with an alternate rendition of "Tears Fall" featuring Megan Slankard (replacing Julia Neigel on the original European release). Knopfler's tenth solo album "Songs for the Siren" was released in 2006. Recent songwriting projects with other artists have included sessions with Amilia Spicer, Mack Starks, Megan Slankard and Wendy Lands.


title: David Knopfler

text: He played various acoustic and electric gigs in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Canada, Turkey and Australia from 2007 to 2009 with Harry Bogdanovs and his band. A new double CD "Acoustic", which contains unplugged renditions of new and old songs was released in 2011.


title: David Knopfler

text: Knopfler continued to tour in Spain, Germany, the UK, the United States and Canada in 2012 to 2015. The first-ever limited edition live album, "Made in Germany" (recorded in Erfurt, Germany during the 2012 tour with Bogdanovs), was released in April 2013 exclusively via CDBaby.com.


title: David Knopfler

text: The album "Last Train Leaving" was released in 2020. Another album, "Songs of Loss and Love", was released in December 2020.


title: Meze

text: Meze or mezza (, ) is a selection of small dishes served as appetizers in the Levant, Turkey, Greece, the Balkans, the Caucasus and Iran. It is similar to Spanish tapas and Italian antipasti. A mezze may be served as a part of a multi-course meal or form a meal in itself. Mezze are often served with alcoholic beverages such as arak.


title: Meze

text: The word is found in all the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire, and originated from the Turkish word meaning a snack or appetiser. This, in turn, originated from the Persian word "mazzeh" or "mazzah" () 'taste' or 'relish'.


title: Meze

text: In Turkey, meze often consist of "beyaz peynir" (literally "white cheese"), "kavun" (sliced ripe melon), "acılı ezme" (hot pepper paste often with walnuts), "haydari" (thick strained yogurt with herbs), "patlıcan salatası" (cold eggplant salad), "beyin salatası" (brain salad), "kalamar tava" (fried calamari or squid), midye dolma and "midye tava" (stuffed or fried mussels), enginar (artichokes), "cacık" (yogurt with cucumber and garlic), "pilaki" (foods cooked in a special sauce), "dolma" or "sarma" (rice-stuffed vine leaves or other stuffed vegetables, such as bell peppers), "Arnavut ciğeri" (a liver dish, served cold), octopus salad, and "çiğ köfte" (raw meatballs with bulgur).


title: Meze

text: In Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria and the rest of the Balkans, "mezé", "mezés", or "mezédhes" (plural) are small dishes, hot or cold, spicy or savory. Seafood dishes such as grilled octopus may be included, along with salads, sliced hard-boiled eggs, garlic bread, kalamata olives, fava beans, fried vegetables, melitzanosalata (eggplant salad), taramosalata, fried or grilled cheeses called saganaki, and sheep, goat, or cow cheeses.


title: Meze

text: Other meze dishes include cheeses (like halloumi, labneh, tulum or shanklish) or meat dishes (like afelia, lountza, or pastirma), fish (like fried whitebait, calamari).


title: Meze

text: In Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Cyprus, meze is often a meal in its own right. There are vegetarian, meat or fish mezes. Groups of dishes arrive at the table about four or five at a time (usually between five and ten groups). There is a set pattern to the dishes: typically olives, tahini, salad and yogurt will be followed by dishes with vegetables and eggs, then small meat or fish dishes alongside special accompaniments, and finally more substantial dishes such as whole fish or meat stews and grills. Establishments will offer their own specialties, but the pattern remains the same. Naturally the dishes served will reflect the seasons. For example, in late autumn, snails will be prominent. As so much food is offered, it is not expected that every dish be finished, but rather shared at will and served at ease.


title: Meze

text: In the Balkans, meze is very similar to an Italian antipasto in that cured cold-cuts, cheese and salads are dominant and cooked foods are not included. In Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Montenegro it includes hard or creamy cheeses, kajmak (clotted cream) or smetana cream, salami, ham and other forms of "suho/suvo meso" (cured pork or beef), kulen (paprika flavoured, cured sausage), cured bacon, ajvar, and various savory pastries. For Muslims, meze replaces pork products with sudžuk (dry, spicy sausage) and the pastirma-like cured beef suho meso. In southern Croatia, Herzegovina, and Montenegro, cured meat such as pršut and panceta and regional products like olives are common. Albanian-style meze platters typically include prosciutto ham, salami and brined cheese, accompanied with roasted bell peppers ("capsicum") or green olives marinated in olive oil with garlic. In Bulgaria, popular mezes are lukanka (a spicy sausage), soujouk (a dry and spicy sausage) and sirene (a white brine cheese). The Bulgarian-made Shopska salad is also a very popular meze. It is made with tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, peppers and sirene. Ajvar and pindjur are popular mezes in North Macedonia. In Romania, mezelic means a quick appetizer and includes zacuscă, cheeses and salamis, often accompanied by tuică.


title: Meze

text: Depending on the region, meze can be served with alcohol. In the Middle East, most people will opt for Arak or Ouzo. In the Balkans, meze are generally accompanied by the distilled drinks rakı, arak, ouzo, Aragh Sagi, rakia, mastika, or tsipouro. It may also be consumed with beer, wine and other alcoholic drinks. Cyprus brandy (served neat) is a favourite drink to accompany meze in Cyprus, although lager or wine are popular with some.


title: Meze

text: In Bulgaria, meze is served primarily at the consumption of wine, rakia and mastika, but also accompanying other alcoholic drinks that are not local to the region. In addition to traditional local foods, meze can include nuts, sweets or pre-packaged snacks. The term meze is generally applied to any foods and snacks consumed alongside an alcoholic beverage.


title: Meze

text: In Greece, meze is served in restaurants called "mezedopoleíon" and "tsipourádiko" or "ouzerí", a type of café that serves ouzo or tsipouro. A "tavérna" (tavern) or "estiatório" (restaurant) offer a mezé as an "orektikó" (appetiser). Many restaurants offer their house "poikilía" ("variety")—a platter with a smorgasbord of mezédhes that can be served immediately to customers looking for a quick or light meal. Hosts commonly serve mezédhes to their guests at informal or impromptu get-togethers, as they are easy to prepare on short notice. "Krasomezédhes" (literally "wine-meze") is a meze that goes well with wine; "ouzomezédhes" are meze that goes with ouzo.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: The Agreement between the United States of America, the United Mexican States, and Canada (USMCA) is a free trade agreement between Canada, Mexico, and the United States. It replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) implemented in 1994, and is sometimes characterized as "NAFTA 2.0", or "New NAFTA", since it largely maintains or updates the provisions of its predecessor. USMCA created one of the world's largest free trade zones, spanning roughly 500 million people and totaling over $26 trillion in GDP (PPP).


