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Photo: President Barack Obama (USA) and President Nicolas Sarkozy (France) during G20 Summit in Cannes, France. Credits: France Diplomatie / F. de la Mure / MAEE.
Photo: President Nicolas Sarkozy (France), Chancellor Angela Merkel (Germany), and President Barack Obama (USA) during G20 Summit in Cannes, France. Credits: France Diplomatie / F. de la Mure / MAEE.
Photo: Prime Minister Stephen Harper (Canada), Prime Minister Julia Gillard (Australia), and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (India) during a working session at the G20 Summit in Cannes, France, Friday, Nov. 4, 2011. Credits: France Diplomatie / F. de la Mure / MAEE.
Photo: President Hu Jintao (China) and President Nicolas Sarkozy (France) during a working session at the G20 Summit in Cannes, France, Friday, Nov. 4, 2011. Credits: France Diplomatie / F. de la Mure / MAEE.
“We, the Leaders of the G20, met in Cannes on 3-4 November 2011. Since our last meeting, global recovery has weakened, particularly in advanced countries, leaving unemployment at unacceptable levels. In this context, tensions in the financial markets have increased due mostly to sovereign risks in Europe; there are also clear signs of a slowing in growth in the emerging markets. Commodity price swings have put growth at risk. Global imbalances persist,” said the final communique of the G20 Leaders Summit.
“Today, we reaffirm our commitment to work together and we have taken decisions to reinvigorate economic growth, create jobs, ensure financial stability, promote social inclusion and make globalization serve the needs of the people…”
The G20 has become the number one forum for economic policy coordination. Since the end of 2008, it has met on a regular basis: in London in April 2009, Pittsburgh in September 2009, Toronto in June 2010 and in Seoul in November 2010. It met for the sixth time on 3 and 4 November 2011 in Cannes, France.
The main emerging and developed economies, the G20 countries, account for 85 percent of global output and two thirds of the world’s population. Its members are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union. Spain is a permanent guest. This year, the French Presidency has invited the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Singapore and the African Union Presidency.
To carry out its work, the G20 draws on the expertise of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, the United Nations (UN), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the Financial Stability Board (FSB).
|GlobalGiants.Com|
A Suggestion for the Financial Stability Board (FSB):
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 12:14 PM | View the original post
Photos: (From the top) Miss World 2011 participants are introduced to the Birds of Prey of the British School of Falconry at The Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire, Scotland; Traditional Dance Rehearsal; Talent Semi-Finals; Miss World 2011 contestants participating in the Highland Games section of the Miss World Sports Challenge; Miss World 2011 contestants at Edinburgh Castle, Scotland; Miss World 2011 contestants at The Gleneagles Hotel Golf Academy; Miss World 2011 contestants at Cambridge University; Miss Venezuela, Ivian Sarcos, participating in the Top Model Competition. All Photos © Copyright Miss World Ltd.
• Celebrating its 60th anniversary, the 2011 Miss World Final will bring together representatives from a record 122 countries, celebrity judges, former Miss Worlds and top entertainers.
Miss World Final is one of the most watched annual global events on TV and the 2011 Miss World Final in London will be broadcast live on Sunday 6th November to over 150 countries with a global audience of over 1 billion viewers. The broadcasters include E! in the UK and USA, CCTV in China, Zee in India and Televisa in Mexico.
Former Miss World contestants have gone on to a variety of successful careers including lawyers, doctors, teachers, fundraisers and actors. Such contestants include Hollywood actress — Halle Berry (1986 finalist); one of China’s biggest stars and a face of L’Oreal — Zilin Zhang (2007); Hollywood actresses — Maggie Cheung and Michelle Yeoh; American actress and singer — Lynda Carter (1972 finalist); and Bollywood’s two biggest female stars — Aishwarya Rai (1994) and Priyanka Chopra (2000).
Earlier, the organizers had informed GlobalGiants.Com about the Miss World 2011 program —
The Miss World 2011 UK tour would begin in Scotland where participants would play golf at the world famous Gleneagles Hotel. The contestants would then visit ancient Stirling Castle (where Mary Queen of Scots was crowned in 1543) and Edinburgh Castle (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). At Edinburgh Castle, they would experience the firing of the One O’Clock gun and a rousing ‘Beating Retreat’ ceremony.
The tour would then move to one of the the world’s most famous universities, the University of Cambridge, where Miss World participants would take part in a debate at the Cambridge Union on the issue of social responsibility and then tour the university campus.
Back in London, the participants would enjoy a Thames boat cruise to historic Greenwich and would tour The Tower of London.
The Miss World Charity Gala would take place at The London Hilton Ballroom. All the funds raised there will go to support sick and disadvantaged children through the Miss World’s Beauty with a Purpose program.
Photo: Miss World 2011 Contestants — France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, and Belgium in London. | © Copyright Miss World Ltd.
Photo: The Miss World Charity Dinner was held in the Grand Ballroom at London’s Hilton Park Lane Hotel. The evening of entertainment culminated in an eclectic mix of music, song, and dance provided by the Miss World Talent performers. | © Copyright Miss World Ltd.
• This year, over half the participants are in full time education studying for a degree, one in four are already graduates, and over half speak three or more languages.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 6:42 AM | View the original post
Photo: Motorsport - F1 2011 - India Grand Prix - Buddh International Circuit - New Delhi, India. Photo Credit: DPPI. © DPPI Media.
