The Mind-Boggling Numbers Behind India's Election

By The Associated Press: With more than 800 million eligible voters and close to a million polling stations across the country, everything about India's general elections promises to be huge. For six weeks beginning Monday, Indians will head to the polls in nine phases for parliamentary elections in the world's biggest democracy.

Some of the mind-boggling numbers:

• 1.2 billion: India's population.
• 814.5 million: Eligible voters.
• 543: Constituencies where elections are being held.
• 11 million: Election officials, paramilitary officers and police who will preside over the voting process.
• 1.4 million: Electronic voting machines set up for the election.
• $600 million: What the government will spend to conduct the election.
• $72,800 to $113,250: What each political candidate is allowed to spend on his or her election campaign.
• 935,000: Polling stations.
• 28,000: Transgender voters who registered. For the first time, India offered a third gender choice — "other" on voter registration forms.

Courtesy: http://abcnews.go.com/, Source: flickr.com

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Brazil, Italy play out thrilling draw

Italy striker Mario Balotelli left his Brazil counterpart Neymar in the shadows as he capped an inspiring performance with a majestic goal in a 2-2 international friendly draw on Thursday. Balotelli curled an unstoppable shot past Julio Cesar as Italy recovered from 2-0 down at halftime to deny Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari his first win since being reappointed for a second stint in November. Neymar, 21, billed as Brazil's great hope for the future, cleverly set up their second goal for Oscar but was not in the same class as the mercurial Balotelli. Brazil, showing signs of a more physical approach under their 2002 World Cup-winning coach Scolari, produced flashes of flair and lots of bruising tackles as they improved on their display in last month's
2-1 defeat by England at Wembley. Brazil remain unbeaten against Italy since their infamous 3-2 loss at the 1982 World Cup but will be more worried about whether they can build a title-winning team in time for the 2014 tournament which they host. Scolari saw improvements from the England performance after an end-to-end match between two teams committed to attack. Portugal snatch late 3-3 draw TEL AVIV: Portugal came back from two goals down to snatch a 3-3 draw in stoppage time against Israel in their World Cup qualifying group F match on Friday. The visitors stunned Israel and silenced the 40,000 capacity crowd with a goal in the second minute, but the home side eventually settled and got back on equal terms in the 24th minute through Tomer Hemed. They then forged a promising lead with goals by Eden Ben Bassat in the 40th minute and Rami Gershon in the 70th. Source: Hindustan Times

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Balotelli unhappy with football racism

Italy striker Mario Balotelli, a high profile victim of racist abuse from the stands, says world soccer is not doing enough to combat the problem. The 22-year-old was born in Italy to Ghanaian parents and has long had to deal with insults from fans of Juventus, who were forced to play a game behind closed doors in 2009 after supporters sang "a black Italian does not exist". Juve fans still chant "jump up and down and Balotelli will die" but the song is deemed not to be racist by Italy's Serie A, who did fine his former club Inter Milan after monkey chants were heard in the derby with his new club AC Milan last month. Mario annoyed: "It annoys me, it makes me angry and I don't like it. However, we're are making too little progress on this issue," Balotelli told a news conference on Sunday ahead of Tuesday's World Cup qualifier in Malta. A 30,000 euro ($39,000) sanction was also dished out by Serie A to Genoa after fans sang racist chants against Milan this month and Croatia were hit with an 80,000 euro fine by UEFA at Euro 2012 for racist abuse towards Balotelli. Source: Hindustan Times

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Euro Zone in the Twilight Zone

The New Year began with pundits telling the same old story: the global economy is in crisis. Growth forecasts are being revised downwards for both developed and developing nations. The chieftains of world capital are now choosing to warn the rest of the world of an impending global economic catastrophe if solutions are not found quickly.Europe and America's financial and economic woes are long and deep - and of their own making. The resulting spasms reflect the accelerating decline of the traditional global financial network, as the galloping changes in global power centers of world finance find themselves unable to keep up with the economic realities. The Euro area is deep in the economic danger zone. Its public debt rose to 88.4 percent of GDP in 2011. Its economy is forecasted to contract 0.5 percent in 2012 before returning to meager growth of 0.8 percent in 2013. Indeed, the very future of the Euro - its crown jewel - is threatened as member-states face financial meltdowns created by fiscal and monetary overheating. Powerful lenders Germany and France are forced to rethink as the defaults expand. Italy, Spain, Ireland, Portugal and Greece have all moved from boom to bust, as the EU faces its worst recession in living memory. Greece badly needs to pay 14.5 million Euros in debt redemption and get private creditors to write off over another 100 million Euros - all by March 20, 2012 - to be able to get a 130 billion Euro bailout needed to avoid going bust and setting off another global financial meltdown. Source: China.org.cn