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: USMCA resulted from renegotiations between the NAFTA member states beginning in 2017; characterized as "tumultuous", these centered primarily on "auto exports, steel and aluminum tariffs, and the dairy, egg, and poultry markets". All sides came to a formal agreement on October 1, 2018, and U.S. President Donald Trump proposed USMCA during the G20 Summit the following month, where it was signed by himself, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. A revised version reflecting additional consultations was signed on December 10, 2019 and ratified by all three countries, with Canada being the last to ratify on March 13, 2020. Following notification by all three governments that the provisions were ready for domestic implementation, the agreement came into effect on July 1, 2020.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: USMCA is primarily a modernization of the 25-year-old NAFTA, namely with respect to intellectual property and digital trade, and borrows language from the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), of which Canada and Mexico are signatories. Key changes from its predecessor include increased environmental and working regulations; greater incentives for automobile production in the U.S. (with quotas for Canadian and Mexican automotive production); more access to Canada's dairy market; and an increased duty-free limit for Canadians who buy U.S. goods online.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: The United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement is based substantially on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which came into effect on January 1, 1994. The present agreement was the result of more than a year of negotiations including possible tariffs by the United States against Canada in addition to the possibility of separate bilateral deals instead.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: During the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Donald Trump's campaign included the promise to renegotiate NAFTA, or cancel it if re-negotiations were to fail. Upon election, Trump proceeded to make a number of changes affecting trade relations with other countries. Withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, ceasing to be part of negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and significantly increasing tariffs with China were some of the steps he implemented, reinforcing that he was serious about seeking changes to NAFTA. Much of the debate surrounding the virtues and faults of the USMCA is similar to that surrounding all free trade agreements (FTAs), for instance, the nature of FTA's as public goods, potential infringements of national sovereignty, and the role of business, labor, environmental, and consumer interests in shaping the language of trade deals.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: The agreement is referred to differently by each signatory—in the United States, it is called the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA); in Canada, it is officially known as the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) in English and the ' (ACEUM) in French; and in Mexico, it is called ' (T-MEC). The agreement is sometimes referred to as "New NAFTA" in reference to the previous trilateral agreement it is meant to supersede, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: The formal negotiation process began on May 18, 2017, when the US Trade Representative (USTR), Robert Lighthizer, notified Congress that he intended to renegotiate NAFTA starting in 90 days. In accordance with Trade Promotion Authority statutes, the USTR released its key negotiating objectives document on July 7, 2017. Negotiations began on August 16, 2017, and continued with eight formal rounds of talks until April 8, 2018. Lacking any resolution, Lighthizer stated on May 2, 2018, that if by the end of the month no deal was reached, negotiations would be halted until 2019. This statement was motivated by the pending change of government in Mexico, in which the then-incoming president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, disagreed with much of the negotiated language and might be unwilling to sign the deal.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: Separately, on May 11, 2018, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan set May 17 as a deadline for Congressional action. This deadline was disregarded, and the deal with Mexico was not reached until August 27, 2018. At this time Canada had not agreed to the presented deal. Because Mexico's outgoing president, Enrique Peña Nieto, left office on December 1, 2018, and 60 days are required as a review period, the deadline for providing the agreed text was the end of September 30, 2018, which was reached precisely on September 30. Negotiators worked around the clock and completed the agreement less than an hour before midnight of that date on a draft text. The next day on October 1, 2018, the USMCA text was published as an agreed-to document. Lighthizer credited Jared Kushner with architecting the deal and rescuing it several times from collapse.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: The agreed text of the agreement was signed by leaders of all three countries on November 30, 2018, as a side event to the 2018 G20 summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The English, the Spanish, and French versions will be equally authentic, and the agreement will take effect after ratification from all three states through the passage of enabling legislation.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: U.S. Ambassador to Canada Kelly Craft played a leadership role in trade negotiations between the US and Canada, resulting in the signing of the new trade agreement. Her work in hammering out the tri-lateral agreement raised her stock with the Trump administration. It was later revealed in a memoir published by Stephen Schwarzman, the CEO and founder of American LBO specialist The Blackstone Group, that he had incited Justin Trudeau to concede the protected dairy market in the USMCA negotiations. According to Schwarzman, Trudeau feared that a recession would impact his government's prospects during the 2019 Canadian federal election. The executive, who had been retained by Trump, also was invited in January 2017 to address the Liberal Cabinet at a Calgary retreat when the Cabinet would be unprotected by its Privy Council Office civil servants. Then, as the negotiations reached their end come 1 October 2018, at a last-minute behind-the-scenes meeting at the United Nations in New York City, Trudeau sacrificed the dairy industry to save the media industry and the automotive exemption. Chrystia Freeland, the Foreign Affairs minister from Trinity-Spadina riding in downtown Toronto whose constituents include many staff of the CBC and "The Globe and Mail" and the "Toronto Star" and the "Toronto Sun", maps "Canadian culture" directly onto the media industry. Robert Fife in an election cycle article failed to obtain any comment from other than the Liberal party.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: Fox News reported on December 9, 2019, that negotiators from the three countries reached an agreement on enforcement, paving the way for a final deal within 24 hours and ratification by all three parties before the end of the year. Mexico agreed to the enforcement of a minimum wage of US$16/hour for Mexican automotive workers by a "neutral" third party. Mexico, which imports all of its aluminum, also expressed opposition to provisions regarding American steel and aluminum contents in automobile components.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: Provisions of the agreement cover a wide range, including agricultural produce, homelessness, manufactured products, labor conditions, digital trade, among others. Some of the more prominent aspects of the agreement include giving US dairy farmers greater access to the Canadian market, guidelines to have a higher proportion of automobiles manufactured amongst the three nations rather than imported from elsewhere, and retention of the dispute resolution system similar to that included in NAFTA.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: The dairy provisions give the U.S. tariff-free access to 3.6%, up from 3.25% under the never-ratified Trans-Pacific Partnership, of the $15.2 billion (as of 2016) Canadian dairy market. Canada agreed to eliminate Class 7 pricing provisions on certain dairy products, while Canada's domestic supply management system remains in place. Canada agreed to raise the duty-free limit on purchases from the U.S. to $150 from the previous $20 level, allowing Canadian consumers to have greater duty-free access to the U.S market.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: Automobile rules of origin (ROO) requirements mandate that a certain portion of an automobile's value must come from within the governed region. In NAFTA, the required portion was 62.5 percent. The USMCA increases this requirement by 12.5 percentage points, to 75 percent of the automobile's value. The initial proposal from the Trump administration was an increase to 85 percent, and an added stipulation that 50 percent of the automotive content be made by United States auto manufacturers. While the deal's text did not include the more demanding version of this provision, there is concern that the increased domestic sourcing, aimed at promoting US employment, will come with higher input costs and disruptions to existing supply chains.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: To facilitate greater cross-border trade, the United States has reached an agreement with Mexico and Canada to raise its de minimis shipment value levels. Canada will raise its de minimis level for the first time in decades, from C$20 (US$) to C$40 (US$) for taxes. Canada will also provide for duty-free shipments up to C$150 (US$). Mexico will continue to provide US$50 tax-free de minimis and also provide duty-free shipments up to the equivalent level of US$117. Shipment values up to these levels would enter with minimal formal entry procedures, making it easier for more businesses, especially small- and medium-sized ones, to be a part of cross-border trade. Canada will also allow 90 days after entry for the importer to make payment of taxes.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: USMCA Annex 23-A requires Mexico to pass legislation that improves the collective bargaining capabilities of labor unions. The specific standards Mexico is required to comply with are detailed in the International Labour Organization's Convention 98 on freedom of association and collective bargaining. The administration of Mexico's president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, introduced legislation in late 2018 which pursues compliance with these international standards.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: Other labor-related measures include a minimum wage requirement in the automotive industry. Specifically, 40 to 45 percent of the automobiles manufactured in North America must be made in a factory that pays a minimum of $16 per hour. This measure will be phased in during the first five years after USMCA ratification.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: The USMCA will extend the copyright length in Canada to life plus 70 years, and 75 years for sound recordings. This extension mirrors the same IP policy captured in the text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, paragraph 18.63. Furthermore, biotechnological firms would have at least 10 years exclusivity period for agricultural chemicals (double the current 5), and industrial designs' period would "jump" from current 10 to 15 years. Compared to NAFTA, USMCA would require criminal penalties and civil remedies be available for both satellite and cable theft, reaffirm the Doha Declaration on TRIPS and Public Health, contain the strongest due process and transparency requirements for Geographic Indicator protection systems in any FTA, require criminal procedures and penalties for recording copyrighted movies in movie theaters, and require ex officio authority for customs officials to stop suspected counterfeit goods.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: USMCA provides for a patent term extension where there is an “unreasonable curtailment” of a pharmaceutical's patent term stemming from delays in the regulatory or marketing approval process.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: USMCA accounts for data exclusivity of new pharmaceutical products. New pharmaceutical products are those which do not contain a chemical entity that has been previously approved in that Party. Generic manufacturers are prohibited from relying on the innovator's previously undisclosed safety / efficacy testing for at least five years from the date marketing approval was first granted. Mexico agreed to extend its data protection of new pharmaceutical products. Canada's data protection regime already offered an eight-year exclusivity period for innovative drugs and thus was not required to make changes.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: Initially, the parties contemplated creating an exclusivity period for new products containing biologics for at least ten years from the approval date. Biologics are defined as a product that is “produced using biotechnology processes and that is, or, alternatively, contains, a virus, therapeutic serum, toxin, antitoxin, vaccine, blood, blood component or derivative, allergenic product, protein, or analogous product, for use in human beings for the prevention, treatment, or cure of a disease or condition.” This period would have been longer than the exclusivity periods of both Canada and Mexico, but shorter than that of the United States. This provision was heavily criticized for its potential to limit access to biologic medications and make them unaffordable. Thus, biologics were covered in the definition of “new pharmaceutical products” and are instead eligible for a minimum five-year protection period.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: The USMCA sunset clause would eliminate the need for companies to establish headquarters in any other USMCA country. It will encourage cross-border business by excluding US companies from the need to localize data, open a Canadian or Mexican HQ. For example, McDonald's Canada or Apple Canada could both cease to exist and the surviving entities would be a North American McDonald's or Apple.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: There are three primary dispute settlement mechanisms contained in NAFTA. Chapter 20 is the country-to-country resolution mechanism. It is often regarded as the least contentious of the three mechanisms, and it was sustained in its original NAFTA form in USMCA. Such cases would involve complaints between USMCA member states that a term of the agreement had been violated. Chapter 19 disputes manage the justifications of anti-dumping or countervailing duties. Without Chapter 19, the legal recourse for managing these policies would be through the domestic legal system. Chapter 19 specifies that a USMCA Panel will hear the case and act as an International Trade Court in arbitrating the dispute. The Trump administration attempted to remove Chapter 19 from the new USMCA text, though it has thus far endured in the agreement.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: Chapter 11 is the third mechanism, known as investor-state dispute settlement, wherein multinational corporations are enabled to sue participating governments over allegedly discriminatory policies. Chapter 11 is broadly considered the most controversial of the settlement mechanisms. The Canadian negotiators effectively removed themselves from Chapter 11 in the USMCA version of this measure, Chapter 14. Canada will have a full exemption from ISDS three years after NAFTA has been terminated.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: In addition to building on the existing NAFTA fused with elements from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the USMCA also incorporates elements from the "Beyond the Border" accord signed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and former president Barack Obama, most notably the "single window" initiative and folding the "Regulatory Cooperation Council" into the "Good Regulatory Governance" chapter 28 of the new accord.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: Additionally, there is a stipulation that the agreement itself must be reviewed by the three nations every six years, with a 16-year sunset clause. The agreement can be extended for additional 16-year terms during the six-year reviews. The introduction of the sunset clause places more control in shaping the future of the USMCA in the hands of domestic governments. However, there is concern that this can create greater uncertainty. Sectors such as automotive manufacturing require significant investment in cross-border supply chains. Given the dominance of the United States consumer market, this will likely pressure firms to locate more production in the US, with a greater likelihood of increased production costs for those vehicles.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: A new addition in the USMCA is the inclusion of Chapter 33 which covers Macroeconomic Policies and Exchange Rate Matters. This is considered significant because it could set a precedent for future trade agreements. Chapter 33 establishes requirements for currency and macroeconomic transparency which, if violated, would constitute grounds for a Chapter 20 dispute appeal. The US, Canada, and Mexico are all currently in compliance with these transparency requirements in addition to the substantive policy requirements which align with the International Monetary Fund Articles of Agreement.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: The USMCA will impact how member countries negotiate future free trade deals. Article 32.10 requires USMCA countries to notify USMCA members three months in advance if they intend to begin free trade negotiations with non-market economies. Article 32.10 permits USMCA countries the ability to review any new free trade deals members agree to go forward. Article 32.10 is widely speculated to be targeting China in intent. In fact, a senior White House official said in connection to the USMCA deal that "We have been very concerned about the efforts of China to essentially undermine the US position by entering into arrangements with others."


