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• Adobe, Arm, BBC, Intel, Microsoft, and Truepic form a coalition to develop an end-to-end, open standard for tracing digital content’s origin and evolution.
SAN JOSE, Calif. and REDMOND, Wash., Feb. 22, 2021 — A group of influential technology and media companies have partnered to form the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA), a Joint Development Foundation project established to address the prevalence of disinformation, misinformation, and online content fraud through developing technical standards for certifying the source and history or provenance of media content.
Founding members Adobe, Arm, BBC, Intel, Microsoft, and Truepic, seek to establish a standardized provenance solution to combat misleading content.
C2PA member organizations will work together to develop content provenance specifications for common asset types and formats to enable publishers, creators, and consumers to trace the origin and evolution of a piece of media, including images, videos, audio, and documents. These technical specifications will include defining what information is associated with each type of asset, how that information is presented and stored, and how evidence of tampering can be identified.
The C2PA’s open standard will give platforms a method to preserve and read provenance-based digital content. Because any online platform can adopt a free measure, it is critical to scaling trust across the internet. Besides the inclusion of varied media types at scale, C2PA drives an end-to-end provenance experience from the capturing device to the information consumer. Collaboration with chipmakers, news organizations, and software and platform companies is critical to facilitate a comprehensive provenance standard and drive broad adoption across the content ecosystem.
The formation of the C2PA brings together founding members of the Adobe-led Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI) and the Microsoft-and-BBC-led Project Origin, unifying technical specifications under a single entity. The CAI is building a system to provide provenance and history for digital media, giving creators a tool to claim authorship and empowering consumers to evaluate whether what they are seeing is trustworthy.
Project Origin has its roots in the production and distribution of news. The effort has focused on tackling disinformation in the digital news ecosystem by attaching signals to a piece of content to demonstrate its integrity and making this information available to those using it. The founding of the C2PA would unify technical standards. Meanwhile, these two entities would continue to pursue adoption, prototyping, and education within their respective communities.
Today’s C2PA announcement builds on several recent advances in content provenance, including Project Origin’s efforts to develop a pipeline for signaling, certification, and tracking the history of news content; the CAI’s first-ever end-to-end demonstration of provenance for captured media online; and Truepic’s development of the first native integration of hardware-secured photo capture smartphone technology.
Designing standards and technologies that can certify the source and provenance of online content is crucial in addressing rising concerns about manipulating and manufacturing news and information.
“Adobe is proud to be a founding member of the C2PA along with our partners in technology and media. With this group’s collective expertise, we will accelerate the critical work of rebuilding the public’s trust in online content through the broad and open adoption of a provenance standard at scale. We welcome everyone to join and participate in this effort so crucial to us all,” said Dana Rao, General Counsel, and Content Authenticity Initiative executive sponsor, Adobe.
“It’s vital that news providers play a part in the battle against disinformation. We welcome the opportunity to participate in the C2PA provenance work, which has the potential to support audience confidence in the news at a time when trusted sources of information are more important than ever,” said Jatin Aythora, Chief Architect, BBC.
“There’s a critical need to address widespread deception in online content — now supercharged by advances in AI and graphics and diffused rapidly via the internet. Our imperative as researchers and technologists is to create and refine technical and sociotechnical approaches to this grand challenge of our time. We’re excited about methods for certifying the origin and provenance of online content. It’s an honor to work alongside Adobe, BBC, and other C2PA members to take this critical work to the next step,” said Eric Horvitz, Chief Scientific Officer, and Project Origin executive sponsor, Microsoft.
Source: Microsoft Corporation
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 6:47 AM | View the original post
Photos: OMEGA Chronograph for America’s Cup. Images provided by & copyright © OMEGA.
To celebrate its role as Official Timekeeper for America’s Cup, OMEGA has launched a race-ready timepiece that delivers extraordinary precision under pressure.
The current edition of America’s Cup yacht race will occur in Waitemata Harbour of Auckland between Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli of Italy.
The “Defending Club” is the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, responsible for organizing America’s Cup match itself, whose team won the 35th America’s Cup in 2017. The “Challenging Club” is Circolo Della Vela Sicilia, whose team won the selection series - the 2021 Prada Cup.
With its new chronograph lock-system, quick-change strap, and water grip pushers, the OMEGA Seamaster Diver 300M America’s Cup Chronograph is a fitting tribute to the 36th America’s Cup presented by PRADA.
The 44 mm timepiece has a blue ceramic dial and bezel ring, which features a white enamel diving scale. To get a better handle on the watch in high swells, OMEGA has included soft-touch rubber pushers, ergonomically designed to work efficiently in the wet and stylishly picked out in red and blue.
Its laser-engraved wave-pattern dial includes a ‘regatta countdown indicator ring’ in red anodized aluminum. It features an hour disc underneath the subdial and a red anodized aluminum minute and rhodium-plated small seconds hand inspired by a boat hull’s shape.
OMEGA’s exclusive CHRONO LOCK system secures the chronograph functions when needed. A must when marking time on the water since sailing at high speeds leaves no room for error.
As with all commemorative watches, the event and year appear marked in bold. On the Alveol shaped case back, engravings filled with blue lacquer spell out “36th America’s Cup” and “Auckland 2021”.
Source: OMEGA
|GlobalGiants.Com|
OMEGA Official Timekeeper of the 36th America’s Cup.
First contested in 1851, America’s Cup is the oldest trophy in world sport. In 2021, OMEGA celebrates its role as the Official Timekeeper of the 36th edition with a brand new sailing chronograph. Engineered with the very best materials and precision, it’s a fine tribute to Earth’s most fantastic sailing competition.
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 2:07 PM | View the original post
TAG Heuer, a partner of the professional tennis player Naomi Osaka, congratulated her after an incredible performance at this years’ first Grand Slam Tournament.
Photos: Naomi Osaka wins the first Grand Slam of 2021. Images provided by & copyright © Getty Images/TAG Heuer.
La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland - February 20, 2021 — TAG Heuer Brand Ambassador Naomi Osaka has won the 2021 season’s first Grand Slam in Melbourne. Osaka had joined TAG Heuer’s family in January 2021 and became a part of the prominent TAG Heuer Brand Ambassadors’ team that expresses the brand’s passion for action and high performance.
Exactly one month after joining TAG Heuer as a Brand Ambassador, Naomi Osaka is continuing to write her history on the Women’s Tennis Tour (WTA) by winning the first Grand Slam in 2021 after a thrilling and intense match and hence capturing her 4th major title.
Osaka collected her next Grand Slam, and the second in Melbourne, on Saturday night against Jennifer Brady. The 23-year old Japanese Naomi Osaka has made a perfect tournament path during the whole competition and arrived at the final after beating in the semi-final no one less than Serena Williams.
Frédéric Arnault, CEO of TAG Heuer, commented: “We would like to congratulate Naomi on a tremendous victory. TAG Heuer is proud to be associated with such a talented athlete that perfectly represents the brand’s passion for action and high performance.”
Since joining the WTA professional circuit in 2013, Naomi Osaka has become one of the most explosive and influential tennis players globally.