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Radiolarians

By Minouette, Radiolarians (or radiolaria) occur as zooplankton throughout the oceans and their tiny skeletal remains can be used as diagnostic fossils to date submarine sediments. Biologist, naturalist, and scientific illustrator par excellence Ernst Heinrich Philipp August Haeckel (February 16, 1834 – August 9, 1919), and his beautiful and well-known Artforms in Nature can be credited for the fact that people who are not say, marine 

microbiologists or geostratigraphers or their colleagues, know and are inspired by the extraordinary forms of radiolarians. I am, of course, a fan of Haeckel, and he inspired my own prints (see right) of these amoeboid protozoa and their intricate mineral skeletons. I am far from alone in being inspired by radiolarians. I've found examples of their forms making their way into art, architecture, jewellery and even textiles. But first, you can 

learn everything you might want to know about radiolarians, and Haeckel's obsession with them, from this selection fromProteus a documentary about the life, work, and philosophy of Ernst Haeckel, by David LeBrun. It should be noted that Haeckel wasn't the only 19th century naturalist to be enthralled. SEED Magazinehas a photo gallery of the the collection of Howard Lynk, a hobbyist who researches the microcope slide-makers of the 1840s-1860s, with many radiolarians included, often arranged artistically,

" Radiolarians

like mandalas. In this slide, Amos Topping has arranged the minuscule shells of radiolarians—a kind of protozoa—into a radial pattern reminiscent of a mandala. Looking through a microscope, a mounter would maneuver the diatoms or shells using a boar bristle or a cat’s whisker, trying to keep them all in place long enough for mounting." Artist Laura Gurton works with resin, and its unpredictable interactions with oil paint to produce her biomorphic images, including these, inspired by radiolarians. 

Radiolarians (Marine Protozoa), Zygospyris,2010. Oil, Alkyd, Acrylic, Mica, Cut Board 36" x 24"

Spyridobotrys Trinacria, 2010. Oil, Alkyd, Cut Board on Panel 18" x 24"

A more fanciful image inspired by radiolarians is Queen Radiolaria by Morgainelefee on deviantart.

The wonderful and quixotic Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef ("a woolly celebration of the intersection of higher geometry and feminine handicraft, and a testimony to the disappearing wonders of the marine world") includes radiolarians! Crochet radiolarian, made from mercerized cotton by Sarah

Quiltmaker and textile artist Jenny Bowker's portfolio of masterful quilts includes "Radiolarian Drift" (cotton homespun hand dyed in Procion dyes, raw silk as a background and wool batting). 

The fascinating 3D forms of these creatures of course inspire sculptural and architectural works. Jessica Rosenkrantz of nervous system uses new technologies to reinterpret natural phenomena. The forms radiolarians are evident in a lot of the jewellery she has made (and their titles often indicate the species).

"Bamboo Cuff - sterling silver, lost wax casting from 3d-printed wax, Cell Cycle collection by Nervous System. Inspired by the microscopic glass skeletons of radiolarians."

Nigel Helyer created 'Radiolarians' a public artwork for the Lake MacQuarie City Gallery, installed in February 2011.

'Radiolarians' (2010) Finished construction: corten steel, marine grade stainless steel wire cable, stainless steel.

"The Radiolaria Project is a research and design project at the University of Kassel initiated by Christian Troche and Gregor Zimmermann. It aims to rethink architectural design and manufacturing techniques by exploring the filigree and beautiful skeletons of radiolarians, tiny marine organisms, with their striking hexagonal patterns. This concept is transfered to architectural scale and materialized it in a large scale interior installation by the intensive use of parametric modelling, scripting and CNC-fabrication techniques."

Images of the mesh and design from The Radiolaria Project. Be sure to check out the extensive website for the images and explanations of the evolution of the project (and the work of its participants).

Architect and designerTomasz Starczewski and his studio produced DIATOM by analysing the siliceous skeletons of radiolarians, and extracting, the "logic of their structure and its application to creations of a new form." He created 3D computer models of a group of radiolarians (Lamprocyclas margatensis), modified the models and then used this to create objects with a 3D printer.

DIATOM by Tomasz Starczewski

Taking the 3D printed radiolarian to an extreme scale, Andrea Morgante of Shiro Studio in collaboration with D-Shape produced the Radiolaria pavilion. The 3 m by 3 m by 3 m structure, printed on the world's largest 3D printer is in fact a mere scale model a final 8-metre tall pavilion being built in Pontedera, Italy (more info at de zeen magazine and images via Shiro Studio). Shiro Studio compares the construction of this model, with its deposition of mineral and siliceous material, in a series of very thin layers to the formation of radiolarian mineral and siliceous skeletons.

You can find other posts Source: Maqpie And Whiskeyjack

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High Season - review by Nicky Pellegrino

Twelve years on from its initial publication the ultimate bad-boy chef’s memoir remains Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain. So do we really need to return to the underbelly of the kitchen for more of the same? Australian Jim Hearn thinks so. His new book High Season (Arena, $28.99), billed as a memoir of heroin and hospitality, is highly reminiscent of Bourdain’s classic – pacey, upfront and sharply written. But Hearn seems a more introspective character, less passionate about food than Bourdain, less of the charming celebrity chef, more intense and troubled. The memoir has two strands running through it. In one Hearn describes a single day as head chef during the high season at high-end, beachfront Bryron Bay restaurant Rae’s on Watego’s. This is a day that begins with Paris Hilton’s unexpected arrival for lunch and ends in far more dramatic fashion. In the other he takes us back to the beginning of his accidental career in hospitality and provides readers with a front row seat to the theatre of his heroin addiction. Both strands are raw, confronting and honest. Central to the whole book is Hearn’s love/hate relationship with heroin and, while ultimately it serves as a cautionary tale, there are places where he describes the drug with an almost romantic sense of longing. Take this description of how he first experienced getting high: “The sensation of my heart pumping heroin through my bloodstream was profound. Prior to that life as I understood it could be depicted as a series of random sketches that formed a clumsy whole. Now it all came together in the most warmly felt of ways, like hollandaise sauce”. Hearn had a pretty rough start in life. His parents had an alternative lifestyle and gave away all their money. By the time he was 15 his mother had left the family to become a prostitute and he was a kitchen apprentice in a local restaurant. He doesn’t dwell on this, however, or use it as an excuse for passing the greater part of his youth consistently off his chops on hard drugs. There’s no self-pity and certainly no embarrassment as he describes the downs and downs of those difficult early years. Just as compelling is his account of an eventful day behind the six-burner stove at  Rae’s. It  includes  the  things  you  would   expect  –  the rough kitchen repartee, the scramble to get plates of food onto the pass and into the dining room; but there is also a tenderness in Hearn and the way he relates to his crew: Jesse, Choc and Soda. Hearn wrote High Season after quitting Rae’s and enrolling on a university writer’s course. His prose is fluid and succinct whether he’s describing intense grief or the skill of cooking a perfect steak. Foodies won’t find much to turn them on here - Hearn is more about the relationships in a kitchen than what ends up on the plate. But as an insider’s expose of the high drama of both restaurant life and addiction it’s fascinating. It may not be as well seasoned as Kitchen Confidential, but High Season is still worth digesting. Nicky Pellegrino, an Auckland-based author of popular fiction, is also the Books Editor of the Herald on Sunday where the above review was first published on 29 July, 2012.Her next novel When In Rome is set in 1950s Italy and is due out in September this year. Source: Beattie's Book Blog

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Ferrari to Auction Off Rare Products Including 599XX Evo to Raise Funds for Earthquake Relief

Carscoop: Ferrari is expressing its solidarity with families of the victims of the earthquakes that hit northern Italy this month by organizing an international on-line auction through its www.ferraristore.com website. The Maranello-based sports carmaker will offer several rare items with all proceeds going to the people that were most affected by the catastrophe. The Emilia-Romagna region was first struck by a 6.0-magnitude quake on May 20, which was followed by an equally strong 5.8-magnitude earthquake on Wednesday, May 30. Highlighting the items being offered up by Ferrari is the most extreme version of the 599 ever built, the non-homologated 599XX Evo with an estimated commercial value of €1.3 million (US$1.6 million). The auction will also include a V8 engine along with racing suits and helmets donated by the Scuderia’s drivers, Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa, as well as numerous items of memorabilia from the works racing cars from previous seasons, and a selection from the Ferrari Store, including Prancing Horse watches. Source: Carscoop

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Pankaj & Nidhi take final spot in the International Woolmark Prize