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: The USMCA countries are to abide IMF standards aimed to prevent the manipulation of exchange rates. The agreement calls for public disclosure of market interventions. The IMF can be summoned to act as a referee if the parties dispute.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: State-owned enterprises, which are favored by China as levers for exercising its dominance, are prevented from receiving unfair subsidies when compared to private enterprise.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: The USMCA was signed on November 30, 2018, by all three parties at the G20 summit in Buenos Aires, as had been planned the preceding months. However, continue disputes over labor rights, steel, and aluminum prevented ratification of this version of the agreement. Consequently, Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lightizer and Mexican Undersecretary for North America Jesus Seade formally signed a revised agreement on December 10, 2019, which was ratified by all three countries by March 13, 2020.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: Domestic procedures for ratification of the agreement are governed by the Trade Promotion Authority legislation, otherwise known as "fast track" authority.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: Growing objections within the member states about U.S. trade policy and various aspects of the USMCA affected the signing and ratification process. Mexico stated they would not sign the USMCA if steel and aluminum tariffs remained. There was speculation after the results of the November 6, 2018 U.S. midterm elections that the Democrats' increased power in the House of Representatives might interfere with the passage of the USMCA agreement. Senior Democrat Bill Pascrell argued for changes to the USMCA to enable it to pass Congress. Republicans opposed USMCA provisions requiring labor rights for LGBTQ and pregnant workers. Forty Congressional Republicans urged Trump against signing a deal that contained "the unprecedented inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity language"; as a result, Trump ultimately signed a revised version that committed each nation only to "policies that it considers appropriate to protect workers against employment discrimination" and clarified that the United States would not be required to introduce any additional nondiscrimination laws. The Canadian government expressed concern about the changes evolving within the USMCA agreement.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: On December 2, 2018, Trump announced he would begin the six-month process to withdraw from NAFTA, adding that Congress needed either to ratify the USMCA or else revert to pre-NAFTA trading rules. Academics had debated whether the president can unilaterally withdraw from the pact without Congressional approval.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: On March 1, 2019, organizations representing the U.S. agricultural sector announced their support for the USMCA and urged Congress to ratify the agreement. They also urged the Trump administration to continue upholding NAFTA until the new trade agreement is ratified. However, on March 4, House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal predicted a "very hard" path through Congress for the deal. Starting March 7, senior White House officials met with House Ways and Means members, as well as moderate caucuses from both parties, such as the Problem Solvers Caucus, the Tuesday Group, and the Blue Dog Coalition in their efforts to gain support for ratification. The Trump administration has also backed down from the threat of withdrawing from NAFTA as the negotiations with Congress continued.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: On May 30, USTR Lighthizer submitted to Congress a draft statement on administrative measures concerning the implementation of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA and the new NAFTA) in accordance with the Presidential Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) Act 2015 (Statement of Administrative Action). The draft will allow USMCA implementation legislation to be submitted to Congress after 30 days, on or after June 29. In a letter sent to Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Kevin McCarthy, the House Minority Leader, Republicans, Lighthizer said that the USMCA is the gold standard in U.S. trade policy, modernizing U.S. competitive digital trade, intellectual property, and services provisions and creating a level playing field for U.S. companies, workers and farmers, an agreement that represents a fundamental rebalancing of trade relations between Mexico and Canada.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: With the draft statement on administrative measures submitted, Speaker Pelosi issued a statement, that U.S. Trade Representative Lighthizer should confirm that the draft wording of the USMCA would benefit U.S. workers and farmers and that although she agreed on the need to revise NAFTA, stricter enforcement of labor and environmental protection standards was needed.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: Former U.S. President Donald Trump warned on 25 September that an impeachment inquiry against him could derail congressional approval of USMCA, dragging down Mexico's peso and stock market as investors fled riskier assets.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: The U.S. House of Representatives was proceeding with work on USMCA, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on 26 September.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: "Bloomberg News" reported on October 29, 2019, that the Trump administration planned to include in the legislation approving the pact a provision that would allow the USTR to directly control how and where cars and parts are made by global automakers.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: On December 19, 2019, the United States House of Representatives passed the USMCA with bipartisan support by a vote of 385 (Democratic 193, Republican 192) to 41 (Democratic 38, Republican 2, Independent 1). On January 16, 2020, the United States Senate passed the trade agreement by a vote of 89 (Democratic 38, Republican 51) to 10 (Democratic 8, Republican 1, Independent 1) and the bill was forwarded to the White House for Donald Trump's signature. On January 29, 2020, Trump signed the agreement into law (Public Law No: 116–113). It officially amended NAFTA but not the 1989 Canada–United States Free Trade Agreement which is only "suspended," so in case parties fail to extend or renew it in 6 years, FTA would become the law.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: On April 24, 2020, Lighthizer gave official notice to Congress that the new trade deal is set to come to force on July 1, 2020, and notified Canada and Mexico to that effect. On June 1, 2020, the USTR released the "Uniform Regulations", which help interpret the different chapters of the USMCA, primarily chapters 4–7, paving the way for the Agreement to take effect domestically; NAFTA was consequently replaced the following month, on July 1, 2020.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: On November 27, 2018, the government of Mexico said it would give to Jared Kushner its highest civilian honor, the Order of the Aztec Eagle, for his work in negotiating the USMCA.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: On June 19, 2019, the Senate of Mexico passed the treaty's ratification bill on first reading in a 114–4 vote, with three abstentions. The treaty was passed on its second and final reading by the Senate on December 12, 2019, by a vote of 107–1.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: On April 3, 2020, Mexico announced it was ready to implement the agreement, joining Canada, though it requested that its automotive industry be given extra time to comply.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: Manufacturing in Mexico accounts for 17% of GDP. However, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the Mexican president believes that this trade deal will be a net positive for the Mexican economy by growing foreign investments, creating jobs, and expanding trade.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: On May 29, 2019, prime minister Justin Trudeau introduced a CUSMA implementation bill in the House of Commons. On June 20, it passed second reading in the House of Commons and was referred to the Standing Committee on International Trade.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: Governor General of Canada Julie Payette declared the dissolution of the 42nd Canadian Parliament on September 11, 2019, and formally issued the writs of election for the 2019 Canadian federal election. All pending legislation is scrapped upon any dissolution of Parliament, meaning that the CUSMA implementation bill needed to be re-introduced in the 43rd Canadian Parliament which began on December 5, 2019.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: On December 10, 2019, a revised CUSMA agreement was reached by the three countries. On January 29, 2020, deputy prime minister and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs Chrystia Freeland introduced CUSMA implementation bill C-4 in the House of Commons and it passed first reading without a recorded vote. On February 6, the bill passed second reading in the House of Commons on a vote of 275 to 28, with the Bloc Québécois voting against and all other parties voting in favor, and it was referred to the Standing Committee on International Trade. On February 27, 2020, the committee voted to send the bill to the full House for third reading, without amendments.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: On March 13, 2020, the House of Commons passed bill C-4 to implement CUSMA before suspending itself for 6 weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the "extraordinary circumstances", the third and final reading of the bill was deemed to be approved without a recorded vote, as part of an omnibus adjournment motion unanimously approved by all members present. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was not present, since he was in self-isolation at home after his wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau tested positive for COVID-19 infection. On the same day, the Senate passed first, second, and third readings of the bill without recorded votes, and Governor General Julie Payette granted it the Royal Assent and it became law, thus completing Canada's ratification of the legislation.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: On April 3, 2020, Canada notified the United States and Mexico that it completed its domestic ratification process of the agreement.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: During his 2016 election campaign and presidency, Trump was highly critical of NAFTA (oftentimes describing it as "perhaps the worst trade deal ever made") while extolling USMCA as "a terrific deal for all of us." The USMCA is very similar to NAFTA, carrying over many of the same provisions and making only modest, mostly cosmetic changes, and is expected to make only a minor economic impact. Former U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Kantor, who oversaw the signing of NAFTA during the Bill Clinton administration, said, "It's really the original NAFTA."


