title: Thomas Anders

text: Anders's third attempt at a solo career proved to be more successful, albeit unable to match the popularity of his Modern Talking periods. Shortly after the break-up of Modern Talking, Anders started recording his eighth solo album, pop effort "This Time", which was released in February 2004. Unlike his previous attempts at a solo career, this album proved to be rather successful, climbing to the number 14 spot in Germany. Furthermore, the three singles from the album, "Independent Girl", "King of Love", and "Tonight Is the Night" charted at 17, 37, and 60 respectively, making "This Time" his biggest success as a solo artist in his native country. Furthermore, "King of Love" became a number 1 hit in Turkey, whereas "Independent Girl" reached number 1 in Russia. For the show Holiday on Ice, Anders composed and performed "Just Dream", which reached number 64 in Germany. He took part as a jury member in Stefan Raab's casting show "SSDSGPS (Stefan sucht den Super Grand Prix Star)", which searched for the German entrant for the 2003 Eurovision Song Contest and was a competing event to Dieter Bohlen's "Deutschland sucht den Superstar". The same year and in 2009, he hosted the German companion show for the Eurovision Song Contest and became the host of "Best of Formel Eins" on Kabel1 in 2004. With his 2006 album "Songs Forever", Anders again tried himself at swing cover songs, such as "For Your Eyes Only" or "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me". The album managed to peak at number 43 in Germany, but he failed to win the preliminaries to represent Germany during the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest. Also, during the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, he hosted the accompanying music show ""Auf nach Berlin" – WM-KultTour". In 2006, the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv made him an honorary professor for "shaping the musical taste of a generation." Anders is especially successful in Eastern Europe, where he is considered a musical icon and still fills stadiums, while holding the distinction of being the most commercially successful foreign artist in Russia.


title: Thomas Anders

text: After not releasing any new material except a Christmas song and several features in 2008, as well as being featured on Sandra's 2009 single "The Night Is Still Young", which reached number 46 in Germany, Anders released another studio album in 2010. "Strong", a return to electronic and pop, reached Platinum status in Russia for sales of more than 650.000 units, making him the best-selling international artist in Russia that year, while it failed to chart in Germany or other regions. The singles "Why Do You Cry" and "Stay With Me" also failed to make an impact, while the former peaked at No. 21 on Russian Airplay Chart.<ref name="Airplay Detection Top Hit 100 Weekly: 08/03/2010-14/03/2010"></ref> In 2010, he hosted music show "Die neue Hitparade" on RTL II. He returned to success with electronic and pop oriented "Two", a 2011 collaboration album with German producer Jörn-Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen, performing under the moniker Anders|Fahrenkrog. The album reached number 11 in Germany, his highest charting release not with Modern Talking, and the single "Gigolo" climbed to number 40. In November 2012, Anders released a new solo album called "Christmas for You". It includes seasonal hits such as "I'll Be Home for Christmas" and "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" as well as covers of well-known classics such as "Silent Night" and Wham!'s "Last Christmas". On 9 August 2013, Anders in collaboration with Persian singer Omid Soltani released the song "We Are One". Due to the success of the releases in the vein of his Modern Talking era hits, he released the album "History" in 2016, which featured two new songs as well as new renditions of most Modern Talking singles. It peaked at number 42 in Germany.


title: Thomas Anders

text: In April 2017, Anders released his first German language song in almost 35 years, "Der beste Tag meines Lebens" ("The best day of my life"). While it failed to chart, the accompanying studio album "Pures Leben" ("Pure Life"), promoted as his first German language release, peaked to number 14 in Germany. Anders has stated that he was pleasantly surprised by the album's success, asserting that he is more popular abroad than in his home country, fully knowing that people would most likely be indifferent to a German language album by him. On 1 May 2018, Anders was announced as a judge on the revival of the German version of "X Factor". Later that year, he released his second German language album, "Ewig mit dir" ("Forever with you"), which managed to climb to number 12 in the German album charts. It produced two singles, "Das Leben ist jetzt" ("Life is now") and "Sie sagte doch sie liebt mich" ("But she said she loved me"), a duet with Florian Silbereisen, which managed to attain number 70 in the German single charts.


title: Thomas Anders

text: Anders is the son of Helga and Peter Weidung. He has one brother, Achim, and one sister, Tania. He was married to Nora Balling from 1984 to 1999. Since July 2000, Anders has been married to Claudia Hess, with whom he has a son, Alexander Mick, born in 2002.


title: Awami League

text: The Bangladesh Awami League (), often simply called the Awami League or AL, is a centrist to centre-left political party in Bangladesh and one of the major political parties in Bangladesh, being the ruling party of Bangladesh since 2009.


title: Awami League

text: The All Pakistan Awami Muslim League was founded in Dhaka, the capital of the Pakistani province of East Bengal, in 1949 by Bengali nationalists Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani, Shawkat Ali, Yar Mohammad Khan, and Shamsul Huq, and joined later by Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy who went on to become Prime Minister of Pakistan. The Pakistan Awami Muslim League was established as the Bengali alternative to the domination of the Muslim League in Pakistan and over centralisation of the government. The party quickly gained a massive popular support in East Bengal, later named East Pakistan, and eventually led the forces of Bengali nationalism in the struggle against West Pakistan's military and political establishment.


title: Awami League

text: The party under the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, led the struggle for independence, first through massive populist and civil disobedience movements, such as the Six Point Movement and 1971 Non-Cooperation Movement, and then during the Bangladesh Liberation War.


title: Awami League

text: After the emergence of independent Bangladesh, the Awami League won the first general elections in 1973 but was overthrown in 1975 after the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The party was forced by subsequent military regimes onto the political sidelines, and many of its senior leaders and activists were executed or jailed. After the restoration of democracy in 1990, the Awami League emerged as one of the principal players of Bangladeshi politics. Since 2009, when the Awami League came to power, Bangladesh has experienced democratic backsliding.


title: Awami League

text: Amongst the leaders of the Awami League, five have become the President of Bangladesh, four have become the Prime Minister of Bangladesh and one became the Prime Minister of Pakistan. The incumbent Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, has headed the party since 1981.


title: Awami League

text: The Bangladesh Awami League's modern foreign policy is to maintain good foreign relations with all countries, including the US, the UK, France, and Germany as well as Russia and China.


title: Awami League

text: During the post-Mughal era no political parties existed in the area known as Bangla or Bangal. After the British arrived and established government, the system of political representation (though much later) was adopted in the area of Bangla (Bengal) or introduced in Bengal. After the official departure of the British, the area known as East Bengal became a part of Pakistan, and the establishment of the Muslim was led by its founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah and his Muslim League party.


title: Awami League

text: In 1948, there was rising agitation in East Bengal against the omission of Bengali script from coins, stamps and government exams. Thousands of students, mainly from the University of Dhaka, protested in Dhaka and clashed with security forces. Prominent student leaders including Shamsul Huq, Khaleque Nawaz khan, Shawkat Ali, Kazi Golam Mahboob, Oli Ahad, and Abdul Wahed were arrested and the police were accused of repression while charging protesters. In March, senior Bengali political leaders were attacked whilst leading protests demanding that Bengali be declared an official language in Pakistan. The leaders included A. K. Fazlul Huq, the former Prime Minister of undivided Bengal. Amidst the rising discontent in East Bengal, Jinnah visited Dhaka and announced that Urdu would be sole state language of Pakistan given its significance to Islamic nationalism in South Asia. The announcement caused an emotional uproar in East Bengal, where the native Bengali population resented Jinnah for his attempts to impose a language they hardly understood on the basis of upholding unity. The resentment was further fuelled by rising discrimination against Bengalis in government, industry, bureaucracy and the armed forces and the dominance of the Muslim League. The Bengalis argued that they constituted the ethnic majority of Pakistan's population and Urdu was unknown to the majority in East Bengal. Moreover, the rich literary heritage of the Bengali language and the deep rooted secular culture of Bengali society led to a strong sense of linguistic and cultural nationalism amongst the people of East Bengal. The only significant language in Pakistan not written in the Persian-Arabic script was Bengali. Against this backdrop, Bengali nationalism began to take root within the Muslim League and the party's Bengali members began to take a stand for recognition.


title: Awami League

text: On 23 June 1949, Bengali nationalists from East Bengal broke away from the Muslim League, Pakistan's dominant political party, and established the All Pakistan Awami Muslim League. Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani and Shamsul Huq were elected the first president and general secretary of the party respectively, Ataur Rahman Khan was elected the vice-president, Yar Mohammad Khan was elected as the treasurer, while Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad and A. K. Rafiqul Hussain were elected the party's first joint secretaries. The party was formed to champion the rights of the masses in Pakistan against the powerful feudal establishment led by the Muslim League. However, due to its strength stemming from the discriminated Bengali population of Pakistan's eastern wing, the party eventually became associated and identified with East Bengal.


title: Awami League

text: In 1952, the Awami Muslim League and its student wing played an instrumental role in the Bengali Language Movement, during which Pakistani security forces fired upon thousands of protesting students demanding Bengali be declared an official language of Pakistan, famously killing a number of students including Abdus Salam, Rafiq Uddin Ahmed, Abul Barkat and Abdul Jabbar. The events of 1952 are widely seen by historians today as a turning point in the history of Pakistan and the Bengali people, as it was the starting point of the Bengali nationalist struggle that eventually culminated in the creation of Bangladesh in 1971.


title: Awami League

text: Hussein Shaheed Suhrawardy, who had been the AIML-nominated prime minister of Bengal in 1937 and held the same office after 1946 elections, did not agree to 'Muslim League' as the name of AIML in Pakistan. He initiated the thought that the ideal of political representation under religious identity was no longer prudent after independence and the organisation might be named as Pakistan League. Moreover, he claimed that Muslim League's objective of struggling to form a nation state had been achieved therefore political representation should continue focusing on nationalism based on Pakistani sovereignty. Suhrawardy's suggestion was not accepted, thus, he parted ways with the party to be reestablished as the Awami League in 1949. This was to serve the first shock to the country's political structure. In 1953, the party's council meeting voted to drop the word "Muslim". In the run-up to the East Bengal Legislative Assembly Elections in 1954, the Awami League took the lead in negotiations in forming a pan-Bangla political alliance including the Krishak Praja Party, Nizam-e-Islam and Ganatantrik Dal. The alliance was termed the Jukta Front or United Front and formulated the "Ekush Dafa", or 21-point Charter, to fight for establishing rights in East Pakistan. The party also took the historic decision to adopt the traditional Bengali boat, which signified the attachment to rural Bengal, as its election symbol.


