The Blue Planet

The Blue Planet is northern Europe’s largest and most modern aquarium, with a spiral design which is unique in the world. The Blue Planet is home to 450 different species and 20,000 fish and other aquatic animals, which include sharks, sea lions, dwarf crocodiles, moray eels and barracudas.

The facade is covered with small diamond-shaped aluminium plates, known as shingles, which adapt to the building’s organic form. The Blue Planet is the latest version of Denmark’s National Aquarium in Copenhagen, which dates back to 1939.

As the largest aquarium in northern Europe, it is expected to attract 700,000 visitors a year, which will make it one of Denmark’s five most popular attractions. The Blue Planet celebrates the Earth’s aquatic biodiversity and is home to 20,000 fish and aquatic animals representing 450 different species –150 more than in the old aquarium.

The Blue Planet is situated on the island of Amager, close to Copenhagen Airport. When viewed from a plane the whirlpool shape is clearly seen. Viewed from ground level, the building appears to float in a circular reflection pool.  A walk through its interior is a journey through several organic worlds.

In designing The Blue Planet, the architect team was indeed inspired by nature, says principal of 3XN, Kim Herforth Nielsen. “We wanted to stage a totality of the experience one has visiting an aquarium. The starting point was this magnificent experience of fish in their natural element. We wanted to create that adventurous feeling, and we took inspiration from the natural phenomenon of the whirlpool drawing you into the deep. A sculpture on the coast, it unites the natural elements of water, air and earth.”

With a floor space of 9,000 square metres and technical systems running round the clock, the Blue Planet will not be a beacon of sustainability. Nevertheless the engineers have devised solutions to substantially cut energy consumption, for instance by using seawater in the cooling process, which is estimated to reduce energy consumption for cooling by 80%. The saltwater tanks also get their water from the sea while the freshwater tanks are supplemented by rainwater capture. In addition, the building is insulated to a high international standard and fitted with low-energy glazing.

The Blue Planet is devoted to nature conservation as well as raising awareness on water issues. The aquarium partners with researchers for scientific collaboration and work to reduce over-fishing and pollution, and to preserve endangered species.

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Bill Gates Launches European Clean Energy Fund

With the goal of getting capital intensive startups off the ground, a new $111 million clean energy innovation fund has been launched.

Breakthrough Energy Ventures Europe (BEV-E) has been launched in partnership with the European Commission. The European Investment Bank (EIB) and BEV are providing half the capital each.

The initiative is the work of Breakthrough Energy Ventures, the $1 billion fund launched by Bill Gates in late 2016. It has pulled together a coalition of corporate and private investors including SAP, GE, Jeff Bezos, Vinod Khosla and Jack Ma.

Support will be provided to European companies working to “bring radically new clean energy technologies to the market.” Investments are expected to start before the end of 2019. EU Member States and countries participating in the Horizon 2020 program are eligible for BEV-E funding.

“Breakthrough Energy Ventures-Europe is a great example of driving innovative ways for the private and public sectors to collaborate, deploy capital, and build companies,” said Bill Gates, chairman of Breakthrough Energy Ventures.

Speed is not the only challenge facing the European Commission’s goal of developing a carbon-neutral economy. The pilot is a drop in the ocean compared to the required investment.

Beyond Europe, Breakthrough Energy Ventures has already backed a number of firms operating in a broad range of fields including energy storage, fusion, geothermal and microgrids.

Gangs Battling In Europe

"Brutal and ruthless" Muslim and "violent" Roma gypsy gangs are terrorising the streets of major European cities. Running drug rings and pimping prostitutes, as well as owning legitimate street businesses can be worth tens of millions of euros a year – and more – to the immigrant criminal gangs of Europe.

Off-duty police officer, 3 suspected gang members killed during gunbattle in El Salvador. Having influence over territory is key to making this business model work, and as well as fighting each other the vast ethnic gangs are also fighting themselves, as influential families compete.

Europe Under Attack

ISIS and Al-Qaeda have gained too much ground and power. They have now begun to strike various countries and still taking control of more areas around them. Now over 19,000 websites are in danger throughout France with various sleeper cells set up and operating their by the Islamic group.

The raid comes three days after WND exclusively reported there are at least 20 sleeper cells with a combined total of 120 to 180 jihadists ready to act in France, Germany and Belgium

Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2015/01/raid-on-belgian-terror-cell-confirms-threat/#FBxsfbePA5JmpRoT.99.

Algeria's intelligence services passed information to several European countries indicating there are at least 20 sleeper cells. The ongoing terror threat appears to involve up to 20 sleeper cells of between 120 to 180 people ready to strike in France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. The source said that European Union and Middle East intelligence agencies identified an "imminent threat" to Belgium, possibly also to the Netherlands.