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: Representatives from the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL–CIO) have criticized the labor standards in the USMCA as unenforceable and toothless. Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts said "the new rules will make it harder to bring down drug prices for seniors and anyone else who needs access to life-saving medicine", reflecting on the measure that expands the patent length for biological substances to 10 years, limiting access for new generic drugs to enter the market.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: The Trump administration's Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has proposed the USMCA, citing new digital trade measures, the strengthening of protection for trade secrets, and the automobile rules-of-origin adjustments, as some of the benefits of the trade agreement.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: In 2018 Jim Balsillie, former chair of once-dominant handheld telephone firm Research In Motion, wrote that the "colonial supplicant attitude" of Canadian politicians was a wrong-headed approach to the data and IP provisions of the USMCA.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: A report published in summer 2018 was that the National Research Council of Canada feared that domestic firms run the risk of becoming "data cows" of foreign big data under the provisions of the USMCA.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: USMCA is projected to have a very small effect on the economy. An International Monetary Fund (IMF) working paper issued in late March 2019 found that the agreement would have "negligible" effects on the broad economy. The IMF study projected that the USMCA "would adversely affect trade in the automotive, textiles and apparel sectors, while generating modest aggregate gains in terms of welfare, mostly driven by improved goods market access, with a negligible effect on real GDP." The IMF study noted that the USMCA's economic benefits would be greatly enhanced if there were an end to the Trump trade war (i.e., if the U.S. eliminated tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada and Mexico, and Canada and Mexico dropped retaliatory tariffs on imports from the U.S.)


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: An April 2019 International Trade Commission analysis on the likely impact of the USMCA estimated that the agreement, when fully implemented (six years following ratification) would increase U.S. real GDP by 0.35% and would increase U.S. total employment by 0.12% (176,000 jobs). The analysis cited by another study from the Congressional Research Service found the agreement would not have a measurable effect on jobs, wages, or overall economic growth. In the summer of 2019, Trump's top economic advisor Larry Kudlow (the director of the National Economic Council in the Trump White House) made unsupported claims regarding the likely economic impact of the agreement, overstating projections related to jobs and GDP growth.


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: In December 2019, Thea M. Lee and Robert E. Scott of the Economic Policy Institute criticized USMCA as "weak tea, at best" because it would have "virtually no measurable impacts on wages or incomes for U.S. workers," noting that "The benefits are tiny, and it's highly uncertain whether the deal will be a net winner or loser, in the end."


title: United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement

text: In June 2020, the Nikkei Asian Review reported that Japanese auto companies are opting to "triple Mexican pay rather than move to US" in order to avoid tariffs on automotive parts.


title: Jessica Mauboy

text: Jessica Hilda Mauboy (born 4 August 1989) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. Born and raised in Darwin, Northern Territory, she rose to fame in 2006 on the fourth season of "Australian Idol", where she was runner-up and subsequently signed a recording contract with Sony Music Australia. After releasing a live album of her "Idol" performances and briefly being a member of the girl group Young Divas in 2007, Mauboy released her debut studio album, "Been Waiting", the following year. It included her first number-one single, "Burn", and became the second highest-selling Australian album of 2009, certified double platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).


title: Jessica Mauboy

text: Her second studio album, "Get 'Em Girls" (2010), showcased a harder-edged R&B sound, and produced four platinum singles. Her third studio album, "Beautiful" (2013), a mixture of dance-oriented tracks, R&B and pop, included the top-ten hits "Pop a Bottle (Fill Me Up)", "Never Be the Same" and "Can I Get a Moment?".


title: Jessica Mauboy

text: Aside from her music career, Mauboy has ventured into acting, with starring roles in the films "Bran Nue Dae" (2010), and "The Sapphires" (2012), which earned her the AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. She returned to acting in 2016 in the lead role in the television drama series "The Secret Daughter" for two seasons. It was her first major TV role and was written especially for her. She released two soundtrack albums from the show, the first of which made her the first Indigenous artist with a number-one album on the ARIA Albums Chart. Her fourth studio album, "Hilda" (October 2019), debuted at number one.


title: Jessica Mauboy

text: Mauboy is one of Australia's most successful female artists. She has achieved six top-ten albums (including two number-ones) and 16 top-twenty singles (including 9 top-ten hits). She has won two ARIA Music Awards from 25 nominations, and was ranked sixteenth on the "Herald Sun"s list of the "100 Greatest Australian Singers of All Time". She has collaborated with international artists such as Flo Rida, Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, Jay Sean, and Pitbull. She has also toured with Beyoncé and Chris Brown, and performed at many notable events, including the Australian visits for Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, and US President Barack Obama. She was a guest performer at the second semifinal of the Eurovision Song Contest in 2014. She competed for Australia at the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest and reached 20th place. Since 2021, she has been a coach on "The Voice Australia".


title: Jessica Mauboy

text: Mauboy was born in 1989 and raised in Darwin, Northern Territory. Her father, Ferdy, is an Indonesian-born electrician from West Timor. Her mother, Therese, is an Indigenous Australian from the Kuku Yalanji people of the rainforest regions of Far North Queensland. Mauboy has three older sisters, Sandra, Jenny and Catherine; and a younger sister, Sophia. From an early age, she was involved in the local church choir with her grandmother Harriett. Her home was described as the "noisiest house on the block", with her mother often singing, her father playing guitar and the rest of the family displaying their passion for music. She attended Wulagi Primary School and Sanderson High School in Darwin. She dropped out of school in year 11.


title: Jessica Mauboy

text: At age fourteen, Mauboy's talents were exposed through the Telstra Road to Tamworth competition at the 2004 Tamworth Country Music Festival in Tamworth, New South Wales. As the first winner of the competition, she travelled to Sydney to perform and scored a recording deal with Sony Music Australia. She released a country-inspired rendition of the Cyndi Lauper hit "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun". A video of the song was produced and released, but the song was unsuccessful and Mauboy returned to Darwin.