Photo: Motorsport - F1 2011 - Spain Grand Prix. Petrov Vitaly (Russia) - Lotus Renault GO R31. Photo Credit: DPPI. © DPPI Media.
Photo: Motorsport - F1 2011 - European GP. Photo Credit: DPPI. © DPPI Media.
Photo: Sebastian Vettel of Germany and Red Bull Racing drives during the final practice session prior to qualifying for the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit on April 17, 2010 in Shanghai, China. Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images. © Getty Images.
Photo: Jarno Trulli on track. 2011 Indian Grand Prix - Friday Buddh International Circuit, New Delhi, India. 28th October 2011. Jarno Trulli, Team Lotus Renault T128. Photo © Team Lotus/Steven Tee/LAT Photographic.
Photo: Grand Prix of India 2011. Red Bull Racing practice pitstops during previews to the Grand Prix of India 2011 in New Delhi, India on October 27, 2011. Photocredit: © Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool.
Photo: Grand Prix of India 2011. Sebastian Vettel leads during the Grand Prix of India 2011 in New Delhi, India on October 30, 2011. Photocredit: © Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool.
Photo: Grand Prix of India 2011. Race winner Sebastian Vettel (2nd R) celebrating on the podium with Red Bull Racing Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey (2nd L), second placed Jenson Button (L) of Great Britain and McLaren and third placed Fernando Alonso (R) of Spain and Ferrari following Indian Formula One Grand Prix at the Buddh International Circuit in New Delhi, India on October 30, 2011. Photocredit: © Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool.
Photo: Grand Prix of India 2011. Sebastian Vettel of Germany celebrates in parc ferme after finishing first in the Grand Prix of India 2011 in New Delhi, India on October 30, 2011. Photocredit: © Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool.
• The Formula One World Championship ventures into new territory this week with inaugural Indian Grand Prix, which takes place on October 30 at the Buddh International Circuit. The 5.137 km track is located some 40 km from the Indian capital, New Delhi, and has been built as part of a massive redevelopment of the Greater Noida area, which will eventually include residential and professional buildings.
The circuit layout has been designed by Hermann Tilke with extensive input from the Formula One teams and features several interesting features, including a 1.1 km straight that goes steeply downhill before rising uphill and a double apex cambered radial turn named the Parabolica. The wide track - at many points over 21m in width - also features marked changes of gradient over the course of a lap, so there is likely to be several overtaking opportunities.
• Meanwhile, French Carmaker RENAULT told the GlobalGiants.Com Publisher that since the Buddh International Circuit is a new addition to the calendar, a great deal of work must be completed at the factory before a car has even turned a wheel on the tarmac. This enables a good base power-train set-up to be determined and available track time to be maximised. So, Renault Sport F1 will use all the tools at its disposal, such as computer simulation and engine dyno running, to meet this objective.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 12:52 PM | View the original post
Photos: Olivia Palermo presents the new collection, Mediterraneo, by Spanish fine jewelry brand, Carrera y Carrera, Madrid. Palermo was photographed in Ibiza (a Spanish island) with the sparkling Mediterranean Sea in the backdrop. “Mediterraneo is a fresh, youthful, and innovative collection that tells of the legends of goddesses and nymphs who have dwelt in this tranquil sea,” explains Carrera y Carrera. “Atenea, the magnificent goddess that displayed her splendor across the seas of the world, starfish in motion, and the brilliance of diamonds have been selected as a theme to develop this Fine Jewelry line… especially created with a young, professional and independent woman in mind, one who is sophisticated and always exquisitely elegant… the Mediterraneo woman, who shows her strength of character through her own image.”
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 2:39 PM | View the original post
Photo: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chelsea Clinton participate in the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting and hold a one-on-one “conversation” during the Closing Plenary, at the Sheraton Midtown Hotel in New York, New York, on September 22, 2011. (State Department Photo).
Photo: President Bill Clinton takes a group photo with the 1,200 attendees of the CGI U 2011 meeting. Photo Credit: Erik Jepsen / Clinton Global Initiative.
Photo: Along with the Director General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, and the Chairman of GEMS Education, Sunny Varkey, the ‘10,000 Principals Leadership Program’ was announced by President Clinton as a ‘commitment to action’ at the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting in New York. Photo Credit: Adam Schultz / Clinton Global Initiative.
• The Varkey GEMS Foundation, a not-for-profit education organization and The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), today announced a school Principals training program. The ‘10,000 Principals Leadership Program’ was announced by President Clinton as a ‘commitment to action’ at the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting in New York today.
The first phase of the program will involve Kenya, Ghana and India. 10,000 school principals will be trained over four years. “School Principals in many developing countries receive little, if any, leadership and development training,” explained GEMS Foundation. “This initiative will improve the skills of those school leaders and the multiplier effect will benefit thousands of teachers and up to 10 million children.”
The Director General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova said at the launch, “This partnership between UNESCO and the Varkey GEMS Foundation (including GEMS Education) is an excellent example of the new platforms for cooperation the world needs today. Tackling complex, global challenges requires also innovative and far reaching partnerships between the public and private spheres. GEMS Education works for education as a force for development, for individual realization, for tolerance and dialogue and indeed as a basic human right.”
