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October 29, 2016
GlobalGiants.Com wishes you a Happy Diwali
Dear GlobalGiants.Com Viewer,
Happy Diwali from GlobalGiants.Com. May the festival of lights brighten up your days and bring you happiness, success, and good health.
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• We have received numerous responses. Thank you, all of you. — Editor
Happy #Diwali from https://t.co/3agFTB5RLh. May the festival of lights brighten up your days.#HappyDiwali#HappyDeepavali pic.twitter.com/R18nxK9cu2
— GlobalGiants.Com (@GlobalGiants) October 29, 2016
.@GlobalGiants I wish the same for you! : )
— LindaScarlett (@ZotBakingCo) October 29, 2016
@GlobalGiants @USPS धन्यवाद. दिवाली कि शुभ कामनाये.
— Swati Save (@SwatiSave) October 11, 2016
Happy Diwali 2016 from the University of Oxford! pic.twitter.com/stjX3Y1jHS
— Oxford University (@UniofOxford) October 30, 2016
@UniofOxford Thanks much. Happy #Diwali from https://t.co/3agFTB5RLh. pic.twitter.com/S43J7gtOo5
— GlobalGiants.Com (@GlobalGiants) October 30, 2016







Edited & Posted by the Editor | 6:29 AM | View the original post
October 26, 2016
Ending Modern Slavery
Photo: U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, takes a selfie with an outstanding individual who is fighting to end human trafficking at the Annual Meeting of the U.S. President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (PITF) at the White House in Washington, D.C., on October 24, 2016. (State Department Photo).
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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 2:02 PM | View the original post
October 18, 2016
UN Secretary-General Attends Opening of Habitat III in Quito, Ecuador
Photo: QUITO, ECUADOR — UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon (left), attends opening of the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, HABITAT III. Rafael Correa, President of Ecuador, is seated on the right. 16 October 2016. Quito, Ecuador. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
UN Secretary-General Attends Opening of Habitat III in Quito, Ecuador #Habitat3 #NewUrbanAgenda @UN @Habitat3UN https://t.co/yAXXzgKWDl pic.twitter.com/JxNqPpY8DW
— GlobalGiants.Com (@GlobalGiants) October 18, 2016
@GlobalGiants Enjoyed your tweets on #Habitat3 and #NewUrbanAgenda..see insights from our #researchbeacons minds at https://t.co/QLdSKCE8Ry
— Global Dev Institute (@GlobalDevInst) October 21, 2016
The University of Manchester - Global Development Institute @GlobalDevInst — Thanks for your tweet to us! #Habitat3 https://t.co/SoEZ0nb0a2
— GlobalGiants.Com (@GlobalGiants) October 24, 2016
The University of Manchester @OfficialUoM @GlobalDevInst Addressing Global Inequalities #H3Citizens #NewUrbanAgenda https://t.co/Y68OrUC6gh
— GlobalGiants.Com (@GlobalGiants) October 24, 2016







Edited & Posted by the Editor | 3:13 PM | View the original post
October 17, 2016
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia — Editor's Choice
Photos: A model walks the runway at the MD MAKHMUDOV DJEMAL show during day three of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Russia SS17 on October 15, 2016 in Moscow, Russia. Images provided by Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia & Copyright © Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images.
Photos: A model walks the runway at the BELLA POTEMKINA show during day five of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Russia SS17 on October 17, 2016 in Moscow, Russia. Images provided by Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia & Copyright © Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images.
Photo: A model walks the runway at the Fabric by Alena Akhmadullina show during day five of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Russia SS17 on October 17, 2016 in Moscow, Russia. Image provided by Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia & Copyright © Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images.
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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 6:52 AM | View the original post
October 14, 2016
United Nations — Secretary-General meets with Secretary-General-Designate
Photo: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (right) meets with António Guterres, Secretary-General-Designate. The UN General Assembly has appointed Mr. Guterres as the next Secretary-General of the United Nations. 13 October 2016. United Nations, New York. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe.
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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 3:39 AM | View the original post
October 12, 2016
85 COUNTRIES IN COMPETITION FOR 2016 FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OSCAR
Photo: Poster of “Son of Saul”, winner of the 88th Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Image Credit: © A.M.P.A.S.
Photo: Actor Danny Trejo (left) and Moderator Christopher Nolan prior to a screening of “Heat” presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, on Wednesday, September 7, 2016. Image Credit: Todd Wawrychuk / © A.M.P.A.S.
Photo: Actress Amy Brenneman and Academy CEO Dawn Hudson following a screening of “Heat” presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, on Wednesday, September 7, 2016. Image Credit: Richard Harbaugh / © A.M.P.A.S.
LOS ANGELES, CA - Eighty-five countries have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 89th Academy Awards. Yemen is a first-time entrant.
The 2016 submissions are:
- Albania, “Chromium,” Bujar Alimani, director;
- Algeria, “The Well,” Lotfi Bouchouchi, director;
- Argentina, “The Distinguished Citizen,” Mariano Cohn, Gastón Duprat, directors;
- Australia, “Tanna,” Bentley Dean, Martin Butler, directors;
- Austria, “Stefan Zweig: Farewell to Europe,” Maria Schrader, director;
- Bangladesh, “The Unnamed,” Tauquir Ahmed, director;
- Belgium, “The Ardennes,” Robin Pront, director;
- Bolivia, “Sealed Cargo,” Julia Vargas Weise, director;
- Bosnia and Herzegovina, “Death in Sarajevo,” Danis Tanovic, director;
- Brazil, “Little Secret,” David Schurmann, director;
- Bulgaria, “Losers,” Ivaylo Hristov, director;
- Cambodia, “Before the Fall,” Ian White, director;
- Canada, “It’s Only the End of the World,” Xavier Dolan, director;
- Chile, “Neruda,” Pablo Larraín, director;
- China, “Xuan Zang,” Huo Jianqi, director;
- Colombia, “Alias Maria,” Jose Luis Rugeles, director;
- Costa Rica, “About Us,” Hernán Jiménez, director;
- Croatia, “On the Other Side,” Zrinko Ogresta, director;
- Cuba, “The Companion,” Pavel Giroud, director;
- Czech Republic, “Lost in Munich,” Petr Zelenka, director;
- Denmark, “Land of Mine,” Martin Zandvliet, director;
- Dominican Republic, “Sugar Fields,” Fernando Baez, director;
- Ecuador, “Such Is Life in the Tropics,” Sebastián Cordero, director;
- Egypt, “Clash,” Mohamed Diab, director;
- Estonia, “Mother,” Kadri Kousaar, director;
- Finland, “The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki,” Juho Kuosmanen, director;
- France, “Elle,” Paul Verhoeven, director;
- Georgia, “House of Others,” Rusudan Glurjidze, director;
- Germany, “Toni Erdmann,” Maren Ade, director;
- Greece, “Chevalier,” Athina Rachel Tsangari, director;
- Hong Kong, “Port of Call,” Philip Yung, director;
- Hungary, “Kills on Wheels,” Attila Till, director;
- Iceland, “Sparrows,” Runar Runarsson, director;
- India, “Interrogation,” Vetri Maaran, director;
- Indonesia, “Letters from Prague,” Angga Dwimas Sasongko, director;
- Iran, “The Salesman,” Asghar Farhadi, director;
- Iraq, “El Clásico,” Halkawt Mustafa, director;
- Israel, “Sand Storm,” Elite Zexer, director;
- Italy, “Fire at Sea,” Gianfranco Rosi, director;
- Japan, “Nagasaki: Memories of My Son,” Yoji Yamada, director;
- Jordan, “3000 Nights,” Mai Masri, director;
- Kazakhstan, “Amanat,” Satybaldy Narymbetov, director;
- Kosovo, “Home Sweet Home,” Faton Bajraktari, director;
- Kyrgyzstan, “A Father’s Will,” Bakyt Mukul, Dastan Zhapar Uulu, directors;
- Latvia, “Dawn,” Laila Pakalnina, director;
- Lebanon, “Very Big Shot,” Mir-Jean Bou Chaaya, director;
- Lithuania, “Seneca’s Day,” Kristijonas Vildziunas, director;
- Luxembourg, “Voices from Chernobyl,” Pol Cruchten, director;
- Macedonia, “The Liberation of Skopje,” Rade Serbedzija, Danilo Serbedzija, directors;
- Malaysia, “Beautiful Pain,” Tunku Mona Riza, director;
- Mexico, “Desierto,” Jonas Cuaron, director;
- Montenegro, “The Black Pin,” Ivan Marinovic, director;
- Morocco, “A Mile in My Shoes,” Said Khallaf, director;
- Nepal, “The Black Hen,” Min Bahadur Bham, director;
- Netherlands, “Tonio,” Paula van der Oest, director;
- New Zealand, “A Flickering Truth,” Pietra Brettkelly, director;
- Norway, “The King’s Choice,” Erik Poppe, director;
- Pakistan, “Mah-e-Mir,” Anjum Shahzad, director;
- Palestine, “The Idol,” Hany Abu-Assad, director;
- Panama, “Salsipuedes,” Ricardo Aguilar Navarro, Manolito Rodríguez, directors;
- Peru, “Videophilia (and Other Viral Syndromes),” Juan Daniel F. Molero, director;
- Philippines, “Ma’ Rosa,” Brillante Ma Mendoza, director;
- Poland, “Afterimage,” Andrzej Wajda, director;
- Portugal, “Letters from War,” Ivo M. Ferreira, director;
- Romania, “Sieranevada,” Cristi Puiu, director;
- Russia, “Paradise,” Andrei Konchalovsky, director;
- Saudi Arabia, “Barakah Meets Barakah,” Mahmoud Sabbagh, director;
- Serbia, “Train Driver’s Diary,” Milos Radovic, director;