The last regional final for the International Woolmark Prize has taken place in India and named designer duo Pankaj & Nidhi as the Indian Award winner, edging out nine other Indian designers for the prize. The Woolmark accolade is the latest to be given to the design duo, who has previously won the Elle Style Award for best debutant designer in 2008 and the Elle Style Award for best women’s pret-a-porter in 2009. In addition, the couple also won first prize at the International Fashion Award at the World Apparel Convention in Hong Kong. The duo take the final spot in the International Woolmark Prize grand final, which will take place during London Fashion Week in February, they will compete against Christian Wijnants representing Europe, US finalist Sophie Theallet, Chinese designer Ban Xiao Xue, and Dion Lee who won the Australian final. The Woolmark prize supported by the Australian Wool Industry was relaunched this year to help promote outstanding design talent from across the world, as well as showcase the diversity of Merino wool. Each finalist took home $50,000, and each will compete for the prize of a 100,000 Australian dollars to assist in underwriting their next fashion show, as well as designing a collection that will be stocked in Harvey Nichols, US department store Bergdorf Goodman, Italy's 10 Corso Como and David Jones in Australia. Source: Fashion United

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China and Japan: A 40-year friendship worth singing about

 

The international language of opera: Satoshi Misuguchi (left) and Hui He are performing together for the first time, in both Japan and China, as part of the 2012 China-Japan Friendship Year for People to People Exchange. NEW NATIONAL THEATRE, TOKYO/ NATIONAL CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

By KRIS KOSAKA, Forget allegations of spies and economic intrigue. Put aside the controversial Senkaku Islands and celebrate as the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing unites with the New National Theatre in Tokyo to commemorate the 40th anniversary of normalized relations between Japan and China. Two opera performances in Tokyo, on July 27 and 29, will be followed by two performances in Beijing, on Aug. 3 and 5, as the brightest singers and musicians in China and Japan take the stage together for the first time in history. Fittingly, they present the concert version of "Aida," Giuseppe Verdi's tale of cross-cultural love stretched across the barbed-wire field of politics. "I am very proud they chose me for this concert in Japan and Beijing. Music is a special language," says renowned Chinese soprano Hui He, who will sing the title role. "Internationally, every musician has the chance, musically and culturally, to find cooperation." Satoshi Mizuguchi, acclaimed Japanese tenor singing opposite as Radames, agrees: "I hope our performance can become the bridge that connects the hearts of people." Politics built the framework for that bridge. In September, 1972, the then Prime Minister of Japan Kakuei Tanaka, was invited to the People's Republic of China to meet Chairman Mao Tse-tung in order to officially normalize relations between the two neighboring countries. This was the first step that led to the 1978 Treaty of Peace and Friendship Pact between Japan and China. Both soloists for the performances have successfully traversed international boundaries to forge careers in Asia and the world. Having grown up in Xi'An, in Shaanxi province, He experienced the lingering remnants of the Cultural Revolution, but ever since she won second prize at the Placido Domingo's Operalia, The World Opera Competition in 2000, she has graced every major opera stage in Europe and America — from Milan's la Scala to London's Covent Garden to The Met in New York. Based in Vienna where he was the first Japanese student to graduate with honors from the Vienna Music University, Mizuguchi, too, has performed all over the world, stockpiling various accolades throughout his career, beginning with first prize at the 1988 Milan International Competition. Mizuguchi, who endeavors to fuse traditional Japanese music with opera, returns frequently to Japan, and also performs at traditional noh theatres. "It will be my first time to perform in China and the first time I will share the stage with Ms. He," he says. "I am really looking forward to the performances." Likewise, He is making her opera debut in Japan with the performances. China and Japan's tangled history, with centuries of Japan's reverent emulation of Ancient China followed by 20th-century Imperialism and the current lingering tensions, makes "Aida" a pertinent choice. "Aida" reworked the boundaries of art and politics with its very conception. Commissioned in the 19th century by the Khedive of Egypt Ismail Pasha, the opera straddled both history and contemporary politics. Set in Ancient Egypt, the tale depicts the love between Radames, an Egyptian guard, and Aida, an Ethiopian princess who is his captive. After its premiere in Egypt in 1871 and the next year in Italy, Verdi's opera won artistic acclaim around the world, as simultaneously on the political stage, Egypt prepared to colonize Ethiopia, leading to the Egyptian-Ethiopian War of 1875-1877. "The scale of 'Aida' is dynamic, and the work crossed boundaries from the beginning. To celebrate such a major event (as the anniversary of Japan-China relations), 'Aida' is the best to perform," says Mizuguchi. Both the stars have ample experience with the opera. Mizuguchi returns to NNTT after starring in "Aida" to mark the theater's inaugural season in 1998, and He sang her 100th performance as Aida last month in China. As a concert version, the staging will speak primarily with the music. Performers take the stage in elegant black tie and dress with no elaborate sets, and the total running time is 150 minutes. Conductors Junichi Hirokami in Japan and Zhang Guoyong in China will direct an orchestra of Japanese and Chinese musicians and singers, all of whom are taking the stage together for the first time. A powerful, 100-strong chorus will add to the drama, as singers for the National Centre for the Performing Arts, Beijing, join members of the New National Theatre in an impressive collaboration. Supporting roles, also divided evenly between Chinese and Japanese nationals, include Chenye Yuan as Aida's father Amonasro, and Kasumi Shimizu as Amneris, the Princess of Egypt who loves Radames herself. The two companies have long supported arts in Asia, and the 2012 China-Japan Friendship Year for People to People Exchange provided the perfect opportunity to showcase the shared beliefs created by this cultural harmony. "Opera is international; you can perform it in any country. Therefore we need to start looking toward the next generation where we can change the spirit we now have into truly international speech," says Mizuguchi. "It is an exciting honor on such an important occasion for the Chinese and Japanese people," says He in agreement. "Japan is also an important destination in the theater world, and to celebrate Chinese-Japanese friendship by making my Japanese opera debut is also an honor." Source: The Japan Times Online