title: Awami League

text: The election in April 1954 swept the United Front coalition into power in East Bengal with a massive mandate of 223 seats out of 237 seats. The Awami League itself won 143 seats while the Muslim League won only 9 seats. Veteran student leader and language movement stalwart Khaleque Nawaz Khan defeated incumbent prime minister of the then East Bengal Mr. Nurul Amin in a landslide margin. Mr. Nurul Amin was defeated in his home Nandail constituency. Khaleque Nawaz Khan created history at age 27 by defeating sitting prime minister and Muslim League was wiped out from political landscape of the then East Pakistan. A. K. Fazlul Huq assumed the office of Chief Minister of East Bengal and drew up a cabinet containing many of the prominent student activists that were leading movements against the Pakistani state. They included Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from the Awami League, who served as commerce minister.


title: Awami League

text: Leaders of the new provincial government demanded greater provincial autonomy for East Bengal and eventually succeeded in pressuring Prime Minister Muhammad Ali Bogra, himself a Bengali, to endorse the proposed constitutional recognition of Bengali as an official language of Pakistan. The United Front also passed a landmark order for the establishment of the Bangla Academy in Dhaka.


title: Awami League

text: As tensions with the western wing grew due to the demands for greater provincial autonomy in East Bengal, Governor-General Ghulam Muhammad dismissed the United Front government on 29 May 1954 under Article 92/A of the provisional constitution of Pakistan.


title: Awami League

text: In September 1956, the Awami League formed a coalition with the Republican Party to secure a majority in the new National Assembly of Pakistan and took over the central government. Awami League President Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy became the Prime Minister of Pakistan. Suhrawardy pursued a reform agenda to reduce the long-standing economic disparity between East and West Pakistan, greater representation of Bengalis in the Pakistani civil and armed services and he unsuccessfully attempted to alleviate the food shortage in the country.


title: Awami League

text: The Awami League also began deepening relations with the United States. The government moved to join the Southeast Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO) and Central Treaty Organisation (CENTO), the two strategic defence alliances in Asia inspired by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Maulana Bhashani, one of the party's founders, condemned the decision of the Suhrawardy government and called a conference in February 1957 at Kagmari, Tangail in East Bengal. He protested the move and the support lent by the Awami League leadership to the government. Bhashani broke away from the Awami League and then formed the leftist National Awami Party (NAP).


title: Awami League

text: Yar Mohammad Khan funded the 5-day Kagmari Conference. He was the treasurer of the kagmari conference committee.


title: Awami League

text: The controversy over One Unit (the division of Pakistan into only two provinces, east and west) and the appropriate electoral system for Pakistan, whether joint or separate, also revived as soon as Suhrawardy became Prime Minister. In West Pakistan, there was strong opposition to the joint electorate by the Muslim League and the religious parties. The Awami League however, strongly supported the joint electorate. These differences over One Unit and the appropriate electorate caused problems for the government.


title: Awami League

text: By early 1957, the movement for the dismemberment of the One Unit had started. Suhrawardy was at the mercy of central bureaucracy fighting to save the One Unit. Many in the business elite in Karachi were lobbying against Suhrawardy's decision to distribute millions of dollars of American aid to East Pakistan and to set up a national shipping corporation. Supported by these lobbyists, President Iskander Mirza demanded the Prime Minister's resignation. Suhrawardy requested to seek a vote of confidence in the National Assembly, but this request was turned down. Suhrawardy resigned under threat of dismissal on 10 October 1957.


title: Awami League

text: On 7 October 1958, President Iskander Mirza declared martial law and appointed army chief General Ayub Khan as Chief Martial Law Administrator. Ayub Khan eventually deposed Mirza in a bloodless coup. By promulgating the Political Parties Elected Bodies Disqualified Ordinance, Ayub banned all major political parties in Pakistan. Senior politicians, including the entire top leadership of the Awami League, were arrested and most were kept under detention till 1963.


title: Awami League

text: In 1962, Ayub Khan drafted a new constitution, modelled on indirect election, through an electoral college, and termed it 'Basic Democracy'. Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy joined Nurul Amin, Khwaja Nazimuddin, Maulvi Farid Ahmed and Hamidul Haq Chowdhury in forming National Democratic Front against Ayub Khan's military-backed rule and to restore elective democracy. However the alliance failed to obtain any concessions. Instead the electoral colleges appointed a new parliament and the President exercised executive authority.


title: Awami League

text: Widespread discrimination prevailed in Pakistan against Bengalis during the regime of Ayub Khan. The University of Dhaka became a hotbed for student activism advocating greater rights for Bengalis and the restoration of democracy in Pakistan.


title: Awami League

text: On 5 December 1963, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy was found dead in his hotel room in Beirut, Lebanon. His sudden death under mysterious circumstances gave rise to speculation within the Awami League and the general population in East Pakistan that he had been poisoned.


title: Awami League

text: The 6-point demands, proposed by Mujib, were widely accepted by the East Pakistani populace, as they proposed greater autonomy for the provinces of Pakistan. After the so-called Agartala Conspiracy Case, and subsequent end of the Ayub Khan's regime in Pakistan, the Awami League and its leader Sheikh Mujib reached the peak of their popularity among the East Pakistani Bengali population. In the elections of 1970, the Awami League won 167 of 169 East Pakistan seats in the National Assembly but none of West Pakistan's 138 seats. It also won 288 of the 300 provincial assembly seats in East Pakistan. This win gave the Awami League a healthy majority in the 313-seat National Assembly and placed it in a position to establish a national government without a coalition partner. This was not acceptable to the political leaders of West Pakistan who feared the 6 points were a step towards breaking up the country and led directly to the events of the Bangladesh Liberation War. A particular point of disagreement was transferring 6 powers to one province which was unprecedented. The Awami League leaders, taking refuge in India, successfully led the war against the Pakistan Army throughout 1971. Leader Sheikh Mujib was arrested by the Pakistan Army on 25 March 1971, but the Bangladeshi people continued the fight to free themselves for nine months.


title: Awami League

text: After victory on 16 December 1971, the party formed the national government of Bangladesh. In 1972, under Sheikh Mujib, the party name was changed to "Awami League". The new government faced many challenges as they rebuilt the country and carried out mine clearing operations. The party had pro Pakistani newspaper editors arrested and shut down the nations' newspapers leaving only four in operation. Food shortages were also a major concern of the Awami League. War had damaged all forms of farming. The party aligned itself with NAM, and leaned towards the Soviet bloc. The party was accused of corruption by supporters of Pakistan. In 1974 Bangladesh suffered a famine: 70,000 people died, and support for Mujib declined. Bangladesh continued exporting jute to Cuba, violating US economic sanctions, the Nixon government barred grain imports to Bangladesh. This exacerbated famine conditions.


title: Awami League

text: In January 1975, facing violent leftist insurgents Mujib declared a state of emergency and later assumed the presidency, after the Awami League dominated parliament decided to switch from parliamentary to a presidential form of government. Sheikh Mujib renamed the League the Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League, and banned all other parties. The consequences lead to a critical political state. BAKSAL was dissolved after the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.


title: Awami League

text: The move towards a secular form of government caused widespread dissatisfaction among many low ranking military personnel, most of whom received training from Pakistan army. On 15 August 1975 during the time of K M Shafiullah as a Head of the Army Stuffs. some junior members of the armed forces in Dhaka, led by Major Faruk Rahman and Major Rashid, murdered Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and all his family members, including his wife and minor son. Within months, on 3 November 1975, four more of its top leaders, Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmed, Captain Muhammad Mansur Ali and A. H. M. Qamaruzzaman were killed inside the Dhaka Central Jail as they were on behalf of BAKSAL. Only Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana, two daughters of Mujib, survived the massacre as they were in West Germany as a part of a cultural exchange program. They later claimed political asylum in the United Kingdom. Sheikh Rehana, the younger sister, chose to remain in the UK permanently, while Sheikh Hasina moved to India and lived in self-imposed exile. Her stays abroad helped her gain important political friends in the West and in India that proved to be a valuable asset for the party in the future.


title: Awami League

text: After 1975, the party remained split into several rival factions and fared poorly in the 1979 parliamentary elections held under a military government. In 1981 Sheikh Hasina returned as Ziaur Rahman allowed her to return after the largest party faction, the Awami League elected her its president, and she proceeded to take over the party leadership and unite the factions. As she was under age at the time she could not take part in the 1981 presidential elections that followed the assassination of President Ziaur Rahman. Throughout the following nine years of military rule by General Hossain Mohammad Ershad the Awami League participated in some polls but boycotted most as Ershad did not believe in democracy. On 7 May 1986, Awami League participated in the general election of Bangladesh staged by military ruler Lt Gen Hussain Muhammad Ershad even though the other major political party and the winner of previous elections Bangladesh Nationalist Party boycotted. British observers including a journalists termed the elections a "tragedy for democracy" and a "cynically frustrated exercise".


title: Awami League

text: The Awami League emerged as the largest opposition party in parliament in the elections in 1991, in which Khaleda Zia became the first female prime minister.


title: Awami League

text: AL's second term in office had mixed achievements. Apart from sustaining economic stability during the Asian economic crisis, the government successfully settled Bangladesh's long standing dispute with India over sharing the water of the river Ganges (also known as Padma) in late 1996, and signed a peace treaty with tribal rebels in 1997. In 1998, Bangladesh faced one of the worst floods ever, and the government handled the crisis satisfactorily. It also had significant achievements in containing inflation, and peacefully neutralising a long-running leftist insurgency in south-western districts dating back to the first AL government's time. However, rampant corruption allegations against party office bearers and ministers as well as a deteriorating law and order situation troubled the government. Its pro poor policies achieved wide microeconomic development but that left the country's wealthy business class dissatisfied. The AL's last months in office were marred by sporadic bombing by alleged Islamist militants. Hasina herself escaped several attempts on her life, in one of which two anti-tank mines were planted under her helipad in Gopalganj district. In July 2001, the second AL government stepped down, becoming the first elected government in Bangladesh to serve a full term in office.


