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November 30, 2015
Paris Climate Change Conference — COP21
Photo: A view of the Ecole Militaire (Military School) and the Eiffel Tower from the Headquarters of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in Paris, France. The UN Secretary-General will be attending the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21), taking place in Paris from 30 November - 11 December 2015. 29 November 2015. Paris, France. UN Photo/Rick Bajornas.
Photo: A view of the Elysee Palace, in Paris, France, where UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is meeting with Francois Hollande, President of France, ahead of this year’s UN Climate Change Conference (COP21), taking place in Paris from 30 November - 11 December 2015. UN Photo/Rick Bajornas.
Photo: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (right) poses for a photo with the artist Naziha Mestaoui, at the special event, “One Heart One Tree: Lighting of the Eiffel Tower”, taking place on the eve of the Paris Climate Change Conference (COP21).
1 Heart 1 Tree is an interactive artwork created by Ms. Mestaoui that allows people around the world to plant virtual trees on the Eiffel Tower that grow at the rate of each individual’s heartbeat. For every digital tree planted, a real tree will be planted through reforestation programs all over the world. 29 November 2015. Paris, France. UN Photo/Rick Bajornas.
Photo: Paris, France. November 30, 2015. UN Conference on Climate Change - COP21. Arrival of Heads of States and Governments at Le Bourget Airport. Welcome by Francois Hollande, President of France, and Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations. On the left is Segolene Royal, Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, France. Image Credit: COP Paris 2015.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 3:45 AM | View the original post
November 22, 2015
Monica Bellucci attends SPECTRE Premiere in Rome
Photo: Monica Bellucci, who plays the coveted role of Bond girl in the new 007 James Bond movie, Spectre, poses up in de GRISOGONO jewellery and a black outfit at the Spectre Premiere in Rome, Italy. Image provided by & copyright de GRISOGONO.
Photo: Italian actress and fashion model, Monica Bellucci, in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain. © French Select via Getty Images.)
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 9:58 AM | View the original post
November 21, 2015
British Bond Actress Naomie Harris Introduces New Range Rover Evoque Convertible as it Premieres in the USA
Photos: Exclusive images from acclaimed fashion photographer Ben Watts… Land Rover showcases new Range Rover Evoque Convertible in Santa Monica beachside shoot with Bond star Naomie Harris. Images provided by & copyright © Jaguar Land Rover.
LOS ANGELES, CA - November 16, 2015 - Land Rover has unveiled its first luxury compact convertible SUV along the iconic coastline of Los Angeles in Santa Monica, CA. SPECTRE actress Naomie Harris was one of the first to view the newest member of the Range Rover family, as it was revealed for the first time ahead of the Los Angeles Auto Show.
Following the recent global release of SPECTRE, the 24th James Bond adventure, which features vehicles produced by the Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations division, Harris joined the brand to receive an exclusive first look at the new Range Rover Evoque Convertible as it debuted in the US. Harris, in her role as Moneypenny, has been paired with Land Rover vehicles including the iconic Defender (Skyfall) and more recently the Discovery Sport (SPECTRE).
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 8:35 AM | View the original post
November 18, 2015
French President Francois Hollande invokes the unity of all cultures at UNESCO’s Leaders’ Forum
Photo: Mr Francois Hollande, President of France, participates in UNESCO’s Leaders’ Forum. Paris, France. November 17, 2015. © UNESCO/Nora Houguenade.
Photo: Opening of the 38th session of the General Conference of UNESCO. Paris, France. November 16, 2015. © UNESCO/N. Houguenade.
Photo: Japanese Tea Ceremony celebrating the 70th Anniversary of UNESCO. Paris, France. November 13, 2015. © UNESCO/P. Chiang-Joo.
Photo: Japanese Tea Ceremony celebrating the 70th Anniversary of UNESCO. Paris, France. November 13, 2015. © UNESCO/P. Chiang-Joo.
Photo: Leaders’ Forum, marking UNESCO’s 70th Anniversary. A short performance by the World Orchestra for Peace. Musicians representing 19 nationalities play works by Samuel Barber and Tchaikovsky. Paris, France. November 16, 2015. © UNESCO/Nora Houguenade.
Photo: Ms. Smriti Irani, India’s Minister of Human Resource Development, attends Leaders’ Forum marking UNESCO’s 70th Anniversary. Paris, France. November 16, 2015. © UNESCO/Nora Houguenade.