Since June, the Islamic State has generated a great deal of publicity and a lot of concern among people who fear the group will attempt an attack in the United States or Europe. The issue here is not one of mere semantics: The misuse of the phrase “sleeper cell” blurs important distinctions and contributes to general confusion about the nature of the jihadist threat the United States is fighting. Precise language is needed for clear analysis and more effective defense and counterterrorism efforts.

A terror cell on the brink of carrying out an attack was the target of a raid Thursday that left two suspects dead, Belgian authorities said. A third suspect was injured and taken into custody in the operation at a building in the eastern city of Verviers, prosecutor's spokesman Thierry Werts told reporters.

A senior Belgian counterterrorism official told CNN that the alleged terror cell is believed to have received instructions from ISIS. Some members of the cell had traveled to Syria and met with ISIS, which plotted the attacks as retaliation for U.S.-led airstrikes in Syria and Iraq

Libya Faces ISIS Crisis

How do one network gain the attention of the world? By doing whats ISIS does I guess. Italy warned that ISIS is at Europe’s doorstep as France and Egypt called for the United Nations Security Council to meet over the spiraling crisis in Libya.

French President Francois Hollande spoke by phone with his Egyptian counterpart, President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, to discuss the situation in Libya on Monday, according to Hollande’s office. It said the two spoke of the growth of ISIS in Libya and “underscored the importance of the security council meeting and for the international community to take new measures” against the threat.

United Nations negotiators have been meeting with representatives from the internationally-backed government and the one which claimed power through force in Tripoli last summer. Libya is not only situated close to Egypt and Algeria, but is just across the Mediterranean Sea from Europe. The spiraling violence has sent floods of migrants to European shores — and ISIS has repeatedly mentioned Rome as a benchmark of its growth.

ISIS has been operating in Libya for months. One group of Libyan fighters pledged allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in November and at least two other factions followed suit. Since then, ISIS supporters in Libya have claimed responsibility for a number of attacks — including the November car bombings outside of the Egyptian and U.A.E. embassies.

For now, ISIS is competing for influence against the many other Islamist militant groups in Libya. The group might be able to rely on the fact that they’re more disciplined and better organized than some of their rivals, according to Firas Abi Ali, who heads Middle East and North Africa forecasting for IHS Country Risk.

New Hooks App

It´s up to you to decide the reminders you would like to have, and let Hooks remind you of what´s going on. Notifications are a great way to stay on top of things, so Hooks is the thing to have, with over 100 channels and 1M+ alerts to choose from, it also lets you fine tune the type of notification you´ll receive, for example if you subscribe some news bulletin, but if you just need to learn about “Europe” for example, the notification will only come whenever “Europe” is mentioned. It´s really useful and easy to set, so if you want to be sure you won´t miss out on anything again download it right now.

Hooks is a new app for Apple devices, available on iTunes, it´s main feature is to remind you of something that is about to happen and that you´re interested in. It could be a sports event, a news post, a movie, an episode of your favorite show, a new tweet, or even an earthquake alert.

Europe Demands Apple To Pay $14 Billion

This ruling handed down after a 2-year investigation would rebuff the efforts of the United States to persuade the EC to drop its interest amid warnings about retaliation from Washington. Europe has been looking into the company’s tax deals with Ireland, according to which Apple paid very little tax on income earned in EU.

The European Commission launched a formal inquiry 2 years ago after publishing preliminary findings that suggested involvement of state aid in deals between Apple and Ireland in 1991 and 2007, which was incompatible with the EU’s internal market. However, the alleged parties to the deal have denied its very existence with Apple calling the investigation “political crap” and promising to appeal against a ruling that the company received state aid.

The financial experts estimated that if the European Union requires Apple to retroactively pay the Irish corporate tax rate of 12.5% on the pre-tax profits it collected via the country, it would amount to about $19bn. At the same time, Irish sources expect the bill to be much smaller, just in the hundreds of millions.

Three years ago, a US Senate investigation found that the tech giant paid little or no tax on profits of at least $74bn over 4 years, exploiting the gaps in the Irish and American tax code. However, the investigation found no evidence of illegal activity at the time, while both Apple and Ireland denied any wrongdoing.

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New Microsoft Lumia Smartphones

Microsoft has leapt on the bling bandwagon with the launch of a gold edition of its flagship Lumia 930 smartphone, as well as its recently-unveiled Lumia 830. Announced back in April, the Lumia 930 was one of the first devices announced specifically for Windows Phone 8.1, and already shipped in a number of bright colors, including green, orange, and white.