Consider her accomplishments on the court: she was named “Newcomer of the Year” at the 2016 WTA Awards, was the first Asian woman to hold the number one position in singles, and the first Japanese player ever to win a Grand Slam event: the first one in the U.S. in 2018. It followed her win in Australia in 2019 and now in 2021 - and in between with a second U.S Championship in 2020.
“In 2021, Naomi Osaka joined a fearless generation of talent and courage at TAG Heuer. Precision and mental strength are essential to taking home the trophy. TAG Heuer has upheld these same values since 1860. Known for developing innovations that enhance sports performance measurement, the brand is committed to achieving ultimate precision. Its involvement in tennis, one of the world’s most popular sports, is a natural fit for a company that partners with the most extreme and most thrilling sporting events across the globe,” TAG Heuer said in a statement.
“With her incredible victory at the Grand Slam in Australia, Naomi Osaka confirmed her impressive potential and commitment to excellence,” the company added. “She indeed perfectly embodies TAG Heuer’s motto — Don’t Crack Under Pressure.”
Source: TAG Heuer
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 8:41 AM | View the original post
Photo: This high-resolution still image is part of a video taken by several cameras as NASA’s Perseverance rover touched down on Mars on Feb. 18, 2021. A camera aboard the descent stage captured this shot. A key objective for Perseverance’s mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet’s geology and past climate, paving the way for human exploration of the Red Planet and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken gravel and dust). (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech).
Photo: The Empire State Building is illuminated in red to celebrate this Thursday’s scheduled landing on Mars of NASA’s Perseverance rover, Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021, in New York City. A key objective for Perseverance’s mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet’s geology and past climate, paving the way for human exploration of the Red Planet and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith. Photo Credit: (NASA/Emma Howells).
Photo: NASA Mars Perseverance Live at One Times Square. The live NASA TV broadcast from inside the Mission Support Area of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is seen on the One Times Square video board as NASA’s Perseverance rover completes its descent towards the surface of Mars, Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021, in New York City. A key objective for Perseverance’s mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet’s geology and past climate, paving the way for human exploration of the Red Planet and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith. Photo Credit: (NASA/Emma Howells).
Photo: Members of NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover team watch in mission control as the first images arrive moments after the spacecraft successfully touched down on Mars, Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021, at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. A key objective for Perseverance’s mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet’s geology and past climate, paving the way for human exploration of the Red Planet and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls).
WASHINGTON, Feb. 18, 2021 — The largest, most advanced rover NASA has sent to another world touched down on Mars Thursday, after a 203-day journey traversing 293 million miles (472 million kilometers). Confirmation of the successful touchdown was announced in mission control at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California at 3:55 p.m. EST (12:55 p.m. PST).
The Mars 2020 mission launched July 30, 2020, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The Perseverance rover mission marks an ambitious first step to collect Mars samples and return them to Earth.
“This landing is one of those pivotal moments for NASA, the United States, and space exploration globally - when we know we are on the cusp of discovery and sharpening our pencils, so to speak, to rewrite the textbooks,” said acting NASA Administrator Steve Jurczyk. “The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission embodies our nation’s spirit of persevering even in the most challenging of situations, inspiring and advancing science and exploration. The mission itself personifies the human ideal of persevering toward the future and will help us prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet in the 2030s.”
About the size of a car, the 2,263-pound (1,026-kilogram) robotic geologist and astrobiologist will undergo several weeks of testing before it begins its two-year science investigation of Mars’ Jezero Crater. While the rover will investigate Jezero’s ancient lakebed and river delta’s rock and sediment to characterize the region’s geology and past climate, a fundamental part of its mission is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life.
“Because of today’s exciting events, the first pristine samples from carefully documented locations on another planet are another step closer to being returned to Earth,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for science at NASA. “Perseverance is the first step in bringing back rock and regolith from Mars. We don’t know what these pristine samples from Mars will tell us. But what they could tell us is monumental - including that life might have once existed beyond Earth.”
Some 28 miles (45 kilometers) wide, Jezero Crater sits on the western edge of Isidis Planitia, a giant impact basin just north of the Martian equator. Scientists have determined that 3.5 billion years ago, the crater had its river delta filled with water.
The power system that provides electricity and heat for Perseverance through its exploration of Jezero Crater is a Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator or MMRTG. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) provided it to NASA through an ongoing partnership to develop power systems for civil space applications.
“Perseverance is the most sophisticated robotic geologist ever made, but verifying that microscopic life once existed carries an enormous burden of proof,” said Lori Glaze, director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division. “While we’ll learn a lot with the great instruments we have aboard the rover, it may very well require the far more capable laboratories and instruments back here on Earth to tell us whether our samples carry evidence that Mars once harbored life.”
• Paving the Way for Human Missions
“Landing on Mars is always a challenging task, and we are proud to continue building on our past success,” said JPL Director Michael Watkins. “But, while Perseverance advances that success, this rover is also blazing its path and daring new challenges in the surface mission. We built the rover to land and find and collect the best scientific samples for return to Earth. Its incredibly complex sampling system and autonomy not only enable that mission, but they also set the stage for future robotic and crewed missions.”
The Mars Entry, Descent, and Landing Instrumentation 2 (MEDLI2) sensor suite collected data about Mars’ atmosphere during entry, and the Terrain-Relative Navigation system autonomously guided the spacecraft during the final descent. The data from both would help future human missions land on other worlds more safely and with larger payloads.
On the surface of Mars, Perseverance’s science instruments will have an opportunity to shine scientifically. Mastcam-Z is a pair of zoomable science cameras on Perseverance’s remote sensing mast, or head, that creates high-resolution, color 3D panoramas of the Martian landscape. Also located on the mast, the SuperCam uses a pulsed laser to study the chemistry of rocks and sediment and has its microphone to help scientists better understand the stones’ properties, including their hardness.
The rover chassis is home to three science instruments, as well. The Radar Imager for Mars’ Subsurface Experiment (RIMFAX) is the first ground-penetrating Radar on the surface of Mars.
Currently attached to Perseverance’s belly, the diminutive Ingenuity Mars Helicopter is a technology demonstration that will attempt the first powered, controlled flight on another planet.
Project engineers and scientists will now put Perseverance through its paces, testing every instrument, subsystem, and subroutine over the next month or two. Only then will they deploy the helicopter to the surface for the flight test phase. If successful, Ingenuity could add an aerial dimension to exploring the Red Planet in which such helicopters serve as scouts or make deliveries for future astronauts away from their base.
Once Ingenuity’s test flights are complete, the rover’s search for evidence of ancient microbial life will begin in earnest.
“Perseverance is more than a rover, and more than this amazing collection of men and women that built it and got us here,” said John McNamee, project manager of the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover mission at JPL. “It is even more than the 10.9 million people who signed up to be part of our mission. This mission is about what humans can achieve when they persevere. We made it this far. Now, watch us go.”
• More About the Mission
A primary objective for Perseverance’s mission on Mars is astrobiology research, including searching for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet’s geology and past climate and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith, paving the way for human exploration of the Red Planet.