title: Jessica Mauboy

text: In 2006, Mauboy auditioned for the fourth season of "Australian Idol" in Alice Springs, Northern Territory, singing Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing". Her audition impressed all three judges, and she progressed to the semifinals, then to the top twelve. The media cited her previous Sony contract as grounds for dismissal, but since it had expired, the producers refused to remove her from the show. In the final eleven week, following her rendition of Kelly Clarkson's "Walk Away", judge Kyle Sandilands commented on Mauboy's weight, and said that if she wanted to succeed in the music industry, she should "lose the jelly belly". Mauboy appeared stunned by the comment. In an interview with "Who" magazine's Alicia Neil, two years after the comment, Mauboy said, "I kind of took it as a joke... I look back on it as a positive thing–it made me a stronger person."


title: Jessica Mauboy

text: In the final ten-week, Mauboy received the first touchdown of the season from judge Mark Holden for her rendition of Christina Aguilera's hit "Beautiful". During the final nine-week, she had a sore throat that resulted in a mediocre rendition of Phil Collins' "Another Day in Paradise" and near-elimination, landing her in the bottom three. She never landed in the bottom three again, and ended up progressing to the final show with Damien Leith. At the grand finale on 27 November at the Sydney Opera House, Mauboy was voted runner-up to Leith. In December 2006, she signed a recording contract with Sony Music Australia, two weeks after "Idol" ended.


title: Jessica Mauboy

text: Mauboy released her debut live album "The Journey" on 24 February 2007, which contained two discs. Disc one contained re-recorded covers of the selected songs Mauboy performed as part of the top twelve on "Australian Idol", while disc two included a DVD of her performances on the series. "The Journey" debuted at number four on the ARIA Albums Chart and was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association for shipments of 35,000 units. In September 2007, Mauboy joined as the new member of the girl group Young Divas, replacing one of the group's original members, Ricki-Lee Coulter, who had left in June to resume her solo career. Their second studio album "New Attitude" was released on 24 November 2007, and debuted at number 10 and was certified gold. The album was preceded by the lead single "Turn Me Loose", which peaked at number 15 on the ARIA Singles Chart. In March 2008, Mauboy signed on to the Australian Government In2Oz program, designed to promote closer ties with Indonesia. As a part of the program, she travelled to Indonesia for a three-day trip performing around the country, including an appearance on "Indonesian Idol". It was during this time that Mauboy had begun to work on her first solo studio album. In August 2008, Mauboy announced that after a year with the Young Divas, she had decided to quit in order to concentrate on her solo career. Founding member Paulini had also decided to depart, leaving Kate DeAraugo and Emily Williams as the only remaining members. However, both DeAraugo and Williams resumed their solo careers, and the group officially disbanded.


title: Jessica Mauboy

text: Mauboy's debut studio album "Been Waiting" was released on 22 November 2008; it peaked at number 11 and was certified double platinum for shipments of 140,000 units. Mauboy co-wrote eleven of the album's songs, which were produced by Audius Mtawarira, Israel Cruz, Jonas Jeberg, Cutfather, Adam Reily, Fingaz and Kwamé. The album received positive reviews from critics. Davey Boy of Sputnikmusic gave the album three out of five stars and wrote that it was an "impressive debut which suggests that there could indeed be quality music to look forward to in the future, as she matures and gains experience". The lead single "Running Back", featuring American rapper Flo Rida, peaked at number three and was certified double platinum. The second single, "Burn", became Mauboy's first number-one single, and was certified platinum. It also reached number 92 on the Japan Hot 100 and became Mauboy's first single to chart internationally. The album's third single and title track peaked at number 12 and was certified gold. The following singles, "Because" and "Up/Down", peaked at numbers nine and 11, respectively, and both were certified gold.


title: Jessica Mauboy

text: In February 2009, Mauboy signed with UK record label Ministry of Sound. "Been Waiting" was released in Japan on 22 April 2009, and reached number 138 on the Japanese Albums Chart. At the 2009 Deadly Awards, Mauboy won three awards in the categories of Female Artist of the Year, Album of the Year for "Been Waiting", and Single Release of the Year for "Burn". Along with Flo Rida, Mauboy served as a support act for Beyoncé on the Australian leg of her I Am... World Tour in September 2009. At the 2009 ARIA Music Awards, Mauboy earned seven nominations for "Been Waiting" and its singles; she was nominated for Highest Selling Album, Best Pop Release, Breakthrough Artist Album, Best Female Artist, Breakthrough Artist Single for "Running Back", and Highest Selling Single for "Running Back" and "Burn". Eventually, Mauboy won Highest Selling Single for "Running Back".


title: Jessica Mauboy

text: In January 2010, Mauboy signed to Universal Music for an exclusive worldwide long-term publishing agreement. In May 2010, Mauboy collaborated with four other international artists representing their continents—Sean Kingston representing America, Jody Williams representing Africa, Tabitha Nauser (Asia), Steve Appleton (Europe), with Mauboy representing Oceania—on the theme song for the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics titled "Everyone". Mauboy, Williams, Nauser and Appleton performed "Everyone" at the opening of the Youth Olympics held in Singapore on 14 August 2010. Kingston was unable to attend the performance, due to a passport mix-up. Mauboy released her second studio album "Get 'Em Girls" on 5 November 2010; it debuted at number six and was certified gold. She had travelled to the United States in February of that year to work on the album in Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta with American songwriters and producers, most of whom she had not worked with previously. Mauboy co-wrote eight of the album's songs. "Get 'Em Girls" received mixed reviews from critics. Majhid Heath of ABC Online Indigenous gave the album two-and-a-half out of five stars, writing that it's a "non-cohesive mess of similar sounding, auto-tuned ravaged pop/R&B that diminishes the talent of this brilliant young songstress".


title: Jessica Mauboy

text: The album's title track, featuring American rapper Snoop Dogg, peaked at number 19. Mauboy performed "Get 'Em Girls" at the 2010 Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Awards, where she co-hosted the award ceremony with Liam Hemsworth and Jerry Trainor, and won the award for Fave Aussie Muso. The following singles, "Saturday Night" featuring American rapper Ludacris and "What Happened to Us" featuring English singer Jay Sean, peaked at numbers seven and 14, respectively. The former single was certified double platinum while the latter was only certified platinum. At the 2010 Australian of the Year Awards, Mauboy received her first nomination for Young Australian of the Year. On 10 December 2010, she performed in front of an audience of 92,000 at the Federation Square in Melbourne, ahead of Oprah Winfrey's visit to the place. Mauboy's performance was shown in the first of the four Australian specials of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" on 18 January 2011. In April 2011, she served as a support act for Chris Brown's Australian leg of his F.A.M.E. Tour.


title: Jessica Mauboy

text: "Get 'Em Girls" was re-released as a deluxe edition on 12 August 2011, which included the singles "Inescapable" and "Galaxy" featuring Stan Walker. The former single peaked at number four and was certified double platinum, while the latter peaked at number 13 and was certified platinum. "Galaxy" also reached number 36 on the New Zealand Singles Chart and became Mauboy's first single to chart in that country. On 17 November 2011, Mauboy performed for the Australian troops at RAAF Base Darwin, ahead of US President Barack Obama's visit to the place. In January 2012, Mauboy and Walker embarked on their Galaxy Tour across Australia, which served as her first headlining tour. Mauboy recorded 15 songs for "The Sapphires"' soundtrack album, which was released on 27 July 2012. The album debuted at number one and was certified platinum. Mauboy released "Gotcha" as the album's lead single, which peaked at number 43 and was certified gold. At the 2012 ARIA Music Awards, she was nominated for Best Female Artist, Best Pop Release for "Gotcha", and Song of the Year for "Galaxy".


title: Jessica Mauboy

text: Mauboy received two nominations at the 2013 Australian of the Year Awards for Young Australian of the Year and Northern Territory Young Australian of the Year; she won the latter award. In March 2013, she participated in a singing quiz segment for Ellen DeGeneres' two Australian shows in Sydney and Melbourne. In September 2013, she performed at the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards Governors Ball in Los Angeles. Mauboy's third studio album "Beautiful" was released on 4 October 2013; it debuted at number three and was certified platinum. The lead single "To the End of the Earth" peaked at number 21 and was certified gold, while the second single "Pop a Bottle (Fill Me Up)" debuted at number two and was certified platinum. "Pop a Bottle (Fill Me Up)" also reached number 33 in New Zealand and became Mauboy's third single to chart internationally. The following singles, "Beautiful" and "Never Be the Same", peaked at numbers 46 and six, respectively, with the latter single being certified platinum.


