title: Rebecca Ferguson (singer)

text: Ferguson confirmed on her official website that the second single to be released from the album will be "Too Good to Lose". The single was originally meant to be released on 26 February but later pushed back to 4 March. The official video premiered on Ferguson's website on 2 February. The single release has been edited and shortened to make the track more radio friendly. Ferguson performed along with Lionel Richie on an ITV1 special entitled "This Is Lionel Richie", in which she performed "Endless Love". Starting in February 2012, an excerpt from Ferguson's "Nothing's Real but Love" was used in a television advertisement campaign for Nescafé Gold Blend coffee. "Glitter & Gold" was confirmed via Ferguson's official website to be the third single taken from the album which was released on 29 April 2012. In April 2012, Ferguson broke her left leg during a night out, which kept her wearing a cast for several weeks. During performances on "Britain's Got Talent" and "", she performed while sitting on a stool.


title: Rebecca Ferguson (singer)

text: On 29 May 2012, Ferguson made her American television debut when she sang "Nothing's Real but Love" on "The Today Show". She also performed the song on "The View". On 13 July, Ferguson revealed via Twitter that she would be taking her management team to court, after they made her work until she collapsed. The relationship deteriorated further in September 2012 with the former management company filing a High Court writ, asking for a declaration that the star unlawfully ended her contract and seeking 20% of her future earnings.


title: Rebecca Ferguson (singer)

text: In an interview in March 2012, Ferguson stated that she expected to release her second studio album in 2014, that she would start writing the album in 2013 once promotion for "Heaven" had finished, and that she expected to take a more up-beat approach to the album. On 23 August 2012, Ferguson announced she would release a deluxe version of "Heaven" on 15 October 2012, and she would also release her fourth single "Backtrack" the day before. Ferguson performed Backtrack on the second "The X Factor" results show on 14 October. On 16 September, Ferguson released an EP of live tracks from the 2012 iTunes Festival, which featured five tracks including "Nothing's Real but Love". During an interview with Chart Show TV, Ferguson confirmed that "Shoulder to Shoulder" would be released on 9 December 2012 as the final single from "Heaven" before starting work on her second studio album. Ferguson performed the single on Chatty Man on 14 December. However, "Teach Me How to Be Loved" was released as the album's final single in Germany. Ferguson features on the charity record He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother including other singers such as Paloma Faith, Paul McCartney and Robbie Williams. The single is to raise money for various charities associated with the Hillsborough disaster. The song achieved Christmas Number 1 in the UK.


title: Rebecca Ferguson (singer)

text: In October 2012, Ferguson stated she would embark on a US tour in January 2013 and that she had already begun writing new material for her second album. On 29 November 2012, Ferguson confirmed her plans to tour in the US and said she would release her second album late next year, stating, "I'm going back to touring the US more early in the new year and then I am getting stuck into writing the new album which should be out later in 2013 or 2014."


title: Rebecca Ferguson (singer)

text: She began work on her second studio album on 18 February 2013 after a month hiatus and completed the album in mid-August. In July 2013, Ferguson revealed she was in the stages of finishing up her second album, also saying that it "has been hard to make" and that she was writing about her babies. On 22 August 2013 she revealed on Facebook that her new album would be called "Freedom" and would be released on 2 December 2013 along with putting up pre-order links to the album.


title: Rebecca Ferguson (singer)

text: The lead single, "I Hope", was uploaded to Ferguson's YouTube channel on 12 October 2013 and was released on 1 December 2013, entering the UK singles chart at number 15; in mainland Europe "Light On" was released as the lead single from the album. "Freedom" was released the following day and entered the charts at number 6 and has since been certified Gold by the BPI. "Freedom" was met with generally positive reviews from critics. The album includes a duet with US soul star John Legend and production/songwriting from Jarrad Rogers, Toby Gad and Eg White.


title: Rebecca Ferguson (singer)

text: On 7 August 2014 Ferguson tweeted that she was back in the studio confirming the work of a third studio album stating "amazing day at the studio working with the same musicians that Frank Sinatra used and so many other greats feeling very blessed". On 13 January 2015 Ferguson revealed the album title, artwork and release date via her Vevo channel. "Lady Sings the Blues" was released on 9 March 2015 via RCA Records. The album charted at number 7 on the UK Albums Chart.


title: Rebecca Ferguson (singer)

text: On 9 May 2015 Ferguson performed at in Horse Guards Parade, London. On 4 October 2015 Ferguson confirmed the creation of a new studio album by posting on Twitter that she is "busy recording" and "the next album sounds good already". The first single from the album was announced on 30 August and is called "Bones", a cover of a 2013 track by NZ artist Ginny Blackmore, and was released on 2 September 2016. The album "Superwoman" was released on 7 October. Ferguson toured from 23 October to 15 November across the UK.


title: Rebecca Ferguson (singer)

text: In December 2016 she was on Fern Britton Meets. In the interview Ferguson, the former teenage mum who became an X Factor singing sensation, revealed how her Christian faith got her through troubled times, both on the show that brought her overnight fame and in the years that followed. From being the victim of fraud to being left to bring up a child on her own, Ferguson says she is speaking out to help others.


title: Rebecca Ferguson (singer)

text: On 21 April 2017, she announced that she was working on her fifth studio album. On 2 October of that year she announced through her Facebook page that she was no longer with her management company but was working on new projects and touring in 2018. She released the first single "Uncrazy" from the album on 1 December 2017, a dance song, which moves away from Ferguson's usual style of music.


title: Rebecca Ferguson (singer)

text: On 8 May 2020, a new single entitled "Nothing Left But Family", and featuring Nile Rodgers, was released. In a series of live videos on social media Ferguson confirmed that the next album would be released the end of 2022 or early 2023 and is being produced by producer Nile Rodgers.


title: Rebecca Ferguson (singer)

text: On 25 November 2021 via her Twitter account, Ferguson confirmed her fifth studio album to be released in 2023 would be her final one and that she would be retiring from the music industry following the release. On 11 February 2022 Ferguson premiered a new track ‘I’m Going To Love You’ on “BBC Concert Orchestra”, rumored to be the lead single from her final studio album.


title: Rebecca Ferguson (singer)

text: Ferguson met the father to her two oldest children, Karl Dures, on holiday in Tenerife. Ferguson and Dures dated for four years and had two children named Lillie May and Karl. She also has a daughter named Arabella, born in 2014, from a later relationship. On 1 January 2022 Ferguson confirmed her engagement to her partner of 7 years Jonny Hughes. They married in December 2022


title: Rebecca Ferguson (singer)

text: Ferguson previously dated fellow "The X Factor" contestant and former One Direction member Zayn Malik. The relationship ended after four months together, In July 2011. Ferguson addressed the media interest, saying: "When I was in a relationship with Zayn it was quite hard, but it comes with it. Me and Zayn just grew apart. I wish him all the best."


title: Rebecca Ferguson (singer)

text: Ferguson's first album is of the soul, pop, blues and R&B genres, with lyrics describing heartbreak and relationships. The album's music was compared to work by Aretha Franklin and Macy Gray. On describing her own sound she said, "quite soulful, I don't know what you compare it to. I’m just me."


title: Rebecca Ferguson (singer)

text: Ferguson cites Aretha Franklin as one of the artists who had the biggest influence on her. She says she draws inspiration from Franklin, whom she calls the "Queen of Soul". In an interview with "MTV UK", when asked about being compared to Franklin she stated, "Aretha Franklin to me is like the queen of soul, so on one hand, I like being compared to her, but on the other hand, I don't think I’ve achieved anything yet to be compared to someone who, to me, is an absolute legend. I’m literally just starting out and it's lovely and I feel really blessed that people are comparing me to her, but to me she's in a totally different league... she's Aretha, she's like a soul diva. So hopefully God willing in the future when I’ve come to her age I will have earned that, but I don't feel I have yet." She also revealed how she wished to have collaborated with Franklin on her debut album. She cites band Kings of Leon as an inspiration. On the question of collaborating with Kings of Leon she said, "I’d like to see what happened. I just think it would be cool, I love them as musicians and they play really well so I’d love to just write with them maybe...I’m dreaming here but you never know, I could rock out with the Kings of Leon." Ferguson also cites the late soul singer Amy Winehouse as one of her biggest influences, stating that she respected Winehouse as "she was real and wasn't in it for the fame, she was artistic and her music is lovely." She also cites Sam Cooke, Otis Redding and Nina Simone among her influences.


title: Rebecca Ferguson (singer)

text: Ferguson became the new face of Walkers crisps Sunbites as of June 2011. She starred in an ad, created by AMV BBDO, that appeared online, on social media and TV. It became Ferguson's first ad as part of the campaign. Ferguson also opened a beauty salon in Liverpool – Rebecca's Beauty Boudoir – in 2013, but she was forced to close the business in 2015.


title: Rebecca Ferguson (singer)

text: Since 2017, Rebecca has been making guest appearances on ITV's "Loose Women". Her latest appearance was in April 2019.


title: Yuan (currency)

text: The yuan (; sign: ¥; ; ) is the base unit of a number of former and present-day currencies in Chinese.


title: Yuan (currency)

text: A "yuan" () is also known colloquially as a "kuai" (; originally a lump of silver). One "yuan" is divided into 10 "jiao" () or colloquially "mao" ( "feather"). One "jiao" is divided into 10 "fen" ().


title: Yuan (currency)

text: Today, the term "Yuan" usually refers to the primary unit of account of the renminbi (RMB), the currency of the People's Republic of China. RMB banknotes start at one Yuan and go up to 100 Yuan. It is also used as a synonym of that currency, especially in international contexts – the ISO 4217 standard code for renminbi is CNY, an abbreviation of "Chinese yuan". (A similar case is the use of the terms "sterling" to designate British currency and "pound" for the unit of account.)


title: Yuan (currency)

text: The symbol for the yuan (元) is also used in Chinese to refer to the currency units of Japan "(yen)" and Korea "(won)", and is used to translate the currency unit "dollar" as well as some other currencies; for example, the United States dollar is called "Meiyuan" () in Chinese, and the euro is called "Ouyuan" (). When used in English in the context of the modern foreign exchange market, the Chinese yuan (CNY) refers to the renminbi (RMB), which is the official currency used in mainland China.


title: Yuan (currency)

text: In Standard (Mandarin) Chinese, "yuán" literally means a "round object" or "round coin". During the Qing Dynasty, the yuan was a round coin made of silver.


title: Yuan (currency)

text: In informal contexts, the word is written with the simplified Chinese character , that literally means "beginning". In formal contexts it is written with the simplified character or with the traditional version , both meaning "round", after the shape of the coins. These are all pronounced "yuán" in modern Standard Chinese, but were originally pronounced differently, and remain distinct in Wu Chinese: = ', = '.


