Commander, a German Shepherd adult (L) and Ziva, a German Shepherd puppy attend as American Kennel Club announces Most Popular Dogs in the U.S. at American Kennel Club Offices on February 28, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images for AKC)

Military staff members of the German Bundeswehr check an Eurocopter Tiger military attack helicopter at the Eurocopter plant on March 8, 2012 in Donauworth, Germany. EADS, the parent company of Eurocopter as well as airplane manufacturer Airbus, is scheduled to announce financial results for 2011 today. (Photo by Johannes Simon/Getty Images)

Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south, and Thailand to the west. Its population was estimated to be around 6.5 million in 2012. A third (33%) of the country's population lives below the international poverty line which means living on less than U.S. $1.25 per day.

A stunning variety selected by Carl Barnes, a part-Cherokee farmer and breeder, from several traditional corn varieties. Given to NS/S by one of his students, Greg Schoen. Produces a diversity of gorgeous translucent, jewel-colored ears, each one unique. A popcorn, the kernels may be ground into cornmeal or popped. This corn became an Internet sensation in 2012.

Water gushes out from the Xiaolangdi Reservoir on the Yellow River during a sand-washing operation on June 20, 2012 in Luoyang, China. The sand-washing operation, which started on June 19 and will last for about 20 days, is conducted to clear out the silt deposits at the dam. (Photo by China Foto Press)

“The last known individual of the subspecies was a male named Lonesome George (Spanish: El Solitario Jorge/George), who died on 24 June 2012. In his last years, he was known as the rarest creature in the world. George served as a potent symbol for conservation efforts in the Galápagos and internationally”. – Wikipedia. (Photo by Rodrigo Buendia/AFP)

A woman takes a picture with her mobile phone from Caviahue, Neuquen province, Argentina, some 1500 km southwest of Buenos Aires, of the Copahue volcano spewing ashes on December 22, 2012. The authorities of Chile and Argentina issued yellow alerts due to the eruption of the Copahue volcano, placed in the border between both countries. (Photo by Antonio Huglich/AFP Photo)

Santa, a dog abandoned two days before Christmas, is looked after by Charlene Gunner at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home on December 27, 2012 in London, England. The home was founded 150 years ago and has rescued, reunited and rehomed over three million dogs and cats. The average stay for a dog is just 28 days although some stay much longer. Around 550 dogs and 200 cats are provided refuge by Battersea at any given time. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid)