Latest news with #Valencia
Forbes
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
10 Best Aquariums Around the World to Visit
Father with daughter watching sharks in aquarium Oceans are often referred to as the "lungs of the Earth" because they play a crucial role in producing 50%-80% of the oxygen in our atmosphere and they absorb a significant amount of carbon dioxide, helping to regulate the Earth's climate. The growing interest in the welfare of our marine life and oceans has undoubtedly led to increased visits of the world's aquariums. While some aquariums focus primarily on entertainment, others are crucial for education, conservation and scientific research. Ethical aquariums aim to inspire ocean conservation, rehabilitate injured marine life and support research efforts that help protect vulnerable species. Here are ten of the world's best aquariums that do a good job in balancing entertainment and ethics. Underwater tunnel at Oceanografic, Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, Valencia, Spain The biggest aquarium in Europe, located in the stunning City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, is worth a visit for the architecture alone. The futuristic design features gleaming white concrete, glass and water in a complex of five buildings designed by famous Spanish architects Santiago Calatrava and Félix Candela in 1998. The Oceanogràfic building houses around 45,000 animals and 500 species. The aquarium consists of ten different habitats, including a Mediterranean environment, the Arctic Ocean, the Red Sea and the tropics. A highlight is the longest underwater tunnel in Europe where you feel you're swimming with fish all around you, including beluga whales, Angel Sharks, Barrel Jellyfish and Blacktip reef sharks. Oceanário de Lisbon is located in Parque das Nações Opened in 1998, the Lisbon Oceanarium's permanent exhibition One Planet, One Ocean is a wonderful multi-sensory experience. The central aquarium represents the 'global ocean' and hosts about 500 species from four oceans, surrounded by four distinct marine habitats. Visitors can meet various species of sharks, sea otters, sunfish, puffins, sea dragons, clownfish, eels, rays and stunning corals, among many others. The aquarium is located in the Dock of Olivais, in the Park of Nations (the site of the 1998 World Expo) and has an excellent restaurant, SeaTheFuture, featuring a menu of organic, seasonal products from local producers. The Oceanographic Museum of Monaco The Musée Océanographique de Monaco opened by Prince Albert I in 1910, has one of the oldest aquariums in the world. From the start, the museum attracted the world-leading oceanographers (including Jacques Cousteau, director from 1957-1988) who developed the concept of a future Mediterranean Commission dedicated to oceanography, now called Mediterranean Science Commission. Four aquariums, specially designed to recreate complex ecosystems, include: the shark lagoon against the bright colors of a coral reef; the Mediterranean sea with 100 of the 650 species of fish living in the Mediterranean and more than 200 species of invertebrates; the tropical sea with deadly stonefish, clown fish and the unnerving moray eel. Red Blood Parrot in Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, USA Since opening in 1984, in a lovely oceanfront location, the aim of the nonprofit Monterey Bay Aquarium has been to inspire conservation of the ocean through its exhibits and research. When it opened, it was the largest public aquarium in the United States and the first in the world to exhibit a living kelp forest and to successfully care for and display a great white shark. Today the 28 feet tall and 65 feet long Kelp Forest exhibit is one of the main attractions of the aquarium. The Open Sea wing is also essential viewing, featuring three separate galleries with various jellyfish and other plankton found in the bay plus tufted puffins and sea turtles. Yellow Fish in S.E.A. Aquarium, Singapore With over 100,000 marine animals and 1,000 species distributed in 40 different environments, S.E.A. Aquarium which opened in 2012, is the fourth largest aquarium in the world. A highlight is the 36-meter underwater tunnel that allows visitors to immerse themselves in the water, viewing hammerhead sharks, eagle rays, giant groupers and the red-bellied pacu, a native species to Asia. The aquarium also houses rare and endangered species like the Bow mouth Guitarfish, Moray Eel and Blue Tang. Also on show are unique corals like the Bubble Coral and Sun Coral with explanations of the importance of coral reefs in the marine ecosystem. The Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta Expect to see a wide range of the world's most fascinating animals and sea creatures from the African Penguin, Beluga Whale, California Sea Lion, Common Bottlenose Dolphin, Tiger Shark and Whale Shark. And speaking of the latter, this aquarium was actually designed around a whale shark exhibit, making it the first aquarium outside of Asia that hosts the giant species. The Georgia Aquarium, the largest in the world on opening in 2005, is on land donated by the Coca-Cola Company, just north of Centennial Olympic Park. Group of fishes and coral at Sea Life Aquarium, Sydney, Australia As one of world's newest aquariums, having opened in 2023, visitors can see over 4,000 animals from 300 different species, including large species such as tiger sharks and orcas. One of Sea Life e's highlights is the world's largest variety of Australian aquatic life, a rescue dugong called Pig. Another popular attraction is the Penguin Expedition Boat Ride, where you can see a spectacular colony of king and gentoo penguins. Also unmissable is the Great Barrier Reef exhibit, the largest in the