The Founder of the Varkey GEMS Foundation and Chairman of GEMS Education, Sunny Varkey said at the launch of the initiative, “I believe the private sector can work with intergovernmental organizations, NGO’s and Governments, powerfully, to provide more education to those less fortunate. The fact that 67 million children around the world have no access to education is intolerable. Education is the most important issue in the world today. For us to confront, collectively, some of the world’s biggest challenges such as poverty, conflict, prejudice and intolerance we need to lift the standards of education worldwide.”
Photo: Student Volunteers at the CGI U 2011 Service Project at the San Diego Food Bank. Photo Credit: Adam Schultz / Clinton Global Initiative.
Photo: Students bag food at the CGI U 2011 Service Project at the San Diego Food Bank. Photo Credit: Adam Schultz / Clinton Global Initiative.
Photo: Students lend a hand at landscaping outside the San Diego Food Bank during the CGI U 2011 Service Project. Photo Credit: Erik Jepsen / Clinton Global Initiative.
Photo: CGI U 2011 Working Session. Photo Credit: Adam Schultz / Clinton Global Initiative.
• Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) convenes global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 11:36 PM | View the original post
Photos © 2011 The Aspen Institute. Photographers Daniel Bayer/Michael Brands/Steve Johnson.
According to the Aspen Institute’s “Beyond Grey Pinstripes” (a biennial survey and alternative ranking of business schools) released today, the number of business schools teaching MBA students to examine the social, environmental and ethical impacts of business decisions continues to grow.
According to the institute, for the 2011-2012 “Beyond Grey Pinstripes” rankings, 149 schools from 22 countries submitted data. These data included more than 6,000 course descriptions and over 6,000 faculty research abstracts. In addition, the Beyond Grey Pinstripes project team received extensive information on participating schools’ extracurricular activities, institutes and centers, joint degrees and specializations. To arrive at this year’s ranking, the project team spent seven months analyzing the courses and faculty research.
Stanford University, ranked first in the 2005 and 2007 surveys, bounced back from a #4 ranking in 2009 to rank number one in the 2011 survey. Stanford received high marks for the number of courses with social and environmental content it offers students as well as courses that explicitly address the role of mainstream business in improving social and environmental conditions. It also ranked high in creating an environment in which faculty feel free to explore social and environmental topics in their research, says Aspen Institute.
Photo: Kellogg School of Management Professor Tim Calkins studies ads with business school students during the Kellogg School’s Advertising Review.
• Aspen Institute’s Ranking of Top 10 MBA Programs:
1. Stanford Graduate School of Business
2. York University, Schulich School of Business (Canada)
3. IE University (Spain)
4. Notre Dame, Mendoza College of Business
5. Yale School of Management
6. Northwestern, Kellogg School of Management
7. University of Michigan, Ross School of Business
8. Cornell University, Johnson Graduate School of Management
9. University of North Carolina, Kenan-Flagler Business School
10. UC Berkeley, Haas School of Business
“In all scoring categories used to determine the ranking, business schools have raised the bar,” said Judith Samuelson, executive director of the Aspen Institute Business and Society Program, which conducted “Beyond Grey Pinstripes”. “There are more courses than ever before with content on social, ethical, and environmental issues, more courses about the role of business as a positive agent for change, more exposure of students to this content, and more research published by faculty on relevant topics.”
• Despite the gains being made, Samuelson noted, there is still work to be done to address the belief among some business educators that the sole role that business should play in society is to maximize profits - as measured by today’s stock price.
Aspen Institute is based in Washington, D.C. It also has offices in New York City and an international network of partners in Bucharest (Romania), Rome (Italy), Berlin (Germany), Lyons (France), Tokyo (Japan), Madrid (Spain), and New Delhi (India). Its mission is to foster values-based leadership, encouraging individuals to reflect on the ideals and ideas that define a good society.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 7:59 AM | View the original post
On September 15, 2011, German Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel opened the 64th IAA Cars (Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung) in Frankfurt, Germany, at a ceremony attended by numerous high-ranking guests from politics, business and society.
“This IAA demonstrates the automotive industry’s capacity for untiring renewal and innovation: Over 1,000 exhibitors have displays, covering an area equal to 33 football pitches. A total of 183 world premieres await 800,000 visitors, and more than 11,000 journalists from over 90 countries are reporting on the world’s most important trade fair for mobility. The IAA is the automotive industry’s ‘crystal ball’: here people can see, in a concentrated form, both the present and the future of mobility,” stressed Matthias Wissmann, President of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), at the opening of the IAA in Frankfurt am Main.
The slogan of this IAA - “Future comes as standard” - makes it clear, Wissmann said, that at this leading trade fair not only vehicle concepts are being presented, but also cars that would soon be seen as series models on the roads: “Progress and its inherent dynamism are like gravity: simply not negotiable,” Wissmann stated.
“Manufacturers and suppliers together characterise the unique innovative strength of our industry. And we are not the only people who think so. In a recent study by Ernst & Young, foreign automotive managers selected Germany as the world’s most attractive automotive location. That had not only to do with drive for innovation, but also with quality and productivity,” the VDA president emphasised.
“Here in Frankfurt we are demonstrating recipes for the future CO2 diet: the optimised classical internal combustion engine, hybrid cars, plug-in vehicles and range extenders, plus 100-per-cent battery-powered electric vehicles and vehicles with fuel cells,” Wissmann stressed. For the first time, he added, the IAA has a hall dedicated to the entire value-added chain for electric mobility. “So you are - if you like - also at the largest electric mobility fair in the world,” the VDA president explained.
