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October 31, 2017
64 Cities join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. Mumbai Misses the Shot!
Photo: A building in Dubai. Dubai has just been designated UNESCO Creative City of Design. Image Credit: Xiquinho Silva.
Paris, France, 31 October 2017 — 64 cities from 44 countries have been designated as UNESCO Creative Cities by the UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova. They join a Network at the frontline of UNESCO’s efforts to foster innovation and creativity as key drivers for a more sustainable and inclusive urban development. This network attracts growing interest from local authorities.
“These new designations showcase an enhanced diversity in city profiles and geographical balance, with 19 cities from countries not previously represented in the Network” declared the Director-General. She added, “The cooperation framework proposed to foster candidate cities from the Africa region - a UNESCO Global Priority - has been a true success with 9 African cities now joining the Network.”
The new 64 UNESCO Creative Cities are:
- Alba (Italy) - Gastronomy
- Almaty (Kazakhstan) - Music
- Amarante (Portugal) - Music
- Auckland (New Zealand) - Music
- Baguio City (Philippines) - Crafts and Folk Art
- Barcelos (Portugal) - Crafts and Folk Art
- Braga (Portugal) - Media Arts
- Brasilia (Brazil) - Design
- Bristol (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) - Film
- Brno (Czechia) - Music
- Bucheon (Republic of Korea) - Literature
- Buenaventura (Colombia) - Gastronomy
- Cairo (Egypt) - Crafts and Folk Art
- Cape Town (South Africa) - Design
- Carrara (Italy) - Crafts and Folk Art
- Changsha (China) - Media Arts
- Chennai (India) - Music
- Chiang Mai (Thailand) - Crafts and Folk Art
- Chordeleg (Ecuador) - Crafts and Folk Art
- Cochabamba (Bolivia [Plurinational State of]) - Gastronomy
- Daegu Metropolitan City (Republic of Korea) - Music
- Dubai (United Arab Emirates) - Design
- Durban (South Africa) - Literature
- Frutillar (Chile) - Music
- Gabrovo (Bulgaria) - Crafts and Folk Art
- [City of] Greater Geelong (Australia) - Design
- Guadalajara (Mexico) - Media Arts
- Hatay Metropolitan Municipality (Turkey) - Gastronomy
- Istanbul (Turkey) - Design
- João Pessoa (Brazil) - Crafts and Folk Art
- Kansas City (United States of America) - Music
- Kolding (Denmark) - Design
- Kortrijk (Belgium) - Design
- Košice (Slovakia) - Media Arts
- Kütahya (Turkey) - Crafts and Folk Art
- Lillehammer (Norway) - Literature
- Limoges (France) - Crafts and Folk Art
- Łódź (Poland) - Film
- Macao Special Administrative Region, China (Associate Member, UNESCO) - Gastronomy
- Madaba (Jordan) - Crafts and Folk Art
- Manchester (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) - Literature
- Mexico City (Mexico) - Design
- Milan (Italy) - Literature
- Morelia (Mexico) - Music
- Norrköping (Sweden) - Music
- Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) - Crafts and Folk Art
- Panama City (Panama) - Gastronomy
- Paraty (Brazil) - Gastronomy
- Pesaro (Italy) - Music
- Porto-Novo (Benin) - Crafts and Folk Art
- Praia (Cabo Verde) - Music
- Qingdao (China) - Film
- Québec City (Canada) - Literature
- San Antonio (United States of America) - Gastronomy
- Seattle (United States of America) - Literature
- Sheki (Azerbaijan) - Crafts and Folk Art
- Sokodé (Togo) - Crafts and Folk Art
- Terrassa (Spain) - Film
- Tétouan (Morocco) - Crafts and Folk Art
- Toronto (Canada) - Media Arts
- Tunis (Tunisia) - Crafts and Folk Art
- Utrecht (Netherlands) - Literature
- Wuhan (China) - Design
- Yamagata City (Japan) - Film
Since 2004, the UNESCO Creative Cities Network highlights its members’ creativity within seven fields: Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts and Music. It now counts a total of 180 cities in 72 countries.
While differing geographically, demographically or economically, all Creative Cities commit to develop and exchange innovative best practices to promote creative industries, strengthen participation in cultural life, and integrate culture into sustainable urban development policies.
Photo: Mumbai, a strong contender for the prestigious “UNESCO Creative City for Films” designation, missed the shot by failing to submit its application in time. Here, Mumbai actress, Puja Gupta, attends the “All Is Lost” Premiere during the 66th Annual Cannes Film Festival at Grand Theatre Lumiere on May 22, 2013 in Cannes, France. Photo by Ian Gavan/WireImage for Electrolux. © 2013 WireImage.