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And then there were five: Cyprus seeks EU aid....Is this what Merkel was Referring to when she said "We need more Europe"?

(Reuters) - A fifth euro zone country turned to Brussels for emergency funding on Monday when Cyprus announced it was seeking a lifeline for its banks and its budget, hours after Spain submitted a formal request to bail out its banks. Global share prices and the euro slid as investors bet that European leaders - due to meet this week for the 20th time since the currency zone's debt crisis hit Greece in 2010 - would fail to come up with radical measures to back up weak countries. Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel dashed any hope that Berlin would allow joint bonds issued by the euro zone or other measures sought by partners. Cyprus joins Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain in seeking EU rescue funds, meaning more than a quarter of the 17 euro zone members are now in the bloc's emergency ward. Italy's funding costs have soared too, which means it could be next. Spain formally submitted its request for up to 100 billion euros of funds to bail out its banks, agreed on June 9. Source: The Coming Crisis

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CSO presents a preview of Piazza Italia at Fruit Logistica 2012

Fresh Plaza, By Maria Luigia Brusco: "Nature, culture,  passion  and  quality":

this is the slogan that identifies the stand of Piazza Italia at Fruit Logistica 2012 in Berlin, the most important fruit and vegetable fair in the world. Thanks to the unique mix of land, culture, passion and quality, Italy has reached European leadership in production of fruit and vegetables, with a total offer of over 35 million tons.

The Piazza Italia stand in Berlin (Hall 2.2 Stand A-03) will host 29 Italian companies, leaders in production and a section dedicated to the supply chain companies, from packaging to machinery. Layout and graphics are directed at the Italian spirit through cut fruit which reflects the national flag. The space is cosy and companies can host their customers, inviting them to taste national cuisine, traditional cocktails like 'Spritz', coffee and of

   Piazza Italia stand during Fruit Logistica 2011.

course fruit snacks.The stand will also host meetings with Italian and European institutional authorities and technical meetings such as the International Kiwifruit Organization-IKO Summit. Further Piazza Italia will host an innovative and attractive space dedicated to the promotion of Italian Abate pear, an excellence that finds its major market opportunities in the German market. Piazza Italia 2012 exhibitors list: 1. Alegra, 2. Almaverde Bio, 3. A.O.P. Serena, 4. Apofruit, 5. Aposcaligera, 6. Besana Group, 7. Consorzio Kiwigold, 8. CPR System, 9. Fogliati, 10. Granfrutta Zani, 11. Graziani Packaging, 12. Idromeccanica Lucchini, 13. Mazzoni, 14. Modì 15. Naturitalia, 16. O.P. Kiwisole, 17. O.P.O. Veneto 18. Oranfrizer, 19. Orogel, 20. Pempacorer, 21. Salvi Unacoa, 22. Spreafico, 23. Tra.Ma.Co., 24. Unitec, 25. Valfrutta , Author: Maria Luigia Brusco, Copyright: www.freshplaza.com, Source: Fresh Plaza

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"Mediterranean oranges will always be the best"

