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Photo: An artist’s concept shows the MESSENGER spacecraft in orbit around Mercury. Credit: NASA.
NASA’s MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft entered orbit around Mercury March 17, becoming the first spacecraft to ever do so. While orbiting Mercury, MESSENGER’s instruments will perform the first complete reconnaissance of the planet’s geochemistry, geophysics, geologic history, atmosphere, magnetosphere, and plasma environment. On March 29, the Mercury Dual Imaging System was turned on and began capturing the first of thousands of orbital images.
Photo: From Orbit, Looking toward Mercury’s Horizon. MESSENGER acquired this image of Mercury’s horizon as the spacecraft was moving northward. Credit: NASA, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, and Carnegie Institution of Washington.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 6:01 AM | View the original post
In a major global music relief effort to benefit those affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, over 30 of the biggest names in contemporary music have joined together for the worldwide release of “Songs for Japan,” an unprecedented compilation of 38 chart-topping hits and classic tracks, available worldwide on the iTunes Store for $9.99 starting today. Proceeds from the album’s sale will benefit the disaster relief efforts of the Japanese Red Cross Society.
The “Songs for Japan” track listing features an all-star lineup:
Proceeds from “Songs for Japan” will be directed to the Japanese Red Cross Society to support its disaster relief efforts. The society will use the funds for the ongoing provision of immediate relief and for eventual recovery support to the affected population. The artists participating on “Songs for Japan,” the music labels and music publishers have waived their royalties and proceeds from the worldwide sales of the album to ensure that the Japanese Red Cross Society receives as much support as possible from this global initiative.
Source: Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, and EMI Music.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 7:02 AM | View the original post
Photo: Portrait of one of the young girls in the Kapisa Province of Afghanistan who are receiving Vocational Education and Training. Photo © United Nations/Eskinder Debebe.
The UN Security Council has unanimously adopted a resolution extending the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) until March 23, 2012.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 5:56 AM | View the original post
Photo: Mongolian boys, one mid-lasso, shepherd their herd of goats in Khovd Aimag. The UN Development Programme (UNDP) works to empower herder groups in the area — many herdsmen now develop their own land-use plans, conservation maps and sustainable practices for water, forest and pasture management. Khovd Aimag, Mongolia. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe.
• Lasso is a light, strong rope, usually with a smooth, hard finish, made of a fine quality of hemp or nylon. It is used primarily for catching large animals such as cattle and horses. The rope varies in length from 35 to 50 ft (11-15 m). At one end of the rope is a running knot or a metal ring by means of which a loop or noose is made. The loop is thrown, from as far away as 30 ft (9 m), around the horns or the feet of an animal and drawn tight. The lasso was invented by Native Americans. In the West United States and in parts of Latin America the lasso is a part of the equipment of a cattle herder. To use it on horseback requires great skill of the rider.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 4:12 AM | View the original post
Photo: PARIS, FRANCE. March 18, 2011 — Designer and perfumer Thierry Mugler has chosen international star Eva Mendes to personify his fragrance ANGEL.
ANGEL was created in 1992 and is one of the top five best-selling women’s perfumes in the world.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 2:35 AM | View the original post
Photo: Diamond and platinum ring, set with a central cushion cut diamond, further accented with 263 round brilliant cut diamonds, approximate total diamond weight — 3 carats, hand-crafted, designed and signed by Neil Lane.
Neil Lane is Hollywood’s celebrated jewelry designer.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 12:14 PM | View the original post
Photo: Winning Poster by Pawel Dadok, Poland.
‘Water is Life’. Under this slogan, the German Sanitation, Heating and Air Conditioning Association (ZVSHK) held an international poster competition in which 4,862 artists from 83 countries took part.
“With our poster competition, we wanted to address the problems caused by water shortage and water wastage on a worldwide scale. The competition seeks to raise people’s awareness of how important it is to have secure access to clean drinking water,” explained Manfred Stather, the President of the ZVSHK, at the award ceremony in Frankfurt.
The entry from Polish artist, Pawel Dadok, was declared the winner. His poster shows a person, in peaceful coexistence with different wild animals, drinking from a water hole. The poster caption has the following challenge for the observer: “Behave yourself. Be an animal. Water is life.”
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 11:50 AM | View the original post
Photo: London Olympic Organizing Committee Chairman Sebastian Coe joins London school children, Olympic gold medalists Carl Lewis (USA) and Nadia Comaneci (Romania), British swimmer Rebecca Adlington and London Mayor Boris Johnson to announce that the application process is now open for tickets to the London 2012 Olympic Games.