title: Jessica Mauboy

text: At the 2013 NRL Grand Final on 6 October 2013, Mauboy performed the Australian national anthem, "Livin' la Vida Loca", with Ricky Martin, and a medley of "Something's Got a Hold on Me" and "Pop a Bottle (Fill Me Up)". At the 2013 ARIA Music Awards, Mauboy won Best Female Artist for "To the End of the Earth". She embarked on the To the End of the Earth Tour, her second headlining tour, from November 2013 to January 2014. To coincide with the 2014 Australia Day celebrations, Mauboy along with Dami Im, Justice Crew, Nathaniel Willemse, Samantha Jade and Taylor Henderson released a cover of "I Am Australian" which peaked at number 51. She appeared in an episode of "Sesame Street" on 20 March 2014, singing "Count the Kangaroos" in a clip which was filmed in Alice Springs with children from Yipirinya State Primary School. Mauboy was chosen by SBS to perform at the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest, in recognition of Australia's love affair with the annual event. She performed the single "Sea of Flags" during the second semi-final in Denmark. SBS screened the documentary, "Jessica Mauboy's Road to Eurovision" on 10 May 2014 before their coverage of the second semi-final.


title: Jessica Mauboy

text: Mauboy's first extended play "iTunes Session" was released on 18 July 2014, and debuted at number 25. On 3 August 2014, she performed during the 2014 Commonwealth Games Flag Handover Ceremony at Hampden Park Stadium in Glasgow, Scotland, to mark the official handover of the Commonwealth Games from Glasgow to the Gold Coast in 2018. "Beautiful" was re-released as a platinum edition on 21 November 2014, which included the singles "Can I Get a Moment?" and "The Day Before I Met You". The former single debuted at number five and was certified platinum. Mauboy received three nominations at the 2014 ARIA Music Awards, including Album of the Year and Best Female Artist for "Beautiful", and Best Video for "Never Be the Same".


title: Jessica Mauboy

text: Mauboy performed at the ICC Cricket World Cup opening ceremony held on 12 February 2015 at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne. On 3 May 2015, she appeared on the US "Today" show in a segment that was filmed live at the Sydney Opera House with host Savannah Guthrie. In an interview with the Australian Associated Press that same month, Mauboy revealed that she had already begun writing songs for her upcoming fourth studio album. She said, "This time around with the album I would like to...just take risks in terms of the sound and identifying who I am as a woman. It's more of a rhythmic pop so it's not going to be extreme pop. It's going to be a little bit more soul." "This Ain't Love", released in September 2015, was originally intended to be the album's lead single; it peaked at number five and was certified gold. Mauboy along with The Veronicas and Tina Arena performed Arena's 1994 single "Chains" at the 2015 ARIA Music Awards, where Arena was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame. Their version was released as a single following the performance, and peaked at number 14.


title: Jessica Mauboy

text: In March 2016, Mauboy released the single "Where I'll Stay", which was used to promote the Seven Network's coverage of the 2016 Rio Olympics. Plans for Mauboy's upcoming fourth studio album were put on hold when she released her first individual soundtrack album, "", on 14 October 2016. The album featured music used in the television series of the same name, in which Mauboy plays the lead role of Billie Carter. The album included five original songs and twelve cover versions of songs by Cold Chisel, Crowded House, The Clash, Roxette, Ed Sheeran and Alex Lloyd, among others. One of the original tracks, "Risk It", was released as the lead single from the soundtrack album. "The Secret Daughter: Songs from the Original TV Series" became Mauboy's first individual number-one album and also made her the first Indigenous artist to reach number one on the ARIA Albums Chart. Mauboy embarked on her third headlining tour, All the Hits Live – The Australian Tour, in March and April 2017, where she performed songs from the last 10 years of her career.


title: Jessica Mauboy

text: Mauboy's second individual soundtrack album, "", was released on 6 October 2017. The album included two original songs and sixteen covers of songs by The Church, Crowded House, Thirsty Merc, Paul Kelly, Lighthouse Family and Aretha Franklin, among others. Original track "Fallin'" was released as the album's lead single; it peaked at number 11, became Mauboy's sixteenth top-twenty hit, and was certified platinum. "The Secret Daughter Season Two: Songs from the Original 7 Series" debuted at number two and became Mauboy's fifth top-ten album. She received six nominations at the 2017 ARIA Music Awards, including Best Female Artist and Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album for "The Secret Daughter", Best Australian Live Act, and Song of the Year, Best Pop Release and Best Video for "Fallin'".


title: Jessica Mauboy

text: On 11 December 2017, Mauboy was announced as the Australian representative for the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest in Portugal; becoming the fourth artist to compete for Australia. In May 2018, Mauboy performed the song "We Got Love" which finished in 20th position in the final.


title: Jessica Mauboy

text: On 11 April 2019, Mauboy released her new single "Sunday" from her upcoming fourth studio album, "Hilda" (October 2019). A video for the song was released on 30 April 2019, directed by Nick Waterman and produced by Jo Austin. The album's second single "Little Things" was released on 21 June along with the pre-order for the album. "Hilda" debuted at number one on the ARIA Albums Chart. In October 2019 "Little Things" was certified as an ARIA platinum single. The same month,


title: Jessica Mauboy

text: In December 2020, Mauboy left Sony after fourteen years and signed a new record deal with Warner Music Australia, with new music to be released in 2021.


title: Jessica Mauboy

text: On 12 November 2021, Mauboy released "Glow", the first release on Warner Music Australia. On 27 April 2022, she announced the release of her upcoming single "Automatic", stating "It's happening! My brand new single AUTOMATIC is out May 8th!". The music video for the track was also released on May 8, 2022, on her YouTube channel.


title: Jessica Mauboy

text: In late 2008, Mauboy moved from Darwin to Sydney, ahead of the release of her debut studio album "Been Waiting". In January 2009, she began a long-distance relationship with Themeli "Magoo" Magripilis, a soccer player and council worker of Greek descent, who was born and raised in Darwin. Magripilis played for the Darwin soccer league's club Hellenic Athletic, the same club that Mauboy's younger sister Sophia played for. After seven years of long distance dating, Magripilis relocated from Darwin to Sydney in September 2016 and moved in with Mauboy. The couple wed in Darwin on 9 July 2022. When she is not working, Mauboy returns to Darwin to spend time with her family. She is an avid fan of NRL side North Queensland Cowboys.


title: Jessica Mauboy

text: Mauboy's music is generally R&B and pop, but she also incorporates dance, funk, soul and hip hop into some of her songs. Mauboy's debut studio album "Been Waiting" (2008) was described as "a blend of electro beats, heartfelt pop tunes and R&B bass lines." Most of the themes on the album dealt with boys, love and break-ups, everyday life, family issues, and friendship. Alasdair Duncan from "Rave" magazine described Mauboy's second studio album "Get 'Em Girls" (2010) as "a more hard-edged take on R&B and pop than her debut, pumped full of hip hop beats, jagged synths and futuristic vocal effects." Mauboy said that she wanted each song on the album to talk about a "woman's needs", and that the album's theme was "very much about the empowerment of women and the domination of women." Kylie Northover of "The Sydney Morning Herald" noted that Mauboy's third studio album "Beautiful" (2013) featured "a mix of more dance-oriented tunes and her usual R&B sound".


title: Jessica Mauboy

text: Mauboy has also incorporated her Aboriginal heritage into her music, including songs on the soundtrack album for "The Sapphires" and in the single "Sea of Flags". Aside from her vocals work, Mauboy can also play the piano and has co-written some of her material. She co-wrote eleven songs on her first studio album, nine on her second studio album, and fourteen on her third studio album. In 2010, Mauboy was nominated for Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year at the APRA Awards. Mauboy stated in an interview that while working with American producer Harvey Mason, Jr., they came up with the melodies and hooks for the songs "Fight for You" and "Here for Me" on the album "Get 'Em Girls". She also experimented with an operatic-type voice on her song "Scariest Part".


title: Jessica Mauboy

text: Mauboy grew up listening to country singers Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton and Slim Dusty; she credits country music as her first love of music, saying the genre "is who I really, really am deeply." Mauboy also grew up listening to hip-hop rappers Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. Mauboy cites Mariah Carey as her main influence and inspiration, stating that she has "drawn a lot of inspiration from watching and listening to her live performances". She grew up listening to many of Carey's songs and was inspired by her vocal style and songwriting, "I loved 'Dreamlover' and 'Fantasy' – and picked up loads of tips from her style of singing. She taught me that the lyrics you write have to come from personal experiences – I really felt her music. Now I aspire to writing honest lyrics with real feelings that people can relate to." Mauboy also names Whitney Houston as another influence, stating that she looks up to her and Carey "for their outstanding vocal performances". Her other musical influences are John Farnham and Beyoncé. Mauboy is also inspired by fellow Indigenous Australian women such as Olympic gold medalist Cathy Freeman and actress Deborah Mailman.