JPL, a Caltech (California Institute of Technology) division in Pasadena, California, manages the Mars 2020 Perseverance mission and the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter technology demonstration for NASA.
Source: NASA
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Miss my landing? Catch the highlights below.
— NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) February 19, 2021
Send us your own highlights too. Share your pictures and video using #CountdownToMars. pic.twitter.com/OL2wSAi36e
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 3:29 AM | View the original post
NEW YORK, Feb. 18, 2021 — Today, TIME revealed the 2021 TIME100 Next list, an expansion of the flagship TIME100 franchise that recognizes 100 emerging leaders who are shaping the future of entertainment, health, politics, business, and more.
The 2021 TIME100 Next issue features six worldwide covers, each highlighting a member of the list: performer Dua Lipa, actor Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, athlete Marcus Rashford, Prime Minister of Finland Sanna Marin, fashion designer Telfar Clemens, and author Brit Bennett.
The TIME100 Next list features surprising pairings of the list members and guest contributors that TIME selects to write about. The second annual list includes:
TIME editor in chief and CEO Edward Felsenthal writes in his letter to readers:
“Amid a global pandemic, deepening inequality, systemic injustice and existential questions about truth, democracy and the planet itself, the individuals on this year’s list provide ‘clear-eyed hope,’ as actor, composer, and director Lin-Manuel Miranda puts it in his tribute to poet and TIME100 Next honoree Amanda Gorman. They are doctors and scientists fighting COVID-19, advocates pushing for equality and justice, journalists standing up for truth, and artists sharing their visions of present and future.”
Of the 2021 list, editorial director of the TIME100 Dan Macsai says: “Everyone on this list is poised to make history. And in fact, many already have.”
On Friday, Feb. 19 at 1 PM ET, TIME will host members of the list for TIME100 Talks Presents the 2021 TIME100 Next. Presented by Citi, the virtual series’s particular installment that convenes leaders from every field to spotlight solutions and encourage action toward a better world will be hosted by actor Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and will feature impressive musical performances by Dua Lipa, Luke Combs, Phoebe Bridgers, and Anitta.
Members of the new TIME100 Next list will join for special appearances throughout the event, including actor Regé-Jean Page, performers Chloe X Halle, comedian Amber Ruffin, actor Hunter Schafer, Upsolve CEO Rohan Pavaluri, Depop CEO Maria Raga, marine biologist Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, physician Dr. Dairon Elisondo Rojas, political strategist Jessica Byrd, and more.
This year’s list features 54 women, including Phoebe Bridgers, Maria Raga, Ana de Armas, Janja Garnbret, Florence Pugh, Clementine Jacoby, Anya Taylor-Joy, Guo Ningning, Sohla El-Waylly, Sarah Al Amiri, Shira Haas, and more.
The 2021 TIME100 Next list features several doctors, scientists, and public health professionals fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Among them: New Zealand Associate Minister of Health Dr. Ayesha Verrall, physician Dr. Dairon Elisondo Rojas, Get Us PPE executive director Dr. Shikha Gupta, medical union leader Dr. Izkia Siches Pastén, immunologist Dr. Kizzmekia S. Corbett, and more.
Activists, advocates, and philanthropists fighting for equality and justice on the list:
The 2021 TIME100 Next also includes emerging leaders fighting against climate change:
The list features U.S. political figures, including Ben Sasse, Raphael Warnock, Jon Ossoff, Lina Hidalgo, Adam Kinzinger, Parker Poling, and others.
Source: TIME
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 8:54 AM | View the original post
Photo: Tokyo Olympic Village. Tokyo, Japan. Image provided by & copyright © Greg Martin/IOC.
Photo: Tokyo Olympics. One Year to Go. Image provided by & copyright © IOC.
Photo: Tokyo Olympic Village. Tokyo, Japan. Image provided by & copyright © Greg Martin/IOC.
Photo: IOC President visits the new Olympic Stadium in Tokyo. Tokyo, Japan. Image provided by & copyright © Greg Martin/IOC.
Lausanne, Switzerland. February 15, 2021 — The Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has proposed a new strategic roadmap, Olympic Agenda 2020+5, to the upcoming IOC Session. It consists of 15 recommendations. The new roadmap follows Olympic Agenda 2020 and will guide the IOC’s work and the Olympic Movement for the next five years.
Olympic Agenda 2020+5 will be submitted to the IOC Members for discussion and adoption at the 137th IOC Session in March this year. The title, Olympic Agenda 2020+5, has been chosen to reflect that this new roadmap is the successor to Olympic Agenda 2020 and will guide the IOC and the Olympic Movement’s work until 2025.
Olympic Agenda 2020+5 builds on the results of Olympic Agenda 2020, which has had a profound impact in the six years since its adoption in December 2014. It has strengthened the IOC and the Olympic Movement by introducing changes intended to make the Olympic Games fit for the future, safeguarded the Olympic values, and strengthened sport’s role in society. These achievements have laid solid foundations for the future.
Now, as the world continues to battle the global health crisis and its likely consequences for society at large, the IOC and the Olympic Movement need to seize on the successes of Olympic Agenda 2020 and continue to drive change for tomorrow.
The 15 recommendations that make up the Olympic Agenda 2020+5 have been developed through an inclusive and collaborative process. They are also the areas where sport and Olympism’s values can play a crucial role in turning challenges into opportunities.
• The key trends include:
The need for greater solidarity within and among societies;
The growth in digitalization, while keeping in mind the need to expand the digital capability to the currently digitally underserved;
The urgency of achieving sustainable development;
The growing demand for credibility, both of organizations and institutions; and
The need to build resilience in the face of the financial and economic consequences that will result from the COVID-19 pandemic and which will influence priority-setting among governments and enterprises
• Each of the 15 recommendations is tangible with critical deliverables. The recommendations call upon the IOC and the Olympic Movement to:
Strengthen the uniqueness and the universality of the Olympic Games
Foster sustainable Olympic Games
Reinforce athletes’ rights and responsibilities
Continue to attract the best athletes
Strengthen the safe sport and the protection of clean athletes
Enhance and promote the Road to the Olympic Games
Coordinate the harmonization of the sports calendar
Grow digital engagement with people
Encourage the development of virtual sports and further engage with video gaming communities
Strengthen the role of sport as an essential enabler for the UN Sustainable Development Goals
Strengthen the support to refugees and populations affected by displacement
Reach out beyond the Olympic community
Continue to lead by example in corporate citizenship
Strengthen the Olympic Movement through good governance
Innovate revenue generation models
Commenting on Olympic Agenda 2020+5, IOC President Thomas Bach explained: “When we adopted Olympic Agenda 2020 in 2014, we did so under the adage of ‘change or be changed.’ It still holds today. The world around us has continued to evolve. Nothing illustrates this better than the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences for society. As challenging as the circumstances may appear right now, we can turn these into opportunities if we draw the right conclusions. To do so, we must address this future environment without delay. We need to carry forward Olympic Agenda 2020. It is why we have developed Olympic Agenda 2020+5 and its recommendations with the IOC Executive Board and based on the feedback we received from stakeholders following the Olympism and Corona messages.”