“The Olympic Games represent the pinnacle of achievement for athletes and the greatest sportsmen and women in the world will be coming to the UK and competing at some fantastic venues. One of London’s greatest assets is its diversity - athletes from more than 200 nations will be competing and many of them will find a ‘home’ crowd already waiting for them,” said Sebastian Coe. “Supporters from around the world come to the Olympic Games following their athletes and teams and they, too, will find a warm welcome waiting for them. London will be a magical place to be in the summer of 2012 and I guarantee the visit of a lifetime.”
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 1:00 AM | View the original post
Photo: 11-Year-Old Boy From India to Be Awarded Lions International Peace Poster Contest Grand Prize at the United Nations.
Raj Phairembam, an 11-year-old boy from Manipur, India, will be recognized at Lions Day with the United Nations in New York City for winning this year’s grand prize in the Lions International Peace Poster Contest. At the event on Friday, March 18, 2011, Phairembam will receive an award and US$5,000.
Phairembam said when he found out he won, he was overwhelmed with disbelief and excitement.
“We live in different continents but our feelings are the same. We want to be where there is peace. We don’t want to be where there is violence and war,” said Phairembam. “We want a kingdom of peace where love prevails and where we can enjoy the freedom to play fearlessly with our friends - be it an American, an African, a European, an Australian or an Asian.”
• An estimated 350,000 children, ages 11, 12 and 13 in 70 countries around the world, participated in this year’s contest. His poster was chosen for its originality, artistic merit and portrayal of this year’s contest theme, “Vision of Peace.”
Lions Clubs International President Sid L. Scruggs III said, “I commend Raj and all these young people for sharing their personal visions of peace with the world around them. They are truly beacons of hope for us all.”
Lions created the Peace Poster Contest to foster a spirit of peace and international understanding in young people worldwide.
• Lions Clubs International is the world’s largest service club organization with 1.35 million members in more than 45,000 clubs in 206 countries and geographic areas around the world.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 1:04 PM | View the original post
Photo: Petra Nemcova, model, television host and Founder of the Happy Hearts Fund (HHF), addresses a joint press conference at UN Headquarters on “Partnering with the Philanthropic Community to Promote Education for All”. The Event was organized by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Office for Partnerships and the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy. February 28, 2011. United Nations, New York. UN Photo/Mark Garten.
Joining Ms. Nemcova at the press conference were Susan Durston, Associate Director of Education Programmes for UNICEF, Olav Seim, Director of the Education for All Global Partnership Team; Danielle Ryan, Representative of the Cathal Ryan Trust; Carlos Domínguez, Senior Vice-President of Cisco Corporation; Hikmet Ersek, President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Western Union; and Jaime Barclay, Senior Philanthropy Specialist of the Symantec Corporation. Ms. Barclay said that Symantec had donated funds, time and software to causes around the world in the area of education through such proven organizations as Room to Read, to which it was announcing a $1 million grant for literacy facilities and related initiatives in India.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 6:21 AM | View the original post
Photo: The Zero Emissions Race, co-sponsored by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), comes to a close as electric vehicles cruise through the finish line at the UN Office at Geneva, Switzerland. The “zero emissions” vehicles, powered by renewable energies like solar, wind, wave and geothermal, drove across the globe in 80 days, through 16 countries, for a total of 3,000 kilometres. February 24, 2011. Geneva, Switzerland. UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferre.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 6:26 AM | View the original post
Photo: Desert Palm play Cartier during the Cartier International Dubai Polo Challenge at the Desert Palm Hotel on February 18, 2011 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The Cartier International Dubai Polo Challenge is one of the most celebrated tournaments in the desert. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images for Cartier. © 2011 Getty Images.)
Photo: Lebanese actress Nadine Njeim poses for a photgraph in the Cartier Villa at the Cartier International Dubai Polo Challenge at the Desert Palm Hotel on February 18, 2011 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The Cartier International Dubai Polo Challenge is one of the most celebrated tournaments in the desert. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images for Cartier. © 2011 Getty Images.)
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 5:55 AM | View the original post
Photo: A view of a Mercedes-Benz car during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Lincoln Center on February 11, 2011, in New York City. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz.)
• Global new light-vehicle sales this year are projected to reach 76.5 million units in 2011, which would surpass the record of 72 million light vehicles sold in 2010, according to J.D. Power and Associates Automotive Forecasting.