title: Yuan (currency)

text: In the People's Republic of China, '￥' or 'RMB' is often prefixed to the amount to indicate that the currency is the renminbi (e.g. ￥100元 or RMB 100元).


title: Yuan (currency)

text: In many parts of China, the unit of renminbi is sometimes colloquially called "kuài" (, literally "piece") rather than "yuán". The pinyin term "kuài" has also been written as "quay" in English language publications


title: Yuan (currency)

text: In Cantonese, widely spoken in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong and Macau, the "yuan", "jiao", and "fen" are called "mān" (), "hòuh" (), and "sīn" (), respectively. "Sīn" is a loan word from the English "cent".


title: Yuan (currency)

text: The traditional character is also used to denote the base unit of the Hong Kong dollar, the Macanese pataca, and the New Taiwan dollar. However, they do not share the same names for the subdivisions. The unit of a New Taiwan dollar is also referred to in Standard Chinese as "yuán" and written as 元, 圆 or 圓.


title: Yuan (currency)

text: The names of the Korean and Japanese currency units, won and yen respectively, are cognates of Mandarin "yuán", also meaning "round" in the Korean and Japanese languages.


title: Yuan (currency)

text: The Japanese yen ("en") was originally also written with the kanji (Chinese) character , which was simplified to with the promulgation of the "Tōyō kanji" in 1946.


title: Yuan (currency)

text: The Korean won ("won") used to be written with the hanja (Chinese) character from 1902 to 1910, and some time after World War II. It is now written exclusively in Hangul, as , in both North and South Korea.


title: Yuan (currency)

text: In 1889, the yuan was derived from the Spanish dollar which circulated widely in southeast Asia since the 17th century due to Spanish presence in the region, namely the Philippines and Guam. It was subdivided into 1,000 cash (), 100 cents or fen (), and 10 "jiao" (, "cf." dime). It replaced copper cash and various silver ingots called sycees. The sycees were denominated in tael. The yuan was valued at 0.72 tael, (or 7 mace and 2 candareens).


title: Yuan (currency)

text: Banknotes were issued in yuan denominations from the 1890s by several local and private banks, along with the Imperial Bank of China and the "Hu Pu Bank" (later the "Ta-Ch'ing Government Bank"), established by the Imperial government. During the Imperial period, banknotes were issued in denominations of 1, 2 and 5 "jiao", 1, 2, 5, 10, 50 and 100 yuan, although notes below 1 yuan were uncommon.


title: Yuan (currency)

text: The earliest issues were silver coins produced at the Guangdong mint, known in the West at the time as Canton, and transliterated as Kwangtung, in denominations of 5 cents, 1, 2 and 5 "jiao" and 1 yuan. Other regional mints were opened in the 1890s producing similar silver coins along with copper coins in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 cash. The central government began issuing its own coins in the yuan currency system in 1903. Banknotes were issued in yuan denominations from the 1890s by several local and private banks, along with banks established by the Imperial government.


title: Yuan (currency)

text: The central government began issuing its own coins in the yuan currency system in 1903. These were brass 1 cash, copper 2, 5, 10 and 20 cash, and silver 1, 2 and 5 "jiao" and 1 yuan. After the revolution, although the designs changed, the sizes and metals used in the coinage remained mostly unchanged until the 1930s. From 1936, the central government issued nickel (later cupronickel) 5, 10 and 20 fen and yuan coins. Aluminium 1 and 5 fen pieces were issued in 1940.


title: Yuan (currency)

text: In 1917, the warlord in control of Manchuria, Zhang Zuolin, introduced a new currency, known as the Fengtien yuan or dollar, for use in the Three Eastern Provinces. It was valued at 1.2 yuan in the earlier (and still circulating) "small money" banknotes and was initially set equal to the Japanese yen. It maintained its value (at times being worth a little more than the yen) until 1925, when Zhang Zuolin's military involvement in the rest of China lead to an increase in banknote production and a fall in the currency's value. The currency lost most of its value in 1928 as a consequence of the disturbance following Zhang Zuolin's assassination. The Fengtien yuan was only issued in banknote form, with 1, 5 and 10 yuan notes issued in 1917, followed by 50 and 100 yuan notes in 1924. The last notes were issued in 1928.


title: Yuan (currency)

text: The number of banks issuing paper money increased after the revolution. Significant national issuers included the "Commercial Bank of China" (the former Imperial Bank), the "Bank of China" (the former Ta-Ch'ing Government Bank), the "Bank of Communications", the "Ningpo Commercial Bank", the "Central Bank of China" and the "Farmers Bank of China". Of these, only the Central Bank of China issued notes beyond 1943. An exceptionally large number of banknotes were issued during the Republican era (1911–1949) by provincial banks (both Nationalist and Communist).


title: Yuan (currency)

text: After the revolution, a great many local, national and foreign banks issued currency. Although the provincial coinages mostly ended in the 1920s, the provincial banks continued issuing notes until 1949, including Communist issues from 1930. Most of the banknotes issued for use throughout the country bore the words "National Currency", as did some of the provincial banks. The remaining provincial banknotes bore the words "Local Currency". These circulated at varying exchange rates to the national currency issues. After the revolution, in addition to the denominations already in circulation, "small money" notes proliferated, with 1, 2 and 5 cent denominations appearing. Many notes were issued denominated in English in cash ("wén").


title: Yuan (currency)

text: During the 1930s, several new currencies came into being in China due to the activities of the invading Japanese. The pre-existing, national currency yuan came to be associated only with the Nationalist, Kuomintang government. In 1935, the Kuomintang Government enacted currency reforms to limit currency issuance to four major government controlled banks: the Bank of China, Central Bank of China, Bank of Communications and later the Farmers Bank of China. The circulation of silver yuan coins was prohibited and private ownership of silver was banned. The banknotes issued in its place were known as fabi () or "Legal tender". A new series of base metal coins began production in 1936 following the reforms.


title: Yuan (currency)

text: The Japanese established two collaborationist regimes during their occupation in China. In the north, the "Provisional Government of the Republic of China" () based in Peking (Beijing) established the "Federal Reserve Bank of China" (). The Japanese occupiers issued coins and banknotes denominated in "li" () (and were worth of a yuan), fen, jiao and yuan. Issuers included a variety of banks, including the "Central Reserve Bank of China" (for the puppet government in Nanking) and the "Federal Reserve Bank of China" (for the puppet government in Peking (Beijing)). The Japanese decreed the exchange rates between the various banks' issues and those of the Nationalists but the banknotes circulated with varying degrees of acceptance among the Chinese population. Between 1932 and 1945, the puppet state of Manchukuo issued its own yuan.


title: Yuan (currency)

text: In the aftermath of the Second World War and during the civil war which followed, Nationalist China suffered from hyperinflation, leading to the introduction of a new currency in 1948, the gold yuan. In the 1940s, larger denominations of notes appeared due to the high inflation. 500 yuan notes were introduced in 1941, followed by 1,000 and 2,000 yuan in 1942, 2,500 and 5,000 yuan in 1945 and 10,000 yuan in 1947.


title: Yuan (currency)

text: Between 1930 and 1948, banknotes were also issued by the Central Bank of China denominated in "customs gold units". These, known as "gold yuan notes", circulated as normal currency in the 1940s alongside the yuan.


title: Yuan (currency)

text: Banknotes of the yuan suffered from hyperinflation following the Second World War and were replaced in August 1948 by notes denominated in gold yuan, worth 3 million old yuan. There was no link between the gold yuan and gold metal or coins and this yuan also suffered from hyperinflation.


title: Yuan (currency)

text: In 1948, the Central Bank of China issued notes (some dated 1945 and 1946) in denominations of 1, 2 and 5 jiao, 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 yuan. In 1949, higher denominations of 500, 1000, 5000, 10,000, 50,000, 100,000, 500,000, 1,000,000 and 5,000,000 yuan were issued. The Central Bank of China issued notes in denominations of 1 and 5 fen, 1, 2 and 5 jiao, 1, 5 and 10 yuan.


title: Yuan (currency)

text: In July 1949, the Nationalist Government introduced the silver yuan, which was initially worth 500 million gold yuan. It circulated for a few months on the mainland before the end of the civil war. This silver yuan remained the "de jure" official currency of the Republic government in Taiwan until 2000.


title: Yuan (currency)

text: The various Soviets under the control of the Chinese Communist Party issued coins between 1931 and 1935, and banknotes between 1930 and 1949. Some of the banknotes were denominated in "chuàn", strings of wén coins. The People's Bank was founded in 1948 and began issuing currency that year, but some of the regional banks continued to issue their own notes in to 1949.


title: Yuan (currency)

text: After the defeat of Japan in 1945, the Central Bank of China issued a separate currency in the northeast to replace those issued by the puppet banks—north-eastern yuan (). It was worth 20 of the yuan which circulated in the rest of the country. It was replaced in 1948 by the gold yuan at a rate of 150,000 north-eastern yuan to 1 gold yuan. In 1945, notes were introduced in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 50 and 100 yuan. 500 yuan notes were added in 1946, followed by 1,000 and 2,000 yuan in 1947 and 5000 and 10,000 yuan in 1948.


title: Yuan (currency)

text: Various, mostly crude, coins were produced by the Soviets. Some only issued silver 1 yuan coins (Hunan, Hubei-Hunan-Anhui (Hupeh-Honan-Anhwei or E-Yu-Wan Soviet Area), Fujian-Zhejiang-Jiangxi (Min-Che-Kan or Min-Zhe-Gan Soviet Area), North Shaanxi (North Shensi or Shanbei Base Area) and Pingjiang (P'ing Chiang Base Area)) whilst the West Hunan-Hubei (Hsiang-O-Hsi or West Xiang-E) Soviet only issued copper 1 fen coins and the North-West Anhui (Wan-Hsi-Pei or North-West Wan) Soviet issued only copper 50 "wen" coins. The Chinese Soviet Republic issued copper 1 and 5 fen and silver 2 jiao and 1 yuan coins. The Sichuan-Shaanxi (Szechuan-Shensi or Chuan-Shan) Soviet issued copper 200 and 500 "wen" and silver 1 yuan coins.


title: Yuan (currency)

text: Notes were produced by many different banks. There were two phases of note production. The first, up until 1936, involved banks in a total of seven areas, most of which were organized as Soviets. These were:


title: Yuan (currency)

text: Production of banknotes by Communist Party forces ceased in 1936 but resumed in 1938 and continued through to the centralization of money production in 1948. A great many regional banks and other entities issued notes. Before 1942, denominations up to 100 yuan were issued. That year, the first notes up to 1,000 yuan appeared. Notes up to 5,000 yuan appeared in 1943, with 10,000 yuan notes appearing in 1947, 50,000 yuan in 1948 and 100,000 yuan in 1949.