Paris, France — November 18, 2015 — The President of France, Francois Hollande, declared his commitment to “freedom, human creativity and intercultural dialogue” in his address at the Leaders’ Forum, which on 16 and 17 November brought together Heads of State and Government from all over the world in the context of the 38th session of UNESCO’s General Conference.
The afternoon session of the Leaders’ Forum, organized on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of UNESCO, also featured addresses by the President of the Republic of Malta, Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca and the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev.
The French President, welcomed to UNESCO by the Organization’s Director-General, Irina Bokova, was accompanied by the French Minister for the Economy and Finance, Michel Sapin, the Minister for Culture, Fleur Pellerin, and the Secretary of State in Charge of Development and the Francophonie, Annick Girardin. The French President declared: “I wished to be present at the General Conference because you stand for the unity of all cultures of the world. […] And what better place to affirm the need to hold fast than here, at UNESCO, an institution which was born of a Utopia to unite the whole of humanity through science, education and culture and which found a welcoming home in Paris.”
President Hollande paid tribute to UNESCO’s crucial role in protecting cultural heritage and cultural diversity. “Yes, UNESCO is the moral conscience of humanity. What underpinned its foundation was the promotion of the diversity of cultures, a diversity based on the idea that culture links people to their history and to their territory; a diversity anchored in the recognition of the equal dignity of cultures, as every people has a special message to bring to the world.”
Earlier in the afternoon, in a message read by United States Ambassador Crystal Nix-Hines, Permanent Delegate of the U.S. to UNESCO, U.S. President Barack Obama thanked UNESCO for its “unwavering commitment to building peace and tolerance around the world.” He encouraged the Organization to pursue its mandate in global citizenship education.
Echoing this declaration, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan invited the international community to bolster its support for the Organization. “More time and resources should be invested into the spread of a culture of peace. UNESCO has the appropriate mandate, genuine experience, and rich assets such as education, culture, sport, communication and science to serve as one of the most effective and shortest ways to prevent conflicts.”
|GlobalGiants.Com|
“I am not an Athenian or a Greek, but a citizen of the world.”
— Socrates.
“My country is the world, and my religion is to do good.”
— Thomas Paine.
“Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — The whole world is one single family.”
— Maha Upanishad.
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 4:29 AM | View the original post
November 12, 2015
Global Innovation Index 2015: Switzerland, UK, Sweden, Netherlands, USA are Leaders
Photo: World Intellectual Property Organization. WIPO Main Building and the Place des Nations in summer. © WIPO 2011. Photographer: Emmanuel Berrod.
Photo: World Intellectual Property Organization. WIPO Conference Hall. Foyer of the WIPO Conference Hall featuring volumes and perspectives created by ramps, staircases, railings, landings and mezzanines. The Conference Hall was inaugurated in September 2014. © WIPO 2014. Photographer: Emmanuel Berrod.
Photo: World Intellectual Property Organization. WIPO Director General Opens “Georgian Heritage” Exhibition at WIPO on the sidelines of the WIPO Assemblies, which met in Geneva from October 5 to 14, 2015. © WIPO 2015. Photographer: Emmanuel Berrod.
Photo: World Intellectual Property Organization. A Member of the Delegation from the Russian Federation attends the Committee on Development and Intellectual Property. The Sixteenth Session of WIPO’s Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP) is taking place in Geneva, Switzerland from November 9 to November 13, 2015. © WIPO 2015. Photographer: Emmanuel Berrod.
Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Sweden, the Netherlands and the United States of America are the world’s five most innovative nations, according to the Global Innovation Index 2015, while China, Malaysia, Viet Nam, India, Jordan, Kenya, and Uganda are among a group of countries outperforming their economic peers.
The GII (Global Innovation Index) 2015 looks at “Effective Innovation Policies for Development” and shows new ways that emerging-economy policymakers can boost innovation and spur growth by building on local strengths.
“Innovation holds far-reaching promise for spurring economic growth in countries at all stages of development. However, realizing this promise is not automatic,” said WIPO Director General Francis Gurry, “Each nation must find the right mix of policies to mobilize the innate innovative and creative potential in their economies.”
The GII, co-published by Cornell University, INSEAD and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), surveys 141 economies around the world, using 79 indicators to gauge both innovative capabilities and measurable results.