world. National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth, UK The largest aquarium in the UK, the National Marine Aquarium, is home to over 4,000 animals and features groundbreaking ocean conservation work, according to its website. The aquarium is also home to the Ocean Conservation Trust, a charity dedicated to connecting people with the ocean. There are lots of different exhibits and animals found in this harborfront museum. One exhibit shows some of the stunning and colorful animals found locally in the rockpools around the coast. The Eddystone Reef exhibit features local sharks and stingrays while the Ocean Drifters exhibit features mesmerising jellyfish. National Aquarium, Copenhagen, Denmark The striking architecture of Denmark's national aquarium, Den Bla Planet, which opened in 2013 was inspired by a whirlpool with visitors entering into the vortex – the curved lobby – and from here are drawn out to the 53 aquariums and installations. Inside you'll see what is described as 'the big five' – sea otters, hammerhead sharks, stingrays, giant Pacific octopus and the arapaima (one of the largest freshwater fish in the world.) Penguins in Alesund Aquarium, Norway Since 1998, the Atlanterhavsparken Foundation has been one of Northern Europe's largest and most unique saltwater aquariums. Animals and fish live in unfiltered water straight from the sea outside. The Atlantic Tank is one of Europe's largest saltwater tanks where you'll see all the large cold-water fish that live in our oceans. The aquarium is located in one of the world's most scenic locations, in Norway's western fjords. After exploring the aquarium, hike up to the Fjellstua Viewpoint. Be prepared for several hundred steps to get to the top but the views over the town and sea are worth the effort.
Straits Times
a day ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Valencia aim to ‘compete for top honours' with former Chelsea CEO Ron Gourlay at the helm
Valencia aim to 'compete for top honours' with former Chelsea CEO Ron Gourlay at the helm SINGAPORE – After overcoming an early threat of relegation and turning things around to remain in the La Liga, Singaporean-owned Valencia are aiming to compete for honours and 'return to the top tier of European football' with the hiring of former Chelsea chief executive officer Ron Gourlay. Valencia president Kiat Lim, the son of owner Peter Lim, said in a statement that they are building for the future, with a foundation that is 'sustainable, ambitious and worthy of our proud history'. The 31-year-old, who was appointed in March, added: 'In Ron Gourlay, we have a senior and very experienced sporting CEO who understands the complexities of modern football and the demands of a top-tier club to lead the project.' The 63-year-old Briton comes with considerable pedigree, having held senior executive roles at English clubs Manchester United, Chelsea, Reading, West Bromwich Albion (WBA) and Saudi Arabia's Al-Ahli. Most notably, he was with Chelsea from 2009 to 2014, during which he oversaw one of the most successful periods in the Blues' history as they won an English Premier League title, two FA Cups and their first Champions League and Europa League titles. He led strategic and operational transformations at Championship sides Reading and WBA, before joining Al-Ahli, who won the AFC Champions League Elite title in May. While Valencia's recent business model has been largely 'sell, replace, repeat' with an emphasis on blooding youth academy players and picking up loan and free transfers – they spent just €24.25 million (S$35.5 million) on transfers in the last three seasons – Gourlay hinted their approach may change. He said: 'With Kiat's leadership at the helm, we have a shared ambition to restore Valencia to where it belongs – competing for top honours, with a squad that reflects the club's identity and future.' His first order of transfer business appears to be replacing Liverpool-bound goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, with Celta Vigo's 38-year-old Vicente Guaita touted to return to Valencia, as well as filling the gap left behind by defensive midfielder Enzo Barrenechea, who returns to Aston Villa following his impressive loan spell. Gourlay, who called it a 'privilege to join Valencia at such a pivotal time', added that he is thrilled to reunite with coach Carlos Corberan, whom he appointed at WBA as the duo worked to help the struggling club challenge for a play-off position. It has been a similar story at Valencia, where Corberan, 42, engineered a remarkable turnaround after signing a three-year deal with his boyhood club in December. During that time, Los Che were second from bottom with just 12 points from 17 matches, but the Spaniard managed to get an underperforming team to step up and earn 34 points from the next 21 games, including a 2-1 win at Real Madrid, to finish 12th. Corberan is looking forward to working with Gourlay again, saying: 'Ron's arrival is a tremendous boost for all of us. We've shared a very productive journey before, and I know how much value he brings – from his strategic mindset to his ability to make decisive moves in critical moments. 'Having him here gives me great confidence, and together with Kiat's unwavering support, I believe we have the right team in place to take Valencia to the next level.' David Lee is senior sports correspondent at The Straits Times focusing on aquatics, badminton, basketball, cue sports, football and table tennis. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Crypto group with Trump ties finds friends in California
SACRAMENTO, California — A nonprofit with ties to Donald Trump is sponsoring state legislation from a Democrat in deep-blue California on an issue the president has embraced in his Oval Office comeback: cryptocurrency. The group, co-founded by Mandy Gunasekara, former chief of staff at the Environmental Protection Agency during Trump's first term, is backing a bill from Democratic California Assemblymember Avelino Valencia that could make it easier to pay with cryptocurrency in the Golden State. It comes as Trump's crypto ties are again in the spotlight this week at the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas where members of his inner circle like JD Vance headlined, and after the industry spent millions to elect pro-crypto congressional candidates in the 2024 election. Meanwhile, Democrats in Washington remain divided on regulating crypto as they look to block the president's agenda without angering the powerful industry. Valencia's bill presents a crucial test for the nonprofit Satoshi Action Fund's state-first strategy, given it deviates from the wider industry's Washington-focused approach. 'The industry was playing a lot of defense,' Satoshi CEO Dennis Porter, a crypto advocate and former podcaster who hosted his own show about Bitcoin, told POLITICO's California Decoded newsletter. '[If] you're on defense 100 percent of the time, you'll never win a single match.' Valencia, a Southern California Democrat, said he wasn't previously aware of Satoshi's Trump connection and hasn't worked directly with Gunasekara. He added he drew up the measure independently from Satoshi, though he said the group 'proactively provided' feedback that informed his approach. 'My understanding is that the organization is nonpartisan and is made up of individuals from all political ideologies, which is one of the reasons the organization stood out,' Valencia added. Porter said he sees untapped opportunity beyond Washington. To him, statehouses like California's present a cheaper and faster option for passing pro-crypto legislation that can pave the way for the industry to advance its priorities in Congress. '[The] Civil Rights Movement or women's right to vote, or the cannabis movement — all of these things grew their momentum at the state level,' said Porter, who said he co-founded Satoshi with Gunasekara as a 501(c)(4) group in 2022. 'We set the policy blueprint for the country at the state level.' Satoshi has been a driving force behind recent pro-crypto efforts in other, mostly Republican-controlled state legislatures, backing protections for bitcoin mining and crypto payments that passed in Montana, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Arkansas. The group also proposed model legislation that would allow states to invest public pension funds in cryptocurrencies, an idea Wisconsin and Michigan investors have embraced but has been slow to gain traction in other states. California poses a tougher challenge. The state's deep-blue legislature has proven to be more crypto-skeptical: Lawmakers in 2023 passed a slate of new requirements and fees for digital asset traders. Trump's entanglements in the crypto industry are complicating the issue for Democrats. The president held a private dinner with buyers of his memecoin, $TRUMP, earlier this month. His business empire, Trump Media & Technology Group, recently announced it was raising $2.5 billion to buy bitcoin. Some Democrats are wary of supporting pro-crypto policies, as doing so could hand Trump a legislative win amid questions about potential conflicts of interest. Porter said he sees Satoshi's work and the pro-crypto policies it supports as bipartisan. He declined to disclose information about Satoshi's donors, citing privacy concerns. 'Clearly, Republicans have sort of taken a lead on this stuff, but there are a lot of Democrats who for a long time have been very supportive of the technology,' Porter said. Valencia is one of those Democrats. The Anaheim lawmaker said he's been interested in digital currency since his time as a San Jose State University student and began drawing up crypto legislation after taking over as Assembly Banking and Finance chair in late 2024. One of those ideas became the bill he's pushing with Satoshi, which would authorize California businesses to accept cryptocurrency as a valid form of payment. Local governments and other public entities wouldn't be allowed to charge extra fees for goods and services purchased with cryptocurrency. Valencia said the bill ensures 'fair treatment' for consumers paying with digital currencies without forcing businesses to accept cryptocurrencies. 'I have no doubt this is the currency and technology of the future,' he said. 'The lack of clear legal treatment leaves consumers unprotected.' A version of this story first appeared in California Decoded, POLITICO's morning newsletter for Pros about how the Golden State is shaping tech policy within its borders and beyond. Like this content? POLITICO Pro subscribers receive it daily. Learn more at
Politico
a day ago
- Business
- Politico
Crypto group with Trump ties finds friends in California
