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  • 5
    days
    ago

    London's new Thames cable car in place — but will it be ready for the Olympics?

    Dan Kitwood / Getty Images

    Cable cars pass over the River Thames on May 16, 2012 in London, England.

    Engineers have been testing a new cable car system crossing the River Thames, Getty Images reports. The gondola-style cable cars will carry commuters between the Greenwich Peninsula and East London. 

    The system, which is estimated to be costing nearly £60 million ($95 million), is expected to open to the public this year but doubts have been raised over whether it will be ready in time for the opening of the Olympic Games on July 27.

    Related content:

    • London beefs up security ahead of Olympics
    • Video: Countdown to the Olympic Games
    • Slideshow: When the Olympics is your neighbor
    • Full Olympic coverage on NBCOlympics.com and TODAY in London

    Follow @msnbc_pictures

    Lefteris Pitarakis / AP

    The 1 km (0.62 mile) cable car line crosses the river from the Greenwich Peninsula to the Royal Docks, linking two important Olympic sites. Up to 34 gondolas, each carrying a maximum of 10 passengers, will transport people across the river.

    The transport link between two Olympic venues that might not be ready for the Games. It is the spectacular cable car running across the Thames. Construction began in July last year, with officials admitting that getting it ready for the Games was going to be extremely challenging ITN's Simon Harris.

     

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  • 13
    Apr
    2012
    6:39am, EDT

    Light show projects image of Titanic onto giant iceberg

    Swiss light artist Gerry Hofstetter projected pictures of the Titanic on a giant iceberg off Greenland to mark the 100th anniversary of its maiden voyage.

    Mike Kessler / Gerry Hofstetter Marketing via EPA

    A light projection of the Titanic on a 500-meter-long iceberg in the Northern Polar sea of Greenland, during the night of 13 April 2012.

    Swiss artist Gerry Hofstetter is one of the best-known light artists working today. He uses light to project huge images in unexpected places, like a cross on the famous Matterhorn peak in the Alps, and hieroglyphics on the outside of the pyramids in Giza. His projects transform monuments, buildings and landscapes into something new. Sometimes his work has a serious tone, as when he projected polar bears on melting glaciers, but he also does fun lightshows for clients for events such as festivals and openings. His goal is to illuminate each of the world’s greatest monuments and sacred places.

    See more of Hofstetter’s work on his website.  

    See photos of a projection in Switzerland by Hofstetter for the Jungfrau railway's anniversary on PhotoBlog.

    Related content:

    • National Geographic features new images of the unseen Titanic
    • Ship sets sail to commemorate Titanic's voyage
    • Titanic memorial cruise diverts due to medical emergency

    Slideshow: Titanic: 100 years later

    Hulton Archives / Getty Images; AFP - Getty Images

    A look at the memorials, museum exhibits and memorabilia that commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, including the photos from 1912 that capture the anticipation and the aftermath around this "unsinkable" ship.

    Launch slideshow

    One century after the Titanic sank during its maiden voyage, the historic day is being commemorated around the world. NBC's Stephanie Gosk reports.

    Slideshow: Titanic Belfast

    David Moir / Reuters

    The Titanic Belfast Experience is a new visitor attraction location in Belfast's Titanic Quarter, on the original site of the Harland and Wolff shipyard -  birthplace of RMS Titanic.

    Launch slideshow

    57 comments

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  • 3
    Apr
    2012
    7:54am, EDT

    Working overnight to get London ready for the Olympics

    Dylan Martinez / Reuters

    Maintenance workers repair part of the tracks at Northwood Hills tube station on the Metropolitan Line in London March 29, 2012.

    Dylan Martinez / Reuters

    Cleaners, known as fluffers, work in Highbury and Islington station in London March 30, 2012.

    Dylan Martinez / Reuters

    Maintenance workers take a moment's rest as they repair part of the tracks at Northwood Hills tube station on the Metropolitan Line in London March 29, 2012.