Top Rankings
- Switzerland
- United Kingdom
- Sweden
- Netherlands
- United States of America
- Finland
- Singapore
- Ireland
- Luxembourg
- Denmark
• In terms of innovation quality - as measured by university performance, the reach of scholarly articles and the international dimension of patent applications - a few economies stand out. The US and the UK stay ahead of the pack, largely as a result of their world-class universities, closely followed by Japan, Germany and Switzerland. Top-scoring middle-income economies on innovation quality are China, Brazil and India, with China increasingly outpacing the others.
Soumitra Dutta, Anne and Elmer Lindseth Dean, Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University and co-author of the report, points out that “Innovation quality matters. Creating world class universities and investing in research is essential for staying ahead in the global race for successful innovation.”
Regional Innovation Leaders
Rank in Region — Country Name — GII 2015 Rank
Central and Southern Asia
- India — 81
- Kazakhstan —Â 82
- Sri Lanka — 85
Europe
- Switzerland — 1
- United Kingdom — 2
- Sweden — 3
Latin America and the Caribbean
- Chile — 42
- Costa Rica — 51
- Mexico — 57
Northern Africa and Western Asia
- Israel — 22
- Cyprus — 34
- Saudi Arabia — 43
Northern America
- United States of America — 5
- Canada — 16
Southeast Asia and Oceania
- Singapore — 7
- Hong Kong (China) — 11
- Korea, Rep. of — 14
Sub-Saharan Africa
- Mauritius — 49
- South Africa — 60
- Senegal — 84
The Global Innovation Index 2015 (GII), in its 8th edition this year, is co-published by Cornell University, INSEAD, and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a specialized agency of the United Nations.
Published annually since 2007, the GII is now a leading benchmarking tool for business executives, policy makers and others seeking insight into the state of innovation around the world.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 1:10 PM | View the original post
November 10, 2015
MasterCard Launches New Program that can Turn any Consumer Gadget, Accessory or Wearable into a Payment Device
Photo: MasterCard Index of Consumer Confidence Asia Pacific Region 2014. Image provided by & Copyright © MasterCard News.
Photos: Commerce for Every Device: Car Key Fob, Ring, Wristband. Images provided by & Copyright © MasterCard News.
Photo: MasterCard partners with designer Adam Selman to design the next generation of payment wearables. In this picture, the payment-enabled dress and accessories are being modeled by Kelly Rohrbach on October 25, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Image provided by & Copyright © MasterCard News.
MasterCard is introducing a new program that will bring MasterCard payments to a wide array of consumer products across the automotive, fashion, technology, wearables, and yet to be imagined categories.
• The program gives consumers the freedom to shop using the device or thing that is most convenient to them, with the highest level of security available.
The program will launch with the support of several eminent partners across multiple verticals to fit every lifestyle need. Designer to the stars Adam Selman, automaker General Motors, wearable technology innovator Nymi, smart jewelry company Ringly, and Bluetooth locator TrackR are among the prominent consumer brands enabling their products through the program.
Exclusive designs from Adam Selman and prototypes from GM (car key fob), Nymi (wristband) and Ringly (ring), were on display at the Money 20/20 conference in Las Vegas last month.
The Internet of Things (IoT) - the hyper-connected world where every device from the phone to the washing machine will be connected to the Internet - is transforming the way consumers interact and transact. According to Cisco, there will be 50 billion connected devices by 2020. MasterCard is establishing the program as the foundation to enable payments for IoT.
“As more and more ‘things’ become connected, consumers will have endless possibilities when it comes to how they pay, and will need all of their devices to work seamlessly together,” said Ed McLaughlin, Chief Emerging Payments Officer at MasterCard. “This program eliminates the boundaries of how we pay by delivering a secure digital payment experience to virtually anything - rings, fitness and smart bands, car key fobs, apparel, and whatever comes along next.”
The launch of the program puts in place a standard for expanding secure contactless and embedded payment options globally. Products will begin rolling out in 2016 in the U.S., with plans to expand to other markets.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 3:55 AM | View the original post
November 6, 2015
India aspiring to have a World Class University
Photo: Entrance to Rashtrapati Bhavan (Presidential Palace), New Delhi, India. Picture Credit: Rob Towell.
New Delhi, India — November 6, 2015 — India’s first ever Visitor’s Conference concluded today at Rashtrapati Bhavan (Presidential Palace) with an interactive session between Industry and Academia. The President of India is Visitor of 114 central institutions of higher learning.
Participants in the conference included heads of all Central Universities and Indian Institutes of Technology’s.
During the conference, India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, released a brochure “IMPRINT INDIA” and handed over the first copy to the President of India. Smriti Irani, India’s Human Resource Development Minister, was also present on the occasion.