title: Awami League

text: The party won only 62 out of 300 parliamentary seats in the elections held in October 2001, despite winning 40% of the votes, up from 36% in 1996 and 33% in 1991. The BNP and its allies won a two-thirds majority in parliament with 46% of the votes cast, with BNP alone winning 41%, up from 33% in 1996 and 30% in 1991.


title: Awami League

text: In its second term in opposition since 1991, the party suffered the assassination of several key members. Popular young leader Ahsanullah Master, a member of parliament from Gazipur, was killed in 2004. This was followed by a grenade attack on Hasina during a public meeting on 21 August 2004, resulting in the death of 22 party supporters, including party women's secretary Ivy Rahman, though Hasina lived. Finally, the party's electoral secretary, ex finance minister, and veteran diplomat Shah M S Kibria, a member of parliament from Habiganj, was killed in a grenade attack in Sylhet later that year.


title: Awami League

text: In June 2005, the Awami League won an important victory when the AL nominated incumbent mayor A.B.M. Mohiuddin Chowdhury won the important mayoral election in Chittagong, by a huge margin, against BNP nominee State Minister of Aviation Mir Mohammad Nasiruddin. This election was seen as a showdown between the Awami League and the BNP. However, the killing of party leaders continued. In December 2005, the AL supported Mayor of Sylhet narrowly escaped the third attempt on his life as a grenade thrown at him failed to explode.


title: Awami League

text: In September 2006, several of the party's top leaders, including Saber Hossain Chowdhury MP and Asaduzzaman Nur MP, were hospitalised after being critically injured by police beatings while they demonstrated in support of electoral-law reforms. Starting in late October 2006, the Awami League led alliance carried out a series of nationwide demonstrations and blockades centring on the selection of the leader of the interim caretaker administration to oversee the 2007 elections. Although an election was scheduled to take place on 22 January 2007 that the Awami League decided to boycott, the country's military intervened on 11 January 2007 and installed an interim government composed of retired bureaucrats and military officers.


title: Awami League

text: Throughout 2007 and 2008, the military backed government tried to root out corruption and remove Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia of the AL and BNP respectively. While these efforts largely failed, they succeeded in producing a credible voter list that was used on 29 December 2008 national election.


title: Awami League

text: The Awami League won the national election held on 29 December 2008 as part of a larger electoral alliance that also included the Jatiya Party led by former military ruler General Hussain Muhammad Ershad as well as some leftist parties. According to the Official Results, Bangladesh Awami League won 230 out of 299 constituencies, and together with its allies, had a total of 262 parliamentary seats. The Awami League and its allies received 57% of the total votes cast. The AL alone got 48%, compared to 36% of the other major alliance led by the BNP which by itself got 33% of the votes. Sheikh Hasina, as party head, became the new Prime Minister. Her term of office began in January 2009. The current cabinet has several new faces, including three women in prominent positions: Dr Dipu Moni (Foreign Minister), Matia Chowdhury (Agriculture Minister) and Sahara Khatun (Home Minister). Younger MPs with a link to assassinated members of the 1972–1975 AL government are Syed Ashraful Islam, son of Syed Nazrul Islam, Sheikh Taposh, son of Sheikh Fazlul Huq Moni, and Sohel Taj, son of Tajuddin Ahmad.


title: Awami League

text: Since 2009, the Awami League government faced several major political challenges, including BDR (Bangladesh Rifles) mutiny, power crisis, unrest in garments industry and stock market fluctuations. Judicial achievements for the party included restoring original 1972 constitution, returning secularism to the constitution, beginning of war crimes trials, and guilty verdict in 1975 assassination trial. According to the Nielsen 2-year survey, 50% felt the country was moving in the right direction, and 36% gave the government a favourable rating.


title: Awami League

text: In the 2014 election the Awami League led alliance won a second term of which 154 Members (out of 300) of Parliament were selected where there were no election . Only 5% voter attended in the polling station and cast their votes. The opposition and one of the most popular parties (BNP) boycotted the election for removing the caretaker government (neutral government) system from the constitution after completion of 5 years tenure. With 21 people dead due to the violence during election, along with further human rights abuses and an absence of opposition, this was one of the controversial general elections in Bangladesh's history. This election was further tainted by arrests where dozens of opposition leaders and members were taken into custody.


title: Awami League

text: The All Pakistan Awami Muslim League () or the East Pakistan Awami Muslim League was formed as a breakaway faction of the "All Pakistan Muslim League" in 1949, within two years of the formation of Pakistan. The word Muslim was dropped in 1953 and it became the secular Awami League. During the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, most of the Awami League members joined the Provisional Government of Bangladesh and Mukti Bahini guerrillas to fight against the Pakistani army and the name "Bangladesh Awami League" was eventually settled upon.


title: Awami League

text: The most common mascot and electoral symbol for the party has been the boat, which signified the attachment to rural Bengal. Traditionally the party had no consistent colour identity. After the 1991 election, the colour green became associated with Awami League, while blue has become the identifying colour for rival nationalist party.


title: Awami League

text: The salutation "Joy Bangla" (; meaning "Victory to Bengal" or "Long live Bengal") is the official slogan of the Awami League. It was the slogan and war cry of the Mukti Bahini that fought for the independence of Bangladesh during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. The phrase "Joy Bangla, Joy Bangabandhu" is used by the party members at the end of speeches and communications pertaining to or referring to patriotism towards Bangladesh and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib.


title: Awami League

text: The Awami League party flag is a green field with four five-rayed red star at its centre, and a vertical red stripe at the hoist side. The flag also bears some resemblance to the flag of Pakistan, showing the ex-Pakistani origin of the Awami League. The four stars on the Flag represent the four fundamental principles of the party: nationalism, secularism, socialism, and democracy.


title: Awami League

text: The Bangladesh Awami League styles itself as the leader of the "pro-liberation" forces in Bangladesh, promoting secular and social democratic sections of the political establishment in the country. The party constitution states, and in two cases defines the reason for, four fundamental principles in guiding its philosophy and policies. They include:


title: Awami League

text: Before the 2008 general elections in Bangladesh, the Awami League announced in its manifesto, its "Vision 2021" and "Digital Bangladesh" action plans to transform Bangladesh into a fast-developing middle-income country by 2021. The party uses the term "Shonar Bangla", or golden Bengal, to describe its vision for Bangladesh to become a modern developed nation. The term is reminiscent of Bangladesh's national anthem and a utopian vision in Bengali nationalism.


title: Awami League

text: Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina supported calls to remove the Statue of Justice in Bangladesh Supreme Court. Many criticized these calls, saying Sheikh Hasina was bowing down to the pressure of Islamist political hard-liners.


title: Awami League

text: In recent years, the party has begun espousing more economically liberal positions, and has moved closer to the centre of the political spectrum.


title: Awami League

text: The "Constitution of the Bangladesh Awami League" () has 24 Articles and includes contents of General Program, Membership, Organization System, Central Organizations, Name, Aims and Objectives, Fundamental Principles, Commitments. In accordance with the changing situation and tasks, revisions were made in some of the articles at the National Conference.


title: Awami League

text: The "National Conference" NC () is the party's highest body, and, since the 1st National Conference in 1949, has been convened every three years (sometimes on an irregular basis). According to the party's constitution, the National Conference may be postponed on except "under extraordinary circumstances." The party constitution gives the NC following responsibilities:


title: Awami League

text: In practice, the party councillors and delegates rarely discuss issues at length at the National Conference. Most substantive discussion takes place before the Conference, in the preparation period, among a group of top party leaders. In between National Conferences, the Central Working Committee is the highest decision-making institution.


title: Awami League

text: The Central Working Committee () of the Awami League is a political body that comprises the top leaders of the Party. It is currently composed of 81 full members and 29 alternate members. Members are elected once every three years by the National Conference of the Bangladesh Awami League.


title: Awami League

text: Almost 38 "Advisory Council" () members working as party's think-tank and are not Part of the Central Working Committee The Awami League Advisory Council is the highest governing of Bangladesh Awami League.


title: Awami League

text: The Centre for Research and Information "CRI" is the think-tank and research cell of the Awami League. The foundation offers political education, conducts scientific fact-finding research for political projects, grants scholarships to gifted individuals, researches the history of Awami League, and supports and encourages youth, international understanding, and development-policy co-operation.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: Michael Ciaran Parker (born 4 May 1952), known by his stage name Michael Barrymore, is an English actor, comedian and television presenter of game shows and light entertainment programmes on British television in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. These included "Strike It Lucky", "My Kind of People", "My Kind of Music," "Kids Say the Funniest Things", and his own variety show, "Barrymore". In 1993, he headlined the "Royal Variety Performance".