title: Yuan (currency)

text: As the People's Liberation Army took control of most of China, they introduced a new currency, in banknote form only, denominated in yuan. This became the sole currency of mainland China at the end of the civil war. A new yuan was introduced in 1955 at a rate of 10,000 old yuan = 1 new yuan, known as the renminbi yuan. It is the currency of the People's Republic of China to this day.


title: Yuan (currency)

text: The term "yuan" is also used in Taiwan. In 1946, a new currency was introduced for circulation there, replacing the Japanese issued Taiwan yen, the Old Taiwan dollar. It was not directly related to the mainland yuan. In 1949, a second yuan was introduced in Taiwan, replacing the first at a rate of 40,000 to 1. Known as the New Taiwan dollar, it remains the currency of Taiwan today.


title: Yuan (currency)

text: Originally, a silver yuan had the same specifications as a silver Spanish dollar. During the Republican era (1911–1949), the transliteration "yuan" was often printed on the reverse of the first yuan banknotes but sometimes "dollar" was used instead.


title: Yuan (currency)

text: In the Republic of China, the common English name is the "New Taiwan dollar" but banknotes issued between 1949 and 1956 used "yuan" as the transliteration. More modern notes lack any transliteration.


title: René Dif

text: René Dif (born 17 October 1967) is a Danish musician, singer-songwriter, DJ and actor, best known as the male lead vocalist of the Danish-Norwegian eurodance group Aqua.


title: René Dif

text: Dif was born in Copenhagen. His father was Algerian and his mother Danish. He has two younger brothers and a sister. He was never interested in school and was kicked out of it several times. As a result, Dif left school after ninth grade to work on a cruise ship.


title: René Dif

text: While he was in Barbados, Dif heard a local DJ on the radio and decided to become a DJ. He went to Norway to pursue his dream of becoming a star. Dif met Lene Nystrøm on a cruise ship in 1994. When he, Claus Norreen, and Søren Rasted were setting up a band, they needed a singer, and Lene was asked to join. The band, which was later known as Aqua, became an international success. While a DJ in Norway, Dif met DJ Alligator, with whom he made an album, "Groove your soul", and the debut single "I believe". Although unsuccessful, they marked the debut of Dif as an aspiring DJ with vocal abilities.


title: René Dif

text: Dif, as a member of Aqua, has had over ten top 10 hits in his home country. The band sold more than 28 million records worldwide and appeared in the Guinness Book of Records as the only debut band with three "self-penned" number one hits in the UK. He has received more than 140 Gold and Platinum albums (and received a Diamond album in Canada for 1 million sold albums). Aqua's main hits were "Roses Are Red", "My Oh My", "Barbie Girl", "Lollipop (Candyman)", "Doctor Jones", "Turn Back Time", "Good Morning Sunshine", "Cartoon Heroes" and "Around the World".


title: René Dif

text: Following Aqua's split in 2001, Dif released solo singles, including "Let it all out (Push it)" and "The Uhh Uhh Song". In 2004 he began a career as an actor, starring in several movies directed by Lasse Spang Olsen. He owned a short-lived bar in downtown Copenhagen. In 2002 he published an autobiography titled "Popdreng – Ud af skabet".


title: René Dif

text: Aqua reunited in 2008 as a live band. In March 2011, Aqua released the first single, "How R U Doin?", from their third album "Megalomania", released in September 2011 following the release of two more singles, "Playmate to Jesus" and "Like a Robot".


title: René Dif

text: Dif was in a relationship with fellow Aqua band member Lene Nystrøm, whom he invited to join the band in 1994. They were in a relationship for three years, before they broke up.


title: René Dif

text: He later married Rikke Maija, a health coach whom he has two children with. They have since divorced.


title: Ladin language

text: Ladin (, ; autonym: , ; ) is a Romance language of the Rhaeto-Romance subgroup, mainly spoken in the Dolomite Mountains in Northern Italy in the provinces of South Tyrol, Trentino, and Belluno, by the Ladin people. It exhibits similarities to Swiss Romansh and Friulian.


title: Ladin language

text: The precise extension of the Ladin language area is a subject of scholarly debate. A more narrow perspective includes only the dialects of the valleys around the Sella group, while wider definitions comprise the dialects of adjacent valleys in the Province of Belluno and even dialects spoken in the northwestern Trentino.


title: Ladin language

text: A standard variety of Ladin () has been developed by the Office for Ladin Language Planning as a common communication tool across the whole Ladin-speaking region.


title: Ladin language

text: Ladin is recognized as a minority language in 54 Italian municipalities belonging to the provinces of South Tyrol, Trentino and Belluno. It is not possible to assess the exact number of Ladin speakers, because only in the provinces of South Tyrol and Trentino are the inhabitants asked to identify their native language in the general census of the population, which takes place every 10 years.


title: Ladin language

text: In the 2011 census, 20,548 inhabitants of South Tyrol declared Ladin as their native language. Ladin is an officially recognised language, taught in schools and used in public offices (in written as well as spoken forms).


title: Ladin language

text: In the 2011 census, 18,550 inhabitants of Trentino declared Ladin as their native language. It is prevailing in the following municipalities of Trentino in the Fassa Valley, where Ladin is recognized as a minority language:


title: Ladin language

text: The Nones language in the Non Valley and the related Solandro language found in the Sole Valley are Gallo-Romance languages and often grouped together into a single linguistic unit due to their similarity. They are spoken in 38 municipalities but have no official status. Their more precise classification is uncertain. Both dialects show a strong resemblance to Trentinian dialect and Eastern Lombard, and scholars debate whether they are Ladin dialects or not.


title: Ladin language

text: About 23% of the inhabitants from Val di Non and 1.5% from Val di Sole declared Ladin as their native language at the 2011 census. The number of Ladin speakers in those valleys amounts to 8,730, outnumbering the native speakers in the Fassa Valley. In order to stress the difference between the dialects in Non and Fassa valleys, it has been proposed to distinguish between "ladins dolomitiches" (Dolomitic Ladinians) and "ladins nonejes" (Non Valley Ladinians) at the next census.


title: Ladin language

text: There is no linguistic census in the Province of Belluno, but the number of Ladin speakers has been estimated using a 2006 survey. In this area, there are about 1,166 people who speak the standard Ladin and 865 who speak the dialect of Ladin, so out of 8,495 inhabitants they are the 23.9%. They live in the part of the province that was part of the County of Tyrol until 1918, comprising the communes of Cortina d'Ampezzo (15.6% Ladin), Colle Santa Lucia (50.6% Ladin) and Livinallongo del Col di Lana (54.3% Ladin).


title: Ladin language

text: The provincial administration of Belluno has enacted to identify Ladin as a minority language in additional municipalities. Those are: Agordo, Alleghe, Auronzo di Cadore, Borca di Cadore, Calalzo di Cadore, Canale d'Agordo, Cencenighe Agordino, Cibiana di Cadore, Comelico Superiore, Danta di Cadore, Domegge di Cadore, Falcade, Forno di Zoldo, Gosaldo, La Valle Agordina, Lozzo di Cadore, Ospitale di Cadore, Perarolo di Cadore, Pieve di Cadore, Rivamonte Agordino, Rocca Pietore, San Nicolò di Comelico, San Pietro di Cadore, San Tomaso Agordino, San Vito di Cadore, Santo Stefano di Cadore, Selva di Cadore, Taibon Agordino, Vallada Agordina, Valle di Cadore, Vigo di Cadore, Vodo di Cadore, Voltago Agordino, Zoldo Alto, Zoppè di Cadore. Ladinity in the province of Belluno is more ethnic than linguistic. The varieties spoken by Ladin municipalities are Venetian alpine dialects, which are grammatically no different to those spoken in municipalities that did not declare themselves as Ladin. Their language is called "Ladino Bellunese".


title: Ladin language

text: All Ladin dialects spoken in the province of Belluno, including those in the former Tyrolean territories, enjoy a varying degree of influence from Venetian.


title: Ladin language

text: The name derives from Latin, because Ladin is originally a Vulgar Latin language left over from the Romanized Alps. Ladin is often attributed to be a relic of Vulgar Latin dialects associated with Rhaeto-Romance languages. Whether a proto-Rhaeto-Romance language ever existed is controversially discussed amongst linguists and historians, a debate known as "Questione Ladina". Starting in the 6th century, the Bavarii started moving in from the north, while from the south Gallo-Italic languages started pushing in, which further shrank the original extent of the Ladin area. Only in the more remote mountain valleys did Ladin survive among the isolated populations.


title: Ladin language

text: Starting in the very early Middle Ages, the area was mostly ruled by the County of Tyrol or the Bishopric of Brixen, both belonging to the realms of the Austrian Habsburg rulers. The area of Cadore was under the rule of the Republic of Venice. During the period of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation and, after 1804, the Austrian Empire, the Ladins underwent a process of Germanization.


title: Ladin language

text: After the end of World War I in 1918, Italy annexed the southern part of Tyrol, including the Ladin areas. The Italian nationalist movement of the 19th and 20th centuries regarded Ladin as an "Italian dialect", a notion rejected by various Ladin exponents and associations, despite their having been counted as Italians by the Austrian authorities as well. The programme of Italianization, professed by fascists such as Ettore Tolomei and Benito Mussolini, added further pressure on the Ladin communities to subordinate their identities to Italian. This included changing Ladin place names into the Italian pronunciation according to Tolomei's "Prontuario dei nomi locali dell'Alto Adige".


title: Ladin language

text: Following the end of World War II, the Gruber-De Gasperi Agreement of 1946 between Austria and Italy introduced a level of autonomy for Trentino and South Tyrol but did not include any provisions for the Ladin language. Only in the second autonomy statute for South Tyrol in 1972 was Ladin recognized as a partially official language.


title: Ladin language

text: Ladin is officially recognised in Trentino and South Tyrol by provincial and national law. Italy signed the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages of 1991, but it has not ratified it so far. The charter calls for minority rights to be respected and minority languages, to which Ladin belongs, to be appropriately protected and promoted. Starting in the 1990s, the Italian parliament and provincial assembly have passed laws and regulations protecting the Ladin language and culture. A cultural institute was founded to safeguard and educate in the language and culture. School curricula were adapted in order to teach in Ladin, and street signs are being changed to bilingual.


title: Ladin language

text: Ladin is also recognized as a protected language in the Province of Belluno in Veneto region pursuant to the Standards for Protection of Historic Language Minorities Act No. 482 (1999). In comparison with South Tyrol and Trentino, the wishes of the Ladins have barely been addressed by the regional government. In a popular referendum in October 2007, the inhabitants of Cortina d'Ampezzo overwhelmingly voted to leave Veneto and return to South Tyrol. The redrawing of the provincial borders would return Cortina d'Ampezzo, Livinallongo del Col di Lana and Colle Santa Lucia to South Tyrol, to which they traditionally belonged when part of the County of Tyrol or the Bishopric of Brixen.


title: Ladin language

text: Although the Ladin communities are spread out over three neighbouring regions, the "Union Generala di Ladins dles Dolomites" is asking that they be reunited. The Ladin Autonomist Union and the Fassa Association run on a Ladin list and have sought more rights and autonomy for Ladin speakers. Ladins are also guaranteed political representations in the assemblies of Trentino and South Tyrol due to a reserved seats system.


title: Ladin language

text: In South Tyrol, in order to reach a fair allocation of jobs in public service, a system called "ethnic proportion" was established in the 1970s. Every 10 years, when the general census of population takes place, each citizen has to identify with a linguistic group. The results determine how many potential positions in public service are allocated for each linguistic group. This has theoretically enabled Ladins to receive guaranteed representation in the South Tyrolean civil service according to their numbers.


title: Ladin language

text: The recognition of minority languages in Italy has been criticised since the implementation of Act No. 482 (1999), especially due to alleged financial benefits. This applies also to the Ladin language, especially in the province of Belluno.


title: Ladin language

text: The dialects of the Athesian group (from the river Adige Basin) of the Sella are spoken in South Tyrol:


title: Ladin language

text: The names of the Ladin dialects spoken in the Fassa Valley in Trentino are Moenat, Brach, and Cazet. 82.8% of the inhabitants of Fassa Valley are native Ladin speakers; the Ladin language in Fassa is influenced by Trentinian dialects.


title: Ladin language

text: In Western Trentino, in Non Valley, Val di Sole, Val di Peio, Val di Rabbi, and part of Val Rendena, detached from the dolomitic area, dialects are spoken that are often considered to be part of the Ladin language (Anaunic Ladin), but enjoy strong influences from Trentinian and Eastern Lombard dialects.


title: Ladin language

text: The first part of the 'Lord's Prayer' in Standard Ladin, Latin, and Italian for comparison, as well as other Romance languages and English:


title: Ladin language

text: An vowel, spelled , as in "Urtijëi" (), and two front rounded vowels [, ], spelled , occur in some local dialects but are not a part of Standard Ladin.


title: Newell Brands

text: Newell Brands is an American manufacturer, marketer and distributor of consumer and commercial products. The company's brands and products include Rubbermaid storage and trash containers; home organization and reusable container products; Contigo and Bubba water bottles; Coleman outdoor products; writing instruments (Berol, Expo Markers, PaperMate, Dymo, Mr. Sketch, Parker Pens, Sharpie, Reynolds, Prismacolor, Rotring, X-acto, Waterman) glue (Elmer's, Krazy Glue); children's products (Aprica, NUK, Tigex, Babysun, Baby Jogger and Graco); First Alert alarm systems, cookware and small kitchen appliances (Calphalon, Sunbeam, Rival, Crock-Pot; Holmes, FoodSaver, Oster, Osterizer, and Mr. Coffee) and fragrance products (Yankee Candle, Chesapeake Bay Candle, Millefiori Milano, and WoodWick).


title: Newell Brands

text: The company's global headquarters was in Atlanta until tax incentives lured it to New Jersey in 2016. Three years later, in 2019, the company announced plans to relocate its headquarters back to Atlanta.


title: Newell Brands

text: The Newell Manufacturing Company was founded by Edgar Newell in Ogdensburg, New York, in 1903 as a manufacturer of metal curtain rods.


title: Newell Brands

text: The F. W. Woolworth retail chain became the first customer for Newell's bronze–plated curtain rods in 1916, making them the first Newell products to be distributed nationally. This marked the beginning of Newell's mass merchandising strategy. As the business grew, the company built a new 15,000-square-foot facility in Ogdensburg, New York.


title: Newell Brands

text: The company purchased Barnwell Mfg. Co. of Freeport, Illinois in 1921, renaming it Western Newell Manufacturing Company. Freeport's access to railroad lines facilitated shipping products west. Kresge, the department store chain (later Kmart) was one of Western Newell's larger accounts.


title: Newell Brands

text: Daniel C. Ferguson was named president in 1965, and developed a growth-by-acquisition strategy, intending to build a strong, multi-product company.


title: Newell Brands

text: The Newell Company went public in 1972, opening on the NASDAQ at $28 per share. In 1974, they acquired EZ Paintr Corporation, then the world's largest maker of paint applicators. Newell was listed on the New York Stock Exchange with the ticker symbol NWL in 1979. In 1979, Newell moved into its first corporate headquarters in a historic former bank building in Freeport, Illinois.


title: Newell Brands

text: In 1983, the company entered the cookware market with the purchase of Mirro. In 1987, the company acquired Anchor Hocking Corporation, a specialty manufacturer of glassware, flatware, cookware and other products. The deal included the purchase of Amerock, a maker of cabinet hardware and window components.


title: Newell Brands

text: In 1992, they acquired Sanford, a manufacturer and marketer of writing instruments, including the Sharpie and Expo brands. A year later, they acquired Levolor, a manufacturer and marketer of window treatments. They also entered the beauty and style category by acquiring Goody hair care accessories, including Ace men's grooming accessories.They also acquired Stuart Hall a Kansas City stationary company which they held until 1998


title: Newell Brands

text: In 1997, the company acquired Kirsch, a company involved with drapery hardware and custom window coverings. In 1998, the company expanded in cookware with the purchase of Calphalon Corporation, a manufacturer of cookware marketed primarily to upscale retailers and department stores. The company also purchased Panex, a cookware maker in South America.


title: Newell Brands

text: Newell Rubbermaid has been criticized in the UK for closing British factories, including those of Parker Pen, and relocating them to Nantes, France, and China. Similarly, they've been criticized for their handling of Toolmakers Berol, Record and Marples.


title: Newell Brands

text: Newell Sistema products has been criticized for requiring workers in their Auckland, New Zealand factory to work in unsafe conditions during the COVID-19 outbreak and lock down without adequate distances between workers and proper personal protective equipment. After a WorkSafe NZ visit, workers were told they would not have to go to work and would be on full pay for the 4 week lock down.


title: Newell Brands

text: In 1999, Newell acquired the Rubbermaid and Graco brand names in a megamerger worth $5.8 billion, and later renamed the combined firm Newell Rubbermaid. This was an acquisition ten times larger than the last biggest acquisition Newell had made, nearly doubled the company's size, and significantly increased Newell's portfolio of brands.


title: Newell Brands

text: In 2003, the merger was dubbed the "merger from hell" by "Businessweek" magazine. Newell shareholders lost 50% of their value in the two years following the closing and Rubbermaid shareholders lost 35%. In 2002, Newell wrote off $500 million in goodwill.


title: Newell Brands

text: In 2000, Newell Rubbermaid acquired Gillette's stationery products business, including the Paper Mate, Parker, Waterman and Liquid Paper brands.


title: Newell Brands

text: In 2002, they acquired American Tool Companies, adding the Irwin, Vise-Grip, and Marathon brands to their portfolio.


title: Newell Brands

text: In 2003, Newell Rubbermaid acquired American Saw and Manufacturing Company, a manufacturer of linear-edge power tool accessories, hand tools, and band saw blades marketed under the Lenox brand.


title: Newell Brands

text: In 2005, the company acquired DYMO, designing, manufacturing, and marketing on-demand labeling solutions. The company expanded its presence in this market with the 2006 purchases of CardScan business card scanners and Mimio interactive whiteboard products along with the 2007 acquisition of postage company Endicia and its Picture-it-Postage brand. In 2005, Mark Ketchum was named president and CEO. The company added the slogan of "Brands That Matter" to their logo to emphasize the change.


title: Newell Brands

text: In February 2008, Newell Rubbermaid acquired Aprica Kassai, a Japanese maker of strollers, car seats, and other children's products and Technical Concepts, in the away-from-home restroom market. The company created a global headquarters in the Atlanta metropolitan area to consolidate numerous brands and functions under one roof. In July 2011, Michael B. Polk joined the company as president and CEO.


title: Newell Brands

text: On July 21, 2014, Newell Rubbermaid announced a $308 million acquisition of Ignite Holdings, a Chicago-based maker of reusable water bottles and thermal mugs. Ignite sold its products under two brand names: Avex and Contigo, also acquiring Ignite's proprietary closing mechanism, Autoseal.


title: Newell Brands

text: On October 5, 2015, Newell Rubbermaid announced that it would acquire Elmer's Products, the makers of Elmer's glue, Krazy Glue, and X-Acto, among other brands, for $600 million. The company also announced plans to divest its window covering brands Levolor and Kirsch.


title: Newell Brands

text: On December 14, 2015, Newell Rubbermaid announced that it would acquire Jarden for over $15 billion of cash and stock. The combined company would be known as Newell Brands, and 55% would be owned by Newell's shareholders. The combined company would have estimated annual sales of $16 billion.


title: Newell Brands

text: In January 2018, Newell announced that it would sell off several businesses, mostly former Jarden units, in a refocusing effort. In May 2018, Newell sold Waddington to Novolex. In June 2018, Newell sold Rawlings to Seidler Equity Partners. In August 2018, Newell sold Goody to ACON Investments. In November 2018, Newell sold its Pure Fishing line of business to Sycamore Partners for $1.3 billion and Jostens to Platinum Equity for $1.3 billion.


title: Newell Brands

text: In June 2019, Newell Brands announced the sale of the United States Playing Card Company to Belgian card manufacturer Cartamundi Group.


title: Nepali Congress

text: The Nepali Congress ( ; abbr. NC) is the largest social democratic political party in Nepal. As per the results of recent local election, "Nepali Congress" stands as the single largest party of Nepal at all levels of government. It is the current ruling party of Nepal since July 2021. With more than one million active members, the party remains the largest party in Nepal by membership.


title: Nepali Congress

text: There have been seven Nepali Congress prime ministers and the party has led the government fourteen times. Matrika Prasad Koirala, a founding member of the party was appointed as the first commoner prime minister following the end of the Rana regime in 1951. Subarna Shumsher Rana, another founding member of the party was also appointed as prime minister in 1958. Congress is the only party in Nepal to have been elected with a majority with the party forming majority governments in 1959, 1991 and 1999 under B.P. Koirala, Girija Prasad Koirala and K.P. Bhattarai respectively with B.P. Koirala becoming the first elected prime minister of the country. The party also formed coalition governments in 1995 and 1998 under Girija Prasad Koirala and Sher Bahadur Deuba. The party emerged as the single largest party following the 2013 Constituent Assembly elections and led a coalition government under Sushil Koirala. After the promulgation of the constitution under Koirala, the party led a coalition government again in 2017 under Deuba and is currently leading another coalition under Deuba since 2021.


title: Nepali Congress

text: The party was formed in 1950 by the merger of the Nepali National Congress and the Nepal Democratic Congress along democratic socialist lines. NC prime ministers led four governments between the fall of the Rana dynasty and the start of the Panchayat era, including the first democratically elected government of Nepal, after the 1959 general election. Starting in the 1990s, the party followed other mainstream, centre-left social democratic parties in moving closer to the political centre through the Third Way.


title: Nepali Congress

text: In 1947, Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala, published an appeal for a unified struggle of Nepali people against the Rana regime. That same year, some Nepalese got together in Benaras and formed an organization by the name All Indian Nepali National Congress () where an "ad-hoc" committee was established. The initial officers were chairman Devi Prasad Sapkota, vice-president Balchandra Sharma, general secretary Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, and public minister Gopal Prasad Bhattarai, publicity minister. Its Working Committee included Batuk Prasad Bhattarai, Narayan Prasad Bhattarai, and Narendra Regmi, while its coordinator was Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala.


title: Nepali Congress

text: Around the same time, Nepalese located in Calcutta formed another organization by the name All Indian Nepali Gorkha Congress () whose chairman was Dharma Narayan Pradhan. Koirala traveled extensively to places such as Benaras, Calcutta, Darjeeling, Assam, Bhaksu, and Dehradhun, and established contact with the Nepalese there. He met with Ganesh Man Singh during the same period. Nepalese representatives from different areas of Nepal and India organized one session in Calcutta. Koirala, Dilli Raman Regmi, Dharma Narayan Pradhan, and Dhan Man Singh Pariyar were present. In the same session, dropping "Akhil Bharatiya" from its name, the organization was named Nepali National Congress. Tanka Prasad Acharya, who was facing a life-sentence in Kathmandu, was made its chairman. The flag was square-shaped with white, blue, and red colors in succession, with the moon and the sun in its center.


title: Nepali Congress

text: The major four proposals passed by the session were to assist Indians in their independence movement, support Vietnam struggling for freedom against French colonization, ask for the immediate release of imprisoned members of the Nepal Praja Parishad, and initiate a non-violence movement in Nepal for the establishment of an accountable ruling system. The organization's "modus operandi" was chosen, and attached itself to the civil conscience process in Nepal by establishing Tanka Prasad Acharya as its chairman.


title: Nepali Congress

text: The Nepali Congress Party was formed by the merger of Nepali National Congress and Nepal Democratic Congress. The Nepali National Congress was founded by Matrika Prasad Koirala in Calcutta, India on 25 January 1946. The Nepal Democratic Congress was founded by Subarna Shumsher Rana in Calcutta on 4 August 1948. The two parties merged on 10 April 1950 to form the Nepali Congress and Koirala became its first president. The party called for an armed revolution against the Rana regime.


title: Nepali Congress

text: During the Bairgania Conference in Bairgania, Bihar, on 27 September 1950 the Nepali Congress announced an armed revolution against the Rana regime. The president of the party also announced the liquidation of operations in India and that the party would operate only inside Nepal.


title: Nepali Congress

text: After King Tribhuvan took refuge inside the Indian Embassy on 6 November 1950. The Congress Liberation Army decided to take this opportunity to launch attacks against the regime before the King "left Nepalese soil". Matrika and Bisheshwor Prasad Koirala and Subarna Shamsher Rana flew to Purnia, Bihar. They called the commanders posted at different locations inside Nepal to prepare for armed strikes near the Nepal-India border.


title: Nepali Congress

text: On 11 November 1950, at midnight Birgunj was attacked, and by 12 November it fell to the Nepali Congress and the first "People's Government" was declared. The liberation army was able to control most of the eastern hills of Nepal and the town of Tansen in Palpa. After pressure by the Indian government and the mass movement by the Nepali Congress and other political parties, the Rana government finally submitted to their demands and King Tribhuvan returned to the throne, replacing King Gyanendra, who had been crowned king after King Tribhuvan left for India.


title: Nepali Congress

text: After the fall of the Rana government, the Nepali Congress led three of the five governments formed before the elections. Matrika Prasad Koirala, the first commoner to become Prime Minister, led the government from 1951 to 1952 and 1953–1955 and Subarna Shamsher Rana led the government from 1958 to 1959. The much delayed elections were finally held in February 1959 and Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala became the first democratically elected Prime Minister of Nepal after the Nepali Congress won 74 of 109 seats in the parliament.


title: Nepali Congress

text: Following a royal coup by King Mahendra in 1960, many leaders of the party, including Koirala, Rana and General Secretary Hora Prasad Joshi, were imprisoned or exiled; others took political refuge in India. Although political parties were prohibited from 1960 to 1989 and remained outlawed during the Panchayat system under the aegis of the Associations and Organizations (Control) Act of 1963, the Nepali Congress persisted. The party placed great emphasis on eliminating the feudal economy and building a basis for socioeconomic development. It proposed nationalizing basic industries and instituting progressive taxes on land, urban housing, salaries, profits and foreign investments. While in exile, the Nepali Congress served as the nucleus around which other opposition groups clustered and instigated popular uprisings in the Hill and Terai regions. During this time, the Nepali Congress refused the overtures of a radical faction of the Communist Party of Nepal for a tactical alliance.


title: Nepali Congress

text: The Nepali Congress demonstrated endurance, but defection, factionalism, and external pressures weakened it over time. Nevertheless, it continued to be the only organized party to press for democratization. In the 1980 government system referendum, it supported the multiparty system in opposition to the panchayat system. The party boycotted the 1981 general election and rejected the new government. The death in 1982 of Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala further weakened the party.


title: Nepali Congress

text: After the party boycotted the 1986 general election to the Rastriya Panchayat, its members were allowed to run in the 1987 Nepalese local elections. In defiance of the demonstration ban, the Nepali Congress organized mass rallies with the communist factions in January 1990 that ultimately triggered the pro-democracy movement.


title: Nepali Congress

text: After the Jana Andolan I, party president Krishna Prasad Bhattarai was invited to form an interim coalition government. In the 1991 general election, the Nepali Congress won 110 of 205 seats but Bhattarai lost his seat and yielded the position of prime minister to Girija Prasad Koirala who held his seat until 1994.


title: Nepali Congress

text: During the 1994 general election, the Nepali Congress lost its majority to Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist). The CPN (UML) lacked a majority and formed a minority government. After 46 parliamentarians from the CPN (UML) quit to form the Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist–Leninist), the Nepali Congress formed their own government with the Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Nepal Sadbhawana Party. After CPN (UML) offered Lokendra Bahadur Chand the position of prime minister, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party led a government with the CPN (UML). Internal problems within the Rastriya Prajatantra Party caused one faction led by Surya Bahadur Thapa to lead a government with Nepali Congress and Nepal Sadbhawana Party.


title: Nepali Congress

text: Girija Prasad Koirala again became the Prime Minister in April 1998, leading a Congress minority government after Rastriya Prajatantra and Nepal Sadbhawana quit the government. Eventually, they got support from the CPN (ML) and after their withdrawal the CPN (UML) and Nepal Sadbhawana.


title: Nepali Congress

text: During the 1999 general election, Girija Prasad Koirala stepped aside in favour of Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, who returned as Prime Minister when the Nepali Congress won 111 out of 205 House seats. Bhattarai resigned as prime minister on 16 March 2000 after conflicts between himself and supporters of Girija Prasad Koirala. In the party's first open leadership election, the parliamentarians selected Girija Prasad Koirala as their leader by 69-43 votes over Sher Bahadur Deuba. Accordingly, King Birendra designated Girija Prasad Koirala as prime minister on 20 March.


title: Nepali Congress

text: On 8 August 2000, Koirala dismissed the Minister of Water Resources, Khum Bahadur Khadka, for calling for Koirala's resignation. Although Koirala beat back another challenge by Deuba's supporters at a party convention in January 2001, he resigned as Prime Minister on 19 July. Deuba then defeated Secretary General Sushil Koirala, 72–40, for the party leadership and was designated prime minister by the king.


title: Nepali Congress

text: In May 2002, the party's disciplinary committee expelled Deuba for failing to consult the party before seeking a parliamentary extension of the country's state of emergency. Deuba's supporters then expelled Koirala at a general convention in June. Deuba registered his faction as the Nepali Congress (Democratic), following a decision by the Election Commission that the Koirala faction held ownership of the name "Nepali Congress", taking 40 of the party's lower house representatives with him.


title: Nepali Congress

text: In the months following the King's October 2002 decisions to dissolve the House of Representatives and replace Prime Minister Deuba with Rastriya Prajatantra's Lokendra Bahadur Chand, the party joined the CPN (UML) and other, smaller parties in challenging the constitutionality of the moves. The party played a significant role in the formation of the Seven Party Alliance (SPA), which launched a series of street protests against the King's regression. The Seven Party Alliance had earlier avoided the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) CPN-M and their violent methods, signed a 12-point understanding in Delhi in November 2005. The agreement contained three key commitmentsm, namely that the SPA endorsed CPN-M's fundamental demand for elections to a constituent assembly; the Maoists reciprocated with an assurance that they accepted a multi-party system, which was the SPA's prime concern. The SPA and the Maoists agreed to launch a peaceful mass movement against the monarchy.


title: Nepali Congress

text: On 26 April 2006, the king reinstated the dissolved parliament and formed a small government under the premiership of Girija Prasad Koirala, the president of the Nepali Congress. In November 2006, the government and the CPN-M signed a Comprehensive Peace Accord in India and the Nepalese Civil War formally ended.


title: Nepali Congress

text: On 24 September 2007, the Nepali Congress (Democratic) and Nepali Congress unified as a single party with the 2008 Constituent Assembly election looming. Following the first Madhesh movement, former deputy speaker and senior leader of the party Mahantha Thakur, who had led a committee that held talks with the Madheshi Jana Adhikar Forum, broke away and formed the Terai Madhesh Loktantrik Party with other Madheshi leaders. Girija Prasad Koirala remained president of the newly unified party. The party placed second with 110 out of 575 elected seats in the Constituent Assembly election, winning only half as many seats as CPN-M.


title: Nepali Congress

text: The party joined the coalition government headed by Madhav Kumar Nepal in May 2009. Girija Prasad Koirala angered some in the party by nominating his daughter Sujata Koirala to be Foreign Minister. In June, in a contested election for leader of the party's parliamentary group, Ram Chandra Poudel defeated Deuba. The 12th General Convention of the Nepali Congress was held in Kathmandu from 17 to 21 September 2010. The convention elected Sushil Koirala as the party president.