• The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee said, “my constant refrain that we cannot aspire to be a world power without having a single world-class university, has found resonance amongst the institutions, who have now started looking at the international ranking processes in a more proactive and systematic manner.”
“For the first time,” President Mukherjee said, “two Indian institutions have found place in the top 200 positions in QS rankings.” “Indian Institute of Science Bangalore at 147th and Indian Institute of Technology Delhi at 179th place deserve full praise and compliments,” he added.
“Innovation is the currency of the future. Innovation converts research into wealth,” the President concluded. “Unless we recognize this reality and start working in a focused manner on creating a strong innovation culture in our country now, we will be left behind in the march to modernity.”
Source: President’s Secretariat, Rashtrapati Bhavan
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 7:33 AM | View the original post
November 5, 2015
Global Education Community adopts and launches Education 2030 Framework for Action
Photo: Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (right) and Gordon Brown (left), United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education, with an education youth ambassador at the Oslo Summit on Education for Development. 07 July 2015. Oslo, Norway. UN Photo/Rick Bajornas.
UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, France - November 4, 2015 - “Today, with the Education 2030 Framework for Action, Governments from across the world have agreed on how to translate a promise on paper to change on the ground,” said UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova at the launch event.
• The Education 2030 Framework for Action was adopted by more than 70 Ministers, representatives of Member States, the United Nations, multilateral and bi-lateral agencies, civil society, regional organizations, the teaching profession, academia, youth, and the private sector.
Ministers and Heads of Delegation took the floor throughout a day-long meeting, which ended with closing addresses by Kishore Singh, Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, and the Prime Minister of Cook Islands, Mr Henry Puna.
• The FFA, the result of an unprecedented consultative process, provides guidance to countries for the implementation of the Education 2030 agenda. It aims to mobilize all stakeholders around the new global education goal and targets, and proposes ways of implementing, coordinating, financing and reviewing the 2030 education agenda—globally, regionally and nationally—to guarantee equal educational opportunity for all.
“Never before has the world consulted in such depth on a new goal in education, bringing all voices to the table. Never before has the world agreed on such a detailed road-map for the implementation of a new goal,” said the UNESCO Director-General.
The Declaration entrusts UNESCO, the United Nations’ specialized agency for education, to continue its mandated role and lead and coordinate Education 2030.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.”
— Aristotle.
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 8:23 AM | View the original post
November 4, 2015
Artistic Gymnastics World Championships: Giulia Steingruber of Switzerland wins the Longines Prize for Elegance
Photo: Giulia Steingruber of Switzerland, who has been awarded the Longines Prize for Elegance at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. Image provided by and copyright © Longines.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 8:19 AM | View the original post
November 2, 2015
London Oxford Street Christmas Lights Switched On
Photo: A general view of the atmosphere during the World Famous Oxford Street Christmas Lights Switch On Event taking place at the Pandora Flagship Store on November 1, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Tabatha Fireman/Getty Images for New West End Company. © 2015 Getty Images).
Photo: A general view of the atmosphere during the World Famous Oxford Street Christmas Lights Switch On Event taking place at the Pandora Flagship Store on November 1, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Tabatha Fireman/Getty Images for New West End Company. © 2015 Getty Images).
Photo: International pop star Kylie Minogue attends the World Famous Oxford Street Christmas Lights Switch On Event taking place at the Pandora Flagship Store on November 1, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for New West End Company. © 2015 Getty Images).
Photo: Pop star Foxes attends the World Famous Oxford Street Christmas Lights Switch On Event taking place at the Pandora Flagship Store on November 1, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for New West End Company. © 2015 Getty Images).
London, Sunday 1st November 2015 — The countdown to Christmas started today at the Oxford Street Christmas Lights Switch On Event broadcast and seen by millions around the globe.
Global pop star Kylie Minogue took to the stage for the 56th annual switch-on moment, illuminating Oxford Street in silver light and 445 gleaming gold baubles. The lighting event marks the official start of the London Christmas shopping season.
For the first time, Oxford Street hosted the highly awaited lights switch-on event on a traffic-free Sunday. Families, shoppers and visitors enjoyed their Christmas shopping in the enhanced space of a traffic-free environment, along with exclusive Christmas offers available from retailers for this special day only.
This year’s spectacular switch on moment and star studded show was more inclusive than ever before as the stage faced down West Oxford Street with a series of on-street screens live streaming all the action for spectators and shoppers alike to enjoy.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 7:18 AM | View the original post