title: Michael Barrymore

text: At his peak, Barrymore was voted the UK's favourite television star several times, and became one of the highest-paid stars on television from the mid-1980s to the late-1990s. After his peak of popularity in the mid-1990s, Barrymore appeared on "Celebrity Big Brother" and other shows including "The Friday Night Project", "Graham Norton's Bigger Picture", "This Morning", "The Sharon Osbourne Show" and "The Saturday Night Show". He starred in "Bob Martin" from 2000 to 2001, a comedy drama in which he played the title role of a failing television game-show host.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: Barrymore's television career effectively ended after the death of Stuart Lubbock in 2001 following a party at Barrymore's house in Essex. Barrymore was the subject of police investigations and legal action around the case over several years.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: Born Michael Ciaran Parker in Bermondsey, he lived on the Dickens estate for the first 18 years of his life with his two elder siblings. His father left when Barrymore was 11 and they never saw each other again. Barrymore and his siblings were raised in the Roman Catholic faith of their Irish mother, Margaret.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: Barrymore spent his early career working as a Redcoat at Butlins holiday camps and then in the West End theatre shows of London, where he met dancer and lifelong friend Cheryl St Claire in 1974. They married in 1976. With Cheryl as manager and the mastermind behind Barrymore's rise to fame, he first won a 1975 edition of "New Faces", became a regular panellist on "Blankety Blank" and then the warm-up man for Larry Grayson on the "Generation Game" and also for Little and Large theatre shows. In the early days, Barrymore used to do impressions of John Cleese and Norman Wisdom, among others.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: Barrymore rose to fame via appearances on "Blankety Blank" and "Who Do You Do?" and his television career began firstly by having his own sketch show entitled "The Michael Barrymore Show" in 1983, which starred a young Nicholas Lyndhurst, and he also appeared in "Russ Abbott's Madhouse" as various characters between 1981 and 1982. He walked out of his contract with LWT, who produced "The Michael Barrymore Show", after only one series; he then landed the presenter's role on the BBC gameshow, "Get Set Go!". He appeared in a number of "Royal Variety Performance" shows, his first being in 1983. He became the host of ITV gameshow "Strike It Lucky" (which later became "Strike It Rich") in 1986 and it grew in popularity over the years and this was watched by 18 million viewers at its peak.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: This was Barrymore's first successful presenting role ("Get Set Go!" had been cancelled after only one single series), which led then to his own light entertainment show, "Barrymore" in 1991. However, before that he had his own show between 1988 and 1989, produced for the BBC entitled "Michael Barrymore's Saturday Night Out"; it was set in Jersey and the theme tune, "Doin' the Crab" had been released as a single in 1987.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: In 1991, Barrymore was given his own show entitled "Barrymore" where he interviewed guests, performed his comedy routines and joined in with other performers on the show. The show lasted throughout the 1990s right up to 2000, and was consistently nominated for awards over the years in the UK. Among the many famous guests that appeared on "Barrymore" were Cliff Richard, Uri Geller, and Spike Milligan.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: Following his appearance on the 1993 "Royal Variety Performance", where he performed a version of "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" with soldiers, he became popular on television and on the stage. The Royal Variety Show performance brought the house down and cemented Barrymore's place at the heart of the British public. Barrymore became well known through his catchphrases of "Awight!", on making his entrance, and on "Strike It Lucky", "Top, middle or bottom?" and "What is a hot spot not?", to which the studio audience would reply "Not a good spot".


title: Michael Barrymore

text: Following on from the success, Barrymore had a very public battle with substance abuse. He went into rehab due to his alcohol and drug addiction in 1994. He left after a couple of months and went on to write a best-selling book about his experiences, including rehab, and he also went on a stage tour called "Back in Business" in 1994.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: He then regained his former status and made another series of "Barrymore" and recorded a new series called "My Kind of People". He came out as gay on 19 August 1995 and split from his wife in 1996. He made a new series of "Strike It Lucky", now called "Strike It Rich" and another "Barrymore" series. More editions of "Strike It Rich" and "Barrymore" were shown in 1997 and he also appeared in "Spice World" as Mr. Step.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: A spin-off talent show, "My Kind of People" and game show "My Kind of Music" followed the success of both "Barrymore" and "Strike It Rich". Following a dip in ratings, "Barrymore" was cancelled in 1997 (it later returned in 2000). He went on to new projects with "Kids Say the Funniest Things", "Animals Do the Funniest Things" and "Barrymore on Broadway". He was voted the UK's favourite TV star several times, and became one of the highest-paid stars on TV. Barrymore won the National Television Award for Most Popular Entertainment Presenter five out of the first six years, last at the 6th NTAs in 2000. This makes him the last winner of that award before Ant and Dec, who since the 7th NTAs in 2001 have been named Most Popular Entertainment Presenter (or, since 2016, Most Popular TV Presenter) every year the awards were held, 19 in all as of January 2020.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: He recorded two new series called "My Kind of Music" and "Kids Say the Funniest Things" in 1998 along with more "Strike It Rich". Newer editions of all three series were shown and another series of "Barrymore" was recorded and shown in 2000. The year 2000 also saw Barrymore move into acting in "Bob Martin" where he played the character of Bob Martin; he recorded two series of the comedy (2000–01). Barrymore also presented a second series of "Kids Say the Funniest Things" which aired in late 2000 and also a fourth series of "My Kind of Music" which was on the air at the time that Stuart Lubbock died in Barrymore's pool on 31 March 2001. Following Lubbock's death, both "Bob Martin" and "My Kind of Music" stayed on the air but whilst the investigation was ongoing, he did not record any further programmes for ITV. They constantly backed him when asked by the newspapers and simply waited for investigations to conclude. In October 2001, Barrymore was given a drugs caution and began recording a new series of "My Kind of Music".


title: Michael Barrymore

text: Following a party at Barrymore's house in Essex in the early hours of 31 March 2001, a 31-year-old man, Stuart Lubbock, drowned in Barrymore's swimming pool. Three witnesses – including Barrymore – claimed to have found him motionless in the pool. Witnesses disagreed on whether Lubbock was found floating on top of the pool or at the bottom. Barrymore had said he was on top of the pool. Lubbock, described as a "bubbly partygoer", had traces of drugs and alcohol in his system. In the postmortem, pathologists discovered severe anal injuries, which several experts, including senior Home Office pathologist Nathaniel Cary, later agreed were consistent with a sexual assault.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: Many tabloid newspapers accused Barrymore of holding drug-fuelled gay orgies in his home and asserted he had some responsibility for the death. Kylie Merritt, a partygoer, had claimed that Barrymore had been seen at the party rubbing cocaine onto Lubbock's gums, an allegation Barrymore denied.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: Barrymore received a police caution for possession and use of cannabis. Barrymore and two other people at the party, unemployed Justin Merritt and drag queen Jonathan Kenney, were arrested on suspicion of murder on 6 June 2001. No other charges were laid against him or anyone else in connection with the death. The inquest that took place in September 2002 reached an open verdict. In light of the verdict, Cheryl Barrymore was approached by a friend of the Lubbock family. She provided the family's solicitor with both an affidavit and subsequent court testimony that her ex-husband had lied under oath, and could in fact swim; she also alleged he had rubbed cocaine onto the gums of other people as well as his own.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: In November 2002, Barrymore's lawyers successfully demanded that Essex Police re-investigate matters surrounding Lubbock's death. Their focus was on Barrymore's allegations that the injuries inflicted upon Lubbock's body could have occurred while it was lying unguarded in the mortuary. A pathologist's report found that Lubbock's wounds were only four hours old at the time of the examination at 4 pm, while Lubbock had been pronounced dead at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow at 8.20 am that morning. Barrymore told Five Live: "We want to prove the fact that the anal injuries could not have happened at the house." He added: "If these injuries had happened then, why have the police not charged anyone with anything?" An investigation into these claims by Essex Police in 2003 found "no evidence" to support them, instead concluding there was "strong evidence" the injuries were sustained before the arrival of paramedics.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: On Barrymore's high-profile return to the UK in January 2006 to take part in "Celebrity Big Brother", former solicitor, politician and local activist Anthony Bennett initiated a private prosecution, comprising six charges regarding Barrymore's alleged misuse of drugs on the night of Stuart Lubbock's death. The action commenced in Epping Magistrates' Court in January 2006 and, on 10 February 2006, a District Judge at Southend Magistrates' Court blocked the private prosecution against Barrymore on the grounds of insufficient evidence being available for the case to continue. Bennett was no longer a solicitor and was acting independently of Terry Lubbock, Stuart's father.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: In an interview with Piers Morgan in the December 2006 edition of "GQ", Barrymore stated there were other witnesses to the events who were hiding information. On 2 December 2006, police announced they were re-opening the investigation into Lubbock's death. The re-investigation followed a lengthy dossier submitted by Bennett, who was now Terry Lubbock's solicitor, cataloguing a series of alleged failures by Essex Police in the original investigation and claiming that there had been an elaborate cover-up of the true circumstances of Lubbock's death.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: On 22 December 2006, following a successful complaint to the Press Complaints Commission by Bennett, "The Sun" published a letter from Terry Lubbock replying to the newspaper's five-page feature on Barrymore earlier in the year which featured Terry's meeting with Barrymore.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: On 1 March 2007, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), following a complaint lodged the previous December by Terry Lubbock, announced an investigation into aspects of the police inquiry into Lubbock's death after receiving complaints from the Lubbock family. It was reported that complaints surrounded information Essex Police gave to a coroner and pathologist after Lubbock's death. In May the IPCC agreed with Terry Lubbock a schedule of 36 separate complaints relating to the original investigation into Lubbock's death.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: On 14 June 2007, Essex Police arrested Barrymore and two other men on suspicion of murder and sexual assault in the Lubbock case. The two other men arrested were Jonathan Kenney, Barrymore's partner at the time of the death, and Justin Merritt, an unemployed former dustman at the time, all present at the party when Lubbock died. The three men were held for questioning at South Woodham Ferrers police station.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: This followed reports in "The Harlow Herald" that police had seized tapes from the home of Barrymore's literary agent, Tony Cowell, allegedly containing conversations between Cowell and Barrymore.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: On 15 June 2007, police were given permission to question Barrymore and one other man for a further 12 hours. Barrymore's solicitor Henri Brandman confirmed his client was one of the men arrested. Later that day Barrymore was released on police bail pending further enquiries. His solicitor stated that Barrymore "categorically denied" the allegations made and had not been charged with any offence.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: On 31 July 2007, it was announced that Barrymore had been re-bailed to appear at an Essex Police station on 10 September. He answered bail on 10 September at a police station in Harlow, Essex. Police were then granted a further 12 hours to question him. On that date, Barrymore and the other two men were told that they would not face charges for the events that occurred. The case was left open. In July 2008 Lubbock's father published the book "Not Awight: Getting Away With Murder", co-authored with Bennett, explaining their theory that Stuart had died as a result of a violent attack on him, which Barrymore and his associates that night covered up.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: In July 2015, Barrymore began the process of suing Essex Police over his arrest. In October 2016, it was reported that High Court papers showed police had admitted that Barrymore was wrongfully arrested and detained. This was because "the arresting officer, PC Cootes, was not fully aware of the grounds for arrest ... and not by reason of a lack of reasonable grounds to suspect the claimant."