The phones aren’t entirely caked in gold, however. They will come in black or whte variants, with a gold finishing touch. The Lumia 830 incarnation will be available from next month in Europe, Asia Pacific, China, India, and across select markets in the Middle East and Africa. The price will vary across the boad,

The Lumia 830 Gold is expected to be available in black and white in February. This smartphone can be purchased in select countries in Europe, Asia Pacific and China, and India, the Middle East and Africa. The price will vary by region and network, though for guidance the existing device costs around $430 SIM-free.

Bon Jovi or Guns-N-Roses?

The wild hair and crazy lifestyle was a thing that stuck with all Rock bands from back then. Bands like Bon Jovi and Guns-N-Roses  could never catch a break with critics and music fans.

The '80s were above all a time of international corporation, as one major after another gave it up to media moguls in Europe and Japan. Bands such as AC/DC, Queen, Def Leppard, Kiss, Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi, Quiet Riot, Scorpions, Europe, Ratt, Twisted Sister, Poison, Dokken, Whitesnake, and Cinderella were among the most popular acts of the decade.

Right now, the Wrap-Up Magazine wants you to choose from Bon Jovi or Guns-N-Roses and the top favorite band. Either the band touched you with there music or lifestyle, which of the two would you choose?

Comment your answer below! Be sure to share with your friends and check out other articles below!

What Song From Bon Jovi Touch Your Heart The Most?

What's Your Favorite Guns N Roses Track?

New Porsche SUV

The new 2015 +Porsche Macan SUV has been released for the market. This has to be on the must have list. The 2015 Porsche Macan combines many technical performance aspects reminiscent of the Audi Q5 with an interior strongly inspired by the Porsche Cayenne and in fact, was codenamed “Cajun” for “Cayenne Junior.

” It’s alleged that the midsize SUV will launch in Europe with three engine choices: a base 335hp “S” with a 3.0-liter force-fed V6, a 255hp “Diesel” with a 3.0-liter V6 diesel engine, and a 395hp “Turbo” engine with a 3.6-liter turbocharged V6. Though the starting price of around $45,000 is expected to bring new customers to the normally sports car-centered brand

Slick Rick Headed Back On Tour

The legendary Grammy-nominated, hip-hop icon Slick Rick is touring Australia next month for the very first time playing all major capital cities, supported by a select group of talented locals including Def Wish Cast, DJ J-Red, DJ Peril, Alerts and Gaz Hazard. 

A Place For Pedestrians

Chongqing is one of China’s biggest and fastest growing cities with a population of around 11 million people. In recent years, pedestrianised streets have been turned into motorways in the Chinese metropolis Chongqing. Now the city council is returning the streets to pedestrians and cyclists, and has teamed up with a Danish urban planner.

Chongqing has developed in the same way as hundreds of other Chinese metropolises: skyscrapers shoot up everywhere, while old buildings are demolished. Cars have taken over with multi-lane motorways, while pedestrians and cyclists have been displaced.

But now the citizens of Chongqing are about to reclaim their streets. Chongqing city council has teamed up with the Danish urban research and design consulting firm Gehl Architects, which pecialises in pedestrianised streets and pedestrian-friendly urban spaces.

The objective is to create an interconnected pedestrian network through central Chongqing, which like Manhattan in New York, consists of a peninsula between two rivers. This can be achieved by making urban routes recognisable and easy to navigate, for example by using uniform paving, good lighting and signposting, and setting up benches and similar urban furniture.

Denmark has long had a liking for pedestrian-friendly city spaces. 50 years ago, one of the world’s first carfree pedestrianised streets, Strøget, was established in the capital city Copenhagen. At 1.1 kilometres in length, it remains one of Europe’s longest pedestrianised streets.

The same backlash against the domination of the car is being seen in China. Urban planners, mayors and citizens are all insisting on better conditions for pedestrians in cities. Kristian Villadsen comments that the same themes which have developed in the West are also emerging in China today, i.e. to create attractive, vibrant, safe, sustainable and healthy cities:

“In China, people are very good at using public transport, but if public transport is seen only as a means of transporting the greatest possible number of people from A to B and it is forgotten that people don’t live at the station but also have to get there, it won’t function. Public transport then becomes solely for those who don’t have a car”.

Bandidos vs Hells Angels

The Bandidos Motorcycle Club has started a probationary chapter in the city of Sittard in the Netherlands. In the country where once the Hells Angels reigned supreme things have gotten pretty crowded in the past few years. The presence of the Bandidos is especially worrisome to police, though, as the two clubs have a bitter and violent rivalry in other parts of the world.

Africa’s First Ever Continental Sports Car

Made in Nigeria and available in West Africa, Mallo’s company, Bennie Technologies Ltd., made history as the first Afro-centric sports car, Black Business reported.