The IOC EB has also finalized the Closing Report of Olympic Agenda 2020. This report describes each of the 40 recommendations of Olympic Agenda 2020. It explains the various activities for implementing them and their impact on the IOC and the Olympic Movement.
The Closing Report of Olympic Agenda 2020 will be submitted to the IOC Session in March for final approval.
Source: IOC
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Best of Buenos Aires 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games.
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 4:25 PM | View the original post
• New special model for the smart EQ fortwo coupé.
Photos: Smart ForTwo Bluedawn. Images provided by & copyright © Smart, Daimler AG.
Stuttgart, Germany. Smart is presenting a real head-turner in a new unique model, the smart EQ ForTwo edition Bluedawn. Characteristic features of this expressive-looking special edition with an electric drive system include body panels and safety cells in matt velvet blue.
The wheels and detachable body parts from BRABUS in matt velvet blue or high-gloss black further enhance the dynamic appearance.
The fully battery-electric smart EQ ForTwo Bluedawn edition combines elegance and dynamism. The new select model is currently available in the following markets: Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, Benelux, Portugal, France, Switzerland, and Hungary.
The Smart Fortwo (stylized as “smart fortwo”) is a rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger hatchback microcar manufactured and marketed by the Smart division of the German multinational, Daimler AG.
Source: Daimler AG
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 7:51 AM | View the original post
Photo: A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover onboard launches from Space Launch Complex 41, Thursday, July 30, 2020, at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The Perseverance rover is part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program, a long-term effort of robotic exploration of the Red Planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky).
Photo: A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover onboard is seen on the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 41, Wednesday, July 29, 2020, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The Perseverance rover is part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program, a long-term effort of robotic exploration of the Red Planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky).
Photo: This illustration depicts NASA’s Perseverance rover operating on the surface of Mars. Perseverance will land at the Red Planet’s Jezero Crater a little after 3:40 pm EST (12:40 pm PST) on Feb. 18, 2021.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2021 — NASA is inviting the public to participate in virtual activities and events as the agency’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover nears entry, descent, and landing on the Red Planet, with touchdown scheduled for approximately 3:55 pm EST Thursday, Feb. 18.
Live coverage and landing commentary from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California will begin at 2:15 pm on the NASA TV Public Channel and the agency’s website and the NASA App, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, Twitch, Daily Motion, and THETA.TV.
Among the many firsts with this mission is the agency’s first-ever Spanish-language show for a planetary landing. On Thursday, Feb. 18, at 2:30 pm, NASA will air “Juntos perseveramos,” a show that will give viewers an overview of the mission to Mars and highlight the role Hispanic NASA professionals have had in its success.
The rover will plunge through the thin Martian atmosphere at more than 12,000 mph (about 20,000 kph). A parachute and powered descent will slow the rover down to about two mph (3 kph). During what is known as the sky crane maneuver, the descent stage will lower the rover on three cables to land softly on six wheels at Jezero Crater.
Perseverance also is carrying a technology experiment - the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter - that will attempt the first powered, controlled flight on another planet.
“If there’s one thing we know, it’s that landing on Mars is never easy,” said NASA Associate Administrator for Communications Marc Etkind. “But as NASA’s fifth Mars rover, Perseverance has an extraordinary engineering pedigree and mission team. We are excited to invite the entire world to share this exciting event with us!”
NASA offers many ways for the public to participate and stay up to date on landing information, mission highlights, and interaction opportunities.
• Watch and Participate Virtually
Connect with like-minded space enthusiasts, receive a NASA Social badge, ask questions, and participate in other virtual activities by signing up for the Perseverance Rover Virtual NASA Social event.
NASA will also provide a virtual guest experience for public members during landing, with notifications about mission updates, curated mission resources, and a virtual passport stamp available after landing.
Stay connected and let people know you’re following the mission on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Join the conversation, ask questions, and get answers online by using #CountdownToMars.
• Follow and tag these accounts:
At 7 pm EST Tuesday, Feb. 16, a NASA Social live show previewing landing day will stream live via the JPL YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter accounts.
You also can follow every step of entry, descent, and landing with this visualization and get a preview of all the excitement with a new video.
• Opportunities for Students, Teachers, Educators
Design, build and land your spacecraft - just like NASA scientists and engineers do. Join NASA’s Mission to Mars Student Challenge, where classrooms, informal education groups, families, and individuals will be able to participate in landing week question-and-answer sessions with mission experts.
A Mars 2020 STEM toolkit also is available, with stories on the students who named Perseverance and Ingenuity, opportunities to code your own Mars exploration games, and more.
Join scientists from NASA at a briefing of the National Academies Space Studies Board and Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board Wednesday, Feb. 17, at 11:30 am EST. Participants include:
You also can try out a virtual photo booth that allows you to pose next to the Perseverance rover, listen to the differences between sounds on Mars and Earth, and check out other interactive experiences on the mission’s website.
• Send Your Name to Mars, Again!
Perseverance is carrying three dime-sized chips with 11 million names submitted by people all over the world. Anyone who missed the chance to send their name on Perseverance can sign up to send their name on a future Mars mission.
• Lighting Towns Red Around the World
To celebrate Perseverance’s Red Planet landing, the Empire State Building in New York will light its tower red on Tuesday, Feb. 16, starting at sunset until 2 am the following morning. Besides, the Los Angeles International Airport gateway pylons will glow red from sundown on Wednesday, Feb. 17, through sunrise Friday, Feb. 19. Other sites in the United States recognizing the upcoming landing include select buildings along the Chicago skyline, such as the Adler Planetarium. NASA invites cities around the country and world to participate in “lighting the town red.”
Source: NASA
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 12:05 PM | View the original post
• Pandora celebrates its classic Pandora Moments charm bracelet jewelry that captures a universe of stories for people worldwide.
Photos: Pandora Jewelry.
BALTIMORE — Throughout 2020, Pandora marked a significant milestone with a celebration dedicated to its iconic charm bracelet. The Pandora Moments charm bracelet, globally renowned and beloved for wearable self-expression through jewelry, was first released in 2000. Pandora celebrated the bracelet’s two decades with activities both globally and in the brand’s home city of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Pandora designs, manufactures, and markets hand-finished and contemporary jewelry made from high-quality materials at affordable prices. Pandora jewelry is sold in more than 100 countries on six continents through around 7,800 points of sale, including more than 2,400 concept stores. Founded in 1982 and headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, Pandora employs more than 27,300 people worldwide, of whom around 13,200 are in Thailand, where the Company manufactures its jewelry.
Source: Pandora Jewelry
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 6:30 AM | View the original post
• The World’s Most Famous Building Will Mark the Beginning of the Year of the Ox.
Photo: The Empire State Building, New York City. Image provided by & copyright © Empire State Realty Trust, Inc.
NEW YORK, Feb. 8, 2021 — The Empire State Building (ESB) today announced that it would celebrate Lunar New Year in partnership with China’s Consulate General in New York with a Feb. 10 lighting of its world-famous tower lights. It would unveil a new Spring Festival window display in its Fifth Avenue lobby that celebrates the Year of the Ox.