Fresh Plaza: The mandarin, which originated in China, has over the years, under gone the necessary changes. The best known are the Clementine and Satsuma. According to Dick Pijpers there is little trace of the original mandarin. "By breeding and selection you always get another, better fruit than the original." Seasons for the mandarins which came fore mostly from Spain have significantly expanded, they used to appear just before the Christmas market. "This was the Mediterranean mandarin, which has a very typical old-fashioned taste and odour, and gave you a mouth full of pits." Dick says that this taste can no longer be found in contemporary mandarins. "They are no longer related to the Mediterranean mandarin." This does have to be, according to him, negative. "The grower chooses a good technical product cultivation, that have little need for plant protection products, and are resistant to frost. "Also, the season is now expanded with both early and late varieties. "Each year new varieties are seen. Thanks to in vitro techniques, they may even be cultured without the use of seeds. " Today's consumer demands a seedless mandarin. "100% seedless is almost impossible," explains Dick Pijpers. Many growers have gone into the cultivation of new varieties because they could no longer earn a living with the old mandarin varieties. "In the trade it goes on returns." Reverting to older breeds with the taste of the Mediterranean mandarin will never disappear. The Tardive, a race known in Europe as the Mediterranean mandarin, is still available. The supply comes mainly from Sicily (Italy), and runs from January to April. According to Dick, there are more and more producers again reverting to the old races, just to stand out from the crowd. "Also, we see consumers going back to taste. ""Source: Fresh Plaza, ***

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Sweet dreams of equality

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17.11.2011, 12:44, Kudashkina Ekaterina, Interview with Diana Rolinger, associate professor at the Department of Sociology at Florida State University, With the recent discussion about this actually on a site called Adbusters in Canada which first proposed this idea. So ideas for movements never come completely out of everywhere, so it circulated for a little while and the idea spread and then it emerged, there is always some coordination that goes on behind the scenes that we don’t see. So there was some coordination initially but the idea spread really quickly across the US. And so you could say that, and where I am in Tallahassee Florida for example, that was fairly spontaneous, people looking, saying ok here’s what we see happening in New York, let’s make the same thing happen here. Now where that will end up is a really great question and it remains to be seen. And this will depend in part upon what the movement decides it wants its goals to be. And I suspect that this will vary across the country. So in some places what will happen is the activists will decide we want our movement to absolutely affect political change, but what we’ve seen in other places are movement activists saying we want to address issues like homelessness in our community, we want to address hunger in our community. In Denver for example they are doing a program, and it’s getting very cold in Colorado now, and it is hard to occupy, they have offered to hold vigils on people’s lawns who are having their houses foreclosed upon. So I suspect where this movement goes is going to be a bit of everywhere.It is interesting because one of the same phenomenon is now developing in various countries across the world because we have seen recent protests in Italy for example. Now there are new protests in Greece and they all seem to be developing along similar lines because there is a similar public which is engaged which is mostly the youth. And it actually comes from the middle class, perhaps lower middle class. Can you define any common features about such kind of political phenomenon like youth protest? Tags: Interview, Commentary, Society, Occupy Wall Street, World, Читать далее, Source: Voice of Russia. 

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New experiments on faster than light neutrinos rocks world of physics

Last month, the world of physics was rocked by what seemed to be neutrinos moving at faster-than-light speed. The discovery was made by a group of researchers analyzing years of data. The measurements were taken from firing neutrinos from the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) near Geneva to Gran Sasso in Italy, a distance of 730 kilometers. The finding, if verified by independent researchers, has vast implications for the world of physics. According to Einstein’s theory of special relativity, the speed of light is a cosmic constant, and nothing travels faster. This model is the basis for the Standard Model of Physics, such a discovery could change what we know about the universe. Faster than light travel is also the basis for theoretical time travel. “Most theorists believe that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light,” said Stephen Parke, head of the theoretical physics department at the Government run Fermilab in the United States. If things travel faster than the speed of light, A can cause B, [but] B can also cause A,” he continued. “If that happens, the concept of causality becomes ambiguous, and that would cause a great deal of trouble.” The experiment recorded the neutrinos arriving in Gran Sasso 60 nanoseconds faster than light itself would have. According to a statement released by the ‘Oscillation Project with Emulsion-tRacking Apparatus’ (OPERA) spokesperson, Antonio Ereditato, the result “comes as a great surprise. Source: Bikya Masr

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Europeans don't eat enough fruit and veg

Fresh Plaza: A large part of Europeans don't eat enough fruit and veg. This was shown in research by the European council for food information (EUFIC). The world health organisation, WHO advises the consumption of over 400gr of fruit and veg per person per day. In more than half the European countries this amount isn't reached. According to figures by the European Authority for Food Safety (EFSA), Europeans eat 220gr of  vegetables (including legumes and nuts) and 166gr of fruit per day. In Southern Europe more vegetables are eaten than in the north, whilst most fruit is eaten in Central and East Europe. In Germany the recommended amount of fruit and veg per day of over 400gr is met. In Poland, Italy and Austria people eat enough fruit and veg. If fruit and vegetable juice is counted, people in Hungary and Belgium also consume enough. But as the researchers point out, not all figures from European countries are available. Fruits and vegetables are an important part of a balanced diet and foresee the body of important vitamins, minerals and fibres. If you eat a lot of fruit and veg, you have a smaller risk of heart disease, diabetes type 2 and certain forms of cancer. Image Flickr: Source: Fresh Plaza