From India, Chennai has been designated as UNESCO Creative City of Music. Mumbai, a strong contender for the prestigious “UNESCO Creative City of Films” designation, has missed out on its chance.
The Ministry of Culture, Government of India, had proposed to send dossiers for Chennai (for music), and Mumbai (for films). While the dossier to support Chennai was submitted by the government in time, dossier for Mumbai could not be sent ahead of the June 16 deadline set by the UNESCO Secretariat.
Photo: A Music and Dance event in Chennai. Image Credit: TEDx Chennai.
Photo: A. R. Rahman, renowned musician from Chennai, Oscar nominee for Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score) and for Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song), performs during the live ABC Television Network broadcast of the 83rd Annual Academy Awards from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, CA, Sunday, February 27, 2011. Photographer: Michael Yada. Image provided by and copyright © The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, has congratulated people of Chennai on inclusion of Chennai in the UNESCO creative Cities Network.
The Prime Minister said, “Congratulations to the people of Chennai on the city’s inclusion in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network for its rich musical tradition. Chennai’s contribution to our rich culture is precious. This is a proud moment for India.”
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Congratulations to the people of Chennai on the city’s inclusion in the @UNESCO Creative Cities Network for its rich musical tradition. Chennai’s contribution to our rich culture is precious. This is a proud moment for India: PM @narendramodi
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) November 8, 2017
#Chennai is the third city, after Varanasi and Jaipur, from #India to join the #UNESCO Creative Cities Network. More details at: https://t.co/Fgnw7ZHFMd pic.twitter.com/puhyyxolBv
— UNESCO New Delhi (@UNESCO_NDL) November 14, 2017







Edited & Posted by the Editor | 4:03 PM | View the original post
October 28, 2017
International Press Institute (IPI) urges India Government to withdraw a Controversial Ordinance
Photo: Participants at an event to mark the World Press Freedom Day at Palais des Nations, United Nations Office at Geneva, Switzerland. United Nations, Geneva. UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré.
Vienna, Austria, Oct 27, 2017 — The government of the Indian state of Rajasthan must reverse an ordinance, which, in the absence of a government-sanctioned criminal investigation, bars the media from covering allegations of wrongdoing involving public officials. This was stated today by the International Press Institute (IPI) in letters sent to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.
The ordinance requires courts and law enforcement agencies to obtain government approval before investigating public officials, judges, and magistrates for alleged wrongdoing committed in the course of carrying out public duties.
Here are the excerpts from the letter —
Oct 27, 2017
Mr. Narendra Modi
Prime Minister of India
South Block
New Delhi
India.
Dear Prime Minister,
The International Press Institute (IPI) is deeply concerned by the issuance of an ordinance under the Constitution of India by the Governor of the State of Rajasthan, amending the Criminal Laws Act of the State, on the advice of the Government of Rajasthan.
The ordinance, which claims to protect public servants, judges and magistrates facing “false” allegations of corruption and criminality, prohibits the media from publishing any report on such allegations, even when accompanied by evidence, until an appropriate authority of the Government has considered the complaints and given sanction for the initiation of prosecution proceedings.
The concerned authority has been given a time limit of six months to take a decision on whether to prosecute or not to prosecute. Until then, media outlets are completely prohibited from writing any details on the allegations ……………..
IPI strongly condemns the gagging of the press through this ordinance. The measure, signed by the Governor of Rajasthan on the advice of the Government of Rajasthan, violates Art. 19 of the Indian Constitution, which enshrines freedom of expression …………….
Eminent jurists, journalists and journalist organisations as well as senior political leaders have strongly opposed the ordinance and have called for its immediate withdrawal …………..
Mr. Prime Minister, you recounted recently how you had participated in the political struggle against the censorship of newspapers during the Emergency which was in force in India between 1975 and 1977. In this same spirit, IPI calls upon you to intervene with the Government of Rajasthan, and direct the state Government to immediately negate the ordinance through the Constitutional route, and withdraw the bill now under consideration by the State Assembly.
Such an action would demonstrate your commitment to freedom of the press, and would ensure that acts of corruption and criminality are not shielded behind the curtain of censorship.
Yours sincerely,
Barbara Trionfi
Executive Director
International Press Institute
……………………………………………………….
|GlobalGiants.Com|
The editor of GlobalGiants.Com, incidentally, is a member of the International Press Institute (IPI).







Edited & Posted by the Editor | 2:45 AM | View the original post
October 25, 2017
U.S. News & World Report Announces 2018 Best Global Universities Rankings
Photo: University of California, Berkeley. A section of the campus during night. Image Credit: J. Hendron.
Photo: Nicholas Dirks, Chancellor, University of California, Berkeley, USA, captured during the session Human vs Artificial Intelligence in the Congress Centre at the Annual Meeting 2015 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Image provided by & copyright © World Economic Forum / Benedikt von Loebell.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 24, 2017 — U.S. News & World Report, a global authority in education rankings for more than 30 years, today released the 2018 Best Global Universities rankings. The overall rankings evaluate 1,250 universities - up from 1,000 last year - across 74 countries and are the largest and most comprehensive assessment of research universities worldwide.
The U. S. leads the rankings again this year, with 221 universities making the overall list. The top four spots are held by U.S. schools, with Harvard University at No. 1. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology comes in at No. 2, followed by Stanford University at No. 3 and the University of California—Berkeley at No. 4. The United Kingdom’s University of Oxford rounds out the top 5.
Behind the U.S., the following countries have the most ranked institutions out of the 1,250 schools on the overall list:
China: 136, Japan: 76, U.K.: 73, Germany: 58
Across the 22 subject-specific rankings, U.S. schools again claim the most No. 1 spots. For the first time, China’s Tsinghua University replaces MIT as No. 1 in computer science and once again tops the list for engineering. Listed in rank order, these countries performed the best in the following subject rankings:
- Computer science: U.S., China, U.K., Canada, Australia
- Economics and business: U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada, China (tie), Netherlands (tie)
- Engineering: U.S., China, U.K., Canada, Italy
- Neuroscience and behavior: U.S., Germany, U.K., Canada (tie), France (tie), Netherlands (tie)
“The schools that rank the highest in the Best Global Universities rankings are those that emphasize academic research, including by partnering with international scholars to produce highly cited articles,” said Robert Morse, chief data strategist at U.S. News. “This is different from the Best Colleges rankings, which measure the overall quality of undergraduate institutions in the U.S. and focus on student outcomes such as graduation and retention rates.”
For the 2018 edition, U.S. News made a slight change to the methodology to further emphasize international collaboration at universities by rewarding schools that author articles with researchers from different countries.
The Best Global Universities methodology - which is based on Web of Science data and metrics provided by Clarivate Analytics InCites - weighs factors that measure a university’s global and regional research reputation and academic research performance. For the overall rankings, this includes bibliometric indicators such as publications, citations and international collaboration. Each subject ranking has its own methodology based on academic research performance and reputation in that specific area.
“For more than 30 years, U.S. News has been committed to making higher education data more accessible to prospective students choosing a U.S. university,” said Anita Narayan, managing editor of Education at U.S. News. “The Best Global Universities rankings similarly allow consumers to accurately evaluate and compare international schools to find the right fit for them, based on available data.”
2018 U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities
Overall Best Global Universities - Top 10
- Harvard University (U.S.)
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (U.S.)
- Stanford University (U.S.)
- University of California—Berkeley (U.S.)
- University of Oxford (U.K.)
- California Institute of Technology (U.S.)
- University of Cambridge (U.K.)
- Columbia University (U.S.)
- Princeton University (U.S.)
- Johns Hopkins University (U.S.) (tie)
- University of Washington (U.S.) (tie)
- Yale University (U.S.) (tie)
Africa - Top 5
- University of Cape Town (South Africa)
- University of Witwatersrand (South Africa)
- University of KwaZulu Natal (South Africa)
- Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
- Cairo University (Egypt)
Asia - Top 5
- National University of Singapore
- Nanyang Technological University (Singapore)
- University of Tokyo (Japan)
- Tsinghua University (China)
- Peking University (China)
Australia/New Zealand - Top 5
- University of Melbourne (Australia)
- University of Sydney
- University of Queensland Australia
- Monash University (Australia)
- Australian National University (tie)
- University of New South Wales (tie)
Europe - Top 5
- University of Oxford (U.K.)
- University of Cambridge (U.K.)
- Imperial College London
- University College London
- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (Switzerland)
Latin America - Top 5
- University of São Paulo (Brazil)
- Pontificia University Católica de Chile
- Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
- University of Buenos Aires (Argentina)
- State University of Campinas (Brazil)
The Best Global Universities rankings serve the broader U.S. News mission to provide trusted information and rankings to help all students navigate their higher education options - including with the Best Colleges, Best Graduate Schools and Best Online Programs rankings. For Chinese students in particular, U.S. News offers online resource centers published in Chinese to help guide prospective undergraduate and graduate students interested in studying abroad. In addition, U.S. News is continuing to collaborate with U.S. News Global Education, a subsidiary company of Shorelight Education, to help international students and their families connect with universities.
|GlobalGiants.Com|







Edited & Posted by the Editor | 1:19 PM | View the original post
October 20, 2017
Xenia Tchoumi at the Zurich Film Festival
Photo: Model and Fashion Influencer Xenia Tchoumi attends the IWC ‘For the Love of Cinema’ Gala Dinner on 30 September, 2017 during Zurich Film Festival in Zurich, Switzerland. Photo by Harold Cunningham/Getty Images for IWC. Image provided by IWC Schaffhausen.
|GlobalGiants.Com|







Edited & Posted by the Editor | 3:51 PM | View the original post
October 18, 2017
Diwali Greetings
Happy Diwali 2017 !!
May the festival of lights brighten up your days and bring you happiness, success, and good health.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Happy #Diwali #Diwali2017 pic.twitter.com/AFTMkkKnik
— Garfield (@Garfield) October 19, 2017







Edited & Posted by the Editor | 4:46 PM | View the original post
October 17, 2017
Singapore’s NTU and NUS top the latest QS Asia University Rankings released today, IIT Bombay top among Indian universities
Photo: Hongbo Chen, Vice-Dean, Tuspark Research Institute for Inovation, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, during “Incubating Entrepreneurship” discussion at the World Economic Forum Meeting in Dalian, People’s Republic of China. Image provided by & copyright © World Economic Forum / Ciaran McCrickard.
The results of the QS Asia University Rankings are out now featuring 450 of the top universities in Asia. The ranking is based on a methodology which considers 10 performance indicators, including academic and employer reputation, the proportion of PhD qualified academic staff, and the proportion of inbound and outbound exchange students at the university.
QS ASIA UNIVERSITY RANKINGS 2018 — TOP 30
QS RANK — INSTITUTION — COUNTRY
- Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore
- National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore
- The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong
- KAIST - Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology, South Korea
- The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Tsinghua University, China
- Fudan University, China
- City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Peking University, China
- The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Hong Kong
- Seoul National University, South Korea
- Pohang University of Science And Technology (POSTECH), South Korea
- The University of Tokyo, Japan
- Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan
- Osaka University, Japan
- Korea University, South Korea
- Kyoto University, Japan
- Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), South Korea
- Yonsei University, South Korea
- Tohoku University, Japan
- Zhejiang University, China
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China
- University of Science and Technology of China, China
- Universiti Malaya (UM), Malaysia
- National Taiwan University (NTU), Taiwan
- Nanjing University, China
- Nagoya University, Japan
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
- Kyushu University, Japan
- Hanyang University, South Korea
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay emerged as the best Indian university. It was ranked 34th in Asia, followed by IIT Delhi (41), IIT Madras (48,) and Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru (IISc) at 51. The 2018 rankings by QS showed that IISc, which was the best institution from India in 2016 and 2017, slipped the most among top Indian schools.
Traditional universities from India were led by University of Delhi (72), followed by Jadavpur University (125), University of Calcutta (125), Amrita University (168), University of Mumbai (181), Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi (200), Savitribai Phule Pune University (207), and Thapar University, Patiala (210).
QS ASIA UNIVERSITY RANKINGS 2018 — INDIA
QS RANK — INSTITUTION
- 34 Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB)
- 41 Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD)
- 48 Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM)
- 51 Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore
- 59 Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK)
- 62 Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT-KGP)
- 72 University of Delhi
- 93 Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IITR)
- 98 Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG)
- 125 Jadavpur University
- 125 University of Calcutta
- 168 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham (Amrita University)
- 181 University of Mumbai
- 187 Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani
- 196 Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad
- 198 Manipal Academy of Higher Education
- 200 Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi
- 207 Savitribai Phule Pune University
- 210 Thapar University, Patiala
- 216 Amity University
- 223 Sri Venkateswara University
- 225 Banaras Hindu University
- 226 Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) - Allahabad
- 228 National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli
- 238 Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Aligarh
- 245 Bangalore University, Bangalore
- 247 Symbiosis International University
- 247 Tezpur University
- 271-280 VIT University
- 301-350 Andhra University
- 301-350 Panjab University (PU), Chandigarh
- 301-350 Anna University
- 301-350 Pondicherry University
- 351-400 Shanmugha Arts Science Technology and Research Academy (SASTRA)
- 351-400 SRM University
National University of Sciences And Technology, Islamabad (91) emerged as Pakistan’s highest ranked institution in QS Asia 2018 rankings. It was followed by Lahore University of Management Sciences (103), Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (128), Quaid-i-Azam University (133), COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (190), University of Karachi (193), University of Engineering & Technology Lahore (200), University of the Punjab (PU), Lahore (232), and Aga Khan University (234).
QS ASIA UNIVERSITY RANKINGS 2018 — PAKISTAN
QS RANK — INSTITUTION
- 91 National University of Sciences And Technology (NUST) Islamabad
- 103 Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS)
- 128 Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS)
- 133 Quaid-i-Azam University
- 190 COMSATS Institute of Information Technology Pakistan
- 193 University of Karachi
- 200 University of Engineering & Technology (UET) Lahore
- 232 University of the Punjab (PU), Lahore
- 234 Aga Khan University
- 271-280 Institute of Space Technology
- 291-300 University of Agriculture, Faisalabad
- 301-350 The University of Lahore
- 301-350 University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore
- 351-400 GC University Lahore
- 351-400 Mehran University of Engineering & Technology
Methodology
QS uses a unique methodology to calculate this ranking. The methodology is designed to account for the unique challenges facing the region’s universities, and features 10 indicators. They are:
- Academic Reputation (measuring research quality)
- Employer Reputation (measuring employability)
- Faculty/Student Ratio (measuring teaching quality)
- Papers per Faculty (research)
- Citations per paper (research)
- International Faculty Ratio (measuring internationalization)
- Staff with PhD (teaching quality)
- International Student Ratio (internationalization)
- Inbound Exchange Students (internationalization)
- Outbound Exchange Students (internationalization).
Ben Sowter, Research Director, QS, said: “This year’s rankings suggest that, in a number of nations, established hierarchies are being disrupted. This is a result of the region’s many universities continually striving to become competitive, forward-thinking, and internationally attractive.”
|GlobalGiants.Com|







Edited & Posted by the Editor | 4:40 AM | View the original post
October 14, 2017
“Girls Speak Out”
Photo: Participants at an event entitled, “Girls Speak Out”, marking the International Day of the Girl Child (11 October). The event was co-organized by the Permanent Missions of Canada, Peru, and Turkey, and the NGO Working Group on Girls. 11 October 2017. United Nations, New York. UN Photo/Kim Haughton.
Photo: A young attendee at an event entitled, “Girls Speak Out”, on the occasion of the International Day of the Girl Child (11 October). The event was co-organized by the Permanent Missions of Canada, Peru, and Turkey, and the NGO Working Group on Girls. 11 October 2017. United Nations, New York. UN Photo/Kim Haughton.
Photo: Ashley Judd, Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), speaks at the high-level launch of the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative for the elimination of violence against women and girls. The event was held on the margins of the General Assembly’s annual general debate. 20 September 2017. United Nations, New York. UN Photo/Rick Bajornas.
|GlobalGiants.Com|







Edited & Posted by the Editor | 10:03 AM | View the original post
October 9, 2017
India Finance Minister Arun Jaitley To Speak At Harvard University
Photo: A Harvard Law School Signboard. Image Credit: Ryan Ward.
Photo: Event Announcement, Arun Jaitley’s lecture at the South Asia Institute, Harvard University.
WASHINGTON: India’s Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley will address students of the prestigious Harvard University on October 12.
At Harvard, on October 12, the Finance Minister would deliver the ‘Mahindra Lecture’ in honour of late Harish C Mahindra, a distinguished alumnus of Harvard College and a visionary leader of business and industry in India, the South Asia Institute of Harvard University said in an announcement.
On the First Leg of his US visit, Jaitley will arrive in New York on the morning on 9th October, 2017. His major engagements during his one day stay at New York include Meeting with the Investors in partnership with Bank of America and Confederation of Indian Industries (CII). Thereafter, he will participate in the Roundtable Meeting of CEOs of USIBC-CII.
Next day, i.e., Tuesday, 10th October, 2017, he will deliver a Lecture on “FDI: Achievements and Challenges” at Columbia University. In the evening, he will leave for Boston.
On Wednesday, 11th October, 2017, Mr. Jaitley will participate in the Roundtable Investment Meet being organised in Boston in collaboration with NIIF, USISPF and FICCI on the subject of “Indian Economy - The Road Ahead”.
Later in the evening, he will deliver a Lecture on India’s Tax Reforms at the South Asia Institute, Harvard University.
On the morning of Thursday, the 12th October, 2017, the Finance Minister will leave for Washington D.C. to participate in the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF).
According to political analyst, Nikhila Natarajan, Jaitley would be visiting two “Ivy League” colleges - Columbia and Harvard.