On Feb. 10, 2021, just before sunset at 5 p.m. EST, guests from around the world can join the virtual lighting ceremony on the Empire State Building’s YouTube page. People can witness the “flip of the switch” that will turn the building’s famous tower red in advance of the first new moon of the lunar calendar on Feb. 12.
The Empire State Building will also celebrate Lunar New Year with a museum-quality Fifth Avenue lobby window display entitled “Back to Order,” on view from Feb. 10, 2021, through Mar. 10, 2021. Designed by United Design Lab in collaboration with China Arts and Entertainment Group Ltd, the display tells the story of the Ox as a return to normalcy in 2021 after an unprecedented year. In four scenes, the Ox welcomes spring, is represented as a symbol of peace, stands as a protector from floods to bring good weather, and ushers in a prosperous harvest. With traditional elements such as gourds, auspicious clouds, lotus flowers, pomegranates, and flying lanterns, the windows respect these historical Chinese symbols’ importance.
“Lunar New Year is such a significant event for Chinese and people of Chinese descent all around the world. Families travel to celebrate together. In a world disrupted by COVID, we honor this celebration with our special and meaningful tower lighting and fantastical window display,” said Jean-Yves Ghazi, president of the Empire State Building Observatory Experience. “The Empire State Building expresses its best wishes to our friends who celebrate the Lunar New Year of the Ox for a rich and fortunate new year. The Empire State Building is open and ready to welcome everyone back to New York City.”
Source: Empire State Realty Trust, Inc.
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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 5:09 AM | View the original post
Photos: TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph. Images provided by & copyright © TAG Heuer.
Fueled by a shared history with innovation and motor racing at its core, TAG Heuer and Porsche have joined forces to unveil an extensive partnership that will set a new standard for brand integration, the companies announced today.
“The strong friendship of our brand with TAG Heuer exists for decades. I am more than happy that we are now taking the next steps in the frame of a strategic partnership,” said Detlev von Platen, Member of the Executive Board for Sales and Marketing at Porsche AG. “We bring together what our customers love the most about both of us: authentic heritage, thrilling sports events, unique life experiences, and the fulfillment of dreams. We both strive to create some unique, magic moments for our communities. We now look forward to doing it together.”
“TAG Heuer and Porsche have common history and values, of course, but more importantly, we share an attitude,” said Frédéric Arnault, CEO of TAG Heuer. “Like Porsche, we are disruptors at heart, always in pursuit of high performance. With this alliance, TAG Heuer and Porsche finally come together officially after decades of close encounters and will create unmatched experiences and products for customers and fans passionate about both our brands and what we stand for.”
Sources: TAG Heuer and Porsche
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TAG Heuer | TAG Heuer X Porsche Virtual Launch
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 11:46 AM | View the original post
Photo: Greenery. Image credit: Tom Blackwell.
Photo: The MIT Green Future Index Rankings World Map.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 31, 2021 — The Green Future Index, a new study by MIT Technology Review Insights, in association with Citrix, Morgan Stanley, and Salesforce, ranks 76 countries and territories. The nations get ranked on the progress and commitment they are making toward a green future. The index indicates what they are doing to reduce carbon emissions, develop clean energy, innovate in green sectors, and the degree to which governments are implementing effective climate policies.
The MIT Technology Review index shows which countries are progressing fastest in global efforts to decarbonize and limit global heating in line with the Paris Agreement’s goals.
The key findings are as follows:
Europe will be a future green leader. Europe dominates the top of the index, with 15 European nations in the top 20. Many countries across the region have already made progress with curbing emissions, transitioning energy production to renewable sources, and investing in green mobility. Since covid, the EU has committed more than €200 billion in bold green economy investments, accelerating decarbonization even in the most fossil-fuel dependent states.
Iceland, Denmark, and Norway top the index. Iceland, in the first place, aims to be carbon neutral by 2040. The country has become a world leader in clean energy and carbon capture technology. Denmark (2nd) is the largest hydrocarbons producer in Europe to stop issuing new oil and gas exploration licenses. Norway (3rd) is also striving to decouple its economy from fossil fuels.
Costa Rica and New Zealand secure top 10 positions. Costa Rica ranked 7th, and New Zealand, ranked 8th, have made significant strides with renewables and have world-leading agendas for decarbonization across industry and agriculture. Canada (14th), Singapore (16th), and Uruguay (20th), the other non-Europeans in the top 20, have strategies for decarbonization, transitioning energy sources, and government-led initiatives to promote green living. For example, Singapore’s Zero Waste Masterplan aims to reduce landfill waste by 30% between now and 2030.
There is uneven progress across the world’s largest economies. The United States (40th) has reduced emissions over recent years and is responsible for nearly one-fifth of the world’s green patents. Yet, it is emerging from four years of climate denial and remains heavily dependent on fossil fuels and unsustainable farming practices. China (45th) is responsible for more than one-quarter of global emissions but has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2060 and is the world’s fastest-growing renewable energy producer. France (5th), Germany (11th), and Canada (14th) are the highest-ranked countries in the G20.
The countries at the bottom of the index risk losing competitiveness in the green economy. The laggards include South Africa (47th), Vietnam (49th), and Indonesia (57th), where economic pressures run counter to sustainable development. Japan (60th) aims to be carbon neutral by 2050, although government targets for renewable energy remain modest. The 16 “abstainer” countries at the bottom include petrostates such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Qatar, and Russia. The latter’s Energy Strategy 2035 for expanding oil and gas production identified the trend toward carbon neutrality as an existential threat.
“Covid-19 has created a huge momentum for developing green industries and financing infrastructure that will be clean, technologically advanced, and climate-resilient,” says Nico Crepaldi, head of custom content, MIT Technology Review. “In the future, we’re likely to see ‘green’ being synonymous with economic competitiveness.”
• The Green Future Index Country Rankings
Source: MIT Technology Review Insights
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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 6:49 AM | View the original post
Photos: Maserati MC20 wins the “most beautiful supercar of the year 2021” award at Festival Automobile International in Paris. Images provided by & copyright © 2021 Maserati Spa.
Photo: Sketch of Maserati Tipo 300 S, which won the Venezuela Grand Prix in 1955. Image provided by & copyright © 2021 Maserati Spa.
PARIS, Jan. 30, 2021 /— At the online awards ceremony for the Festival Automobile International, Maserati took pride of place amongst the winners. The recently launched MC20, which premiered globally last September at the MMXX international show in Modena, received the “most beautiful supercar of the year 2021” award.
Klaus Busse, Maserati Head of Design, said, “We are honored to receive this coveted accolade, which recognizes the work of an entire team who have made a wholehearted commitment to this unique project, creating a car that opens a new chapter in Maserati’s history.”
Maserati said its MC20 is a mix of elegance, sporting prowess, personality, and a genuine masterpiece of style, which inaugurated a new era for the Trident Brand. Designed at the Centro Stile Maserati in Turin, the MC20 marks Maserati’s return to the super sports car segment with a car that combines mind-blowing performance and ground-breaking technology.