title: Michael Barrymore

text: Hugh Tomlinson QC, for Mr Barrymore, had told the High Court judge that Mr Barrymore was never charged with any offence and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) later made it “crystal clear” that there was no basis for any charges.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: On 18 August 2017, the High Court in London ruled that Barrymore would be entitled to "more than nominal" damages against Essex Police after being wrongly arrested 10 years previously. The judge did not decide on the sum to be awarded, as his ruling dealt only with the preliminary issue of the level of damages to be awarded. Barrymore was not present for the decision but valued his claim at more than £2.4 million. Essex Police released a statement on 1 July 2019 to announce that the claim for damages had been dropped, and that no payment had been made to Barrymore, following an appeal; the Court of Appeals judges determined instead that Barrymore was entitled only to ‘nominal’ damages.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: On 4 February 2020 Essex Police offered a £20,000 reward for information leading to a conviction. The cash reward, funded by Essex Police and the charity Crimestoppers, was in response to a new Channel 4 documentary on the incident, "Barrymore: The Body in the Pool", that aired on 6 February 2020.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: On 17 March 2021, Essex Police confirmed that they had arrested a 50-year-old man from Cheshire in connection with the indecent assault and murder of Stuart Lubbock, as a result of the appeal. He was later released without charge.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: Following the revelation of Lubbock's death, ITV terminated Barrymore's contract and his television career collapsed. A new series of "Kids Say the Funniest Things" recorded prior to the scandal was pulled from the ITV schedule and never broadcast. "The Guardian" reported that the BBC cancelled publication of Barrymore's life story. In September 2003, Barrymore staged a one-man show at London's Wyndham's Theatre, which closed after a few days. He subsequently immigrated to New Zealand to live with his partner, Shaun Davis. He has since had live stage shows in New Zealand and Australia. In 2005, he appeared in "Chicago" in Napier, New Zealand.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: In December 2005, it was announced that Barrymore was being paid £150,000 by Channel 4 to take part in "Celebrity Big Brother" commencing 5 January 2006. He had a difficult relationship with housemate George Galloway, which culminated in a 20-minute heated argument between the two men. On 27 January 2006 he finished runner-up to Chantelle Houghton.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: Remaining in the UK, Barrymore was booked to be the guest host on Channel 4's "The Friday Night Project" for the edition broadcast on 3 February 2006. This is the last time that Barrymore appeared on a show as the presenter. The months following Barrymore's appearance on "Big Brother" were full of speculation that Barrymore was in talks with a number of television channels over the possibility of new shows, but nothing ever came of this. Barrymore's appearance on the "Friday Night Project" is the last time he presented a primetime television show.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: It was announced that for Christmas 2006, Barrymore would play the title role in Bill Kenwright's production of "Scrooge – The Musical". He performed the lead role at the Empire Theatre, Sunderland, but the production's scheduled transfer to the West End was cancelled. In January 2008, Barrymore took the role of comedian and writer Spike Milligan in the stage play "Surviving Spike". It played Windsor and later the Edinburgh Fringe, but again, its West End transfer was cancelled. In February 2010, he appeared on Irish television on "The Saturday Night Show", where he unexpectedly performed numerous bizarre and controversial antics, including pretending to be Jedward's father. In May 2010, Barrymore startled his co-contestants on a reality TV show by revealing that he had fallen in love with a woman. Barrymore was filming an episode of Channel 4 show "Come Dine with Me", with former "Generation Game" host Anthea Redfern and presenters Pat Sharp and Jenny Powell, when he said he was going to have a party to celebrate that he was "coming back in".


title: Michael Barrymore

text: His personal publicity, particularly in the tabloid press, continues to be negative. In December 2011, he was convicted of cocaine possession and fined £780. Although "Strike It Rich" and "Strike It Lucky" have been repeated on the digital channel Challenge, his entertainment shows such as "Barrymore" and "My Kind of People" are never repeated anywhere and his work is never included on clip shows, such as those marking ITV's 50th anniversary or the 100th anniversary of the London Palladium.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: His only work in 2012 was on local radio stations, and on hospital radio. One was on Minster FM, on Greg Scott's breakfast show on 25 February 2012, where he was surprised to meet one of his all-time favourite television guests, Fiona Iverson, who had appeared on his show twenty years earlier.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: In 2013, Barrymore appeared on RTÉ show "The Saturday Night Show" for the second time, his first appearance was in February 2010, on this show he talked about his harsh treatment by the press, his addiction and also the possibility of a new show called "My Kind of Twits". He subsequently claimed on Twitter that a pilot for "My Kind of Twits" would be filmed in May, but this did not happen. Barrymore also appeared on "The Nolan Show" in June 2013.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: In March 2019 Michael appeared on Piers Morgan Life Stories which generated a warm welcome and praise for the TV star.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: In September 2019, it was announced that Barrymore would take part in the twelfth series of ITV's "Dancing on Ice" starting in January 2020. However on 18 December 2019, he had to withdraw because of a broken hand and was replaced by former "Blue Peter" presenter Radzi Chinyanganya.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: Barrymore met his former wife Cheryl Cocklin in 1974 while she was performing as a dancer in a West End theatre show. They married in 1976.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: Cocklin became his manager and was the mastermind behind Barrymore's rise to fame. Cocklin later said that Barrymore had problems with alcohol and depression, and as a result of his attack on her at the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles, she was placed by British police on the "at risk" register.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: At the height of his popularity, Barrymore suffered increasing alcohol problems. Barrymore claims he wanted to seek help, but that Cheryl continually told him: "No, you're not (alcoholic). Don't be stupid."


title: Michael Barrymore

text: In mid-1995, at the height of his fame, he went to "The White Swan" gay pub in London's East End, where he gave an impromptu stage performance to the largely local crowd singing the words: "Start spreading the news – I'm gay today". Within 48 hours, every tabloid newspaper had printed its own version of the evening's events, including an untrue claim that Barrymore had thrown away his wedding ring.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: In November 1995, Barrymore attended the National Television Awards. At an after-show party on a live late night radio show, he publicly declared he was gay and "no longer wanted to live a lie", following which he split with Cheryl. She later claimed that Barrymore took the step and did not tell her because of his talks with Diana, Princess of Wales.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: After several aborted reunions, Cheryl and Michael divorced in 1997; she went on to publish the autobiography "Catch a Falling Star" in 2002, which contained details of their acrimonious split. The couple subsequently had no contact, and Cheryl at her request ceased to be Barrymore's agent or manager. Barrymore later suggested in his 2006 autobiography "Awight Now: Setting the Record Straight" that Cheryl was a control freak who controlled his every movement including his clothes, and she had created the character that was "Michael Barrymore", which consequently drove him to alcohol, drugs and gay affairs. In an interview in 2002, Barrymore stated he had an alcohol addiction and was in recovery.


title: Michael Barrymore

text: On 1 April 2005, Cheryl died of lung cancer, aged 55, at the Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth in St John's Wood.


title: Kim Thayil

text: Kim Anand Thayil (born September 4, 1960) is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist of the Seattle-based rock band Soundgarden, which he co-founded with singer Chris Cornell and bassist Hiro Yamamoto in 1984. Cornell and Thayil remained as the original members of the band until Cornell's death in 2017, and the band's subsequent split in 2018. Thayil was named the 100th greatest guitarist of all time by "Rolling Stone" in 2010, and the 67th greatest guitarist of all time by SPIN in 2012. Thayil has won two Grammy Awards as a member of Soundgarden.


title: Kim Thayil

text: Born in Seattle in 1960, Thayil grew up in the Chicago suburb of Park Forest. His parents came from the state of Kerala in India to Seattle. His mother Shanti Thayil was a music teacher who studied to be a concert pianist at the Royal Academy of Music. His father Boniface Thayil earned a degree in chemical engineering, received employment in Chicago and moved there with his family.


title: Kim Thayil

text: Thayil started writing lyrics at 12 years old. In 1977, he formed his first band in Chicago, Bozo And The Pinheads, a punk rock band. They did both original songs (written by Thayil and inspired by his punk music tastes) and cover tunes (mostly the Sex Pistols, Devo and the Ramones). Their first gig was at a school talent show for an audience of about 500 people.


title: Kim Thayil

text: He played guitar in a post-punk band called Identity Crisis in 1980, and released a 7" inch EP called "Pretty Feet".


title: Kim Thayil

text: Thayil met Hiro Yamamoto at Rich East High School in Park Forest. He graduated, along with Hiro Yamamoto, from the Active Learning Process School (ALPS) at Rich East High School in 1979, the same school Bruce Pavitt graduated from 2 years earlier, in 1977. He and Yamamoto decided to move to Olympia, Washington, to study at The Evergreen State College, but they were unable to find jobs and decided to move to Seattle. There, Thayil earned money as a DJ for KCMU and earned a degree in philosophy at the University of Washington. In Seattle they also met Chris Cornell, a roommate, and the three formed Soundgarden in 1984.


title: Kim Thayil

text: Soundgarden became the first of Seattle's grunge bands to sign with a major label (A&M Records). They went on to release five albums, including three which went platinum at least once, and won two Grammys.


title: Kim Thayil

text: Thayil became acclaimed for his guitar work, which was typically characterized by heavy riffing, and was cited among other grunge guitarists as an influence and a pioneer of the "Seattle Sound." In 1994, Thayil commented, "I think Soundgarden is a pretty good band and I'm a fine guitarist. I'm not God, but I'm certainly not average. I feel very comfortable with the fact that not many other people can do what I do on guitar. I think my guitar is happy with the way I play it."


title: Kim Thayil

text: Originally one of Soundgarden's main songwriters, Thayil's contributions as a writer eventually dwindled to just one song on "Down on the Upside", "Never the Machine Forever", although he contributed to details in every song, as did every band member. Thayil explained that "Collaboration was paramount in our early music, especially right at the beginning when it was me on guitar, Hiro on bass and Chris on drums," but eventually all four members became songwriters of their own, "all writing guitar parts that I had to learn." This led him to do "Never the Machine Forever" all on his own, as Thayil thought "Well, if I'm going to have a song on this fucking record, I'm going to have to write lyrics."


title: Kim Thayil

text: Thayil joined singer Johnny Cash, bassist Krist Novoselic of Nirvana and drummer Sean Kinney of Alice in Chains for a cover of Willie Nelson's "Time of the Preacher", featured on the tribute album "Twisted Willie", released in January 1996.


title: Kim Thayil

text: After the 1997 breakup of Soundgarden, Thayil went on to contribute guitar to work by Pigeonhed and Presidents of the United States of America. More recently, he contributed guitar to the track "Blood Swamp" from the 2006 Sunn O)))/Boris album Altar, for which he also wrote liner notes. Thayil also plays lead guitar on a track called "V.O.G." by Ascend, which features Gentry Densley (Iceburn, Eagle Twin) and Greg Anderson (Sunn O))), Engine Kid, Goatsnake). Ascend's record, titled Ample Fire Within, was released in 2008 by Southern Lord Records.