    Dylan Martinez / Reuters

    A cleaner, known as a fluffer, inspects the train tracks on the Victoria Line near Highbury and Islington station in London March 30, 2012. Transport for London (TfL), which is responsible for the majority of London's transport system, including the London Underground, expects to see an additional 500,000 passengers on the tube during the Olympics, a number that has seen many voice their concerns over whether the system can cope with the influx.

    Reuters reports:  A light breeze moves through the cavernous tunnels of London's underground train network, a rarity for the workers whose heads are bent down while methodically sifting rocks and dust armed with just a brush and metal pick.

     Among them is Michael Emordi, one of 10,000 night workers employed by London Underground to help ensure its subterranean railways are in top condition for the capital's four million commuters and prepare an already creaking system for the influx of half a million visitors for this summer's Olympic Games.

     Emordi works as a "fluffer" manually removing hair, fibers and dust shed by passengers every day in the underground railway system, which if left to build has the potential to bring down the whole system.

     It's a tough job but one of the many important roles that night workers perform in the dirt-caked tunnels beneath London's bustling surface to ensure the smooth running of the world's oldest underground transport system, which most Londoners simply refer to as "the tube". Full story.

    Slideshow: When the Olympics is your neighbor

    Gideon Mendel / Corbis for msnbc.com

    A diverse community in East London will welcome the world to Britain for the 2012 Olympic Games. Meet residents and hear how they feel about having a huge, world stage in their backyard.

    Launch slideshow

     More photos of the work being done to spruce up London's tube on PhotoBlog.

    More photos of London's olympic venues and the city in our slideshow.

    Follow @msnbc_pictures

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  • 20
    Mar
    2012
    10:59am, EDT

    A peek inside Princess Diana's Kensington Palace

    Matt Dunham / AP

    In this picture taken with a fish-eye lens, people stand around the "luminous lace" light sculpture by designers Loop.pH in the Stone Hall during a press preview at what used to be the official residence of the late Princess Diana, Kensington Palace in London, Tuesday, March 20. Kensington Palace has been transformed following a 12 million pounds ($19 million, 14.4 million euro) restoration project timed to be completed for this summer's Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee and the London 2012 Olympics.

    Andrew Winning / Reuters

    A dress worn by Princess Diana is displayed in Kensington Palace which reopened today after a 12 million pound Sterling (19 million USD) renovation in central London on March 20.

    Oli Scarff / Getty Images

    A woman views an art installation in the Queen's Bed Chamber in Kensington Palace on March 20 in London, England. Kensington Palace is due to reopen to the public on March 26 following an extensive renovation project. The refurbishment has seen the renovation of the King and Queen's state apartments, a display of dresses worn by Diana, Princess of Wales and an exhibition charting the life of Queen Victoria.

    Matt Dunham / AP

    Models dressed as period courtiers pose for photographs on "the King's Staircase" during a press preview at what used to be the official residence of the late Princess Diana, Kensington Palace in London, Tuesday, March 20. Kensington Palace has been transformed following a 12 million pounds (US$19 million, euro14.4 million) restoration project timed to be completed for this summer's Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee and the London 2012 Olympics.

    Andy Rain / EPA

    Queen Victoria's living quarters are photographed through her devotion screen at Kensington Palace in London, Britain, on March 20. A major new exhibition unveiled as part of a 14 million euro transformation of Kensington Palace explores the life of Queen Victoria, Britain's longest serving monarch, and the palace's most famous resident Princess Diana. The Palace opens to the public on March 26.

    For the first time since a $20 million renovation, Kensington Palace will open to the public with an exhibition of Princess Diana's favorite dresses. NBC's Michelle Kosinski reports.

     

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  • 14
    Mar
    2012
    6:47pm, EDT

    Take a look inside the Titanic Belfast attraction

    Peter MacDiarmid / Getty Images

    The Titanic Belfast attraction nears completion in The Titanic Quarter on March 13 in Belfast. Belfast's Titanic Quarter is a regeneration area on the original site of the Harland and Wolff shipyard - birthplace of RMS Titanic.

