Amsterdam Treaty

The Amsterdam Treaty, officially the Treaty of Amsterdam amending the Treaty of the European Union, the Treaties establishing the European Communities and certain related acts, was signed on 2 October 1997, and entered into force on 1 May 1999; it made substantial changes to the Treaty of Maastricht, which had been signed in 1992.

The Treaty of Amsterdam devolved certain powers from members' governments to the European Parliament across diverse areas including the task of legislating on immigration, adopting civil and criminal laws and to enact foreign and security policy (CFSP), as well as implementing institutional changes for expansion as new member nations of the EU join.

Background

The treaty was the result of very long negotiations which began in Messina, Sicily on 2 June 1995, nearly forty years after the signing of the Treaties of Rome, and reached completion in Amsterdam on 18 June 1997. Following the formal signing of the Treaty on 2 October 1997, the Member States engaged in an equally long and complex ratification process. The European Parliament endorsed the Treaty on 19 November 1997, and after two referenda and 13 decisions by national parliaments, the Member States finally concluded the procedure.

Amsterdam

Amsterdam (English /ˈæmstərdæm/ or /ˌæmstərˈdæm/;Dutch: [ɑmstərˈdɑm]) is the capital city and most populous city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Its status as the Dutch capital is mandated by the Constitution of the Netherlands though it is not the seat of the Dutch government, which is The Hague. Amsterdam has a population of 834,119 within the city proper, 1,329,779 in the urban area and 1,603,531 in the metropolitan area. The city region has an approximate population of 2,431,000. The city is located in the province of North Holland in the west of the country, and is also North Holland's largest city. It comprises much of the northern part of the Randstad, one of the larger conurbations in Europe, with a population of approximately 7 million.

Amsterdam's name derives from Amstelredamme, indicative of the city's origin as a dam of the river Amstel. Originating as a small fishing village in the late 12th century, Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world during the Dutch Golden Age (17th century), a result of its innovative developments in trade. During that time, the city was the leading center for finance and diamonds. In the 19th and 20th centuries the city expanded, and many new neighbourhoods and suburbs were planned and built. The 17th-century canals of Amsterdam and the 19–20th century Defence Line of Amsterdam are on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Luka Nižetić

Luka Nižetić (born August 12, 1983) is a Croatian musician. His debut album Premijera was recorded in 2006. He is best known for his hits "Ponekad poželim" (Sometimes I wish) and "Proljeće" (Springtime).

Biography

Luka Nižetić was born in Split Croatia, as the second child of Tamara and Milo Nižetić. Together with his sister Petra, he grew up in Mertojak, part of Split. His parents noticed Luka's great interest in music at a young age. Consequently, they sent him to nuns for his early music education. A nun, called Cecilia, taught Luka to play the piano. When he was about 11 years old music professor Mišo Linić started giving Luka lessons in singing and gave him basic knowledge in composing. The opera diva Sanja Erceg–Vrekalo taught him in singing technique. When Luka was about seventeen years old, he composed his first song "Ludi grad" (Oh Crazy Town). The composer Zdenko Runjić included this song in his music festival MHJ 2001. To everybody's surprise, the young singer won three Silver Seagulls as 2nd prize by the expert jury.

Rick Ross

William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), better known by his stage name Rick Ross, is an American rapper and entrepreneur.

In 2009, Ross founded the record label Maybach Music Group, on which he released his studio albums Deeper Than Rap (2009), Teflon Don (2010), God Forgives, I Don't (2012), Mastermind, Hood Billionaire (2014) and Black Market (2015). Ross was also the first artist signed to Diddy's management company Ciroc Entertainment. In early 2012, MTV named Ross as the Hottest MC in the Game.

Life and career

1976–2006: Early life and career beginnings

William Leonard Roberts II was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi, and raised in Carol City, Florida. After graduating from Miami Carol City Senior High School, he attended the historically black college Albany State University on a football scholarship. Roberts worked as a correctional officer for 18 months from December 1995, until his resignation in June 1997.

In his early years at Suave House Records, Roberts initially made his debut under the pseudonym Teflon Da Don. He made his recording debut on the song "Ain't Shhh to Discuss" on Erick Sermon's lone album for DreamWorks, Def Squad Presents Erick Onasis. In the mid-2000s, he changed his name to Rick Ross. He derived his stage name from the former drug kingpin "Freeway" Rick Ross, to whom he has no connection.