title: Kim Thayil

text: In 1999, Thayil formed a punk band, the No WTO Combo, with Jello Biafra (formerly of Dead Kennedys), Krist Novoselic (formerly of Nirvana, at the time a member of Sweet 75), and Gina Mainwal (also of Sweet 75). The band was formed to celebrate and further the rampant protest activity against the WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999, which was held on November 30, 1999. Originally scheduled to play at The Showbox on that same evening, police prevented the band from doing so, forcing the show to be rescheduled for the following night. This was Thayil's first live concert since the breakup of Soundgarden. The show was recorded by Mark Cavener and mixed by Soundgarden producer Jack Endino; it was released as the album "Live from the Battle in Seattle" in May 2000.


title: Kim Thayil

text: In 2003, "Rolling Stone" magazine named Thayil #100 on the list of the "100 greatest guitarists of all time".


title: Kim Thayil

text: In 2004, Thayil played guitar for Probot, Dave Grohl's heavy metal side-project; he was featured on the songs "Ice Cold Man" and "Sweet Dreams."


title: Kim Thayil

text: Thayil was a recurring participant on the "Almost Live!" sketch comedy show, calling things "lame" during "The Lame List" segments.


title: Kim Thayil

text: In 2009, Thayil played with Soundgarden's Matt Cameron and Ben Shepherd at a show in Seattle on March 24, 2009, at the Crocodile Cafe that was headlined by Tom Morello's The Nightwatchman. It was the first time the three had played together in public since the band's 1997 breakup. The three were joined by Tad Doyle of fellow 1990s Seattle band TAD, and performed three Soundgarden songs. For the last song (Spoonman) they were joined by Tom Morello (Morello had played the song before with Audioslave). Thayil has also played with Greg Gilmore of Mother Love Bone and Danny Kelly of Heliotroupe in the group Set & Setting. Their debut performance was October 31, 2009 above the famed K Records warehouse now known as the Cherry Street Loft ("The Loft on Cherry") in Olympia, Washington.


title: Kim Thayil

text: On January 1, 2010, it was announced through Facebook and Twitter posts by Chris Cornell that the official Soundgarden fanclub had been restarted. On April 15, 2010, it was announced that Soundgarden would play its first show since 1997 the following day at the Showbox at the Market in its Seattle hometown. The band played under the name 'Nudedragons', an anagram for Soundgarden.


title: Kim Thayil

text: On August 5, 2010, the band played their first reunion show under the Soundgarden name at The Vic Theatre in Chicago. Three days later, on August 8, 2010, they headlined the final night of Lollapalooza in Grant Park.


title: Kim Thayil

text: In September 2010, the band released the compilation album "Telephantasm". November 2012 saw the release of "King Animal", their first studio album since 1996.


title: Kim Thayil

text: In 2012, Thayil voiced a character in Season IV: Church of the Black Klok's "Dethcamp" in the Adult Swim original series "Metalocalypse".


title: Kim Thayil

text: On May 18, 2017, Chris Cornell was found dead in his hotel room, cancelling the rest of their tour and the band was disbanded again in 2018, with the exception of their one-off show of Tribute to Chris Cornell in January 2019.


title: Kim Thayil

text: In March 2018, it was announced that original member of the proto punk band MC5, Wayne Kramer would embark on a 35 date tour of North America for their 50th anniversary of the band's debut "Kick Out the Jams", recruiting Thayil to play guitar along with Brendan Canty of Fugazi, Doug Pinnick of King's X, and Marcus Durant of Zen Guerrilla.


title: Kim Thayil

text: In 2020 Thayil played guitar solos on the song "The Firebird" for the jazz fusion band, the Barret Martin Group. In 2021 Kim Thayil played lead guitar and Matt Cameron played drums for a track, "Only Love Can Save Me Now", on the new Pretty Reckless album. Pretty Reckless frontwoman Taylor Momsen said that without Thayil, recording the track would have been impossible, as "Kim is a master – there's no-one else like him."


title: Kim Thayil

text: In December 2020, Thayil, Krist Novoselic, Jennifer Johnson, Jillian Raye, Jeff Fielder and Ben Smith performed the song "Drone" at the Seattle Museum of Pop Culture's tribute to Alice in Chains.


title: Kim Thayil

text: In 2021 Thayil appeared on Mastodon's double album "Hushed and Grim", playing lead guitar on the track "Had It All."


title: Kim Thayil

text: In 2021 Thayil, along with drummer Matt Cameron, bassist Krist Novoselic, guitarist Bubba Dupree, and vocalists Jennifer Johnson and Jillian Raye formed the group 3rd Secret. Their self-titled debut album, which they recorded at The Bait Shop in Bellevue, Washington with producer Jack Endino was released in April 2022. The group also performed at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle.


title: Nori

text: Nori is a dried edible seaweed used in Japanese cuisine, made from species of the red algae genus "Pyropia", including "P. yezonesis" and "P. tenera". It has a strong and distinctive flavor, and is often used to wrap rolls of sushi or "onigiri" (rice balls).


title: Nori

text: The finished dried sheets are made by a shredding and rack-drying process that resembles papermaking. They are sold in packs in grocery stores for culinary purposes. Since nori sheets easily absorb water from the air and degrade, a desiccant is needed when storing nori for any significant time.


title: Nori

text: Originally, the term "nori" was generic and referred to seaweeds, including "hijiki". One of the earliest descriptions of nori is dated to around the eighth century. In the Taihō Code that was enacted in 701, "nori" already was included in the form of taxation. Local people were described as drying nori in Hitachi Province fudoki (721–721), and harvesting of nori was mentioned in Izumo Province fudoki (713–733), showing that nori was used as food from ancient times. In "Utsubo Monogatari", written around 987, "nori" was recognized as a common food. Nori had been consumed as paste form until the sheet form (Ita-nori 板海苔) was invented in Asakusa, Edo (contemporary Tokyo), around 1750 in the Edo period through the method of Japanese paper-making.


title: Nori

text: The word ""nori"" first appeared in an English-language publication in "C. P. Thunberg's Trav.", published in 1796. It was used in conjugation as ""Awa nori"", probably referring to what now is called aonori.


title: Nori

text: When Japan was in need of high food production after WWII, production of nori was in decline. They sought to supplement their traditional reliance upon harvesting the natural product from the sea. Due to a lack of understanding of nori's three-stage life cycle, however, those attempting to produce nori artificially did not understand why their cultivation methods were not being productive with nori. The industry was rescued by knowledge derived from the work of British phycologist Kathleen Mary Drew-Baker, who had been researching the organism "Porphyria umbilicalis" that grew in the seas around Wales and was harvested for food (bara lafwr or bara lawr), as in Japan. Her work was discovered by Japanese scientists who applied it to artificial methods of seeding and growing the nori, rescuing the industry. Kathleen Baker was hailed in Japan as the "Mother of the Sea" and a statue was erected in her memory. She is still revered as the savior of the Japanese nori industry.


title: Nori

text: In the twenty-first century, the Japanese nori industry faces a new decline due to increased competition from seaweed producers in China and Korea and an increase in domestic sales tax.


title: Nori

text: The word "nori" started to be used widely in the United States and the product (imported in dry form from Japan) became widely available at natural food stores and Asian-American grocery stores in the 1960s due to the macrobiotic movement and in the 1970s with the increase of sushi bars and Japanese restaurants.


title: Nori

text: Production and processing of "nori" is an advanced form of agriculture. The biology of "Pyropia", although complicated, now is well understood, and this knowledge is used to control the production process. Farming takes place in the sea where the "Pyropia" plants grow attached to nets suspended at the sea surface and where the farmers operate from boats. The plants grow rapidly, requiring approximately 45 days from "seeding" until the first harvest. Multiple harvests can be taken from a single seeding, typically at approximately ten-day intervals. Harvesting is accomplished using mechanical harvesters of a variety of configurations. Processing of raw product is mostly accomplished by highly automated machines that accurately duplicate traditional manual processing steps, but with much improved efficiency and consistency. The final product is a paper-thin, black, dried sheet of approximately and in weight.


title: Nori

text: Several grades of nori are available in the United States. The most common (and least expensive) grades are imported from China, costing approximately six cents per sheet. At the high end, ranging up to 90 cents per sheet, are "delicate "shin-nori"" ("nori" from the first of the year's several harvests) cultivated in the Ariake Sea, off the island of Kyushu in Japan.


title: Nori

text: In Japan, more than of coastal waters are given to producing of nori, worth more than a billion dollars. China produces approximately a third of this amount.


title: Nori

text: Nori is commonly used as a wrap for sushi and "onigiri". It is also a garnish or flavoring in noodle preparations and soups. It is most typically toasted prior to consumption ("yaki-nori"). A common secondary product is toasted and flavored nori ("ajitsuke-nori"), in which a flavoring mixture (variable, but typically soy sauce, sugar, sake, mirin, and seasonings) is applied in combination with the toasting process. Nori also is eaten by making it into a soy sauce-flavored paste, "nori no tsukudani" (). Sometimes it also is used as a form of food decoration.


title: Nori

text: A related product, prepared from the unrelated green algae "Monostroma" and "Enteromorpha", is called "aonori" ( literally blue/green "nori") and it is used as an herb on everyday meals, such as "okonomiyaki" and "yakisoba".


title: Nori

text: Raw seaweed is 85% water, 6% protein, 5% carbohydrates, and has negligible fat (table). In a 100 gram reference amount, seaweed is a rich source (20% or more of the Daily Value, DV) of vitamin A, vitamin C, riboflavin, and folate (table). Seaweed is a moderate source (less than 20% DV) of niacin, iron, and zinc. Seaweed has a high content of iodine, providing a substantial amount in just one gram. A 2014 study reported that dried purple laver ("nori") contains vitamin B12 in sufficient quantities to meet the RDA requirement (Vitamin B12 content: 77.6 μg /100 g dry weight). By contrast, however, a 2017 review concluded that vitamin B12 may be destroyed during metabolism or is converted into inactive B12 analogs during drying and storage. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics stated in 2016 that nori is not an adequate source of vitamin B12 for humans.