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European Flavours at San Francisco trade fair

Fresh Plaza: European Flavors – the European project focused on promoting the continent’s fruit and vegetable products in various non-European markets – is currently in full swing in the USA. To follow up its successful performance at the Atlanta PMA, preparations are underway for its next big moment: San Francisco’s Winter Fancy Food, from 15 to 17 January 2012.The flavors of European fruit and vegetable produce are increasingly winning over American palates. This is the premise behind the participation of ‘European Flavors’ (a project financed by

 the EU, the Italian government and the CSO) in two major food sector events in the USA: the Atlanta PMA – the leading fresh foods trade fair held this year from 14 to 17 October – and the Winter Fancy Food show to be held in San Francisco in the next few days, from 15 to 17 January 2012. The Italian companies Apofruit, Salvi, Zani, Oranfrizer, Made in Blu and Alegra took part in the Fresh Summit PMA representing the Old Continent’s fresh produce, united in the ‘European Flavors’ stand and in its shared aim: to promote the consumption of fruit in the USA and spread product awareness and seasonal understanding, and to provide information on nutritional and flavour factors, as on quality and environmental safeguarding requirements. The final balance at the end of the Summit was extremely positive, and the over 18,500 participants from 50 nations taking part provided further proof of the event’s standing as a key global moment in relation to innovation in the fresh produce industry and as an extraordinary international market business opportunity. The American campaign of ‘European Flavors’ will continue in the coming days, the next stop on the trail being the Winter Fancy Food show in San Francisco from 15 to 17 January 2012. This event provides a powerful showcase for over 80,000 food and wine specialties and will offer a further opportunity to promote the fruit and vegetable products featured in ‘European Flavors’. In this occasion processed products offered by the company Conserve Italia will take centre stage: a wide variety of canned vegetables and sauces based on peas and tomatoes, carefully selected and processed to preserve their fresh and intense flavour. Visitors to Winter Fancy Food interested in European fresh produce specialities are invited to visit the Conserve Italia booth, number 3839.  ‘European Flavors’ is also an opportunity for intensifying exports to the United States from Italy, already a world leader in the production of fruit and vegetables as is illustrated by the following table on the evolution of sector exports to Canada and the US over the last three years. Italian fruit and vegetable exports

Eurostat data, elaborated by CSO, For further information: www.europeanflavors.eu, Alice Camellini, “European Flavors”, c/o Fruitecom , Tel: +39 059-7863894 Source: Fresh Plaza

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Costa Concordia captain detained

14.01.2012, 23:41,The Italian captain of the cruise ship that ran aground - killing three person and injuring 67 more - was arrested late Saturday and is being investigated for manslaughter and abandoning ship, said a local prosecutor in Grosetto, Italy. The captain, Francesco Schettino, had been earlier interviewed by investigators in Porto Santo Stefano about what happened when the 4,200- passenger Costa Concordia struck rocks in shallow water off Italy's western coast, said officer Emilio Del Santo of the Coastal Authorities of Livorno.Reuters, Source: Voice of Russia. 

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Ferrari Celebrates 60 Years of Formula 1 Wins with “60F1” Limited Edition of 599 GTB

Scuderia Ferrari is the only team that has been present in Formula 1 since its conception in 1950. On July 14 1951, it scored its first-ever F1 victory at the British Grand Prix held at Silverstone with a 375 F1 driven by Froilan Gonzalez. Six decades later, on July 10 2011, Fernando Alonso won Ferrari’s sole Grand Prix in the 2011F1 season. To celebrate the event, Ferrari has launched the “60 Years of Victories in Formula 1” [60F1] package for the 599 GTB Fiorano equipped with the HGTE handling package. Clients who opt for this special edition of the 599can choose from a list of exterior and interior modifications that are part of Ferrari’s Tailor-Made program, which was launched today in Maranello by Ferrari CEO Luca di Montezemolo and creative consultant for the Tailor-Made program, Lapo Elkan. The bodywork of the 60F1 is available in three liveries. The first one is the 375 F1, which is the same darker red color used by the Scuderia for its first F1 cars. The second is the Ferrari 150o Italia, inspired by this year’s F1 car with white strips on the front bumper, mudguards, A-posts and buttresses, and the colors of the Italian flag painted on the rear. The third model is the 150o Italia 2, which is almost identical to the previous scheme but without most of the white-painted parts. All three versions get the Scuderia Ferrari shield on the front wheel arches painted as in the competition cars, 20-inch diamond-finish forged alloy wheels and a satin-finish aluminum fuel cap. Read Full: Ferrari Celebrates 60 Years of Formula 1 Wins with “60F1” Limited Edition of 599 GTB - Carscoop