    Peter Morrison / AP

    A model-like sculpture of the Titanic on display at the new Titanic Belfast Visitor's Center.

    Northern Ireland's capital, Belfast, scarred by 30 years of Catholic-Protestant violence and mired in Europe's economic doldrums, is gambling on a gleaming new Titanic tourist attraction to bring it fame beyond the Troubles — and a renewed sense of civic pride.

    "What happened to the Titanic was a disaster," said Tim Husbands, chief executive of Titanic Belfast, a 100 million pound ($160 million) visitor attraction due to open March 31, in advance of the 100th anniversary of the ship's sinking. "But the ship wasn't."

    Belfast is banking on the global reach of the Titanic name, a fame given new momentum by James Cameron's hit 1997 movie, which set Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio's star-crossed love story aboard the doomed liner.

    -- The Associated Press

    Related link:

    • Belfast wagers on Titanic's unsinkable appeal

    Follow @msnbc_pictures

    Peter Macdiarmid / Getty Images

    An employee of The Titanic Belfast attraction stands in front of screens showing computer generated images of a restaurant on The Titanic on March 13.

    Peter Morrison / AP

    A replica of the the famous staircase onboard the Titanic is on display in the new Titanic Belfast Visitor's Center.

    Peter MacDiarmid / Getty Images

    A visitor takes a phone picture of the slipway at the Titanic Belfast attraction on March 13.

    Peter Morrison / AP

    Brett Irwin of the Public Record Office moves old plans of Harland and Wolff ships from the 19th century in the Titanic Drawing Offices.

    Peter Muhly / AFP - Getty Images

    A Titanic related mural is pictured near a Loyalist paramilitary mural in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on March 13.

    2 comments

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  • 14
    Mar
    2012
    3:20pm, EDT

    Views of the Mediterranean from a Greek ferry

    Yannis Behrakis / Reuters

    Sea waves hit the Blue Star Paros vessel during a nine-hour trip to the Greek islands of Paros, Naxos, Ios and Santorini, in the Aegean Sea on March 14, 2012.

    Yannis Behrakis / Reuters

    A Greek passenger seen on the Blue Star Paros vessel during a nine-hour trip to the Greek islands of Paros, Naxos, Ios and Santorini.

    Yannis Behrakis / Reuters

    Foreign tourists admire the volcanic island of Santorini.

    See more images from Greece in PhotoBlog.

    Follow @msnbc_pictures

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    Explore related topics: boat, travel, europe, greece, ferry, world-news, santorini
  • 17
    Feb
    2012
    9:45am, EST

    French yacht sinks off the coast of Greek islands, all aboard survive

    Hellenic Air Force / EPA

    An aerial view taken from a Greek military Super Puma all-weather helicopter shows a 60-meter-long yacht running adrift after taking in water in the sea area between the islands of Skyros and Psarra, central Aegean Sea, Greece on Feb. 17. All passengers and crew, eight French nationals, were airlifted from the distressed yacht and are all safe.

    Hellenic Air Force / EPA

    A handout picture provided by the Hellenic Air Force taken from a military Super Puma all-weather helicopter shows a 60-meter long yacht running adrift after taking on water between the islands of Skyros and Psarra, central Aegean Sea, Greece on Feb. 17. All the passengers and crew, eight French nationals, were airlifted from the distressed yacht and are all safe.

    By Natalia Jimenez, msnbc.com

    A luxury yacht cruising the Aegean sea sank off the coast of Greece. According to Turkey's Daily News, the yacht "suffered mechanical failure in gale-force winds," and began to take in water. The eight French passengers and crew aboard were rescued after the captain sent out a distress signal.

    The scene is reminiscent of the luxury cruise Costa Concordia, which hit a reef off the coast of Italy's Giglio island on Jan. 13 when the captain brought the ship too close to shore. It killed 17 people, and 16 people remain missing and are presumed dead.