The red luxury car, called the Bennie Purrie, is made out of recyclable material, making it eco-friendly. Instead of using materials like aluminum alloy or galvanized sheets to protect the car’s hood and exterior, the Bennie Purrie uses recycled fiberglass, also known as reinforced plastic.

Kendrick Lamar Tours Top All Time High

 

Kendrick Lamar now holds the distinct honor of the highest-grossing rap tour of all-time. Lamar has taken the top spot with his run of The Big Steppers tour, which supported his Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers album. Baby Keem and Tanna Leone supported the run of shows.

#Stream Noveliss - "Metal Face Hokage" EP @TheNoveliss

Detroit's own Noveliss, member of Clear Soul Forces, drops his latest solo offering "Metal Face Hokage".

The EP is the spiritual successor to "Mic Swords", his 2016 debut release and the follow-up to 2018's "Cerebral Apex".

The project consists of 7 tracks, featuring a bonus remix version of the song "Vultures". The first single and video "Traveling Man" is a record about his time on tour in Europe and across the US; constantly losing track of time, switching between time zones and missing calls from his fiancé.

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The Covid-19 Pandemic Has Led China To Be The Biggest Foreign Investors

 

China overtook the U.S. as the largest recipient of foreign direct investment in 2020, a year in which overall global flows cratered by 42% as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, a United Nations trade agency said.

Flows fell to an estimated $859 billion from $1.5 trillion in 2019, according to the UNCTAD Investment Trends Monitor. It was the lowest level since the 1990s and 30% below the investment trough that followed the 2008-09 global financial crisis.

While the world as a whole struggled, China held on, said UNCTAD, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. It became the world’s largest FDI recipient with flows rising by 4% to $163 billion.

A return to positive GDP growth and a targeted investment facilitation program helped stabilize investment in China after the first coronavirus lockdowns there, the agency said.

Apple Buys Musicmetric

Apple has acquired a London music startup. The tech giant has bought the company behind music analytics service Musicmetric, Musically reports. 

Musicmetric owner Semetric changed its registered address to 100 New Bridge Street in London, home of Apple Europe Ltd. On the same day, it also filed documents to detail the appointment of a new director. He’s called Gene Daniel Levoff and up until now has been based at Apple’s global HQ.

Apple told Musically that it “buys smaller technology companies from time to time,” adding that it doesn’t “generally discuss our purpose or plan”. Semetric also declined to comment.

It’s speculated that Apple’s latest purchase could pave the way for the company to expand its music services. Apple wants to better tune its music arms: iTunes will likely be overhauled. But it’s Beats Music that stands to benefit most. Apple is going to relaunch the platform this year and there’s talk it could come pre-installed on iPhones and iPads.

Musicmetric launched in 2008 and allows music industry clients to track social and sales analytics through a dashboard, Musically writes — it also offers data streaming. In Jan. 2013 it received $4.8 million in funding.

Musicmetric says it’s about “turning big data into big opportunities”, and continues: “Whether you’re planning your first album launch or a global tour, on the lookout for new talent or after some killer intelligence to help pick your next brand ambassador, the Musicmetric dashboard will quickly and simply tell you all you need to know.”

How Apple chooses to use and develop Musicmetric remains to be seen, but one certainty is the implications the acquisition has for other streaming companies such as Spotify and Next Big Sound.

Here’s what Musically says:

Spotify has a partnership with Musicmetric to pipe in streaming data for labels to access via the latter’s dashboard.

Just as rival streaming services ended their partnerships with music/tech firm The Echo Nest firm when Spotify bought it last year, so Spotify is unlikely to be too keen on providing a firehose of its data to an Apple subsidiary.

Drug Boss Faces US Charges

A Guinea-Bissau Drug Boss Faces US Charges. A former chief of the navy in Guinea-Bissau have appeared in a US court on charges linked to cocaine trafficking. Adm Na Tchuto is described by the US as a kingpin in Guinea-Bissau’s huge drugs trade. The West African state is a staging post for drug-smuggling gangs.

Cocaine is smuggled to Guinea-Bissau from Latin America before finding its way to Europe as well as the US.

It alleges they “worked together to receive ton-quantities of cocaine, transported by vessel from South America to Guinea-Bissau, and then to store the cocaine in Guinea-Bissau before its shipment to other locations, including the United States”.

Yamin Semali - Missing Me

East Point, GA rapper/producer Yamin Semali presents the Will Feagins Jr.-directed music video for "Missing Me", the new single from The HotEP, his EP produced by Virginia beatsmith Dublohskytzo. Fresh off a Europe tour with Cunninglynguists, Yamin's last release was The $aturday/$unday Remixes, a project in which he remixes over his own productions the Monday/Friday album he released in 2015 with fellow Atlanta producer Illastrate are (Monday/Friday on Bandcamp).