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Eurozone's "junk" ratings

Vesnovskaya Maria, The credit ratings of two EU countries - Hungary and Portugal - have been downgraded to junk status. Italy has joined the French-German consultations on the Eurozone’s bailout. No specific decisions have been adopted so far.Hungary described the country’s downgrade to BB+ as a “financial attack”. According to a Hungarian government statement, the country’s debt is dwindling, budget deficit is going down too, and a substantial GDP growth was reported in Q3. Moody’s experts explained the downgrade by the falling forint rate. Given that two thirds of the country’s state debt is serviced in foreign currency, a decrease in the forint rate led to an increase in debt payments. Hungary will have to boost taxes and reduce social benefits, Oleg Barabonov of the Moscow Institute of International Relations, says. Source: Voice of Russia. 

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Amanda Knox: How She Spent Four Years In An Italian Jail

Locked away on murder charges for four agonizing years in an Italian jail, Amanda Knox, the 24-year-old American exchange student, finally wins her freedom. This week's issue of PEOPLE magazine features exclusive interviews in the days before the verdict with Knox's mother, father, stepfather and sisters, who painted an intimate portrait of Amanda's life in prison, the measures she took to stave off despair, and what she will do once she returns to her Seattle home and resumes her life. "We won't know the extent to which Amanda has changed until she comes home," her mother, Edda Mellas, 49, a school teacher, who was in Perugia for the verdict, tells PEOPLE. "But I am most proud that in this time of pain, she has maintained her dignity and strength. She has survived something horrible." Knox's life changed forever on Nov. 2, 2007, when police found the body of 21-year-old Meredith Kercher, her throat slashed, in the Perugia apartment she shared with Knox. Investigators charged Knox, her then-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, 27, and another man, Rudy Guede, 24, with murder, and all three were found guilty. The verdict "was total devastation for Amanda," her father, Curt Knox, tells PEOPLE. "She is someone who wouldn't kill a spider." In Perugia's Capanne prison, Knox spent 22 hours most days inside an 18-ft.-by-13-ft. cell she shared with at least one and sometimes as many as three inmates. The cell had one bathroom, a small TV and an electric pan cooker; Knox added a tiny radio she bought for $20 at a prison shop. "Amanda would wake up early, make herself coffee, then go out for one of her two hours of outdoor time," says her mother. Knox tried to stay fit by walking in the 30-ft.-by-30 ft. courtyard and doing situps and push-ups in her cell. Still, she lost so much weight during her imprisonment that she dropped from a size 6 to a 0. Despite stress and bouts of sleeplessness, Knox, "had a schedule, which she maintained; she didn't just lay in bed all day like some inmates," her stepfather, Chris Mellas, tells PEOPLE. "She made a point of washing, changing her clothes, looking after herself. She tried to maintain a certain degree of dignity." Knox had only a handful of possessions – a few books, four CDs, some clothing – but still "she cleaned her cell frequently," says Chris. "She's a bit of a neatnik." A huge source of comfort was her limited contact with friends and family; she was allowed eight 1-hour visits and four 10-minute phone calls per month. Knox has three sisters – Deanna, 22, Ashley, 16, and Delaney, 13 – and "she hasn't been able to see them grow up, so we tried to tell her as much as we could to allow her to be a part of it," says Curt. Knox's visitors at the prison were allowed to sit around a table with her, though "usually we'd push it out of the way and sit in a circle holding hands or hugging," says Chris. "Her friend Madison would braid her hair, and I'd give her hand massages." Between visits, Knox sent dozens of letters home. "My most dearest Bean, I love you, how are you?" she wrote to Delaney this August. "I'm so anxious for the end of my appeal. I feel itchy with waiting…I'm afraid, but ok." What will they do once Amanda is back? "Eat a slice of chocolate birthday cake," says Delaney. "Give her a hug and then go rock climbing, because she loves it and I want her to teach me," says Ashley. How quickly Amanda can rebuild her life depends on how much her prison ordeal has changed her. Knox has been so affected by what happened that after finishing her studies, she might even "become an advocate for people who are wrongly imprisoned," says Curt. But for now, such decisions can wait; for now, Amanda Knox will focus on the simple joys of freedom. "Being with her family, catching up, seeing her two cousins, who were babies when she left," says her mother. "And she says she never wants to be behind a locked door, ever, in her life."Source: Starpulse.com

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