title: Nori

text: Nori may contain toxic metals (arsenic and cadmium), whose levels are highly variable among nori products. It also contains amphipod allergens that may cause serious allergic reactions, especially in highly sensitized crustacean-allergic people. Therefore, daily consumption of high amounts of dried nori is discouraged.


title: Nori

text: The red algae genera is also consumed in Korean cuisine as "gim" and in Wales and Ireland as laverbread.


title: Drag Race (franchise)

text: Drag Race is a drag queen reality competition television franchise, created by American drag entertainer RuPaul with production company World of Wonder. The franchise originated in the United States with "RuPaul's Drag Race", where it premiered in 2009. The series primary objectives is finding the first (or next) "Drag Superstar" who possesses the traits of "charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent". The original series is often credited for bringing drag into the "mainstream" media.


title: Drag Race (franchise)

text: As of 2022, "RuPaul's Drag Race" has produced fourteen seasons and has spawned several spin-off series such as: "RuPaul's Drag U" (2010–2012), "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars", and "RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race". With the series being popular, three drag fan conventions have been created: RuPaul's DragCon LA, RuPaul's DragCon NYC, and RuPaul's DragCon UK.


title: Drag Race (franchise)

text: With the American series being popular, a Thai production company acquired the rights to create their own Thai adaptation of "RuPaul's Drag Race". With the Thai adaptation being successful, it spawned many international adaptations of the American series. Ten adaptations in total have been made, with five more are on the way.


title: Drag Race (franchise)

text: In mid-2008, it was revealed that RuPaul had begun producing a new reality television game show. The show was pitched to Logo and they immediately picked the show up for a season, which aired in February 2009, where it was devised as a replacement for "" (2007–2009). The winner of the first season of "RuPaul's Drag Race" (and the "Drag Race" franchise) was BeBe Zahara Benet.


title: Drag Race (franchise)

text: In preparation for the new series, RuPaul made guest appearances on several shows in 2008, including as a guest judge on season five, episode six of "Project Runway" and as a guest chef on "Paula's Party". RuPaul revealed that the show's intent was to find a winner possessing the traits of "charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent". RuPaul has stated that the show looks for an entertainer who can stand out from the rest.


title: Drag Race (franchise)

text: In March 2012, it was announced that an "all-stars" spin-off from the original show was set to premiere in late 2012 through Logo (which later moved to VH1, then onto Paramount+). It was announced as "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars", and the winner for the first season was Chad Michaels.


title: Drag Race (franchise)

text: "RuPaul's Drag Race" was the first international edition of the franchise to be produced and broadcast. The program proved a success for Logo and additionally moved to higher profile channel: VH1, for their ninth season. However, the reality show still remained airing on Logo. In November 2017, World of Wonder launched their subscription streaming service WOW Presents Plus. The service provides access to its exclusive library of the "Drag Race" franchise, and web series from WOWPresents' YouTube channel.


title: Drag Race (franchise)

text: In February 2018, it was announced that a Thai adaptation of "RuPaul's Drag Race" was set to premiere through Thailand. The reality competition series was licensed by the Kantana Group. The show was named as "Drag Race Thailand" with its judges and co-hosts: Art Arya and Pangina Heals. The first season winner for "Drag Race Thailand" was Natalia Pliacam.


title: Drag Race (franchise)

text: In June 2018, the producers of the "RuPaul's Drag Race" hinted that a British adaptation of the show was in the works. It was later confirmed that Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato and RuPaul had a meeting with the BBC and that "something is coming, be afraid – be very afraid. Nothing’s impossible." A year later, it was revealed that the first season of "RuPaul's Drag Race UK" was set to premiere through BBC Three and WOW Presents Plus. RuPaul and Michelle Visage continued to be the main judges of the British adaptation, with Alan Carr and Graham Norton as recurring judges. The Vivienne was crowned to be ""UK's First Drag Superstar"" for the debut season.


title: Drag Race (franchise)

text: At "RuPaul's DragCon NYC", it was announced that a Las Vegas residency was set to play on January 26, 2020, starring its "Drag Race" alumni. "RuPaul's Drag Race Live!" features a mix of original music, lip syncs, comedy, and dance numbers directed by RuPaul and choreographed by "Drag Race" resident choreographer Jamal Sims. On July 26, 2020, a six-part documentary series called: "", was announced and premiered on August 21, 2020.


title: Drag Race (franchise)

text: From 2020–2022, seven international adaptations of "RuPaul's Drag Race" were revealed and premiered. In North America, a Canadian adaptation premiered on July 2, 2020. In Europe, four adaptations premiered from the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, and France. In Australia, "RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under" premiered on May 1, 2021, with RuPaul, Michelle Visage, and Rhys Nicholson judging. In August 2022, "Drag Race Philippines" premiered with Paolo Ballesteros as head judge, and it concluded with the first winner of the Phillipine adaptation as Precious Paula Nicole.


title: Drag Race (franchise)

text: In August 2022, the production company of "RuPaul's Drag Race" announced casting calls for three new spin-offs; they will take place in Mexico, Brazil, and Germany. In September, streaming service Atresplayer Premium, announced an "all-stars" adaptation for Spain, where it will premier after the third season. In November, the production company World of Wonder partnered with O4 Media to develop more adaptations of the "Drag Race" franchise, including "RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race" and expansions throughout Asia including India, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea.


title: The Orphanage (2007 film)

text: The Orphanage () is a 2007 Spanish-Mexican gothic supernatural horror film and the debut feature of Spanish filmmaker J. A. Bayona. The film stars Belén Rueda as Laura, Fernando Cayo as her husband, Carlos, and Roger Príncep as their adopted son Simón. The plot centers on Laura, who returns to her childhood home, an orphanage. Laura plans to turn the house into a home for disabled children, but after an argument with Simón, he goes missing.


title: The Orphanage (2007 film)

text: The film's script was written by Sergio G. Sánchez in 1996 and brought to the attention of Bayona in 2004. Bayona asked his long-time friend, director Guillermo del Toro, to help produce the film and to double its budget and filming time. The Orphanage is an international co-production between Spain and Mexico. Bayona wanted the film to capture the feel of 1970s Spanish cinema; he cast Geraldine Chaplin and Belén Rueda, who were later praised for their roles in the film.


title: The Orphanage (2007 film)

text: The film opened at the Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2007, where it received a standing ovation lasting more than 10 minutes. It received critical acclaim from audiences in its native Spain, winning seven Goya awards. On its North American release, "The Orphanage" was praised by English-speaking critics, who described the film as well directed and well acted, and noted the film's lack of "cheap scares"; subsequently, New Line Cinema bought the rights to the film for an American remake.


title: The Orphanage (2007 film)

text: In Spain, a young girl named Laura García Rodríguez is adopted from an orphanage. 30 years later, adult Laura returns to the closed orphanage, accompanied by her husband, Carlos Sánchez Rivera, and their seven-year-old son, Simón. She plans to reopen the orphanage as a facility for disabled children. Simón claims to have befriended a boy named Tomás, and draws pictures of him as a child wearing a sack mask. Social worker Benigna Escobedo visits the house to inquire after Simón, and it is revealed that Laura and Carlos adopted Simón and that he is HIV positive. Incensed at Benigna's intrusion, Laura asks her to leave. Later that night, Laura finds Benigna in the orphanage's coal shed, but Benigna flees the scene. Later, Simón teaches Laura a game which grants its winner a wish. Clues lead the two to Simón's adoption file. Simón becomes angry, and says that his new friend told him that Laura is not his biological mother and that he is going to die soon.


title: The Orphanage (2007 film)

text: During a party for the orphanage's opening, Laura and Simón argue, and Simón hides from her after she slaps him across the face in a fit of frustration, which she immediately regrets. While looking for him, she encounters a child wearing a sack mask who shoves her into a bathroom and locks her inside. When Laura escapes, she realizes that Simón is missing and is unable to find him. That night, Laura hears several loud crashes within the walls of the orphanage. Police psychologist Pilar suggests to Laura and Carlos that Benigna may have abducted Simón.


title: The Orphanage (2007 film)

text: Six months later, Simón is still missing. While searching for him, Laura spots Benigna, who is then struck and killed by an ambulance. The police find evidence that Benigna worked at the orphanage, and that she had a son named Tomás, who also lived there but was kept hidden due to his facial deformity. A few weeks after Laura was adopted, the orphans stole the mask that Tomás wore to conceal his deformed face. Embarrassed, Tomás refused to leave his hiding place in a nearby sea cave, and the rising tide drowned him.


title: The Orphanage (2007 film)

text: Laura asks for the assistance of a medium named Aurora in the search for Simón. Aurora conducts a seance during which she claims to see the ghosts of the orphans crying for help. Laura discovers the remains of the orphans she grew up with in the orphanage. Benigna poisoned their meals and killed them for having caused Tomás's death and hid their remains in the orphanage's coal shed. Unable to cope with the situation, Carlos leaves the orphanage.


title: The Orphanage (2007 film)

text: Laura makes the orphanage look as it did thirty years ago and attempts to contact the children's spirits by playing one of their old games. The spirits lead her to the door of a hidden underground room. Inside is Simón's corpse, wearing Tomás's mask. Laura finally realizes what happened: while searching for Simón the night he disappeared, Laura moved pieces of construction scaffolding, blocking the entrance to the secret room. The crashes that night were caused by Simón trying to get out. He fell and fatally broke his neck.


title: The Orphanage (2007 film)

text: Laura appears to take an overdose of sleeping pills. Then, apparently dying, she begs to be with Simón again and the children's spirits appear, with Simón among them. Simón tells Laura that his wish was for her to stay and take care of the orphans, she then happily tells them a story. Sometime later, Carlos visits a memorial to Laura, Simón and the orphans. Carlos returns to the orphans' old bedroom and finds a medallion that he had given to Laura. He turns to look as the door opens, and he smiles.


title: The Orphanage (2007 film)

text: An international co-production film between Spain and Mexico. The first draft of the script of "The Orphanage" was written by Sergio G. Sánchez in 1996. Sánchez was not sure why he chose to write a genre film for the screenplay, as he explains, "I ended up writing a film in the style of those I liked as a kid, movies like "Poltergeist", "The Omen", and "Rosemary's Baby" which I ruined on the first VCR we owned at home." Sánchez revealed the literary influences underlying his writing of the script, such as "The Turn of the Screw" and "Peter Pan". Sánchez originally wanted to direct the script but he was repeatedly turned down by various Spanish production companies. While Sánchez was working on the short film "7337" in 2004, he met with director Juan Antonio Bayona and offered him the script to direct. Bayona accepted the opportunity because he felt that a fantasy themed script like that of "The Orphanage" would allow him freedom as a director, saying the fantasy genre was a great tool for learning as it "allows manipulation of space and time as we wish or the use of certain camera moves with an immediate efficiency".