• Concerning the situation on the financial markets Wissmann said: “We have not yet come through the crisis and the financial markets still look as though they are ailing. However, real life ensures relief. 2011 is turning into an automotive year. The global market will expand this year to over 65 million passenger cars sold, which is 10 million more than two years ago and a new record. The forecast for the year 2020 is 90 million passenger cars world-wide!“
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 8:11 AM | View the original post
Photo: Miss Universe Angola 2011, Leila Lopes is crowned the winner of the 2011 MISS UNIVERSE Competition by Miss Universe 2010, Ximena Navarrete. She celebrates on stage during the LIVE broadcast on NBC from Credicard Hall in Sao Paulo, Brazil on September 12, 2011. (Photographer: Patrick Prather. © Miss Universe L.P., LLLP. Photo provided for display on GlobalGiants.Com by The Miss Universe Organization, New York.)
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 2:27 AM | View the original post
Photo: Miss Universe Cyprus 2011, Andriani Karantoni, poses for a photo during the Welcome Event at Governor’s Palace in Sao Paulo, Brazil on August 29, 2011. She is preparing to compete in the 2011 MISS UNIVERSE Competition on September 12 at 9 p.m. ET broadcast LIVE on NBC from Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photographer: Richard D. Salyer. © Miss Universe L.P., LLLP. Photo provided for display on GlobalGiants.Com by The Miss Universe Organization, New York.)
Photo: Miss Universe El Salvador 2011, Mayra Aldana pre-tapes in her National Costume onstage at Credicard Hall in Sao Paulo on September 7, 2011. She is preparing to compete in the 2011 MISS UNIVERSE Competition on September 12 at 9 p.m. ET broadcast LIVE on NBC from Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photographer: Darren Decker. © Miss Universe L.P., LLLP. Photo provided for display on GlobalGiants.Com by The Miss Universe Organization, New York.)
Photo: Miss Universe Japan 2011, Maria Kamiyama pre-tapes in her National Costume onstage at Credicard Hall in Sao Paulo on September 7, 2011. She is preparing to compete in the 2011 MISS UNIVERSE Competition on September 12 at 9 p.m. ET broadcast LIVE on NBC from Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photographer: Darren Decker. © Miss Universe L.P., LLLP. Photo provided for display on GlobalGiants.Com by The Miss Universe Organization, New York.)
Photo: Miss Universe India 2011, Vasuki Sunkavalli, rehearses the evening gown pattern at the Hilton San Paulo Morumbi in Sao Paulo, Brazil on September 3, 2011. She will compete in the 2011 MISS UNIVERSE Competition on September 12 at 9 p.m. ET broadcast LIVE on NBC from Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photographer: Darren Decker. © Miss Universe L.P., LLLP. Photo provided for display on GlobalGiants.Com by The Miss Universe Organization, New York.)
Photo: Miss Universe Chile 2011, Vanessa Ceruti; Miss Universe Peru 2011, Natalie Vertiz; Miss Universe Costa Rica 2011, Johanna Solano; Miss Universe Georgia 2011, Eka Gurtskaia; Miss Universe Kazakhstan 2011, Valeriya Aleinikova; Miss Universe Aruba 2011, Gillain Berry; Miss Universe China 2011, Luo Zilin; Miss Universe Russia 2011, Natalia Gantimurova; Miss Universe Tanzania 2011, Nelly Kamwelu; and Miss Universe Ukraine 2011, Olesia Stefanko; pose for a photo during the Welcome Event at Governor’s Palace in Sao Paulo, Brazil on August 29, 2011. They and other contestants will compete in the 2011 MISS UNIVERSE Competition on September 12 at 9 p.m. ET broadcast LIVE on NBC from Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photographer: Richard D. Salyer. © Miss Universe L.P., LLLP. Photo provided for display on GlobalGiants.Com by The Miss Universe Organization, New York.)
Photo: Miss Universe China 2011, Luo Zilin, enjoys the Welcome Event at Governor’s Palace in Sao Paulo, Brazil on August 29, 2011. She will compete in the 2011 MISS UNIVERSE Competition on September 12 at 9 p.m. ET broadcast LIVE on NBC from Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photographer: Richard D. Salyer. © Miss Universe L.P., LLLP. Photo provided for display on GlobalGiants.Com by The Miss Universe Organization, New York.)
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 3:59 AM | View the original post
In the ‘Nations Brand Index’ of ‘Brand Finance plc’, the value of ‘Brand USA’ has dropped 10% since April 2011 to $11.4 Trillion. In that index, ‘Brand USA’ is being downgraded to AA- , as “its brand strength falls to a 10 year low.”
According to Brand Finance plc., new data shows there is a significant decline in ‘Brand USA’s’ value. Brand Finance plc is an independent global business focused on advising strongly branded organisations on how to maximise value through effective management of their brands and intangible assets. Brand Finance plc is headquartered in London and has a network of international offices in Amsterdam, Athens, Bangalore, Barcelona, Cape Town, Colombo, Dubai, Geneva, Helsinki, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Lisbon, Madrid, Moscow, New York, Paris, Sao Paulo, Sydney, Singapore, Toronto and Zagreb.