“Yale, Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, Brown, Dartmouth, Cornell, Columbia and Princeton,” she explains, “form the league of eight, called ‘Ivy League’, which embraces a wide sweep of connotations, including but not limited to academic excellence, selectivity in admissions, social elitism, and a common high-water mark for scholarship and athletics.”
|GlobalGiants.Com|







Edited & Posted by the Editor | 3:49 PM | View the original post
October 8, 2017
Canada’s Brooklyn Moors presented with the Longines Prize for Elegance at the 47th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Montréal
Photo: Montréal, Canada, October 6, 2017 — As the Official Partner and Timekeeper of the 47th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships held in Montréal, Canada, Longines presented its Prize for Elegance to Canadian gymnast Brooklyn Moors for her outstanding grace and charisma displayed throughout the individual all-around competition. Image provided by & Copyright © Longines Watch Company.
|GlobalGiants.Com|







Edited & Posted by the Editor | 4:28 PM | View the original post
October 7, 2017
Conversation with Author of “Modern Slavery”
Photos: Siddharth Kara (right), author of the book “Modern Slavery”, addresses an event introducing him to readers at the UN Bookshop. At his side is Simone Monasebian, New York Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). 06 October 2017. United Nations, New York. UN Photos/Kim Haughton.
Kara’s book has been recommended by the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and head of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. It has been lauded by academics, policy-makers and the press, with the Financial Times describing it as an “eloquent and campaigning book” and “sex trafficking and slavery” experts heralding it as “groundbreaking” and the “best book yet on the enduring problem of modern-day slavery.” The book has become a go-to resource for policy makers, foundations, and NGO’s around the world.
Siddharth Kara is an Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy and Director of the Program on Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
|GlobalGiants.Com|







Edited & Posted by the Editor | 1:59 AM | View the original post
October 6, 2017
International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2017
Photo: Beatrice Fihn, Executive Director, International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), with signed “Draft treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons” - 7th July 2017. Photographer: Clare Conboy. Image provided by & Copyright © ICAN.
Oslo, 6 October 2017 — The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2017 to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). “The organization is receiving the award for its work to draw attention to the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons and for its ground-breaking efforts to achieve a treaty-based prohibition of such weapons,” the committee announced.
“We live in a world where the risk of nuclear weapons being used is greater than it has been for a long time. Some states are modernizing their nuclear arsenals, and there is a real danger that more countries will try to procure nuclear weapons, as exemplified by North Korea. Nuclear weapons pose a constant threat to humanity and all life on earth. Through binding international agreements, the international community has previously adopted prohibitions against land mines, cluster munitions and biological and chemical weapons. Nuclear weapons are even more destructive, but have not yet been made the object of a similar international legal prohibition.
“Through its work, ICAN has helped to fill this legal gap. An important argument in the rationale for prohibiting nuclear weapons is the unacceptable human suffering that a nuclear war will cause. ICAN is a coalition of non-governmental organizations from around 100 different countries around the globe. The coalition has been a driving force in prevailing upon the world’s nations to pledge to cooperate with all relevant stakeholders in efforts to stigmatise, prohibit and eliminate nuclear weapons. To date, 108 states have made such a commitment, known as the Humanitarian Pledge.
“Furthermore, ICAN has been the leading civil society actor in the endeavour to achieve a prohibition of nuclear weapons under international law. On 7 July 2017, 122 of the UN member states acceded to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. As soon as the treaty has been ratified by 50 states, the ban on nuclear weapons will enter into force and will be binding under international law for all the countries that are party to the treaty.
“The Norwegian Nobel Committee is aware that an international legal prohibition will not in itself eliminate a single nuclear weapon, and that so far neither the states that already have nuclear weapons nor their closest allies support the nuclear weapon ban treaty. The Committee wishes to emphasize that the next steps towards attaining a world free of nuclear weapons must involve the nuclear-armed states. This year’s Peace Prize is therefore also a call upon these states to initiate serious negotiations with a view to the gradual, balanced and carefully monitored elimination of the almost 15,000 nuclear weapons in the world. Five of the states that currently have nuclear weapons - the USA, Russia, the United Kingdom, France and China - have already committed to this objective through their accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons of 1970. The Non-Proliferation Treaty will remain the primary international legal instrument for promoting nuclear disarmament and preventing the further spread of such weapons.
“It is now 71 years since the UN General Assembly, in its very first resolution, advocated the importance of nuclear disarmament and a nuclear weapon-free world. With this year’s award, the Norwegian Nobel Committee wishes to pay tribute to ICAN for giving new momentum to the efforts to achieve this goal.