title: Nepali Congress

text: After the Constituent Assembly of Nepal was dissolved by Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai after failure to draft a new constitution before the deadline. In the resulting 2013 Constituent Assembly election, the party emerged as the largest party winning 196 of the 575 elected seats. Along with CPN (UML), under the leadership of Sushil Koirala, they formed a new coalition government. The new Constitution of Nepal was promulgated under his leadership on 20 September 2015.


title: Nepali Congress

text: Sushil Koirala resigned as prime minister on 10 October 2015 after losing support from CPN (UML). Nepali Congress joined the government again in August 2016 under the leadership of Bimlendra Nidhi, after backing Pushpa Kamal Dahal to become prime minister. According to their agreement, Dahal resigned on 24 May 2017 paving the way for Deuba to become prime minister for a fourth time on 6 June 2017.


title: Nepali Congress

text: On 22 April 2017, the Akhanda Nepal Party led by Kumar Kahadka joined the Nepali Congress ahead of the 2017 local elections. Nepali Congress won 11,456 seats including 266 mayoral or chairman positions. The party also won mayor posts in Lalitpur and Biratnagar. Ahead of the 2017 general and provincial elections, Nepal Loktantrik Forum led by former Nepali Congress leader, Bijay Kumar Gachhadar merged into the party. Similarly, a group from Federal Socialist Forum, Nepal led by MP Abhishek Pratap Shah, a group from CPN (UML) led by MP Mohan Singh Rathore and Rabin Chaudhary, a goroup from Rastriya Janata Party Nepal led by MP Jangi Lal Ray, a group from CPN (Maoist Centre) led by former Minister and MP Sambhu Lal Shrestha joined the party ahead of the 2017 election.


title: Nepali Congress

text: The party won 63 seats to the House of Representatives becoming the second largest party. The party could win only 23 seats under first past the post and many influential leaders including Ram Chandra Paudel, Ram Sharan Mahat, Bimalendra Nidhi, Krishna Prasad Sitaula, and Arjun Narsingh KC lost in their constituencies. The party won 113 seats in provincial assemblies and became the largest opposition in six out of seven provinces. The party won 13 seats in the 2018 National Assembly election. After the National Assembly election, Deuba resigned as prime minister on 15 February 2018, paving the way for a new government under CPN (UML). The party's under performance in the election caused many elements inside the party to call for Deuba's resignation. Prakash Man Singh stood against Deuba for the election of the parliamentary party leader, but Deuba won the vote 44–19.


title: Nepali Congress

text: Nepali Congress was back to centre of Nepalese politics since the political crisis 2020 which it had lost after deciding from the position of singe largest party of nation. This happened after split in Nepal Communist Party and Janata Samajbadi Party due to personal interest and difference in ideology of core leaders.


title: Nepali Congress

text: The internal crisis led to dissolution of parliament (both house of representative and lower house of parliament) by Khadga Prasad Oli twice within six months. It was approved by the president but Supreme court denied the legality of such decision by Oli. After the supreme court's historic decision, both the parliaments were reinstated.


title: Nepali Congress

text: After facing the vote for confidence in parliament, Oli lost the vote for confidence. Again he dissolved the parliament on 22 May 2021 and it was approved by president unanimously against the signatures submitted claiming majority to "Nepali Congress". Still, 146 sitting members of HOR filed a case in supreme court against the decision and approval of president. Previously, they had submitted majority signatures to president asking to appoint Sher Bahadur Deuba as the next prime-minister of Nepal. On 12 July 2021, the Supreme Court stated the decision of parliament dissolution was unlawful. Similarly, it ordered the appointment Deuba as the next Prime Minister of Nepal citing article 76(5) of the Constitution of Nepal within 28 hours. It stated that the decision made by the president was against the norms of the constitution. On 13 July 2021, President Bidya Devi Bhandari appointed Sher Bahadur Deuba as the Prime Minister without including any article of Constitution and stating as per the order of Court. This created cold dispute and people alleged President Bhandari of forgetting her limits and being tilted to ex-PM Oli. After Deuba declined to take the oath as per the appointment letter, the letter was changed and stated that Deuba was made PM in accordance with article 76(5), marking Deuba's fifth term as PM.


title: Nepali Congress

text: This process of vote of confidence was keenly watched by people from within and outside the country. On 18 July 2021, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs of Nepal and Nepali Congress leader Gyanendra Bahadur Karki registered a proposal for vote of confidence in the first meeting of reinstated House of Representatives. Here, CPN(UML) got divided when only 69% MP from UML voted against Deuba. People's Socialist Party, Nepal remained united in voting for the Deuba despite ongoing process of party division. Hence, the government got vote of confidence with no party purely as opposition, a first in the history of Nepal.


title: Nepali Congress

text: Out of total 249 present for the vote, 165 voted for Deuba while 1 remained undecided. This includes 83 from CPN (UML) who voted against Deuba. 37 of them were either absent or voted in favour of Deuba. 22 MPs from Madhav Nepal faction and some rebel from Oli faction from CPN (UML) voted for Deuba. This was a historic win with nearly 66.3% of votes of total present in parliament. It was totally unexpected with just 61 voters from Nepali Congress. It was a big set back to Oli when 38 CPN (UML) MPs didn't vote against Deuba. This was seen as a result of Oli's "autocratic" rule and dissolution of the house twice.


title: Nepali Congress

text: In addition to this, Nepali Congress joined the government of Karnali on 6 June with an agreement of a roatational government. Within a week, Congress also joined the Province No. 2 government, as a result of an internal split in PSPN. Similarly, on 12 June Congress formed a coalition government Gandaki under its own leadership. On 12 August, Congress joined a coalition government in Lumbini formed under the leadership of CPN (Maoist Centre), with a provision of rotational government to be formed in the next few months. On 3 November 2021, Nepali Congress formed Karnali government under its own leadership sworning Jeevan Bahadur Shahi as chief minister of the province.


title: Nepali Congress

text: From 13 to 15 December 2021, Nepali Congress conducted its 14th general convention in the presence of 850,000 active members and nearly 5,000 candidates, re-electing Sher Bahadur Deuba as party president in the second round. The party elected Purna Bahadur Khadka and Dhanraj Gurung vice-presidents of the party. Popular youth leaders Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma were elected to the executive post of general secretary of the party.


title: Nepali Congress

text: On 13 May 2022, the Sher Bahadur Deuba-led government held local level elections, in which the ruling Nepali Congress swept the polls winning the posts of chiefs in 329 local units out of a total of 753, up from 266 in the last local elections held in 2017. The party secured wins in two metropolitan cities, Lalitpur and Biratnagar, as well as wins in four sub-metropolitan cities of Butwal, Nepalgunj, Janakpur and Itahari. The NC secured the highest vote among contesting parties in the elections.


title: Nepali Congress

text: On 20 November 2022, the Sher Bahadur Deuba-led government held general elections, in which the ruling Nepali Congress emerged as the single largest party at both national and provincial level winning as much as 57 seats of 90 seats it had contested.


title: Nepali Congress

text: The party was founded on the principle of democracy and socialism. In 1956, the party adopted democratic socialism as its ideology for socio-economic transformation. Its foreign policy orientation was to nonalignment and good relations with India. It initially favoured mainstream social democratic policies, but in the late 20th century, began moving closer to the political centre, starting in the 1990s, abandoning some of its previous social democratic policies in favor of those similar to the Third Way.


title: Japan (band)

text: Japan were an English new wave band formed in 1974 in Catford, South London by David Sylvian (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Steve Jansen (drums) and Mick Karn (bass guitar), joined by Richard Barbieri (keyboards) and Rob Dean (lead guitar) the following year. Initially a glam rock-inspired band, Japan developed their sound and androgynous look to incorporate electronic music and foreign influences.


title: Japan (band)

text: The band achieved success in the late 1970s and early 1980s, releasing nine UK top 40 hits, including the 1982 top 5 hit single "Ghosts", and scoring a UK top 5 with the live album "Oil on Canvas" (1983). The band split in December 1982, just as they were beginning to experience commercial success in the UK and abroad. Its members went on to pursue other musical projects, though they reformed briefly in the early 1990s under the name Rain Tree Crow, releasing an album in 1991.


title: Japan (band)

text: The band began as a group of friends in the early 1970s. Brothers (birth surname Batt) David Sylvian (guitar and vocals) and Steve Jansen (drums), and bassist Mick Karn studied at the same school, Catford Boys', Brownhill Road, South London. As youngsters they played Sylvian's two-chord numbers mainly as a means of escape; initially with Karn on lead vocals and Sylvian on guitar and backing vocals, Sylvian became lead vocalist in 1974. In June 1974, they made their first public performance at Karn's brother's wedding reception.


title: Japan (band)

text: The band, who were initially nameless, opted to call themselves Japan. The name was intended by Sylvian to be temporary until they could think of something else, but ultimately became permanent. The following year they were joined by another school friend Richard Barbieri on keyboards and later by lead guitarist Rob Dean, and signed a management deal with Simon Napier-Bell (who also managed the Yardbirds, Marc Bolan, London and Wham!) in 1976. After winning a label-sponsored talent contest the band signed a recording contract with the German disco label Hansa-Ariola in 1977, becoming an alternative glam rock outfit in the mould of Lou Reed, David Bowie, T.Rex, Roxy Music, and New York Dolls although their initial material was guitar-based funk.


title: Japan (band)

text: Shortly after signing the record deal Sylvian, Jansen and Karn adopted their stage names. Initially, the record company was horrified by the apparent similarity of Sylvian's and Jansen's names to the names of band members of the New York Dolls, but eventually accepted the name changes. In 1977, the band embarked on their first recording session for the record company with producer Ray Singer and performed as support band for Jim Capaldi and the Contenders on a UK tour.


title: Japan (band)

text: In March 1978, the band released their first single, a cover version of "Don't Rain on My Parade" followed a month later by their debut album "Adolescent Sex". Advertising campaigns that focused on the band's androgynous glam rock image failed to attract much interest for the band in the UK but was more successful in Japan where the band attracted a considerable fan following before a record had been released.


title: Japan (band)

text: The debut album was followed by a UK tour supporting Blue Öyster Cult. Intended to promote the album Japan faced negative criticism and hostile audiences. The album itself sold poorly and in August 1978 their second single "The Unconventional" failed to chart. In November, the band also made a short US tour, but although they were better accepted by American audiences it proved to be their last and only US tour. The follow-up album "Obscure Alternatives" showed musical progress and particularly the last track "The Tenant" – which has been described as a fusion of "Low"-era David Bowie and the piano works of Erik Satie – was a hint of the band's future, but again the album was a commercial and critical flop.


title: Japan (band)

text: Though influenced by artists such as Lou Reed, T. Rex, New York Dolls, Roxy Music and David Bowie, both albums were widely dismissed by the UK music press as being distinctly outmoded at a time when punk and new wave bands were in ascendance. Both albums, produced by Ray Singer, however sold well in Japan and the Netherlands, where the single "Adolescent Sex" was a top 30 hit. They also gained some popularity in Canada. But in their native UK, those albums failed to garner public attention and did not chart.