‘Nation Brand’ values are produced through a detailed analysis of economic data, perceptual market research data and infrastructure measures producing a combined score out of 100. For ‘Brand USA’ decreases are apparent across all inputs. Infrastructure scores dropped from 77 to 76 points, economic measures fell from 74 to 64 points and the brand equity measure slipped from 71 to 61.
Photo: MacBook Pro
• As the world’s biggest economy, ‘Brand USA’ is still significantly more valuable than the next nearest nation. However, there has been a drop in brand strength caused by inflation, cost of capital, reduced capital, higher unemployment and declining image abroad.
“If ‘Brand USA’ had been given the AA- rating in the Brand Finance ‘Nations Brand Index’ published in May 2011, it would have fallen below Canada, Australia and South Korea in brand strength,” says Brand Finance.
Photo: 2011 Chevrolet Aveo.
David Haigh, CEO of Brand Finance plc, comments:
“‘Brand USA’ is under enormous pressure as a decade of crises in business and foreign policy have been joined by serious economic problems. Low consumer spending, a static property market and the sovereign debt credit downgrade have all taken their toll on the value of ‘Brand USA’. At the same time other developed and emerging nation brands are performing better and growing in value. The economic crisis and double dip recession will accelerate these differences, with further shifts likely in the near future.”
Ollie Schmitz, Director of Nation Brand Valuation, Brand Finance plc adds:
“Prior to the recession, ‘Brand USA’ communicated strong and desirable values in everything from popular culture and entertainment to food and retailing brands. However, as a result of the current economic situation the brand strength has now dropped to its lowest score since tracking began in 2000. Once the global benchmark, emerging markets across the globe will now look to other nations to take the lead signalling exceptionally testing times for the ‘Brand USA’ in the future.”
• The full ‘Nation League Table 2011’ and methodology is available upon request from Brand Finance plc.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 6:24 AM | View the original post
All the participating teams are busy fine-tuning their preparations for a race that will cover 39,000 nautical miles, visit 10 countries and finish in Galway, Ireland in July 2012.
Photo: Cascais, Portugal. 30th July 2011. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing starts its 2000 mile qualifying sail. Photo Credit: Ian Roman/Volvo Ocean Race.
Photo: Groupama 4, skippered by Franck Cammas. Photo Credit: Yvan Zedda.
Photo: Delta Lloyd passes the finishing line.
Photo: Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing unveils its state-of-the-art Volvo Open 70 in Portofino, Italy. Photo Credit: Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing.
Photo: Telefonica Blue at the start of the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race. Photo Credit: Rick Tomlinson.
Photo: Solent, UK. 8th August 2011. Team Sanya training for the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12. Photo Credit: Tim Stonton/Volvo Ocean Race.
Photo: PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG Propulsion training onboard Mar Mostro off Newport, Rhode Island, USA. Photo Credit: Dan Armstrong.
• The next Volvo Ocean Race will start in the Spanish port of Alicante in the autumn of 2011 and finish in Galway, Ireland during the summer of 2012.
• The course will include stopovers in Cape Town (South Africa), Abu Dhabi (UAE), Sanya (China), Auckland (New Zealand), Itajai (Brazil), Miami (USA), Lisbon (Portugal) and Lorient (France).
• The first 31,250 nautical-mile race first took place over 37 years ago (as the Whitbread Round the World Race 1973-74), testing the crews against some of the most ferocious elements that man can encounter.
• The 2011-12 race will be the 11th edition of the event.
• The design of the boat is regulated and the boat is built for speed.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 6:22 AM | View the original post
Global children’s publishing education and media company Scholastic Inc. today announced the launch of the Everyday Book Box, a leveled reading English-language book collection designed for the international market.
The Everyday Book Box contains 50 individual book titles, fiction and non-fiction, each marked with a Guided Reading level. There are three leveled collections available: Red (ages 5-6), Yellow (ages 6-7), and Blue (ages 7-8). Schools may also choose between books printed in American English or Commonwealth English.
Photo: “CBS Early Show” Co-anchor Erica Hill gets a big hug from Clifford The Big Red Dog at the Scholastic Store in New York City. Clifford the Big Red Dog is an American children’s book series first published in 1963.
In addition to the books, each Everyday Book Box contains a resource CD with activities, lesson plans, and reading tips for teachers and parents.
“The Everyday Book Box is a valuable resource that will help children build English fluency and reading skills,” said Shane Armstrong, President of Scholastic International Growth Markets.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 10:56 AM | View the original post
Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services said today that it lowered its long-term sovereign credit rating on the United States of America to ‘AA+’ from ‘AAA’. Standard & Poor’s also said that the outlook on the long-term rating is negative. At the same time, Standard & Poor’s affirmed its ‘A-1+’ short-term rating on the U.S. In addition, Standard & Poor’s removed both ratings from CreditWatch, where they were placed on July 14, 2011, with negative implications.
“We lowered our long-term rating on the U.S. because we believe that the prolonged controversy over raising the statutory debt ceiling and the related fiscal policy debate indicate that further near-term progress containing the growth in public spending, especially on entitlements, or on reaching an agreement on raising revenues is less likely than we previously assumed and will remain a contentious and fitful process. We also believe that the fiscal consolidation plan that Congress and the Administration agreed to this week falls short of the amount that we believe is necessary to stabilize the general government debt burden by the middle of the decade,” Standard & Poor’s said in a statement.