title: The Orphanage (2007 film)

text: Bayona cut parts of the script, including the outcome of the other orphanage children, because he wanted to focus on the character of Laura and what happens to her. To create the film as he wanted, Bayona had to double both the film's budget and the amount of filming time. To accomplish this, Bayona received help from fellow film director Guillermo del Toro, whom he had met at Festival de Cine de Sitges when del Toro was presenting his film "Cronos" (1993). Del Toro offered to co-produce the film as soon as he learned about it. For the rest of his crew, Bayona worked with his regular team that he worked with on commercials and music videos.


title: The Orphanage (2007 film)

text: During casting discussions between Bayona and del Toro, Bayona expressed a desire to see Belén Rueda in the lead. Bayona admired her after seeing her performance as Julia in Alejandro Amenabar's "The Sea Inside". Del Toro appreciated this choice, as he admired her as an actress and liked that Bayona was casting her against type. Bayona asked Rueda to watch "The Innocents" and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" to prepare for the role. Another actress Bayona desired for the film was Geraldine Chaplin in the role of Aurora, the medium. Bayona stated that he wanted the film to have "the mood of 70s Spanish cinema and Geraldine starred in one of the best movies of that decade, Carlos Saura's "The Secret of Anna", as the ghost of the mother. It made sense to have her play the medium." Bayona was nervous about filming with Chaplin. To break that tension, on the first day of shooting with her Bayona hid under a bed during a scene which required Chaplin to portray Aurora kneeling down near it in the dark, and he grabbed Chaplin's leg when she did so. Aurora's scream in the film is Chaplin's actual frightened scream as Bayona grabbed her. Roger Príncep's test-screening was one of the first for the role of Simón. Bayona test-screened over four-hundred children during two months before making his choice to cast Princep. Edgar Vivar was cast in role of Balabán; Bayona knew him through his work on the Mexican television series "El Chavo" and sent him an invitation for the role through e-mail.


title: The Orphanage (2007 film)

text: Production on "The Orphanage" began on May 15, 2006 in Llanes, Asturias. This location was chosen due to the area's diverse natural settings that include beaches, caves, cliffs, forests, a small village, and the Partarríu Manor where the orphanage scenes take place. The orphanage was an old colonial house from the end of the nineteenth century. Bayona wanted to use certain cinematographic techniques that were impossible to achieve in the house, so several parts of the house were reconstructed in sound stages. After four weeks in Llanes, the team moved to Barcelona to finish up the last ten weeks of filming in sound stages, making over 80% of the film there. Bayona showed the films "La residencia" and "The Innocents" to his director of photography on the film, to make special notice of the Scope lensing used in both films.


title: The Orphanage (2007 film)

text: "The Orphanage" premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2007. The film was positively received with a ten-minute ovation from the audience. The film's Spanish debut took place at the Sitges Film Festival on October 4, 2007 where it opened the festival. "The Orphanage" premiered in Spain on September 10, 2007. "The Orphanage" was released in Spain on September 10, 2007 and was immensely successful in Spain after an $8.3 million four-day launch from 350 screens. The film was the second highest-grossing debut ever for a Spanish film and was the biggest opening of the year, making it even larger than the worldwide success of the Spanish-Mexican film "Pan's Labyrinth". It opened in limited release in the United States on December 28, 2007 and had a wide release on January 11, 2008. It opened in Mexico on January 25, 2008 and earned over $11,000,000 at the box office.


title: The Orphanage (2007 film)

text: In Spain, the film was nominated for 14 Goya Awards, including Best Picture and ended up winning awards for Best Art Direction, Best Director of Production, Best Makeup and Hair, Best New Director, Best Screenplay – Original, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Special Effects. "The Orphanage" was chosen by the Spanish Academy of Films as Spain's nominee for the 2007 Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, but ultimately did not end up as one of the five final nominees in that category.


title: The Orphanage (2007 film)

text: In Iran, the film won Crystal Simorgh for Best Director at the "Seeking the Truth" section of the 27th Fajr International Film Festival.


title: The Orphanage (2007 film)

text: "The Orphanage" was released on DVD and Blu-ray on April 22, 2008 for a Region 1 release by New Line Cinema. Both discs featured the same bonus features. A Region 2 version was released on DVD by Optimum Releasing on July 21, 2008.


title: The Orphanage (2007 film)

text: In 2007, New Line Cinema bought the rights to produce an English-language remake with Guillermo del Toro as producer. On remakes, director Bayona noted that "The Americans have all the money in the world but can't do anything, while we can do whatever we want but don't have the money" and "The American industry doesn't take chances, that's why they make remakes of movies that were already big hits". On August 4, 2009, Larry Fessenden was announced as the director of the American remake. Fessenden later announced that he would not be involved with directing the remake, stating "Working on the script with Guillermo was a very exciting experience, but then I got into a casting miasma and that's where the thing is; I think they're gonna do it another way, actually. So I think I'm out of it. Hopefully they'll still use my script, but I'm not sure I'm directing it anymore". In January 2010, Mark Pellington replaced Larry Fessenden as director of the project.


title: The Orphanage (2007 film)

text: On August 5, 2011, Guillermo del Toro stated that the remake would reflect his original vision for the film, and that it had been planned even when the first version was in production. "Even when we produced the Spanish movie, I had intended to remake it because we had a very different screenplay that, because of money and time, got turned into the movie you saw – which is great, but there was this other structure for the original script that I wanted to try. So even before we shot the first film it was an economic decision, a pre-existing creative decision, to change it." Del Toro also praised the new film's director. "We have Mark Pellington attached as director – I'm a big fan of his "The Mothman Prophecies" and his video work – and we are out to actors, so we're hoping to get things going soon." On August 30, 2011, it was reported that American actress Amy Adams was in talks to star as Laura, the main character, who was played by Belén Rueda in the original film. It was also stated that the current incarnation of the remake screenplay had been written by Larry Fessenden and Sergio G. Sánchez, the sole writer of the original film.


title: The Orphanage (2007 film)

text: "The Orphanage" was received very well by American critics on its original release. The film has an 87% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 176 reviews, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The critical consensus reads, "Deeply unnerving and surprisingly poignant, "The Orphanage" is an atmospheric, beautifully crafted haunted house horror film that earns scares with a minimum of blood." At Metacritic, the film has received an average score of 74 out of 100, based on 33 reviews from mainstream critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".


title: The Orphanage (2007 film)

text: Critics praised the film for its lack of cheap scares. Film critic for the "Chicago Sun Times" Roger Ebert approved of the film claiming it to be "deliberately aimed at viewers with developed attention spans. It lingers to create atmosphere, a sense of place, a sympathy with the characters, instead of rushing into cheap thrills". Bill Goodykoontz of the "Arizona Republic" echoed this statement noting, "Bayona never lets The Orphanage descend into cheap horror. The scares here are expertly done and, placed in the context of Laura's state of mind, well-earned, perhaps even explainable (or not)." Peter Howell of the "Toronto Star" wrote, "The year's best horror picture is also one of the simplest. "The Orphanage" makes little if any use of digital tricks to present its numerous terrors." The casting of Chaplin and Rueda was praised while the role of Carlos was called dull. Goodykoontz noted the role of Carlos, saying "Cayo is rather pedestrian as Carlos, but he isn't given that much to do". Michael Phillips of the "Chicago Tribune" shared this opinion saying, "Rueda has a great pair of peepers for this assignment. When she looks one way and then the other, while skulking through the hallways of her childhood home, every nerve-wracking whatwasthat? registers, and how. Cayo is pretty dull by comparison, but Chaplin certainly is not." Liam Lacey of "The Globe and Mail" praised Rueda stating, "The strongest appeal of the film is the brooding, intense performance by Spanish actress, Belen Rueda."


title: The Orphanage (2007 film)

text: A negative review came from Lacey of "The Globe and Mail", who felt that at "[the film's] core, it seems intended as a sympathetic drama of a bereaved mother, who may have slipped into madness. What's even more disquieting is the persistent undercurrent of exploitation – the mixture of grief and jarring shock effects and the pitiless use of a disfigured child as a source of horror." A.O. Scott of "The New York Times" claimed the film to be a "diverting, overwrought ghost story" and that it "relies on basic and durable horror movie techniques". Jack Matthews of "New York Daily News" found the ending of the film to be one of the worst of the season, but praised the acting of Belén Rueda.


title: The Orphanage (2007 film)

text: "The Orphanage" listed as one of the top 10 best films of 2007 by several critics, including Lawrence Toppman of the "Charlotte Observer", Marc Doyle of Metacritic and Tasha Robinson of "The A.V. Club". Anthony Lane of "The New Yorker" included the film on his top ten list of 2008.


title: The Orphanage (2007 film)

text: In the early 2010s, "Time Out" conducted a poll with several authors, directors, actors and critics who have worked within the horror genre to vote for their top horror films. "The Orphanage" placed at number 76 on their top 100 list.


title: The Orphanage (2007 film)

text: In 2007, the film score was composed by Fernando Velázquez and released on compact disc by Rhino Records in Spain. The score for the film was nominated for film awards including the Goya Award for Best Score. The soundtrack has not been released locally in North America or the United Kingdom and is only available by import.


title: Operators in C and C++

text: This is a list of operators in the C and C++ programming languages. All the operators listed exist in C++; the column "Included in C", states whether an operator is also present in C. Note that C does not support operator overloading.


title: Operators in C and C++

text: When not overloaded, for the operators codice_1, codice_2, and codice_3 (the comma operator), there is a sequence point after the evaluation of the first operand.


title: Operators in C and C++

text: C++ also contains the type conversion operators codice_4, codice_5, codice_6, and codice_7. The formatting of these operators means that their precedence level is unimportant.


title: Operators in C and C++

text: Most of the operators available in C and C++ are also available in other C-family languages such as C#, D, Java, Perl, and PHP with the same precedence, associativity, and semantics.