title: Jessica Mauboy

text: Mauboy is known for her good girl image and is considered a role model to young girls and Indigenous communities in Australia. Ed Gibbs of "The Sydney Morning Herald" described her as a "wholesome girl-next-door", while Holly Richards of "New Idea" noted that she "is renowned for her squeaky-clean image and family values." Genevieve Rosen of The Vine wrote that Mauboy's "flawless public image is no farce. Humble, genuinely engaging and passionate about public service, Mauboy, put simply, is really nice." Anna Byrne of the "Herald Sun" observed, "It's clear this endearing unpretentiousness is not a fame facade. In every respect, the pint-sized pop star embodies one of the most elusive qualities of stardom: relatability. It's this genuineness that has seen her star ascend to where she actually is." Fashion has influenced Mauboy's music career and image. Byrne noted that her "fashion choices have mirrored her rise in fame, with her style evolving from shy schoolgirl to confident diva, set to steal the sartorial spotlight." Mauboy cites Jennifer Lopez as her style icon. She has worn dresses designed by Dolce & Gabbana, J'Aton, Steven Khalil and Toni Matičevski, and has appeared on the covers of fashion magazines in Australia, including "Elle", "InStyle", and "Marie Claire". She has also appeared on the cover of "Who" magazine's Sexiest People issue twice; first in 2012 and again in 2016.


title: Jessica Mauboy

text: Mauboy's weight has been the subject of media interest, ever since her rise to fame on "Australian Idol" when judge Kyle Sandilands publicly told her to "lose the jelly belly". Mauboy told "Women's Health" magazine that she was proud of her curvy figure, saying "having curves is one of my favourite things". In 2014, she received media attention for her weight loss transformation from a size 12 to 8. Mauboy has an alter ego named J Malley, who she described as her "fearless side" and "sort of like Beyoncé's Sasha Fierce". Mauboy is often referred to as Australia's answer to Beyoncé. However, she does not agree with the comparisons, saying "I totally disagree with that one. I've...watched her documentary ["Life Is But a Dream"] and was just blown away by how magnificent she really is and it's so inspiring for me. I just think she's fantastic and I'm completely nowhere near where she is, but I aspire to that."


title: Jessica Mauboy

text: With the release of Mauboy's second studio album "Get 'Em Girls", some critics felt that she was becoming an "R&B sexpot". Both the album and its title track also received negative reviews from critics. The music video for the title track was heavily criticised by fans who felt that Mauboy had become too sexy and moved away from her good girl image. Speaking of Mauboy's image for R&B music, Fairfax Media journalist Bernard Zuel said: "It's a problem, matching the personality to a formula. The formula with young women singing modern R&B is that they have to be out there sexually, thrusting physically and vocally. But that's just not who she is." Following the release of her single "Gotcha" in 2012, Miranda Cashin of "Sunshine Coast Daily" noted that it was "a return to the Mauboy [we knew] before the infamous 2010 sexed-up fist-pumping album, "Get 'Em Girls"".


title: Jessica Mauboy

text: In January 2010, Mauboy made her acting debut in the film adaptation of the 1990 Aboriginal musical "Bran Nue Dae". The film was directed by Rachel Perkins and also starred Ernie Dingo, Geoffrey Rush, Missy Higgins, and Deborah Mailman. In the film, Mauboy played the role of Rosie, a local church singer who has a love interest for a school boy named Willie (played by Rocky McKenzie). Her performance in the film earned her a nomination for Female Actress of the Year at the 2010 Deadly Awards. In November 2010, Mauboy made a guest appearance in the final episode of the mini-series "", and played the role of a nightclub singer named Gloria Starr.


title: Jessica Mauboy

text: In 2012, Mauboy had a lead role in "The Sapphires", a film based on the stage show of the same name. It was directed by Wayne Blair and also starred Deborah Mailman, Shari Sebbens, and Miranda Tapsell. Mauboy played the role of Julie McCrae, one of the four Indigenous Australian women who travel to Vietnam to sing for the American troops. Mauboy and the cast attended the film's premiere at the 65th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on 20 May 2012. Upon its release in the US, Mauboy appeared on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" on 18 April 2013. Her performance in "The Sapphires" earned her the AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and the Australian Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress. In September 2013, Mauboy made a guest appearance as herself in the third and final season of the teen drama "Dance Academy". In 2016, Mauboy was cast in the lead role of the television drama series "The Secret Daughter", which premiered on the Seven Network on 3 October. It was Mauboy's first major TV role and was written especially for her. She portrayed the role of Billie Carter, a part-time country pub singer whose life changes after coming in contact with a rich hotelier. The role earned Mauboy her first Logie Award nomination for Best Actress, and the show was renewed for a second and final season in 2017. Mauboy guest starred in the 2016 season finale of "Home and Away" as herself, where she performed at the Summer Bay Groove Festival.


title: Jessica Mauboy

text: In 2007, Mauboy appeared in advertisements for the shampoo product, Head & Shoulders. In April 2009, she teamed up with Bloom Cosmetics to create two designer collection nail polishes, which included shades of sangria red and metallic green. Mauboy became the new face of the video game "Nintendogs + Cats 3DS" in October 2010, and joined forces with RSPCA and Nintendo to help promote the game. She teamed up with clothing label KuKu in December 2010 to launch her five-dress fashion range, which were made available to buy at Myer stores across Australia. In February 2013, Mauboy was announced as the ambassador for the National Rugby League (NRL) and featured in their television advertising campaign singing her cover version of Etta James' "Something's Got a Hold on Me", the theme song for the 2013 NRL season. The following month, Mauboy became the ambassador of the 2013 Woolworths Earn & Learn program, which enables primary and secondary schools in Australia as well as early learning centres to earn educational resources through the school community shopping at Woolworths. She appeared in two television commercials for the program, featuring students from Wulagi Primary School in Darwin. In 2014, Mauboy became the ambassador for the health and wellness company Swisse and appeared in a television commercial for Telstra's commitment to its customers campaign. In May 2015, she became the new face for Target Australia's Womenswear and represented the brand for a year. Mauboy's first fragrance, Be Beautiful, was released on 30 October 2015. The fragrance was developed by Mauboy in partnership with BrandPoint and was inspired by her hometown of Darwin. In February 2017, Mauboy became the ambassador for Foxtel's new Fox League channel dedicated to screening rugby league, and appeared in a television commercial to help launch the channel.


title: Jessica Mauboy

text: Throughout her career, Mauboy has supported various charities in Australia. She is an ambassador for the Sony Foundation, which raises funds for youth-related causes. As an ambassador for the Foundation, Mauboy has made several hospital visits and performed at many of their annual fundraising events such as Wharf4Ward, which raises funds to build specialised youth cancer centres across Australia. In April 2009, sales from the nail polish bottles Mauboy created with Bloom Cosmetics were donated to Children's Hospital Foundations Australia to support the research into childhood illness. Mauboy has performed at several other fundraising events including charity balls, charity dinners, Christmas carols events, and telethons. For many years, Mauboy has performed at the annual Channel Seven Perth Telethon. In December 2011, she performed free acoustic concerts across Australia as part of the Indian Pacific Outback Christmas train journey, an annual fund-raiser for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. On 14 December 2012, she performed a free pop up show at Federation Square in Melbourne, as part of the Optus Carols for a Cause event, which raised funds for Kids Helpline and The Smith Family. Mauboy headlined the Come Together charity concert in Ulverstone, Tasmania on 19 May 2013, in aid of two boys who were burnt in an explosion. All proceeds from the concert went into a trust fund for the boys' ongoing treatment.


title: Jessica Mauboy

text: Mauboy has also contributed to Indigenous organisations aimed at improving children's education. In 2009, she became a spokesperson for the Indigenous Literacy Project (ILP), which aims to provide "books and learning materials to schools, libraries and women's centres in remote areas." As spokesperson for the charity, Mauboy visited schools across Australia and talked to students about the importance of education. In 2011, she worked with the Yalari organisation "that offers children from regional, rural and remote communities and towns across Australia the opportunity to get a first-class secondary education." In 2013, Mauboy was appointed as the ambassador of the independent Aboriginal Yipirinya School in Alice Springs. Along with making several visits to the school, Mauboy has helped promote the school and assist with its fundraisings. In August 2015, she became an ambassador for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, which raises support and awareness of literacy in remote indigenous communities. Her songs have been included on charity compilation albums such as "Bushfire Aid: Artists for the Bushfire Appeal" (2009), "Spirit of Christmas" (2009), and "Flood Relief – Artists for the Flood Appeal" (2011). Mauboy along with Guy Sebastian, Sheppard, Jon Stevens, Shannon Noll and Megan Washington were featured on Lee Kernaghan's 2015 charity single "Spirit of the Anzacs", which raised funds for Legacy and Soldier On.