“The political brinksmanship of recent months highlights what we see as America’s governance and policymaking becoming less stable, less effective, and less predictable than what we previously believed. The statutory debt ceiling and the threat of default have become political bargaining chips in the debate over fiscal policy.”
“Our opinion is that elected officials remain wary of tackling the structural issues required to effectively address the rising U.S. public debt burden in a manner consistent with a ‘AAA’ rating and with ‘AAA’ rated sovereign peers (Canada, France, Germany, and the U.K.).”
“The outlook on the long-term rating is negative. We could lower the long-term rating to ‘AA’ within the next two years,” the statement noted.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
“As a very important source of strength and security, cherish public credit. One method of preserving it is, to use it as sparingly as possible; avoiding occasions of expense by cultivating peace, but remembering also that timely disbursements to prepare for danger frequently prevent much greater disbursements to repel it; avoiding likewise the accumulation of debt, not only by shunning occasions of expense, but by vigorous exertions in time of peace to discharge the debts, which unavoidable wars may have occasioned, not ungenerously throwing upon posterity the burthen, which we ourselves ought to bear.”
— GEORGE WASHINGTON, Farewell Address, September 17, 1796.
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 8:10 AM | View the original post
Photo: Porsche Cars 2012 911 Black Editions.
Photo: BMW ActiveE - the first all-electric BMW.
Photo: Ford Motor Company 2011 Explorer ‘Crazy Kevin’ Print Ad Featuring comedian and actor Kevin Hart.
Photo: Mercedes delivers first zero-emission F-CELL.
Photo: All-new 2011 Chrysler 300 World Debut: Chrysler Brand President and CEO Olivier Francois unveiled all-new Chrysler 300 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
Photo: Lexus (luxury vehicle division of Toyota) pairs supermodel and supercar for Ad in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
• As the auto industry battles through another difficult year, vehicle manufacturers are fighting to win customers by offering the most appealing vehicles in history, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout Study released today.
• Vehicle Appeal at a Historic High
The study finds that overall vehicle appeal has reached an all-time high since the study’s inception in 1996. Furthermore, recently launched all-new and redesigned models are substantially more appealing than their carryover counterparts.
“The auto industry has taken a battering during the past few years,” said David Sargent, vice president of global vehicle research at J.D. Power and Associates. “However, it is clear that throughout this period, automakers have never lost sight of the fact that survival—and ultimately success—only comes from winning over customers in the showroom. Offering highly appealing vehicles is one of the primary means to succeed.”
• Vehicle Appeal and Initial Quality
At the same time, according to J.D. Power’s Initial Quality Study, on average, all-new and redesigned models have more problems than carryover models.
“There are two sides of the quality coin: things gone right and things gone wrong,” said Sargent. “Both are of critical importance, and models that perform well on both measures generate higher levels of recommendation and, ultimately, higher loyalty to the brand. In general, customers are also willing to pay more for vehicles that combine high appeal with high initial quality.”
Porsche is the highest-ranking nameplate for a seventh consecutive year. Hyundai improves from 2010 more than any other nameplate this year, while Jeep and Chrysler also improve considerably.
J.D. Power and Associates, a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies, is a global marketing information services company. J.D. Power’s Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout Study examines how gratifying a new vehicle is to own and drive. This study complements the Initial Quality Study which focuses on problems experienced by owners during the first 90 days of ownership.
- J.D. Power 2011 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout Study -
- Nameplate Ranking -
(Based on a 1,000-point scale)
• Porsche — 879
• Jaguar — 857
• BMW — 850
• Land Rover — 841
• Audi — 835
• Mercedes-Benz — 832
• Lexus — 827
• MINI — 824
• Lincoln — 820
• Cadillac — 816
• Acura — 808
• Infiniti — 806
• Volvo — 803
• Volkswagen — 798
• Hyundai — 793
• Ford — 785
• Buick — 783
• Scion — 782
• Industry Average — 781
• GMC — 778
• Kia — 777
• Chrysler — 775
• Chevrolet — 774
• Ram — 773
• Mazda — 769
• Mitsubishi — 767
• Dodge — 764
• Toyota — 763
• Honda — 762
• Nissan — 762
• Jeep — 759
• Subaru — 758
• Suzuki — 734
- Top Three Models per Segment -
Car Segments:
Sub-Compact Car
• Ford Fiesta
• Mazda MAZDA2
• Honda Fit
Compact Car
• Chevrolet Volt
• Volkswagen Golf
• Mitsubishi Lancer
Compact Sporty Car
• Volkswagen GTI
• MINI Cooper
Compact Premium Sporty Car
• BMW Z4 Roadster
• Mercedes-Benz E-Class Convertible/Cabriolet
Entry Premium Car
• Lexus IS
• BMW 3 Series (tie)
• Volkswagen CC (tie)
Midsize Sporty Car
• Dodge Challenger
• Chevrolet Camaro
Midsize Premium Car
• BMW 5 Series
Large Premium Car
• Hyundai Equus
• BMW 7 Series
• Audi A8
Midsize Car
• Suzuki Kizashi
• Hyundai Sonata
• Kia Optima
Large Car
• Dodge Charger
• Ford Taurus
• Nissan Maxima
Compact Crossover/SUV
• MINI Countryman
• Volkswagen Tiguan
• Hyundai Tucson
Compact MPV
• Scion xB
• Kia Soul
Entry Premium Crossover/SUV
• BMW X3
• Audi Q5
• Volvo XC60
Midsize Crossover/SUV
• Dodge Durango
• Ford Flex
• Ford Explorer
Large Crossover/SUV
• Nissan Armada
• Chevrolet Tahoe
• Ford Expedition
Midsize Premium Crossover/SUV
• Porsche Cayenne
• BMW X6
• Audi Q7
Large Premium Crossover/SUV
• Land Rover Range Rover
• Land Rover Range Rover Sport
• Mercedes-Benz GL Class
Large Pickup
• Ford F-150 LD
• Chevrolet Avalanche
• Ford F-250/F-350 Super Duty
Midsize Pickup
• Honda Ridgeline
• Nissan Frontier
• Toyota Tacoma
Minivan
• Honda Odyssey
Three models rank highest in their respective segments in both the 2011 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout Study and the 2011 Initial Quality Study: the Dodge Challenger, Ford F-150 LD and Honda Ridgeline.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 1:59 AM | View the original post
Photo: Microsoft Connector vehicles arrive at the Overlake Transit Center next to the Microsoft Redmond Campus.