The company elaborated that MC20 is a model that identifies itself by its uniquely Italian character. “A tasteful, pure concept, without stylistic excesses: the timeless design that has always been the signature of Maserati cars of all eras. Its lines’ innate class and purity highlight a personality of sheer sporting brilliance: the vehicle’s upper part is a sculpted artwork. At the same time, its lower section is a concentrate of pure technology. The MC20’s design achieves a perfect balance between opposites. The ideal mix between craftsmanship and engineering combines hand artistry’s unique quality and the most advanced production processes’ absolute precision. Developed by the Maserati Innovation Lab and produced at the historic plant in Modena, MC20 is 100% made in Italy,” Maserati added.
According to Maserati, the new super sports car’s most distinctive feature is its exclusive butterfly doors, which are aesthetically stunning and provide the driver and passengers with easier access, both inside and outside the cabin. This supercar is the first Maserati to have vertical headlights: a real revolution in the brand’s design criteria. The broad, low, horizontal rear light clusters are equally distinctive.
MC20’s superb looks conceal an uncompromisingly sporty soul, with the new 630hp V6 Nettuno engine that delivers 0-100 km/h acceleration in under 2.9 seconds and a top speed over 325 km/h — an engine 100% patented, conceived, designed, and built entirely by Maserati.
Source: Maserati North America, Inc.
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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 8:37 AM | View the original post
• A modern and muscular design — Evoking robustness and dynamism.
Photos: Renault Kiger. Images provided by & copyright © Renault.
Paris / New Delhi, January 28, 2021 — Kiger is a brand new compact SUV designed in India and initially intended for this market before being marketed internationally in a second phase. Accessible and equipped with five seats, this sturdy SUV of fewer than 4 meters in length completes Renault’s offer in India, with Kwid, Duster, and Triber.
Kiger has a powerful personality with its resolutely modern and dynamic design and generous interior space. With equipment and features unheard of at this price level in the segment, and its second choice of engine and transmission, it has all the cards in hand to appeal to Indian customers looking for originality and novelty.
A sporty and muscular SUV, Kiger is a concentrate of energy with two faces: that of urban modernity and that of agility whatever the road. Its muscular bodywork inspires both robustness and dynamism. A genuine invitation to escape into the urban jungle and to new driving experiences.
Measuring just under 4 meters in length, Kiger classifies as an urban SUV. Despite this compactness, it has tangible assets in terms of interior space. The interior design harmoniously combines the robust spirit of an SUV with a sophisticated, technological feel. The creative interior design reflects sharing and friendliness.
On the technology side, Renault Kiger features a large 8-inch (20.3 cm) touch screen compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with Bluetooth and WIFI connection. The driving experience is enhanced by MULTI-SENSE settings that allow the driver to choose different driving modes, an Auditorium 3D Sound by Arkamys audio system, and speed cameras, and a rearview camera with guidance lines for easy parking.
• India, one of the most attractive markets in the world
The second most populous country globally, India has strong growth potential and remains one of the world’s most attractive markets. As in many other countries, the SUV market has been growing steadily in recent years. Incredibly attentive to its customers, their needs, and their uses, Renault became aware of this growing demand very early. The brand has revolutionized specific segments by developing disruptive products such as Kwid and Triber. As one of the only manufacturers to have gained market share last year in a declining market, Renault has established itself as the leader among European brands distributed in India.
Source: Renault
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Presenting the new RENAULT KIGER.
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 10:23 AM | View the original post
61 business leaders, including members of the World Economic Forum and its International Business Council (IBC), have committed to the core Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics released by the IBC.
Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics offer a set of universal, comparable disclosures focused on people, planet, prosperity, and governance that companies can report on, regardless of industry or region.
The move signals that private sector leaders view environmental, social, and governance factors as critical to the success and long-term viability of all businesses, and a unified voice is gathering pace on a global solution for non-financial reporting.
Photo: Impressions from downtown at the Annual Meeting 2019 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, January 21, 2019. Image provided by & copyright © World Economic Forum / Walter Duerst.
Geneva, Switzerland January 26, 2021 - A growing coalition of 61 top business leaders across industries announced today their commitment to the Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics, a set of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) metrics and disclosures released by the World Economic Forum and its International Business Council (IBC) in September 2020, that measure the long-term enterprise value creation for all stakeholders.
The Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics, drawn from existing voluntary standards, offer a core set of 21 universal, comparable disclosures focused on people, planet, prosperity, and principles of governance. They are considered most critical for business, society, and the earth, and that companies can report on regardless of industry or region. They strengthen companies and investors’ ability to benchmark progress on sustainability matters, thereby improving decision-making and enhancing transparency and accountability regarding the shared and sustainable value companies create, WEF elaborated.
These leaders and their organizations, including Dow, Unilever, Nestlé, PayPal, Reliance Industries, and Sony, have today committed to:
Reflect the core metrics in their reporting to investors and other stakeholders (e.g., annual report, sustainability report, proxy statements, or other materials) by reporting on the metrics most relevant to their business or briefly explaining why a different approach is more appropriate.
Publicly support this work and encourage their business partners to do so.
Promote the further convergence of existing ESG standards, frameworks, and principles to support progress towards a globally accepted solution for non-financial reporting on standard ESG metrics.
In making these commitments, business leaders signify that ESG factors are increasingly critical to all businesses’ success and long-term viability. It reflects leading global companies’ intent to integrate sustainability into their core strategy, operations, and corporate disclosures.
“Stakeholder capitalism becomes now really mainstream,” said Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum. “The public commitments from companies to report not only on financial matters but also their ESG impacts are an important step towards a global economy that works for progress, people and the planet.”
“We have to deliver great returns for our shareholders and help drive progress on society’s most important priorities,” said Brian Moynihan, Chairman and CEO of Bank of America and Chairman of the International Business Council. “That is stakeholder capitalism in action. Common metrics will help all stakeholders measure the progress we are making and ensure that the resources capitalism can marshal - from companies, from investors, and others - are directed to where they can make the most difference.”
The World Economic Forum, in collaboration with Bank of America, Deloitte, EY, KPMG, and PwC, curated the set of 21 core and 34 expanded metrics over the past two years with the support of over 140 stakeholders.
The metrics include non-financial disclosures centered around the four pillars: people, planet, prosperity, and governance principles. Intentionally built on existing standards, the posts include metrics such as greenhouse gas emissions, pay equality, and board diversity.
By adopting and reporting these metrics and disclosures, the business community will continue to catalyze greater cooperation and alignment among existing standards and encourage progress in developing a systemic, globally accepted set of common standards for reporting sustainability performance.
The full list of companies that have agreed to implement reporting on the Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics includes:
“Runaway climate change, environmental degradation, and social inequality are some of the biggest problems that the world faces,” said Alan Jope, CEO of Unilever. “Companies’ annual reports and accounts might not be the first mechanism for change that would spring to mind, but standardized and mandatory non-financial reporting is critical to creating a new form of capitalism that tackles these problems. The Forum’s IBC work is an important step forward, and we are providing our wholehearted support.”