    Related content:

    • Slideshow: Costa Concordia cruise ship runs aground

    71 comments

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  • 15
    Feb
    2012
    9:16pm, EST

    Scenes from the old city of Sanaa

    Mohamed al-Sayaghi / Reuters

    Sanaa is an UNESCO World Heritage site and is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.

    Mohamed al-Sayaghi / Reuters

    A craftsman works outside his shop at the Souq al-Melh market in Sanaa's Old City district in Sanaa on Feb. 15.

    Mohamed al-Sayaghi / Reuters

    A man reads a Koran inside an old mosque in Sanaa's Old City district on Feb. 14.

    Mohamed al-Sayaghi / Reuters

    Men chew qat, a mild stimulant, inside a shop in Sanaa's Old City district on Feb. 15.

    Mohamed al-Sayaghi / Reuters

    A shoe salesman sits inside his shop at the Souq al-Melh market in Sanaa's Old City district in Sanaa.

    Mohamed al-Sayaghi / Reuters

    A vendor selling donkeys waits for customers in his shop at the Souq al-Melh market in Sanaa's Old City district.

    Follow @msnbc_pictures

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    Explore related topics: travel, middle-east, yemen, muslim, world-news, world-heritage-site, sanaa
  • 8
    Feb
    2012
    10:45am, EST

    Travel suspended from Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport as unions strike

    Sebastian Scheiner / AP

    A tourists waits for a flight during a partial strike at the Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel onFeb. 8. Israel's labor federation has launched a nationwide strike for the first time in five years, shutting down national and local government offices, banks, the stock exchange, rail service and seaports.Union leaders are protesting the widespread use of contract workers who earn less and do not enjoy the same benefits as workers who are directly employed.

    Oliver Weiken / EPA

    A lone traveller sits in the usually busy departure hall of Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport, Israel, on Feb. 8. Israel's federation of trade unions declared a general strike demanding better conditions for contract workers with poor job security. Government offices, city councils, trains, banks, post offices and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange came to a standstill. Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv also shut down. A court order however limited the strike there until midday.

    Nir Elias / Reuters

    People wait at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv during a strike on Feb. 8. Israel's main labour union declared a strike on Wednesday that shut airports, ports, banks and the stock market after talks with the government failed to produce an agreement on the status of workers employed through labour contractors.

     

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  • 7
    Feb
    2012
    12:11pm, EST

    A frozen waterfall and other surreal photos from an iced-over Germany

    Winfried Rothermel / AP

    People watch the Triberger waterfalls at the Black Forest in Triberg, southern Germany during temperatures far below zero, on Feb. 7, 2012.

    Anna Schuermann / EPA

    A hiker stands behind icicles as he takes snapshots of a frozen waterfall in Bad Urach, Germany, on Feb. 7. The cold wave sweeping across Europe is expected to bring even more snow and frigid temperatures in the upcoming days.

    Martin Schutt / AFP - Getty Images

    A car drives through the snowy landscape on the Grosser Inselberg mountain in eastern Germany, on Feb. 6. The deadly cold snap that has gripped Europe for more than a week wrought more havoc across the continent, straining emergency services, grounding flights and pushing the death toll past 200.

    Patrick Pleul / EPA

    Packed ice floes are seen from the Stadtbruecke Bridge in Frankfurt Oder, Germany, Feb. 7. The drifting ice has come to a standstill along more than 140 kilometers of the Oder River on the border between Germany and Poland.

    Christof Stache / AFP - Getty Images

    A pedestrian walks between snowy stairways in the Olympic park in Munich, southern Germany, on Feb. 7. Temperatures plunged to new lows in Europe where last two week-long cold snap has now claimed more than 220 lives and forecasters warned that the big freeze would tighten its grip at the next time.

    Malte Christians / EPA

    Young men play ice hockey on the frozen Outer Alster in Hamburg, Germany, on Feb. 7. The frozen Outer Alster could be used at one's own risk since yesterday. In some places the ice is 18 cm thick.