title: Jessica Mauboy

text: In December 2020, Mauboy was announced to have joined the judging panel of "The Voice Australia" for its tenth season to replace Boy George.


title: Gamora

text: Gamora is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/artist Jim Starlin, the character first appeared in "Strange Tales" #180 (June 1975). Gamora is the adopted daughter of Thanos, and the last of her species. Her powers include superhuman strength and agility and an accelerated healing factor. She also is an elite combatant, being able to beat most of the opponents in the galaxy. She is a member of the superhero group known as the Infinity Watch. The character played a role in the 2007 crossover storyline "", becoming a member of the titular team in its spin-off comic, "Guardians of the Galaxy", before becoming the supervillain Requiem in the 2018 crossover storylines "Infinity Countdown" and "Infinity Wars".


title: Gamora

text: Gamora has been featured in a variety of associated Marvel merchandise. Zoe Saldaña plays the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films "Guardians of the Galaxy" (2014), "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" (2017), and "" (2018), additionally portraying a version of the character from an alternate timeline in "" (2019) and the upcoming film "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" (2023). Ariana Greenblatt portrayed a young Gamora in "Avengers: Infinity War".


title: Gamora

text: The character debuted in "Strange Tales" #180 (1975), and was created by Jim Starlin. She returned in issue #181, "Warlock" #9, 10, 11 and 15 (1975-1976), and in the 1977 annuals for "The Avengers" and "Marvel Two-in-One". In 1990, she returned in "Silver Surfer" vol. 3 #46-47. She had a minor role in "The Infinity Gauntlet" #1-6 (1991) and co-starred in "Warlock and the Infinity Watch" #1-42 (1992-1995). She was also featured in the "Infinity War" (1992) and "Infinity Crusade" (1993) crossovers. After appearing in "Infinity Abyss" #1-6 (2002), "Annihilation: Ronan" #1-4 (2006), "Annihilation" #1-6 (2006), Annihilation: Conquest #6 (2008) and "Nova" vol. 4 #4-12 (2007-2008), Gamora costarred in "Guardians of the Galaxy" vol. 2 #1-25 (2008-2010). She played a minor role in "The Thanos Imperative" #1-6 (2010).


title: Gamora

text: The character, along with the other Guardians, appears in "Avengers Assemble" issues #4-8 (2012). She stars in "Guardians of the Galaxy" vol. 3, a part of the Marvel NOW! relaunch, and in "Guardians of the Galaxy" vol. 4. Parts of her origin story were told in a 2017 series titled "Gamora" that lasted five issues and were collected into the graphic novel "Gamora: Memento Mori" (2017).


title: Gamora

text: Gamora is the last of her species, the Zen-Whoberis, who were exterminated by the Badoon (in her original timeline, her species was exterminated by the Universal Church of Truth). Thanos found her as a child and decided to use her as a weapon. Gamora was raised and trained by Thanos to assassinate the Magus, the evil, future version of Adam Warlock. Thanos showed her little kindness during her childhood, but Gamora was very loyal to the man who promised her the opportunity to avenge the death of her family. Gamora became very proficient in martial arts, earning the nickname ""The deadliest woman in the whole galaxy"". When she was a teenager, Thanos took her on a trip to Tartoonla #7. Gamora disobeyed Thanos's orders, and due to this, came into conflict with a group of thugs. She was greatly outnumbered, and despite her skills, she was defeated and then raped by the assailants. Thanos found her half dead, and in turn, murdered all of her assailants and restored her to health, cybernetically enhancing her to superhuman levels.


title: Gamora

text: As an adult, Gamora was sent as an assassin against the Universal Church of Truth, quickly becoming feared by its agents, the Black Knights. She exacted revenge for the genocide of her race by killing every member of the church involved before the event actually occurred. Gamora met and teamed up with Adam Warlock, who wanted to stop his future, evil self. She even managed to get close to the Magus but failed her assassination in the last second. Together with Warlock, Pip the Troll and Thanos, Gamora fought to escape the Black Knights of the Universal Church of Truth and Magus's Death Squad. She was then assigned by Thanos to protect Adam Warlock, but she became suspicious of Thanos's plans, and was then attacked by Drax the Destroyer.


title: Gamora

text: Eventually the Magus was defeated, but Thanos revealed himself as an even-greater threat. Gamora aided Captain Mar-Vell, Drax, and the Avengers against Thanos. Gamora and Pip tried to prevent Thanos from destroying half of all the life in the universe. Gamora attempted to slay Thanos, but he mortally wounded her, and destroyed Pip's mind. Adam Warlock found them, and Gamora warned Adam of Thanos's plans, and Adam absorbed their souls into his Soul Gem. When Adam Warlock died as well, his spirit was reunited with that of his friends in "Soulworld" within the Soul Gem.


title: Gamora

text: Inside the Soul Gem was Soulworld, a place where Gamora, Pip and eventually Adam Warlock himself lived at peace. Other beings who had been absorbed by the Soul Gem, such as Kray-Tor and Autolycus, also lived in peace with former enemies.


title: Gamora

text: When Thanos managed to obtain all the Infinity Gems, forming the Infinity Gauntlet, Adam Warlock decided that he must be stopped. Warlock led Gamora and Pip the Troll out of Soulworld into the real world. Their souls took over the bodies of three humans, who had recently died in a car crash. Gamora thus returned to the corporeal world by taking possession of the body of Bambi Long, whose body then began transforming into a duplicate of Gamora's original body. However, Gamora was soon erased from existence by Thanos when he erased half the population in the universe. When Nebula claimed the Gauntlet from Thanos, Gamora returned to existence.


title: Gamora

text: Warlock now had the Infinity Gauntlet, giving him near omnipotence. Gamora and Pip persuaded Doctor Strange to help them find and stop Warlock, who was going mad with power. The Living Tribunal intervened and Warlock divided the Infinity Gems among several guardians, known as the Infinity Watch. Gamora received the Time Gem, but was incapable of consciously using it, though it did give her sporadic precognitive dreams and visions. Gamora had become romantically interested in Adam, but Adam did not respond to her. In an argument over the Infinity Watch member Maxam, Gamora left the Infinity Watch and the Time Gem behind. She returned to work as a mercenary until Adam Warlock approached her again. They continued to travel together and eventually Adam reciprocated her love. Adam and Gamora remained in a pocket dimension to raise the cosmic being known as Atleza.


title: Gamora

text: Gamora later reappears in the pages of "Ronan", having left the company of Adam Warlock and settled on the world Godthab Omega as leader of a group of female warriors called The Graces, where her mind has been altered by Glorian. She is intent on re-establishing her reputation as the deadliest woman in the universe and now wields a powerful blade known as "Godslayer". At one point, she is seen reclining on a 'throne' made of corpses. She joins the United Front, using her skills to launch quick counterattacks against the Annihilation Wave. She engages in a sexual relationship with the United Front's leader, Nova.


title: Gamora

text: During the Phalanx's invasion of the Kree home-world following the Annihilation War, Gamora is assimilated as a "select" of the hive mind. They dispatch her to apprehend Nova after he flees the planet. She is later freed by Nova and the Technarch Tyro, but left in severe distress, longing again for the sense of companionship brought by the Phalanx, and continuing to adopt her Phalanx mannerisms.


title: Gamora

text: Gamora was taken prisoner by Magus when he faked the death of himself and several other Guardians. She was rescued by Star-Lord and played a minor role in the war with the "Cancerverse".


title: Gamora

text: During the "Original Sin" storyline, Gamora was seen with Moon Knight and Winter Soldier's group when they do their investigation on who murdered Uatu the Watcher.


title: Gamora

text: Later, Gamora was confronted in her dreams by an elderly version of herself who turned out to be a part of her which had remained trapped in the Soul Stone after she left its internal paradise. This gave Gamora a motivation to recover the Soul Stone at whatever cost. When the Guardians of the Galaxy find the Power Stone, Gamora pleads with Star-Lord to let her use the Stone so she could get the Soul Stone and recover the piece of her soul trapped within it. Quill refuses and Gamora leaves him with a parting kiss.