The Davos Agenda is a pioneering mobilization of global leaders to rebuild trust to shape the principles, policies, and partnerships needed in 2021. It features a full week of international programming dedicated to helping leaders choose innovative and bold solutions to stem the pandemic and drive a robust recovery over the next year. Heads of state, CEOs, civil society leaders, and global media will actively participate in almost 100 sessions across five themes.
Source: World Economic Forum
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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 3:54 AM | View the original post
Photos: Daimler Trucks unveils BharatBenz Reefer Truck for Vaccine Transportation in India. Images provided by Daimler AG.
Chennai, India / Stuttgart, Germany, January 25, 2021 — Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) has unveiled the BharatBenz’ BSafe Express’, a specialized reefer truck designed for the safe transportation of COVID-19 vaccines. Equipped with state-of-the-art connectivity, the BSafe Express uses newly developed refrigeration units to ensure the vaccines’ temperature and stability are accurately monitored and maintained at all delivery stages. The reefer is mounted on the BharatBenz 2823R heavy-duty chassis.
Mr. Satyakam Arya, Managing Director, and CEO, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles, was present at the truck’s premiere in the Indian capital Delhi. According to him, “The combination of a strong, reliable chassis with a lightweight, insulated reefer and state-of-the-art connectivity device makes BharatBenz’s ‘BSafe Express’ the perfect solution to India’s cold-chain infrastructure challenge. With this truck, we can deliver vaccines in perfect condition to even the most remote destinations, bringing the hope of a return to normalcy to over 1.3 billion people.”
India has recently started its corona vaccination campaign to vaccinate 300 million people by July 2021. The BharatBenz BSafe Express offers a solution to Indian logistics companies to contribute to the nation’s goal of bringing COVID under control as quickly as possible. A daunting challenge in the second-most populous country in the world.
• Refrigerated container and digital solutions enable quick and safe transportation of vaccines across India.
Automotive system solutions provider Motherson Group supplies the refrigerated container. It is made from Glass Reinforced Plastic, XPS Foam, and other carefully-chosen materials that ensure the product is strong, water-resistant, and non-corrosive, yet lightweight and highly insulated. The container can be assembled locally in as little as 96 hours, making it a much more practical solution than conventional products, which can take three or more weeks to deliver.
With purpose-built IoT sensors integrated inside the container, fleet managers can monitor temperature, humidity, shock, tilt, and tamper. They can also adjust the temperature as required and sound the alarm if a problem occurs. It further integrates with QR Code tracking of all stock on board so that users can check the location, status, and history of each package. Paired with BharatBenz’s ‘Truckonnect’ telematics platform, the BSafe Express offers vaccine distributors absolute peace of mind with real-time tracking of both the vehicle and its precious cargo.
Source: Daimler AG
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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 1:17 PM | View the original post
COVAX announced the signing of an advance purchase agreement for up to 40 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine; rollout to commence with the successful execution of supply agreements.
Additionally, COVAX announced that pending WHO emergency use listings, nearly 150 million doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford candidate would be available in Q1 2021 via existing agreements with the Serum Institute of India (SII) and AstraZeneca.
COVAX is therefore on track to deliver at least 2 billion doses by the end of the year, including at least 1.3 billion amounts to 92 lower-income economies in the Gavi COVAX AMC.
Photo: UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, with Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of World Health Organization (WHO), and Dr. Sylvie Briand, Director, Global Infections Hazard Preparedness of WHO, during a strategic briefing on COVID-19 at Strategic Health Operations Centre (SHOC) in the headquarters of WHO in Geneva. 24 February 2020. UN Photo / Jean-Marc Ferré.
Geneva/Oslo 22 January 2021 - COVAX, the global initiative to ensure rapid and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for all countries, regardless of income level, today announced the signing of an advance purchase agreement with Pfizer for up to 40 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine candidate, which has already received WHO emergency use listing. The rollout will commence with the successful negotiation and execution of supply agreements.
COVAX also confirmed that it would exercise an option via an existing agreement with India’s Serum Institute (SII). It would receive its first 100 million doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford University-developed vaccine manufactured by SII.
Of these first 100 million doses, most are earmarked for delivery in the first quarter of the year, pending WHO Emergency Use Listing. The WHO review process, which is currently underway, follows approval for restricted use in emergencies by the Drugs Controller General of India earlier this month and is a critical aspect of ensuring that any vaccine procured through COVAX is fully quality assured for international use.
COVAX also anticipates that, via an existing agreement with AstraZeneca, at least 50 million further doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine will be available for delivery to COVAX participants in Q1 2021, pending emergency use listing by WHO of the COVAX-specific manufacturing network for these doses. A decision on this candidate is also anticipated by WHO in February.
“Today marks another milestone for COVAX: pending regulatory approval for the AstraZeneca/Oxford candidate and pending the successful conclusion of the supply agreement for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, we anticipate being able to begin deliveries of lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines by the end of February. It is not just significant for COVAX; it is a major step forward for equitable access to vaccines and an essential part of the global effort to beat this pandemic. We will only be safe anywhere if we are safe everywhere,” said Dr. Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which leads COVAX procurement and delivery.
Preparations, led by WHO, UNICEF, and Gavi, are already well underway for COVAX to deliver vaccines to economies eligible for support via the COVAX AMC, with Gavi making US$ 150 million available from its core funding as initial, catalytic support for preparedness and delivery.
“The urgent and equitable rollout of vaccines is not just a moral imperative, it’s also a health security, strategic and economic imperative,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization.
“Country Readiness Portal” will be launched by WHO this month, which will allow AMC participants to submit final national deployment and vaccination plans (NDVPs).
“These purchase agreements open the door for these lifesaving vaccines to become available to people in the most vulnerable countries,” said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore. “But at the same time we are securing vaccines, we must also ensure that countries are ready to receive them, deploy them, and build trust in them.”
The COVAX Facility intends to provide all 190 participating economies with an indicative allocation of doses by the end of this month. This indicative allocation will provide interim guidance to participants - offering a minimum planning scenario to enable preparations for the final portion of the number of doses each participant will receive in the first rounds of vaccine distribution.
COVAX, the vaccines pillar of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT), is co-led by CEPI, Gavi, and WHO, operating with vaccine manufacturers, UNICEF, the World Bank, and others. It is the only global initiative working with governments and manufacturers to ensure COVID-19 vaccines are available worldwide to both higher-income and lower-income countries.
The Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT) is a new, ground-breaking global collaboration to accelerate the development, production, and equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines. It was set up in response to a call from G20 leaders in March and launched by the WHO, European Commission, France, and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in April 2020.
The World Health Organization (WHO) provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system.
Source: World Health Organization (WHO)
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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 3:56 AM | View the original post
Photo: David Yurman Introduces Spring 2021 Campaign, “My New York.”
NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2021 — America’s foremost luxury jewelry brand, David Yurman, presents their Spring 2021 campaign, “My New York.” Creative directed by Chief Creative Officer, Evan Yurman, shot by Manhattan-based photographer Lachlan Bailey and styled by Anastasia Barbieri, the campaign features David Yurman brand ambassadors and returning models Joan Smalls and Taylor Hill. The campaign celebrates “My New York” as the brand and founders’ home and a constant source of inspiration and creativity for the Yurman family.
According to the brand, David Yurman, whether you have visited once or lived here all your life, New York is the city of dreams and endless possibilities, no matter where you are in the world. The city’s creative pulse—its people, diversity, cultural institutions, neighborhoods, landmarks—is what gives New York its eternal spirit and continues to inspire us anew. The David Yurman campaign  pays homage to the  real  heart and soul of  New York City.
“Sybil, Evan, and I were all born in New York City. It’s our home and in our DNA—its creative energy courses through our veins,” said co-founder and CEO, David Yurman. “We want to celebrate and support our hometown—what this city was, is, and will always be. It’s our New York.”
The campaign features a mix of classic and iconic pieces from David Yurman Cable, Pinky Ring, Stax, Lexington, and Renaissance collections pieces from the brand’s upcoming launch—the new Elements collection. Inspired by the circular form, the Elements collection represents perfect balance, harmony, and unity—the ultimate amulet, the company elaborated.
David Yurman announced that in February 2021, it would expand on the “My New York” campaign concept with a social media initiative featuring iconic individuals from across the country. They include actors, musicians, artists, philanthropists, athletes, entrepreneurs — each with a unique and personal story to tell about the city.
Spring 2021 campaign images will appear in digital and print media, out of home advertising, video streaming, and social media platforms throughout the Spring.
David Yurman is an American jewelry company founded in New York by David Yurman and his wife, Sybil. David Yurman collections are available at 49 retail stores throughout the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, and France and at over 300 locations worldwide through their exclusive authorized fine jewelry retailers’ network.
Source: David Yurman
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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 1:56 PM | View the original post
• The first in India, Porsche Studio personalizes the customer experience.
Photo: The opening of Porsche Studio Delhi is the first-of-its-kind in India. Image provided by & copyright © Porsche India.
Photo: The center stage area with its LED wall is an integral part of the Porsche Studio concept. Image provided by & copyright © Porsche India.
Photo: The Heritage Wall presents milestones of Porsche’s unique history. Image provided by & copyright © Porsche India.
New Delhi, India. January 21, 2021 — Porsche is strengthening its presence by opening a new, interactive showroom concept in Delhi, the first of its kind in India. The Porsche Studio Delhi joins the line-up of exclusive locations worldwide to embrace an innovative retail environment that enables the sports car manufacturer to interact with a broad spectrum of target groups in an intimate atmosphere. Located in the prime position of Connaught Place, the Studio opens up onto the high street as a perfect addition to the recently launched Porsche showroom in Gurugram, Delhi-NCR. Given the present situation regarding health and safety protocols, Porsche Studio Delhi is open by pre-scheduled appointments only.
The Principal Dealer of Porsche Centre Delhi Dilmohan Singh said, “Porsche Studio Delhi presents a new way for customers and fans to explore and immerse themselves in the brand through a welcoming and engaging environment right in the middle of one of the busiest neighborhoods in Delhi. I am very proud of our new destination as the first in India.”
The Studio is a futuristic showroom concept in city centers: a new brand space beyond the traditional showroom format by offering a wide range of experiences in customers’ daily lives.
The lifestyle boutique store links Porsche craftsmanship, aesthetics, and urban lifestyle with a center stage area and LED screens that will feature the latest Porsche models. A dedicated Configuration Lab and Trimming Area for customers to tailor their car with inspiration provided by materials and large interactive screens on the Exclusive Manufaktur wall. Customers can learn about the latest hybrid models and the soon-to-arrive Taycan in the so-called E-Performance booth.
The recently appointed Brand Head - Porsche India, Manolito Vujicic, describes Porsche Studio Delhi’s opening as an essential pillar of the brand’s global Future Retail strategy. “It is an innovative and exciting new approach to interact with our Porsche family of customers and enthusiasts through a combination of personal interaction and the use of the latest technology. Displays and digital touchpoints offer diverse attractions beyond just products, ranging from heritage and lifestyle to the future of the brand,” he added.
Adjacent to the center stage, visitors can relax in the Driver’s Club fitted with large panorama screens to watch Porsche’s latest videos. A private sales suite offers complete discretion for the purchase process with a personal consultant. Its library style interior holds a selection of samples and trimmings for any design tweaks during the consultation.
The Porsche Studio in Delhi reflects Porsche Centre Delhi’s commitment towards its current and future customers in the region. The company said it looks to a promising 2021 with a full complement of new models, including the new Panamera, the all-new Taycan electric sports saloon, and the latest 911 Turbo.
Source: Porsche India
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Porsche Studio Delhi
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 9:56 AM | View the original post
7,430 Lamborghinis delivered worldwide in 2020.
Despite the ongoing pandemic, the company set an all-time six-month sales record in the second half of the year.
Six new products launched on the market: Lamborghini Huracán EVO RWD coupé and Spyder, Sián Roadster, Essenza SCV12, Huracán STO and SC20.
The company took Social responsibility initiatives, from medical masks to the cultural project “With Italy, for Italy.”
Photos: Lamborghini in 2020. Images provided by & copyright ©, Automobili Lamborghini.
Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy, January 18, 2021 - Automobili Lamborghini responded to a year marked by the global pandemic’s significant challenges with enormous energy and determination. The company delivered 7,430 cars worldwide in 2020, a decrease of only 9% compared to the previous year. The slight drop is attributable to the 70-day production shutdown in the spring, in compliance with Italian government directives and to protect workers’ health during the first emergency phase. In contrast, the second six months saw record sales figures, resulting in the best second half-year for deliveries-to-customers in the company’s history.
The United States was the top market with 2,224 cars, followed by Germany (607), mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau (604), Japan (600), the United Kingdom (517), and Italy (347). The two countries with the highest growth were South Korea (303 units, + 75%) and Germany (607 cars, +8%). The Urus SUV, which just last year set a production record of 10,000 units, was the most successful model, with 4,391 vehicles delivered. Both the super sports car lines significantly contributed to global volumes: the V10 Huracán recorded growing numbers with 2,193 cars sold (+3%), alongside 846 V12 Aventador units delivered worldwide.
The new 2021 year gets off to a positive start with a robust order portfolio: so much so that the company has already assigned more than half of 2021’s planned production.
Stephan Winkelmann, President, and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini, commented: “The 2020 results are a clear demonstration of the excellent work that, despite the difficulties of a year of global challenges, was carried out by the entire Lamborghini team with enormous dedication and a spirit of resilience. It is a great honor for me to be part of our future again. The sense of community felt so strongly during the past year, along with the values of social responsibility and the drive toward innovation that has always distinguished Lamborghini will be the basis for confronting a challenging 2021. It would consolidate the product range, seek new business prospects, and further strengthen the brand.”
Source: Automobili Lamborghini
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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 5:24 AM | View the original post
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