title: Japan (band)

text: While unsuccessful in their home country, the band gained a huge popularity in Japan. In March 1979, they made their first visit to the country and sold out the 11,000 seat capacity Budokan Theatre three days in a row.


title: Japan (band)

text: In 1979, the band briefly worked with the successful Euro disco producer Giorgio Moroder, who co-wrote and produced a one-off single, "Life in Tokyo". The track was unsuccessful as a single but a significant change in musical style from their earlier guitar-laden recordings, moving them away from their glam rock roots and into electronic new wave.


title: Japan (band)

text: The electronic style continued on their third album, "Quiet Life" (1979), which was produced by the band with John Punter and Simon Napier-Bell. In a retrospective review of the band's work, "The Quietus" described "Quiet Life" as defining "a very European form of detached, sexually-ambiguous and thoughtful art-pop, one not too dissimilar to what the ever-prescient David Bowie had delivered two years earlier with "Low". It showcased Barbieri's synthesizers, Sylvian's now baritone style of singing, Karn's distinctive fretless bass sound and Jansen's odd-timbred and intricate percussion work, with Dean's guitar playing becoming somewhat sparser and atmospheric. "Quiet Life" was their last studio album for Hansa-Ariola, although the label would later issue a compilation album ("Assemblage") featuring highlights from the band's tenure on the label, followed by a series of remixed and re-released singles.


title: Japan (band)

text: "Quiet Life" was the first Japan album to reach the UK Albums Chart, but it wasn't a success on its initial release. It peaked at a lowly 72 in February 1980 and dropped out of the chart the following week. The band had for long been a financial strain on their record company and management, and after a final attempt to score a hit single that would boost the sales of the album with a cover version of "I Second That Emotion" was unsuccessful, Japan was dropped by Hansa Records.


title: Japan (band)

text: After leaving Hansa-Ariola, the band signed with Virgin Records who released their last studio albums, "Gentlemen Take Polaroids" (1980) and "Tin Drum" (1981). The albums continued to expand their audience as the band refined its new sound, however, the combination of their newer sound and the band's stylised visual appearance led to them unintentionally becoming associated with the early-1980s New Romantic scene. The band had always worn make-up since their inception in the mid-1970s at the tail end of the glam rock era, several years before the New Romantic movement had begun. In an October 1981 interview, Sylvian commented "There's a period going past at the moment that may make us look as though we're in fashion." In another interview, he stated "I don't like to be associated with them [New Romantics]. The attitudes are so very different." Of Japan's fashion sense, Sylvian said "For them [New Romantics], fancy dress is a costume. But ours is a way of life. We look and dress this way every day." Regardless, it had a positive effect on the band's record sales in the UK and they slowly began to gain chart success.


title: Japan (band)

text: After a couple of lower charting singles, their first UK top 40 hit was a re-release of the "Quiet Life" single, which peaked at No. 19 in October 1981. Three of the singles from the "Tin Drum" album also peaked in the UK top 40, with its unconventional single "Ghosts" reaching No. 5, becoming Japan's biggest domestic hit. The "Tin Drum" album itself peaked just outside the UK top 10, and was the band's first record to be certified by the BPI, being awarded a silver disc within a month of release, and reaching gold status within four months. The album, produced by Steve Nye, is often regarded as one of the most innovative of the 1980s, with its fusion of occidental and oriental sounds. In 2011, thirty years after its release, "Tin Drum" was awarded BBC Radio 6 Music's 'Goldie Award' posthumously for the Best Album of 1981.


title: Japan (band)

text: With personality conflicts leading to rising tensions within the band, "Tin Drum" was to be the band's final studio album. Long-simmering differences among the band members came to a head when Karn's girlfriend, photographer Yuka Fujii, moved in with Sylvian and the individual members proceeded with their own projects. Rob Dean had already departed (in May 1981) after the release of the "Gentlemen Take Polaroids" album, as his electric guitar work became superfluous for the band's sound on "Tin Drum". Dean subsequently formed the band Illustrated Man. Karn released his first solo album, "Titles", at the same time the band announced their split in late 1982.


title: Japan (band)

text: The final "Sons of Pioneers" tour in late 1982 included dates in Europe, UK and the Far East. On this tour, guitarist and keyboardist Masami Tsuchiya performed with the band on stage.


title: Japan (band)

text: The group's final UK performances included a final TV appearance playing together on "The Old Grey Whistle Test" in October and culminating in a six-night sell-out stint at London's Hammersmith Odeon in November (which would be recorded and filmed to produce "Oil on Canvas", a live album and video released in June 1983). Japan's last performance was on 16 December 1982 in Nagoya, Japan.


title: Japan (band)

text: The band decided to split just as they were beginning to achieve major commercial success both in the UK and internationally, with "Oil on Canvas" becoming their highest charting UK album, reaching No. 5 on the UK Albums Chart, a rare feat for a live album. By this time, the band's back catalogue had begun to sell steadily and both Hansa-Ariola and Virgin Records continued to release Japan singles into 1983, ultimately earning the band a total of nine top 40 hits in the UK. In summer 1982, a Hansa re-release of "I Second That Emotion" became Japan's second top 10 hit, reaching number 9. A remixed version of "Life in Tokyo" and a Virgin Records release of "Nightporter" were subsequently both top 30 hits on the UK Singles Chart.


title: Japan (band)

text: During the early 1980s, Japanese multi-instrumentalist and experimental keyboardist Ryuichi Sakamoto, of Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO), briefly collaborated with the band, and worked directly alongside Sylvian on tracks such as "Taking Islands in Africa". He would continue to work with Sylvian both before and after the band split, and the pair would achieve the hit singles "Bamboo Houses" (1982) and "Forbidden Colours" (1983). Similarly, Steve Jansen was influenced by YMO's drummer Yukihiro Takahashi, subsequently joining him on several of Takahashi's solo projects and tours of Japan, along with additional full collaborative works between the two.


title: Japan (band)

text: All of the band members went on to work on other projects, with varying degrees of success. After his collaborations with Sakamoto, Sylvian's first solo album "Brilliant Trees" reached No. 4 on the UK Albums Chart in 1984, spawning the UK top 20 single "Red Guitar". Meanwhile, Karn had become a sought-after session musician and worked with artists such as Gary Numan, Kate Bush, and Joan Armatrading. He also had a top 40 hit ("After a Fashion") with Midge Ure in 1983, and collaborated with Peter Murphy of Bauhaus as the duo Dalis Car, releasing an album in 1984. Jansen and Barbieri worked together as the Dolphin Brothers and simply as Jansen & Barbieri ("Stories Across Borders", 1991, Virgin), and Rob Dean went on to work with Gary Numan and Sinead O'Connor and also later played on guitars on Australian band Geisha from late 1987 to April 1988.


title: Japan (band)

text: In September 1989, Sylvian, Karn, Jansen and Barbieri reunited under the moniker 'Rain Tree Crow'. They released an eponymously titled album in April 1991, which was well-received by music critics and reached the UK top 25. However, once again, the band dissolved following creative frictions between Sylvian and the other members.


title: Japan (band)

text: Medium Productions was a record label created in 1993 primarily to publish the music of Steve Jansen, Richard Barbieri, and Mick Karn. Medium was a means to release their own music with other collaborating artists, without 'big record label' compromise. Fifteen CDs of largely instrumental music were produced over a ten-year period. Medium Productions folded in 2004 as the founders became more involved in other projects (such as Porcupine Tree, Nine Horses). The entire MP catalog has been re-released on the Voiceprint Music label beginning in 2001.


title: Japan (band)

text: Richard Barbieri moved on to become the keyboardist for progressive rock band Porcupine Tree, a role he has filled since 1995's "The Sky Moves Sideways". Although band members would work with each other again on various individual projects (including Sylvian and Jansen's Nine Horses project), no further full Japan reunions were planned in any form.


title: Japan (band)

text: Throughout the 1990s Karn, Jansen and Barbieri reunited in instrumental projects with different guitarists such as David Torn and Steven Wilson.


title: Japan (band)

text: In 2003, Virgin Records re-issued remastered editions of "Gentlemen Take Polaroids", "Tin Drum" and "Oil on Canvas". BMG followed suit next year, and re-issued "Adolescent Sex", "Obscure Alternatives", "Quiet Life", and "Assemblage". All of these re-releases came in the 'digipak' format, collecting many bonus tracks. In 2006, all were repackaged in jewel cases to allow sale at a lower price point.


title: Japan (band)

text: The "Tin Drum" digipak re-issue was of particular interest as it was packaged in a cardboard box and contained the bonus 5-inch single "The Art of Parties", which comprised "The Art of Parties" (12" single and live versions), "Ghosts" (single version) and "Life Without Buildings" (B-side to "The Art of Parties" single). The package also included a booklet with black-and-white photos of the band members.


title: Japan (band)

text: Half-speed mastered 45 rpm double vinyl LP editions of "Gentlemen Take Polaroids" and "Tin Drum" were issued in August 2018. Both albums were remastered at Abbey Road Studios by Miles Showell. A single disc 33 rpm edition of both albums was also made available. The albums entered the Official Vinyl Charts at numbers 2 and 3 respectively in the first week of sales.


title: Christina Aguilera discography

text: American singer Christina Aguilera has released nine studio albums, two extended plays (EPs), six compilation albums, one soundtrack album, 54 singles (including eight as featured artist), and 16 promotional singles. To date, Aguilera has sold around 90 to 100 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling female music artist of all time. "Billboard" ranked Aguilera as the 37th Greatest Hot 100 Women of All Time and the 44th Greatest Billboard 200 Women of All Time. In the United States alone, Aguilera has sold 18.3 million albums. Through the RIAA she has 16.5 million certified albums units and 10 million certified digital singles units.


title: Christina Aguilera discography

text: Aguilera made her musical debut in 1998 with a cover of "Reflection", the theme song for Disney's "Mulan". Consequently, Aguilera signed a multi-album contract with RCA Records and released her self-titled debut album in 1999. It debuted at number one on the US "Billboard" 200 chart and produced the singles "Genie in a Bottle", "What a Girl Wants", "I Turn to You" and "Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)". The lead single, "Genie in a Bottle", became a commercial success, peaking the top spot of the US "Billboard" Hot 100 for five weeks and became the biggest hit of the summer of 1999. "Christina Aguilera" has sold over 14 million copies worldwide.


title: Christina Aguilera discography

text: Aguilera's two next studio albums, "Mi Reflejo" and "My Kind of Christmas", were both released in 2000. In 2001, she recorded two singles: "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" with Ricky Martin from the latter's "Sound Loaded", and "Lady Marmalade" with Mýa, Lil' Kim and Pink for "Moulin Rouge!" The latter was an international hit, peaking at number one on the "Billboard" Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks, becoming the most successful airplay-only single in history. Aguilera's fourth studio album, "Stripped" (2002), was intended to reflect her "real" personality. It debuted at number two on the "Billboard" 200 chart and spawned the successful singles "Dirrty", "Beautiful", "Fighter", "Can't Hold Us Down" and "The Voice Within". "Stripped" has since sold over 12 million copies worldwide.


title: Christina Aguilera discography

text: Aguilera's fifth studio album, "Back to Basics" (2006), is a dual disc album and was inspired by 1930s and 1940s jazz, blues and soul. It yielded the international top-ten hits "Ain't No Other Man", "Hurt" and "Candyman". As of November 2013, "Back to Basics" has sold over 5 million units. Aguilera's first greatest hits album, "", was released in 2008 and featured one single, "Keeps Gettin' Better". "Keeps Gettin' Better" became her biggest debut on the "Billboard" Hot 100, entering the chart at number seven in 2008. Aguilera's sixth and seventh studio albums, "Bionic" (2010) and "Lotus" (2012), both struggled to match the chart impact and sales of her previous albums. From 2011 to 2013, Aguilera appeared on tracks including "Moves like Jagger", "Feel This Moment" and "Say Something", all of which are top-ten hits worldwide. With "Moves like Jagger" topping the US "Billboard" Hot 100 in 2011, Aguilera became the fourth female artist to top the chart in three consecutive decades (1990s, 2000s, and 2010s).


title: Christina Aguilera discography

text: From 2013 to 2015, Aguilera released a string of singles including "We Remain", "Change" and "Telepathy". After a brief hiatus, Aguilera released her eighth studio album "Liberation" on June 15, 2018. The album was preceded by the singles "Accelerate", "Fall in Line" and "Like I Do", and the promotional single, "Twice". The album received positive acclaim and earned two Grammy Award nominations. In 2020, she re-recorded "Reflection" for the 2020 live adaption of "Mulan" alongside a new song, "Loyal Brave True", which was shortlisted for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. In 2021, Aguilera announced that she was working on a follow-up Spanish album to her 2000 "Mi Reflejo". She released her ninth studio album "Aguilera" on May 31, 2022. The album was released in three parts: "La Fuerza", "La Tormenta" and "La Luz".


title: Republic of Upper Volta

text: The Republic of Upper Volta () was a landlocked West African country established on 11 December 1958 as a self-governing colony within the French Community. Before becoming autonomous, it had been part of the French Union as the French Upper Volta. On 5 August 1960, it gained full independence from France. On 4 August 1984, it changed its name to Burkina Faso.


title: Republic of Upper Volta

text: Upper Volta obtained independence on 5 August 1960, with Maurice Yaméogo of the Voltaic Democratic Union-African Democratic Rally (UDV-RDA) becoming the country's first president. A constitution was ratified the same year, establishing presidential elections by direct universal suffrage and a National Assembly with five-year terms. Shortly after coming to power, Yaméogo banned all political parties other than the UDV-RDA. He had shown a deep authoritarian streak even before then, however; between the time he became prime minister of Upper Volta while it was still a French colony and independence two years later, opposition parties were subjected to increased harassment.


title: Republic of Upper Volta

text: On 3 January 1966, Yaméogo was overthrown in a coup d'état led by army chief of staff Sangoulé Lamizana. Although multiparty democracy was nominally restored four years later, Lamizana dominated the country's politics until he was himself overthrown in 1980.


title: Republic of Upper Volta

text: After a series of short-term presidencies, Thomas Sankara then came to power through a military coup d'état on 4 August 1983. After the coup, he formed the National Council for the Revolution (CNR), with himself as president. Under the direction of Sankara, the country changed its name on 4 August 1984, from Upper Volta to Burkina Faso, which means "Land of Incorruptible People".


title: Republic of Upper Volta

text: The colours of the national flag corresponded to the names of its three main tributaries: the Black Volta, the White Volta and the Red Volta. The flag was identical to that of the German Empire.


title: Look What You Made Me Do

text: "Look What You Made Me Do" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on August 24, 2017, by Big Machine Records, as the lead single from her sixth studio album, "Reputation" (2017). Swift wrote and produced the song with Jack Antonoff. Released after a year of her public hiatus, several publications have noted the song as one of pop music's most memorable comebacks, buoyed by its accompanying music video.


title: Look What You Made Me Do

text: The single is an electroclash, dance-pop, and electropop song with lyrics about various events that contributed to the tarnish of Swift's repute. Right Said Fred members (Richard Fairbrass, Fred Fairbrass, and Rob Manzoli) received songwriting credits since the hook interpolates the melody of their 1991 song "I'm Too Sexy". Upon release, the song polarized music critics, some of whom complimented Swift's new direction and praised it as a fierce return, while others were disappointed with her change of style.


title: Look What You Made Me Do

text: Breaking a string of records, "Look What You Made Me Do" became Swift's fifth number-one single on the US "Billboard" Hot 100 and one of the most dominant number-one hits in the chart's history. It amassed the most plays in a single day on Spotify and topped the Hot 100 for three consecutive weeks. It also debuted atop the "Billboard" Digital Song Sales and Streaming Songs charts, with 353,000 song downloads and 84.4 million streams. The song debuted and peaked at number-one in several countries worldwide, including Australia, Canada, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Scotland and the UK.


title: Look What You Made Me Do

text: The music video, directed by Joseph Kahn, premiered at the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards, three days after the song's release. Upon its release on YouTube, the music video garnered 43.2 million views in its first 24 hours, breaking the record for the most views in its first 24 hours of release, at that time; it also broke the 24-hour Vevo record, which is now held by Swift's own 2019 single "Me!". The video garnered critical acclaim, and was ranked by "Billboard" and "Rolling Stone" as one of the best music videos of 2017. As of July 2018, "Look What You Made Me Do" is certified 4× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for exceeding 4 million units in the US. The song has also received platinum or multi-platinum certifications in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, and a diamond certification in Brazil.


title: Look What You Made Me Do

text: On August 23, 2017, Swift announced that the first single from her upcoming sixth album, titled "Reputation", would come out the following night. The song was released to streaming services on August 24, and earned over eight million streams within twenty-four hours of its Spotify release, breaking the record at the time for the highest first-day streaming for a single track. Since then, the record has been surpassed by four songs. "Look What You Made Me Do" was then released the next day onto iTunes for digital download through Big Machine Records and onto Italian contemporary hit radio. It impacted American contemporary hit radio on August 29, 2017. A CD single release followed in Germany on October 27, 2017.


title: Look What You Made Me Do

text: A lyric video heavily based on the Saul Bass imagery used in the film "Vertigo" was released through Swift's official Vevo account on August 25, 2017. The video was produced by Swift and Joseph Kahn and directed by ODD. It gained more than 19 million views during its first 24 hours on YouTube, surpassing "Something Just Like This" by the Chainsmokers and Coldplay as the most viewed lyric video within that time period. As of August 2022, the lyric video on YouTube has amassed over 140 million views.


title: Look What You Made Me Do

text: Regarded as her comeback, "Look What You Made Me Do" was released after a year of Swift's hiatus from public spotlight, which followed the immense media and internet scrutiny she faced due to her highly publicized disputes. Mainstream media interpreted the song as Swift "claiming her narrative" back. The song, and its release, is considered as one of pop music's most memorable moments, spurred by its music video and the numerous records that were broken. Prior to the song's release, Swift blacked out her website and her social media, including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Two days after blacking out, cryptic and glitchy snake videos were uploaded to her social media, leading to the announcement of the song and her new album, "Reputation".


title: Look What You Made Me Do

text: "Look What You Made Me Do" was produced by Swift and Jack Antonoff, and runs for 3 minutes and 31 seconds. Music critics have described the track as an electroclash, dance-pop, electropop. It emphasizes the blame that is placed on an enemy, in particular the line "I've got a list of names and yours is in red, underlined", which was inspired by Arya Stark's kill list in the television series "Game of Thrones". The middle eight of the song features Swift saying, "I'm sorry, the old Taylor can't come to the phone right now / Why? / Oh, 'cause she's dead!". "Look What You Made Me Do" is performed in the key of A minor with a tempo of 128 beats per minute. Swift's vocals span from G to F.


title: Look What You Made Me Do

text: Brittany Spanos of "Rolling Stone" noted a "nightmarish aesthetic" present in the song, and believed it to be a continuation of the "antagonistic persona" from "Bad Blood". Richard Fairbrass, Fred Fairbrass and Rob Manzoli, the members of the British dance-pop group Right Said Fred, are credited as songwriters because the song interpolates the melody of their song "I'm Too Sexy". According to Fred Fairbrass, he and his brother were contacted one week before the release of "Look What You Made Me Do" and were asked whether a "big, contemporary female artist who hasn't released anything for a while" – whose identity they were not told – would be able to use a portion of their song for her latest single. Although the brothers agreed to a deal, they did not officially find out that the artist in question was Swift until the morning after the song was released, but had deduced that it was her based on the description they were given. Both of the Fairbrass brothers said that they enjoyed "Look What You Made Me Do"; Fred Fairbrass told "Rolling Stone", "I like the cynical aspect of the lyric, because 'I'm Too Sexy' is a cynical song, and I think she channeled that quite well." A representative for Swift confirmed that the song interpolated the melody from "I'm Too Sexy", but did not include sampled audio from the earlier song.


title: Look What You Made Me Do

text: Upon release, "Look What You Made Me Do" received polarizing reviews from critics, with some calling it a fierce return, and some a disappointment. "USA Today" said that the polarizing reaction to the song illustrated Swift's position as a "ubiquitous cultural force". "The Telegraph"'s Randy Lewis praised the song, deeming Swift and Antonoff's work as "blowing past the production clichés of clap tracks and hiccuped syllabic hooks that have proliferated across Top 40 fare in recent years with boldly inventive textures and fresh melodic, rhythmic and sonic accents". He also added how the track musically and sonically shifted alongside the lyrics.


title: Look What You Made Me Do

text: Sarah Carson of the "Los Angeles Times" wrote a positive review of the song, saying: "The reverberating crescendo builds and ever more delicious is the wickedness of Swift's menacing protagonist", praising Swift for her successful embrace of the villain character the media has portrayed her as previous to the song's release. "Variety"s Chris Willman also praised Swift's embrace of a darker-styled pop music and the stylistic conflict between the song's pre-chorus and chorus. Mark Harris, writing for "Vulture", thought of Swift's song as a pop art anthem for the Trump era in how she reappropriates her public feuds as empowering badges of honor without acknowledging her own responsibility or blame.