If new light-vehicle sales reach their expected levels, this would be 6 percent higher than the 2010 total, which shattered the previous record of 70 million units set in 2007.
“Overall growth in the world economy has been supporting further recovery in auto sales,” said John Humphrey, senior vice president of automotive operations at J.D. Power and Associates. “We’re seeing signals of stability and increased consumer demand for new vehicles as economic optimism increases.”
Photo: Q-Park wins bid to take over 14 car parks in London. Oxford Street is one of the car parks located in the heart of London.
Most regions saw sales growth in 2010, including North America, South America, and Asia, with China being a key to growth for that continent. Western Europe was the notable exception to the growth pattern.
Also, for the first time in 2010, emerging auto markets accounted for more than one-half of global light-vehicle sales (51%), clearly signaling the shift of power in the global automotive market that has been taking place during the past five years. That momentum in the emerging markets is expected to continue throughout 2011.
Photo: The REVA NXG Electric Car, Bangalore, India.
• Outlook for 2011: Mature Markets Recover, Emerging Markets Continue to Expand
Emerging markets, including China, India, and Brazil, are expected to continue to expand on the 51 percent share of total light-vehicle sales captured in 2010. Overall, emerging markets are expected to account for 53 percent of total light-vehicle sales in 2011, a further sign that these are the key markets that will drive the level of growth in the coming years.
Mature markets, on the other hand, are forecasted to see mixed results. The U.S. economy is expected to be stronger, which should lead to higher sales. Western Europe is expected to be flat, while Japan is expected to see its auto market shrink.
Photo: Thirty-one brand new Porsche Panameras are awaiting their flight to the U.S. at the Leipzig, Germany, airport. Having just rolled off the assembly line at the nearby Porsche production plant, each car is carefully lifted, secured and then placed on the 747 cargo plane.
• North America
The outlook for North America in 2011 is positive, with sales forecasted to increase by 11 percent to 15.5 million units — an increase of 1.5 million units from 2010.
• Europe
In contrast to the steady recovery taking place in North America, Europe is expected to see a slight decrease in its light-vehicle market in 2011, with sales down to 18.1 million units.
• Asia
The auto market in Asia will continue to grow in 2011.
CHINA: In China, a country that has seen exceptional growth in its auto market in recent years, sales are expected to exceed 19 million units, an increase of 11 percent compared with 2010.
• In spite of the expected cooling of the growth rate, China will remain the top global auto market by a significant margin — outselling the U.S. by approximately 6 million units — and the long-term prospects for the market remain strong.
INDIA: With the higher income levels and increased demand for new sub-compact models, sales in India are being boosted, particularly in the semi-urban and rural markets. Accordingly, sales volume in India in 2011 is projected to be up 17 percent to 3.2 million units.
• South America
South America’s economies and auto markets have made a sharp recovery.
According to J.D. Power, the significant near-term risks to the region include rising inflation and continuing monetary tightening, a sudden reversal in investor confidence, and a possible credit bubble in Brazil, which is the largest auto market in the region with nearly 75 percent of sales.
Photo: A 30 ft. inflatable Carfax Car Fox helps draw customers to Serra Buick Cadillac GMC Showroom in Michigan, USA.
“From a global standpoint, 2010 was a combination of recovery and strong growth in emerging markets,” said Jeff Schuster, executive director of global forecasting at J.D. Power and Associates. “Growth in 2011 is not expected to be as pronounced as it was in 2010. However, 2011 appears to be a stable environment with more manageable growth rates balanced across the world, as the recovery in the auto market will continue in many countries.”
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 1:46 AM | View the original post
Photo: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, leads Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Toyota, during practice for the NASCAR Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway on February 11, 2011 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR. © Getty Images.)
Photo: Jimmie Johnson (R), driver of the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, and his wife Chandra (L) play with their daughter Genevieve Marie on the grid prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway on September 26, 2010 in Dover, Delaware. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images for NASCAR. © Getty Images.)
Photo: Juan Pablo Montoya, driver of the #42 Target Chevrolet, and Clint Bowyer, driver of the #33 BB&T Chevrolet, lead the field to the green flag to start the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AMP Energy Juice 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on October 31, 2010 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR. © Getty Images.)
Photo: Johanna Long, driver of the #20 Panhandle Grading & Paving Toyota, stands on the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series WinStar World Casino 350k at Texas Motor Speedway on November 4, 2010 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Todd Warshaw/Getty Images. © Getty Images.)