“It is the firm conviction of the Norwegian Nobel Committee that ICAN, more than anyone else, has in the past year given the efforts to achieve a world without nuclear weapons a new direction and new vigour,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee stated in its announcement.
|GlobalGiants.Com|







Edited & Posted by the Editor | 8:31 AM | View the original post
October 5, 2017
92 COUNTRIES IN COMPETITION FOR 2017 FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OSCAR
Photo: Spencer Averick, Oscar nominee, and guest arrive on the red carpet of The 89th Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, CA, on Sunday, February 26, 2017. Photographer: Mike Baker. Image provided by and copyright © A.M.P.A.S.
Photo: Olivia Culpo arrives on the red carpet at The 89th Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, CA, on Sunday, February 26, 2017. Photographer: Michael Yada. Image provided by and copyright © A.M.P.A.S.
Photo: Priyanka Chopra arrives on the red carpet of The 89th Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, CA, on Sunday, February 26, 2017. Photographer: Michael Yada. Image provided by and copyright © A.M.P.A.S.
LOS ANGELES, CA - A record 92 countries have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 90th Academy Awards. Haiti, Honduras, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mozambique, Senegal and Syria are first-time entrants.
The 2017 submissions are:
- Afghanistan, “A Letter to the President,” Roya Sadat, director;
- Albania, “Daybreak,” Gentian Koçi, director;
- Algeria, “Road to Istanbul,” Rachid Bouchareb, director;
- Argentina, “Zama,” Lucrecia Martel, director;
- Armenia, “Yeva,” Anahit Abad, director;
- Australia, “The Space Between,” Ruth Borgobello, director;
- Austria, “Happy End,” Michael Haneke, director;
- Azerbaijan, “Pomegranate Orchard,” Ilgar Najaf, director;
- Bangladesh, “The Cage,” Akram Khan, director;
- Belgium, “Racer and the Jailbird,” Michaël R. Roskam, director;
- Bolivia, “Dark Skull,” Kiro Russo, director;
- Bosnia and Herzegovina, “Men Don’t Cry,” Alen Drljević, director;
- Brazil, “Bingo - The King of the Mornings,” Daniel Rezende, director;
- Bulgaria, “Glory,” Petar Valchanov, Kristina Grozeva, directors;
- Cambodia, “First They Killed My Father,” Angelina Jolie, director;
- Canada, “Hochelaga, Land of Souls,” François Girard, director;
- Chile, “A Fantastic Woman,” Sebastián Lelio, director;
- China, “Wolf Warrior 2,” Wu Jing, director;
- Colombia, “Guilty Men,” Iván D. Gaona, director;
- Costa Rica, “The Sound of Things,” Ariel Escalante, director;
- Croatia, “Quit Staring at My Plate,” Hana Jušić, director;
- Czech Republic, “Ice Mother,” Bohdan Sláma, director;
- Denmark, “You Disappear,” Peter Schønau Fog, director;
- Dominican Republic, “Woodpeckers,” Jose Maria Cabral, director;
- Ecuador, “Alba,” Ana Cristina Barragán, director;
- Egypt, “Sheikh Jackson,” Amr Salama, director;
- Estonia, “November,” Rainer Sarnet, director;
- Finland, “Tom of Finland,” Dome Karukoski, director;
- France, “BPM (Beats Per Minute),” Robin Campillo, director;
- Georgia, “Scary Mother,” Ana Urushadze, director;
- Germany, “In the Fade,” Fatih Akin, director;
- Greece, “Amerika Square,” Yannis Sakaridis, director;
- Haiti, “Ayiti Mon Amour,” Guetty Felin, director;
- Honduras, “Morazán,” Hispano Durón, director;
- Hong Kong, “Mad World,” Wong Chun, director;
- Hungary, “On Body and Soul,” Ildikó Enyedi, director;
- Iceland, “Under the Tree,” Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson, director;
- India, “Newton,” Amit V Masurkar, director;
- Indonesia, “Turah,” Wicaksono Wisnu Legowo, director;
- Iran, “Breath,” Narges Abyar, director;
- Iraq, “Reseba - The Dark Wind,” Hussein Hassan, director;
- Ireland, “Song of Granite,” Pat Collins, director;
- Israel, “Foxtrot,” Samuel Maoz, director;
- Italy, “A Ciambra,” Jonas Carpignano, director;
- Japan, “Her Love Boils Bathwater,” Ryota Nakano, director;
- Kazakhstan, “The Road to Mother,” Akhan Satayev, director;
- Kenya, “Kati Kati,” Mbithi Masya, director;
- Kosovo, “Unwanted,” Edon Rizvanolli, director;
- Kyrgyzstan, “Centaur,” Aktan Arym Kubat, director;
- Lao People’s Democratic Republic, “Dearest Sister,” Mattie Do, director;
- Latvia, “The Chronicles of Melanie,” Viestur Kairish, director;
- Lebanon, “The Insult,” Ziad Doueiri, director;