Photo: Entrance to Building 36 on the Microsoft Redmond Campus.
Photo: Entrance to Building 92 on the Microsoft Redmond Campus.
Photo: Entrance to restaurants in The Commons destination on the Microsoft Redmond Campus.
• Microsoft Corporation is bringing 100 of the USA’s best educators to its corporate headquarters this week to connect, collaborate and share their inventive teaching methods at the 2011 U.S. Innovative Education Forum.
The event aims to recognize outstanding educators who engage and inspire their students to learn by creatively including technology into their school and classroom curricula.
Educators who attend the forum will participate in hands-on learning sessions with the latest Microsoft technologies and present their innovative learning projects to a panel of judges.
• Judges will select 10 projects to represent the U.S. at the “Microsoft Partners in Learning Global Forum” Nov. 6-11 in Washington, D.C., where more than 500 educators from around the world are expected to compete.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 4:19 AM | View the original post
Photo: Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn deliver meals for God’s Love We Deliver during Friday’s heat-wave in New York City.
Photos: Diverse Volunteers at God’s Love We Deliver.
On July 22, the hottest day of the year, model, television personality and entrepreneur Heidi Klum and fashion guru Tim Gunn joined forces to deliver life-saving meals to vulnerable clients in New York City. They were joined by volunteers, Board member Desiree Gruber and Karen Pearl, President & CEO of God’s Love We Deliver.
“It is only through the dedication of our thousands of volunteers - like Heidi and Tim - that God’s Love is able to ensure that its sick clients receive nutritious meals when they need them most,” said the organization. “We especially appreciate the service of our 7,600 volunteers on difficult days like today.”
God’s Love is a not-for-profit organization in New York City that provides individually-tailored life-sustaining meals and nutritional counseling to people living with life-threatening illnesses and those who are too sick to shop or cook for themselves.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 12:56 AM | View the original post
Photo: The Astrovan carrying the STS-135 crew rolls past the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) and Launch Control Center (LCC), on its way to launch pad 39a and space shuttle Atlantis, Friday, July 8, 2011, at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The launch of Atlantis, STS-135, was the final flight of the shuttle program, a 12-day mission to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls.
Photo: The STS-135 crew; Chris Ferguson, commander; Doug Hurley, pilot; Rex Walheim and Sandy Magnus, both mission specialists are seen before boarding space shuttle Atlantis at launch pad 39A prior to launch, Friday, July 8, 2011 at the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The launch of Atlantis, STS-135, was the final flight of the shuttle program, a 12-day mission to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls.
Photo: Space shuttle Atlantis is seen on launch pad 39a moments after the STS-135 crew arrived for their launch, Friday, July 8, 2011, at the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Photo Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls.
Photo: Space shuttle Atlantis is seen as it launches from pad 39A on Friday, July 8, 2011, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Photo Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls.
Photo: The space shuttle Atlantis is revealed as the rotating service structure (RSS) is rolled back at launch pad 39a on Thursday, July 7, 2011 at the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Photo Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls.
• Wrapping up 30 years of achievements, NASA’s Space Shuttle Program came to a “wheels stop” on Thursday at the conclusion of its 135th mission.
Shuttle Atlantis and its four-astronaut crew glided home for the final time, ending a 13-day journey of more than five million miles with a landing at 5:57 a.m. EDT at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Since STS-1 launched on April 12, 1981, 355 individuals from 16 countries flew 852 times aboard the shuttle. The five shuttles traveled more than 542 million miles and hosted more than 2,000 experiments in the fields of Earth, Astronomy, Biological and Materials Sciences.
The shuttles docked with two space stations, the Russian Mir and the International Space Station. Shuttles deployed 180 payloads, including satellites, returned 52 from space and retrieved, repaired and redeployed seven spacecraft.
According to NASA, this was Atlantis’ 33rd flight, and was the 135th and the final flight of the shuttle program.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 2:11 AM | View the original post
Photo: Left to Right: Lisa Stewart (Producer), Paul Berges (Writer), Gurinder Chadha (Writer), Kevin Lima (Director), A. R. Rahman (EP/Composer), Stephen Schwartz (EP/Lyricist), Chris Chase (Producer). Location: Glendale, CA, USA.