    Uwe Meinhold / AP

    Ice crystals hang from a water wheel at the technical museum in Annaberg-Buchholz, eastern Germany, on Feb. 7, 2012.

    By Natalia Jimenez, msnbc.com

    The extreme weather hitting Europe this winter has caused some surreal and beautiful scenes across the continent. Sadly, the picturesque images of iced-covered towns mask the impact the freezing temperatures have on the people experiencing them. In the Ukraine alone there have been over 130 people confirmed dead, and temperatures as low as minus 22 Fahrenheit are expected to continue for another week. There are now fears of deadly flooding that will follow as the climate warms up.

    Related content:

    • See more images of the severe winter in Europe on PhotoBlog
    • Deadly floods follow in iced-over Europe
    • Slideshow: Winter Wildness

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  • 6
    Feb
    2012
    1:33pm, EST

    Ice clogs the canals of Venice, Italy

    Marco Sabadin / AFP - Getty Images

    A small boat passes on a canal covered with ice on Monday in Venice, Italy. Temperatures fell to 14 degrees Fahrenheit in Milan on Monday as 59,000 households remained without electricity in Italy and officials declared a gas supply emergency.

    Luigi Costantini / AP

    A view of the Cannaregio channel, partially iced because of unusually low temperatures, in Venice on Monday. Schools will be closed in Rome on Tuesday, as Italy copes with unusually heavy snow for the Mediterranean country. So far, ten deaths have been linked to winter weather, including two people who were crushed under a collapsed roof south of Rome, and a 91-year-old woman in the northeast port of Trieste who was knocked down by strong winds. In the north, rescuers had to pluck people from their homes, as piles of snow reached 3 meters (10 feet) in some areas. In Milan, Italy's fashion and financial capital, temperatures fell to 10 degrees Fahrenheit on Monday, and the authorities opened a section of the city subway to shelter some 100 homeless people.

    Manuel Silvestri / Reuters

    A boat floats in a frozen lagoon in Venice on Monday. Bitterly cold weather sweeping across Europe claimed more victims on Sunday, brought widespread disruption to transport services, and left thousands without power with warnings that low temperatures would continue into next week.

    More images from freezing weather in Europe in PhotoBlog.

    Related story: Venice rebels againts cruise ship intrusions

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  • 3
    Feb
    2012
    11:11am, EST

    Stilettos in the snow... only in Rome!

    Alessandro Bianchi / Reuters

    Tourists protect themselves with umbrellas from the falling snow in front of Rome's ancient Colosseum on Feb. 3.

    Massimo Percossi / EPA

    A man cycles through a snow storm in Rome, Italy, on Feb 3. Reports state that the severe cold has killed more than 100 people across Europe, where temperatures have in some areas have plummeted.

    Gabriel Bouys / AFP - Getty Images

    Women walk near the Trevi fountain during snowfalls on Feb. 3 in Rome.

    AP reports:

    Thick snowflakes fell in Rome on Friday, a rare occurrence for a capital usually blessed by a temperate climate, and other parts of the country experienced frigid temperatures unseen in years.

    The snowfall prompted authorities to stop visitors from entering the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill, the former home of Rome's ancient emperors.

    The last substantial snowfalls in Rome were in 1985 and 1986, though there have been other cases of lighter snow since then, including in 2010.

    Read the full story.

    See recent photos of the harsh winter Europe is experiencing.

    Gabriel Bouys / AFP - Getty Images

    Scooters and motorbikes are covered with snow as they are parked downtown Rome on Feb. 3. A rare mantle of snow blanketed the historic center of Rome on Friday as temperatures in the Alpine region of Piedmont in northern Italy went as low as minus 22 Fahrenheit.

    Tiziana Fabi / AFP - Getty Images

    People walk on St Peter's square covered by snow on Feb. 3 at the Vatican. A rare mantle of snow blanketed the historic center of Rome on Friday.

     

     

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Natalia Jimenez

Natalia Jimenez is a multimedia editor at msnbc.com. She was previously a photo editor at the Star-Ledger in Newark, N.J.

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