Photo: Tony Stewart, driver of the #14 Office Depot Chevrolet, leads a line of cars during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Price Chopper 400 on October 3, 2010 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by Todd Warshaw/Getty Images. © Getty Images.)
Photo: Five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson (L) signs autographs during Day 2 of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champions Week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on December 1, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR. © Getty Images.)
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 9:57 AM | View the original post
Team Panama Wins USD $100,000 and Claims the Title of Fastest, Most Accurate Texters in the World.
Photo: Sisters from Panama win the 2011 LG Mobile World Cup.
At the second annual LG Mobile World Cup, the sister duo, Cristina Sales Ancines age 20, and Jennifer Sales Ancines, age 15, from Panama, were named as the “World’s Fastest Texters.” They defeated competitors from 16 countries to take home the title of LG Mobile World Cup Champions and $100,000 in prize money.
Demonstrating their skills using the LG BL20 and the LG GT350, Cristina and Jennifer texted their way into World Cup by winning the final round of game play. Contestants from South Korea were placed second and took home $20,000, while team Brazil was placed third and won $10,000.
The 2011 LG Mobile World Cup took place on January 26 in New York City. During the competition, players competed in various texting missions. In each mission, contestants were tasked with the challenge of typing in phrases on their LG mobile devices exactly as they appeared on nearby LG plasma screens with no mistakes or abbreviations.
Finalists selection for the LG Mobile World Cup began with a series of national texting contests across 16 countries including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Korea, Morocco, Nicaragua, Panama, Portugal, South Africa, Thailand and the U.S. After several months, 26 contestants were chosen to compete in the hopes of becoming the word’s fastest texter.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 4:02 AM | View the original post
Photo: Congo River at dusk, near Bokatolaka, Democratic Republic of the Congo. United Nations Photo.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 5:17 AM | View the original post
Photo: A model shows a creation by designer Dimitri at the start of the Berlin Fashion Week (Foto © Dan & Corina Lecca). Fashion is once again high on the agenda in the German capital. Trade visitors and fashion enthusiasts flooded the event to see the presentations of the designers.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 6:00 AM | View the original post
Photo: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden, and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack show Chinese President Hu Jintao a model of the proposed China Garden in the National Arboretum at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on January 19, 2011. [State Department Photo]
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 10:12 PM | View the original post
Platooning may be the new way of traveling on motorways in as little as ten years time. EU-financed SARTRE project has just carried out the first successful demonstration of its technology at the Volvo Proving Ground close to Gothenburg, Sweden.
SARTRE (Safe Road Trains for the Environment) is part-funded by the European Commission and is led by Ricardo UK Ltd. and comprises collaboration between the following additional participating companies: Idiada and Robotiker-Tecnalia of Spain, Institut für Kraftfahrwesen Aachen (IKA) of Germany, SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden, Volvo Car Corporation, and Volvo Technology of Sweden.
“This is a major milestone for this important European research programme,” says Tom Robinson, SARTRE project coordinator, of Ricardo UK Ltd. “Platooning offers the prospect of improved road safety, better road space utilization, improved driver comfort on long journeys and reduced fuel consumption and hence CO2 emissions. With the combined skills of its participating companies, SARTRE is making tangible progress towards the realization of safe and effective road train technology”.
Vehicle platooning, as envisaged by the SARTRE project, is a convoy of vehicles where a professional driver in a lead vehicle drives a line of other vehicles. Each car measures the distance, speed and direction and adjusts to the car in front. All vehicles are totally detached and can leave the procession at any time. But once in the platoon, drivers can relax and do other things while the platoon proceeds towards its long haul destination.
The tests carried out included a lead vehicle and single following car. The steering wheel of the following car moves by itself as the vehicle smoothly follows the lead truck around the country road test track. The driver is able to drink coffee or read a paper, using neither hand nor foot to operate his vehicle.
Platooning is designed to improve a number of things: Firstly road safety, since it minimises the human factor that is the cause of at least 80 percent of the road accidents. Secondly, it saves fuel consumption and thus CO2 emissions with up to 20 percent. It is also convenient for the driver because it frees up time for other matters than driving. And since the vehicles will travel in highway speed with only a few meters gap, platooning may also relieve traffic congestion.
The technology development is well underway and can most likely go into production in a few years time. What may take substantially longer are the public acceptance and the legislation where 25 EU governments must pass similar laws.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 10:37 AM | View the original post
Photo: Diamond Earrings. Hand made in platinum and designed by Neil Lane. Neil Lane is a leading Hollywood jewelry designer.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 10:24 AM | View the original post
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