Forbes magazine releases list of the world's wealthiest billionaires
Forbes magazine released its list of the globe's wealthiest billionaires today, and four of the top 10 are from India. Only one of those, Lakshmi Mittal, was among last year's 10 richest, moving up from fifth place to fourth in 2008. Of the two Americans who made the cut, Bill Gates was knocked down to third place, after ranking first in 2007. His successor in the top spot, Warren Buffet, rose from a second place finish last year.
The list was rounded out by citizens of Mexico, Sweden, Russia, and Germany, each of which can lay claim to one billionaire a piece.
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Forbes' 2008 Top Ten Richest Billionaires in the World:
1. Warren Buffett, U.S., $62 billion (investment/Berkshire Hathaway)
2. Carlos Slim Helu, Mexico, $60 billion (telecom, banking, tobacco)
3. Bill Gates, U.S., $58 billion (Microsoft)
4. Lakshmi Mittal, India, $45 billion (steel)
5. Mukesh Ambani, India, $43 billion (petrochemicals)
6. Anil Ambani, India, $42 billion (energy)
7. Ingvar Kamprad, Sweden, $31 billion (Ikea)
8. K.P. Singh, India, $30 billion (real estate)
9. Oleg Deripaska, Russia, $28 billion (aluminum)
10. Karl Albrecht, Germany, $27 billion (retail)
Friday, March 7, 2008
Bits of News
You can live here but, you can not die here
The mayor of a village in southwest France has threatened residents with severe punishment if they die, because there is no room left in the overcrowded cemetery to bury them.
In an ordinance posted in the council offices, Mayor Gerard Lalanne told the 260 residents of the village of Sarpourenx that "all persons not having a plot in the cemetery and wishing to be buried in Sarpourenx are forbidden from dying in the parish."
It added: "Offenders will be severely punished."The mayor said he was forced to take drastic action after an administrative court in the nearby town of Pau ruled in January that the acquisition of adjoining private land to extend the cemetery would not be justified.
Lalanne, who celebrated his 70th birthday on Wednesday and is standing for election to a seventh term in this month's local elections, said he was sorry that there had not been a positive outcome to the dilemma."It may be a laughing matter for some, but not for me," he said.
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Army captain loses his leg on Cresta Run
An Army captain survived a six month tour of Iraq unscathed only to have his leg torn off attempting the famous Cresta Run in Switzerland. Captain Bernie Bambury, 32, lost his right leg below the knee after he hit a marker post at a speed of up to 80mph on the 4,000ft-long tobogganing course in St Moritz. His leg was shattered and severed hundreds of yards from the finish. But the brave soldier, from 4th Battalion The Rifles, completed the run before asking friends: "Is my ankle broken?" He then heard the horrifying reply: "It's not broken, it's gone."
The Cresta Run is so fast that tobogganists must control their approaches through the turns or risk being flung out of the ice gully
The Army officer underwent nine operations by medics who tried to sew the limb back on but Capt Bambury was told it might take two years for him to walk again and he was unlikely to regain full mobility. As a result he gave the order for surgeons to cut it off, preferring the certainty of recovery with a false leg. He is now at the Headley Court military rehabilitation center near Leatherhead, Surrey, which has gained a strong reputation for helping those with multiple injuries and fitting soldiers with prosthetic limbs.
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The mayor of a village in southwest France has threatened residents with severe punishment if they die, because there is no room left in the overcrowded cemetery to bury them.
In an ordinance posted in the council offices, Mayor Gerard Lalanne told the 260 residents of the village of Sarpourenx that "all persons not having a plot in the cemetery and wishing to be buried in Sarpourenx are forbidden from dying in the parish."
It added: "Offenders will be severely punished."The mayor said he was forced to take drastic action after an administrative court in the nearby town of Pau ruled in January that the acquisition of adjoining private land to extend the cemetery would not be justified.
Lalanne, who celebrated his 70th birthday on Wednesday and is standing for election to a seventh term in this month's local elections, said he was sorry that there had not been a positive outcome to the dilemma."It may be a laughing matter for some, but not for me," he said.
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Army captain loses his leg on Cresta Run
An Army captain survived a six month tour of Iraq unscathed only to have his leg torn off attempting the famous Cresta Run in Switzerland. Captain Bernie Bambury, 32, lost his right leg below the knee after he hit a marker post at a speed of up to 80mph on the 4,000ft-long tobogganing course in St Moritz. His leg was shattered and severed hundreds of yards from the finish. But the brave soldier, from 4th Battalion The Rifles, completed the run before asking friends: "Is my ankle broken?" He then heard the horrifying reply: "It's not broken, it's gone."
The Cresta Run is so fast that tobogganists must control their approaches through the turns or risk being flung out of the ice gully
The Army officer underwent nine operations by medics who tried to sew the limb back on but Capt Bambury was told it might take two years for him to walk again and he was unlikely to regain full mobility. As a result he gave the order for surgeons to cut it off, preferring the certainty of recovery with a false leg. He is now at the Headley Court military rehabilitation center near Leatherhead, Surrey, which has gained a strong reputation for helping those with multiple injuries and fitting soldiers with prosthetic limbs.
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Thursday, March 6, 2008
Last requests for Dinky the singing dingo
The singing career of a dingo that has charmed visitors to Australia's outback will soon be over.Eight years ago, his owner Jim Coteriell saved Dinky from a baiting program.