• DreamWorks Animation today announced in Glendale, California, that Kevin Lima (Enchanted, Tarzan) will direct the upcoming feature film Monkeys of Mumbai (working title), the studio’s first-ever Bollywood-style animated musical adventure.
Lisa Stewart (Turbo, Monsters vs. Aliens) and Chris Chase (Enchanted, Tarzan) will serve as producers on the project. Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Prince of Egypt, Enchanted) is serving as executive producer and lyricist, A. R. Rahman (127 Hours, Slumdog Millionaire, Bombay Dreams) is serving as executive producer and composer, and Gurinder Chadha & Paul Berges (Bride & Prejudice, Bend It Like Beckham) are writing the feature project.
Inspired by the great Indian epic tale of The Ramayana - but retold through the point of view of its monkeys - Monkeys of Mumbai revolves around two common monkeys who become unlikely heroes in a last ditch effort to stop an ancient, thought-to-be-mythical demon from conquering the world.
DreamWorks Animation creates high-quality entertainment, including animated feature films, meant for audiences around the world. All of DreamWorks Animation’s feature films are now being produced in 3D.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 6:31 AM | View the original post
Photo: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is greeted by All India Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi, India, on July 19, 2011. (State Department Photo).
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 1:03 PM | View the original post
Photo: Microsoft sign outside Building 99 on the Microsoft Redmond Campus.
Photo: Entrance to Building 37 on the Microsoft Redmond Campus.
Microsoft Corp. today announced the winners of the ninth annual Microsoft Imagine Cup, the world’s premier student technology competition, honoring student innovations that address global problems such as improving road and fire safety, eradicating poverty, and creating a more sustainable environment.
The Imagine Cup 2011 competition winners were announced at the Imagine Cup World Festival and Awards Ceremony at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York.
• Narrowed from more than 350,000 global registrants, more than 400 students from 70 countries traveled to New York to compete at the Worldwide Finals.
Team Hermes from Ireland took home top honors in the Software Design competition. The team designed a device that plugs into a car and monitors dangerous driving behavior and road conditions, providing instant feedback to both the driver and the car owner.
In the Embedded Development category, Team NTHUCS from Taiwan won first place and $25,000 (U.S.). Its project, RIGHT!! This Way, computes the safest fire escape routes, detected by a wireless sensor network in real time.
Photo: United States Secretary of Education Arne Duncan visited the Imagine Cup 2011 Worldwide Finals.
The following is a list of the top three winners in each of the five competition categories:
Software Design. Students create innovative software, service solutions and applications that unleash the power of technology to benefit society.
• First Place: Team Hermes (Ireland) • Second Place: Team Note-Taker (United States) • Third Place: OaSys (Jordan)
Embedded Development. Students develop embedded devices, working with hardware and software to build solutions that use Windows Embedded Compact 7.
• First Place: NTHUCS (Taiwan) • Second Place: Harmonicare (China) • Third Place: Endeavour_Design (Romania)
Game Design. Students select one of three tracks (Mobile, Web or Windows/Xbox) to create games that are not only fun but also help to improve the global community at the same time.
Mobile
• First Place: Geekologic (France) • Second Place: Close World Mobile (France) • Third Place: Team Dragon (United States)
Web
• First Place: Cellardoor (Poland) • Second Place: Signum Fidei (Philippines) • Third Place: Quegee Team (Slovakia)
Windows/Xbox
• First Place: Signum Games (Brazil) • Second Place: JubJub (Thailand) • Third Place: WickedTeam (Czech Republic)
Digital Media. Students create Web videos to share their points of view and generate awareness of critical global issues.
• First Place: M.N.A. (Romania) • Second Place: Brothers Forever (Oman) • Third Place: CottonCandy (Taiwan)
Windows Phone 7. Students develop XAP applications for Windows Phone 7 that help solve the world’s toughest problems.
• First Place: HOMERUN (Korea) • Second Place: Zipi Zigi (Korea) • Third Place: The LifeLens Project (United States)
In addition to the competition categories above, Imagine Cup includes four challenges. These four challenges provided more opportunities for students to win their share of the total $215,000 (U.S.) cash, as well as other prizes. The following is a list of these winners:
Interoperability Challenge. Students are challenged to pair free and open source software with technology from Microsoft and other companies to create groundbreaking applications.
• First Place: alaniarides (Greece) • Second Place: Bells Team (Brazil) • Third Place: DemosceneSpirit (Poland)
IT Challenge. Students are tested on their knowledge of IT systems and faced with unique scenarios and diverse needs to solve, competing for the title of best of the best in the industry.
• First Place: Jean-Sebastien Duchene (France) • Second Place: Blazej Matuszyk (Poland) • Third Place: Yunheng Mong (Singapore)
Orchard Challenge. Students use a new CMS platform to create useful, common modules, such as shopping carts, checkout systems, maps and geolocation services, and social interactivity.
• First Place: MP Brun (Denmark) • Second Place: Virtual Dreams - Orchard (Brazil) • Third Place: Zveen Zveen Team (Serbia)
Windows 7 Touch Challenge. Students are tasked to develop solutions that use Windows Touch technology while expanding the possibilities of how a user can interact with a computer.
• First Place: India Rose (France) • Second Place: dreambender (Indonesia) • Third Place: IUVO (Japan)
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 7:29 AM | View the original post
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