- Lithuania, “Frost,” Sharunas Bartas, director;
- Luxembourg, “Barrage,” Laura Schroeder, director;
- Mexico, “Tempestad,” Tatiana Huezo, director;
- Mongolia, “The Children of Genghis,” Zolbayar Dorj, director;
- Morocco, “Razzia,” Nabil Ayouch, director;
- Mozambique, “The Train of Salt and Sugar,” Licinio Azevedo, director;
- Nepal, “White Sun,” Deepak Rauniyar, director;
- Netherlands, “Layla M.,” Mijke de Jong, director;
- New Zealand, “One Thousand Ropes,” Tusi Tamasese, director;
- Norway, “Thelma,” Joachim Trier, director;
- Pakistan, “Saawan,” Farhan Alam, director;
- Palestine, “Wajib,” Annemarie Jacir, director;
- Panama, “Beyond Brotherhood,” Arianne Benedetti, director;
- Paraguay, “Los Buscadores,” Juan Carlos Maneglia, Tana Schembori, directors;
- Peru, “Rosa Chumbe,” Jonatan Relayze, director;
- Philippines, “Birdshot,” Mikhail Red, director;
- Poland, “Spoor,” Agnieszka Holland, Kasia Adamik, directors;
- Portugal, “Saint George,” Marco Martins, director;
- Romania, “Fixeur,” Adrian Sitaru, director;
- Russia, “Loveless,” Andrey Zvyagintsev, director;
- Senegal, “Félicité,” Alain Gomis, director;
- Serbia, “Requiem for Mrs. J.,” Bojan Vuletic, director;
- Singapore, “Pop Aye,” Kirsten Tan, director;
- Slovakia, “The Line,” Peter Bebjak, director;
- Slovenia, “The Miner,” Hanna A. W. Slak, director;
- South Africa, “The Wound,” John Trengove, director;
- South Korea, “A Taxi Driver,” Jang Hoon, director;
- Spain, “Summer 1993,” Carla Simón, director;
- Sweden, “The Square,” Ruben Östlund, director;
- Switzerland, “The Divine Order,” Petra Volpe, director;
- Syria, “Little Gandhi,” Sam Kadi, director;
- Taiwan, “Small Talk,” Hui-Chen Huang, director;
- Thailand, “By the Time It Gets Dark,” Anocha Suwichakornpong, director;
- Tunisia, “The Last of Us,” Ala Eddine Slim, director;
- Turkey, “Ayla: The Daughter of War,” Can Ulkay, director;
- Ukraine, “Black Level,” Valentyn Vasyanovych, director;
- United Kingdom, “My Pure Land,” Sarmad Masud, director;
- Uruguay, “Another Story of the World,” Guillermo Casanova, director;
- Venezuela, “El Inca,” Ignacio Castillo Cottin, director;
- Vietnam, “Father and Son,” Luong Dinh Dung, director.
Nominations for the 90th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 23, 2018.
The 90th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 4, 2018, 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 | 3:56 PM | View the original post
October 2, 2017
President of UN General Assembly Becomes International Gender Champion
Photos: Miroslav Lajčák, President of the seventy-second session of the UN General Assembly, joined the growing list of International Gender Champions (IGC) at a special ceremony held in his office. IGC is a network of senior leaders of the UN Secretariat, funds, programmes and agencies, Member States, local governments, private sector leaders and civil society striving to achieve gender equality by breaking down gender barriers in a very practical way.
Mr. Lajčák (centre) on the occasion in his office with Laura Elena Flores Herrera (right), Permanent Representative of Panama to the UN; and Jürg Lauber, Permanent Representative of Switzerland, both of whom are also Champions. 29 September 2017. United Nations, New York. UN Photos/Kim Haughton.
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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 5:25 AM | View the original post
October 1, 2017
OMEGA unveils Seamaster Diver 300M “Commander’s Watch” celebrating the Rank and Regalia of James Bond
At a special event in London, OMEGA unveiled the Seamaster Diver 300M “Commander’s Watch” Limited Edition, a new timepiece that celebrates the rank and regalia of James Bond.
“James Bond is a character with a lot of depth and intrigue. We were fascinated by his connection to the Royal Navy, which is an organisation that OMEGA also has history with, and we wanted to pay tribute to his rank as Commander,” OMEGA President and CEO Raynald Aeschlimann explained.
OMEGA has been the choice of James Bond since 1995, when the spy first wore a Seamaster watch in the film “GoldenEye”. Since then, the character and OMEGA have shared every on-screen adventure together.
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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 2:24 AM | View the original post