SACRAMENTO, California — A nonprofit with ties to Donald Trump is sponsoring state legislation from a Democrat in deep-blue California on an issue the president has embraced in his Oval Office comeback: cryptocurrency. The group, co-founded by Mandy Gunasekara, former chief of staff at the Environmental Protection Agency during Trump's first term, is backing a bill from Democratic California Assemblymember Avelino Valencia that could make it easier to pay with cryptocurrency in the Golden State. It comes as Trump's crypto ties are again in the spotlight this week at the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas where members of his inner circle like JD Vance headlined, and after the industry spent millions to elect pro-crypto congressional candidates in the 2024 election. Meanwhile, Democrats in Washington remain divided on regulating crypto as they look to block the president's agenda without angering the powerful industry. Valencia's bill presents a crucial test for the nonprofit Satoshi Action Fund's state-first strategy, given it deviates from the wider industry's Washington-focused approach. 'The industry was playing a lot of defense,' Satoshi CEO Dennis Porter, a crypto advocate and former podcaster who hosted his own show about Bitcoin, told POLITICO's California Decoded newsletter. '[If] you're on defense 100 percent of the time, you'll never win a single match.' Valencia, a Southern California Democrat, said he wasn't previously aware of Satoshi's Trump connection and hasn't worked directly with Gunasekara. He added he drew up the measure independently from Satoshi, though he said the group 'proactively provided' feedback that informed his approach. 'My understanding is that the organization is nonpartisan and is made up of individuals from all political ideologies, which is one of the reasons the organization stood out,' Valencia added. Porter said he sees untapped opportunity beyond Washington. To him, statehouses like California's present a cheaper and faster option for passing pro-crypto legislation that can pave the way for the industry to advance its priorities in Congress. '[The] Civil Rights Movement or women's right to vote, or the cannabis movement — all of these things grew their momentum at the state level,' said Porter, who said he co-founded Satoshi with Gunasekara as a 501(c)(4) group in 2022. 'We set the policy blueprint for the country at the state level.' Satoshi has been a driving force behind recent pro-crypto efforts in other, mostly Republican-controlled state legislatures, backing protections for bitcoin mining and crypto payments that passed in Montana, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Arkansas. The group also proposed model legislation that would allow states to invest public pension funds in cryptocurrencies, an idea Wisconsin and Michigan investors have embraced but has been slow to gain traction in other states. California poses a tougher challenge. The state's deep-blue legislature has proven to be more crypto-skeptical: Lawmakers in 2023 passed a slate of new requirements and fees for digital asset traders. Trump's entanglements in the crypto industry are complicating the issue for Democrats. The president held a private dinner with buyers of his memecoin, $TRUMP, earlier this month. His business empire, Trump Media & Technology Group, recently announced it was raising $2.5 billion to buy bitcoin. Some Democrats are wary of supporting pro-crypto policies, as doing so could hand Trump a legislative win amid questions about potential conflicts of interest. Porter said he sees Satoshi's work and the pro-crypto policies it supports as bipartisan. He declined to disclose information about Satoshi's donors, citing privacy concerns. 'Clearly, Republicans have sort of taken a lead on this stuff, but there are a lot of Democrats who for a long time have been very supportive of the technology,' Porter said. Valencia is one of those Democrats. The Anaheim lawmaker said he's been interested in digital currency since his time as a San Jose State University student and began drawing up crypto legislation after taking over as Assembly Banking and Finance chair in late 2024. One of those ideas became the bill he's pushing with Satoshi, which would authorize California businesses to accept cryptocurrency as a valid form of payment. Local governments and other public entities wouldn't be allowed to charge extra fees for goods and services purchased with cryptocurrency. Valencia said the bill ensures 'fair treatment' for consumers paying with digital currencies without forcing businesses to accept cryptocurrencies. 'I have no doubt this is the currency and technology of the future,' he said. 'The lack of clear legal treatment leaves consumers unprotected.' A version of this story first appeared in California Decoded, POLITICO's morning newsletter for Pros about how the Golden State is shaping tech policy within its borders and beyond. Like this content? POLITICO Pro subscribers receive it daily. Learn more at
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
ARTHEx Biotech to Participate in the 2025 Jefferies Global Healthcare Conference
VALENCIA, Spain, May 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- ARTHEx Biotech S.L., a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing innovative medicines through the modulation of gene expression, announced today its participation in the 2025 Jefferies Global Healthcare Conference, being held June 3-5, 2025. Frédéric Legros, Executive Chairman and CEO, will participate in one-on-one meetings with investors during the conference. About ARTHEx BiotechARTHEx Biotech is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing innovative medicines through the modulation of gene expression. The Company's lead investigational compound, ATX-01, is being evaluated for the treatment of myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), a rare neuromuscular disorder, in the Phase I-IIa ArthemiR™ trial. ARTHEx is also advancing its in-house discovery engine to identify and develop microRNA modulators for other disorders with high unmet medical needs, including genetically-driven diseases like DM1. The Company headquarters are in Valencia, Spain. For more information, please visit and engage with us on LinkedIn. Company Contact. Investor and Media Contact Frédéric LegrosExecutive Chairman and CEOflegros@ +33679495790 Amy ConradJuniper Pointamy@ +1 858-366-3243 View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE ARTHEx Biotech Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