- Singapore, “Apprentice,” Boo Junfeng, director;
- Slovakia, “Eva Nova,” Marko Skop, director;
- Slovenia, “Houston, We Have a Problem!” Ziga Virc, director;
- South Africa, “Call Me Thief,” Daryne Joshua, director;
- South Korea, “The Age of Shadows,” Kim Jee-woon, director;
- Spain, “Julieta,” Pedro Almodóvar, director;
- Sweden, “A Man Called Ove,” Hannes Holm, director;
- Switzerland, “My Life as a Zucchini,” Claude Barras, director;
- Taiwan, “Hang in There, Kids!” Laha Mebow, director;
- Thailand, “Karma,” Kanittha Kwunyoo, director;
- Turkey, “Cold of Kalandar,” Mustafa Kara, director;
- Ukraine, “Ukrainian Sheriffs,” Roman Bondarchuk, director;
- United Kingdom, “Under the Shadow,” Babak Anvari, director;
- Uruguay, “Breadcrumbs,” Manane Rodríguez, director;
- Venezuela, “From Afar,” Lorenzo Vigas, director;
- Vietnam, “Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass,” Victor Vu, director;
- Yemen, “I Am Nojoom, Age 10 and Divorced,” Khadija Al-Salami, director.
The competitive Foreign Language Film category was introduced in 1956 for the 29th Academy Awards. In celebration of its 60th anniversary, the Academy has created a complete playlist of acceptance speeches and a poster gallery of all the Foreign Language Film Oscar winners.
The 89th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
|GlobalGiants.Com|







Edited & Posted by the Editor | 6:02 AM | View the original post
October 6, 2016
U.S. Postal Service Commemorates Festival of Diwali with a Forever Stamp
New York City — October 5, 2016 — The U.S. Postal Service commemorated the joyous Hindu festival of Diwali by dedicating the Diwali Forever stamp. The first-day-of-issue dedication ceremony took place at the Consulate General of India in New York City.
“The Postal Service is honored to issue this Forever stamp that celebrates the Festival of Diwali,” said U.S. Postal Service Vice President of Mail Entry and Payment Technology Pritha Mehra. “We hope these stamps will light up millions of cards and letters as they make their journey through the mailstream.”
Joining Mehra in the dedication ceremony were: Ambassador Riva Ganguly Das, Consul General of India; Diwali Stamp Project Chair Ranju Batra; India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Member of the United Nations Security Council (Ret.) Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri; Sand Hill Group Managing Director M. R. Rangaswami; and Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY).
“While this journey may have taken years, the Postal Service has issued a Diwali stamp that will continue to resonate forever,” said Ranju Batra. “Now for the first time there is a stamp that celebrates Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists as Americans forever. Our heartfelt thanks to all of those who have supported this stamp. The Diwali stamp will be a matter of pride for generations to come.”
The stamp design is a photograph featuring a traditional diya oil lamp beautifully lit, sitting on a sparkling gold background. Diya lamps are usually made from clay with cotton wicks dipped in a clarified butter known as “ghee” or in vegetable oils.
Also known as Deepavali, Diwali celebrates the triumph of good over evil. Spanning five days each autumn, Diwali is considered by some to be the start of the new year.
On the Hindu calendar, Diwali falls on the eve of, or on, the new moon that occurs between mid-October and mid-November. In 2016, the main day of the festival will be celebrated Oct. 29 for South Indians and Oct 30 for North Indians.
Diwali is a shortened version of the Sanskrit word Deepavali, which roughly translates as “a necklace of lights.” During Diwali, the flickering oil-wick diyas sprinkle the homes of observers around the world.
Before the festival, many Hindus traditionally go shopping, clean their homes, open their doors and windows, create intricate rangoli — a vibrant floor pattern traditionally made from materials such as rice powder, colored sand and flower petals — and light diyas with hopes that Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, will visit.
In some regions of India, people play games, just as Hindu lore says that the god Shiva did. On the festive main day of the holiday, families pray for Lakshmi, dress up in their best clothes, enjoy lavish feasts and sweets, exchange gifts and light fireworks. Diwali also marks the new year for people in Gujarat and a few other states of India. Diwali also is celebrated as a major holiday by followers of the Jain and Sikh faiths.
• The Diwali stamp is being issued as a Forever stamp. This Forever stamp is always equal to the value of the current First Class Mail — 1 Ounce price.
|GlobalGiants.Com|







Edited & Posted by the Editor | 4:38 PM | View the original post
October 5, 2016
L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards 2017 Announced
Photo: Prof. Emmanuelle Charpentier, 2016 Laureate, L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science. Image Credit: Thierry Bouët for L’Oréal Foundation. Image provided by & Copyright © L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science.
Photo: A trainee at the 2016 L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Rising Talents Training Session, Paris. Image Credit: Stéphane Cardinale for L’Oréal Foundation. Image provided by & Copyright © L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science.
Photos: France L’Oréal-UNESCO 2016 Awards Ceremony. Images provided by & Copyright © Fondation L’Oréal.
The L’Oréal Foundation and UNESCO today announced the laureates of the 2017 L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards in the physical sciences. They will receive their awards at a ceremony in Paris on 23 March 2017.
Proposed by an international community of more than 2,000 leading scientists, the five laureates were selected by an independent international jury of 12 renowned scientists presided this year by Professor Christian Amatore, of the French Académie des sciences.
Each laureate will receive a prize of €100,000 as reward for her contribution to science.
Laureates are as under:
CONTINENT
Name of the Laureate
Nationality
Designation
Field
• AFRICA AND THE ARAB STATES
Professor Niveen KHASHAB
Lebanese
Associate Professor of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), SAUDI ARABIA
Analytical Chemistry
“For her contributions to innovative smart hybrid materials aimed at drug delivery and for developing new techniques to monitor intracellular antioxidant activity.”
• ASIA PACIFIC
Professor Michelle SIMMONS
Australian
Professor, Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology - University of New South Wales, AUSTRALIA
Quantum Physics
“For her pioneering contributions to quantum and atomic electronics, constructing atomic transistors en route to quantum computers.”
• EUROPE
Professor Nicola SPALDIN
British
Professor and Chair of Materials Theory, ETH Zürich, SWITZERLAND
Solid State Physics
“For her groundbreaking multidisciplinary work predicting, describing and creating new materials that have switchable magnetic and ferroelectric properties.”
• NORTH AMERICA
Professor Zhenan BAO
USA
Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, USA
Material Chemistry
“For her outstanding contribution to and mastery of the development of novel functional polymers for consumer electronics, energy storage and biomedical applications.”
• LATIN AMERICA
Professor Maria Teresa RUIZ
Chilean
Professor, Department of Astronomy, Dept. / Universidad de Chile, CHILE
Astrophysics
“For her discovery of the first brown dwarf and her seminal work on understanding the faintest stars, including stars at the final stages of their evolution (white dwarfs).”
Through its “For Women in Science” programme, a worldwide partnership with UNESCO, the L’Oréal Foundation motivates girls in High School to pursue scientific careers, supports women researchers and rewards excellence in a field where women remain underrepresented.
|GlobalGiants.Com|







Edited & Posted by the Editor | 2:09 PM | View the original post
October 3, 2016
Commemoration of International Day of Non-Violence at the United Nations
Photo: Syed Akbaruddin, Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, speaks at the special event marking the International Day of Non-Violence, organized by the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations.
The Day of Non-Violence is observed on 2 October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the Indian independence movement and pioneer of the non-violence philosophy, as an occasion to disseminate the message of non-violence. 02 October 2016. United Nations, New York. UN Photo/Evan Schneider.
Photo: Peter Thomson, President of the seventy-first session of the UN General Assembly, speaks at the special event marking the International Day of Non-Violence, organized by the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations.
The Day of Non-Violence is observed on 2 October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the Indian independence movement and pioneer of the non-violence philosophy, as an occasion to disseminate the message of non-violence. 02 October 2016. United Nations, New York. UN Photo/Evan Schneider.
Photo: UN Deputy Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson, speaks at the special event marking the International Day of Non-Violence, organized by the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations.
The Day of Non-Violence is observed on 2 October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the Indian independence movement and pioneer of the non-violence philosophy, as an occasion to disseminate the message of non-violence. 02 October 2016. United Nations, New York. UN Photo/Evan Schneider.
|GlobalGiants.Com|







Edited & Posted by the Editor | 2:43 PM | View the original post