"He loves Fur Elise. When people start playing it he pricks his ears up and he's ready to go with it" - Jim Coteriell Since then he's been serenading tourists at Mr Coteriell's pub near Alice Springs, howling along while they play the piano."He loves Fur Elise. When people start playing it he pricks his ears up and he's ready to go with it," Mr Coteriell explained.
The dingo has also raised up to £7,000 for various charities, including The Royal Flying Doctors. But Dinky's performances are set to continue for a limited time only, as Jim plans to sell his outback roadhouse, and take his dingo with him.
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Dolphin Trivia
A baby dolphin will suckle from its mother for up to four years. Mother dolphins produce milk that is very rich in fat, often up to 50%.
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The maximum lifespan of bottlenose dolphins is between 40 and 50 years.
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Dolphins have to be conscious to breathe so they can't go into a full, deep sleep (they would suffocate). Dolphins let one half of their brain sleep at a time.
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On average, an adult dolphin will eat 4-9% of its body weight in fish each day.
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A dolphin's snout is called a rostrum.
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All dolphins use echolocation (a series of rapid clicks) to locate objects, such as prey and obstacles. During echolocation, dolphins can emit up to 700 clicking sounds per second. Dolphins make a variety of very high-pitched squeals, whistles and whines. These noises are used to communicate with each other. Every dolphin has its own distinct whistle to distinguish it from other dolphins, akin to a human fingerprint. Dolphins don't have ears. They "hear" through a special bone in their lower jaw.
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A dolphin brain weighs 3.5 pounds. A human brain weighs about three pounds.
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There are 79 different kinds of whales, dolphins and porpoises, of which there are 26 types of ocean dolphins and five river dolphins.
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Gestation for dolphins is about 12 months.
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Unlike humans, the outer layer of a dolphin's skin is made up entirely of live cells. Dolphins have no protection against bruises.
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All river dolphins are in danger of extinction. The Baiji dolphin of the Yangtze River in China is the world's rarest cetacean.
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A dolphin's forehead is called a "melon" due to its distinctive shape.
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Some dolphins can hold their breath for up to 30 minutes at a time.
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The closest land relatives to dolphins are thought to be cows, pigs and deer. The land ancestor of the dolphin lived about 50 million years ago and looked similar to a wolf.
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Dolphins are of the aquatic mammal family Delphinidae.
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Male dolphins are called bulls, females are called cows.
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The largest dolphin is the orca, sometimes called the Killer Whale.
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Dolphins once were hunted commercially for the small quantity of oil extracted from parts of the head used to lubricate watches.
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Adult bottlenose dolphins can be up to 13 feet long and can weigh more than 1,000 pounds.
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Dolphins use their teeth to catch food. They don't chew. Sea cucumbers are a popular delicacy among dolphins.
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Dolphins can swim up to 650 feet below the surface of the ocean. A dolphin can swim as fast as 35 miles per hour.
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The word dolphin means "beaked."
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The maximum lifespan of bottlenose dolphins is between 40 and 50 years.
.
Dolphins have to be conscious to breathe so they can't go into a full, deep sleep (they would suffocate). Dolphins let one half of their brain sleep at a time.
.
On average, an adult dolphin will eat 4-9% of its body weight in fish each day.
.
A dolphin's snout is called a rostrum.
.
All dolphins use echolocation (a series of rapid clicks) to locate objects, such as prey and obstacles. During echolocation, dolphins can emit up to 700 clicking sounds per second. Dolphins make a variety of very high-pitched squeals, whistles and whines. These noises are used to communicate with each other. Every dolphin has its own distinct whistle to distinguish it from other dolphins, akin to a human fingerprint. Dolphins don't have ears. They "hear" through a special bone in their lower jaw.
.
A dolphin brain weighs 3.5 pounds. A human brain weighs about three pounds.
.
There are 79 different kinds of whales, dolphins and porpoises, of which there are 26 types of ocean dolphins and five river dolphins.
.
Gestation for dolphins is about 12 months.
.
Unlike humans, the outer layer of a dolphin's skin is made up entirely of live cells. Dolphins have no protection against bruises.
.
All river dolphins are in danger of extinction. The Baiji dolphin of the Yangtze River in China is the world's rarest cetacean.
.
A dolphin's forehead is called a "melon" due to its distinctive shape.
.
Some dolphins can hold their breath for up to 30 minutes at a time.
.
The closest land relatives to dolphins are thought to be cows, pigs and deer. The land ancestor of the dolphin lived about 50 million years ago and looked similar to a wolf.
.
Dolphins are of the aquatic mammal family Delphinidae.
.
Male dolphins are called bulls, females are called cows.
.
The largest dolphin is the orca, sometimes called the Killer Whale.
.
Dolphins once were hunted commercially for the small quantity of oil extracted from parts of the head used to lubricate watches.
.
Adult bottlenose dolphins can be up to 13 feet long and can weigh more than 1,000 pounds.
.
Dolphins use their teeth to catch food. They don't chew. Sea cucumbers are a popular delicacy among dolphins.
.
Dolphins can swim up to 650 feet below the surface of the ocean. A dolphin can swim as fast as 35 miles per hour.
.
The word dolphin means "beaked."
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