Top 10 Asian universities of 2012

Five Philippine universities placed in the top 300 universities in Asia, according to the 2012 rankings of the international research organization Quacquarelli Symmonds Intelligence Unit (QSIU).
 
University of the Philippines Diliman in Quezon City remains the best university in the country as it ranked 68th in the list, followed by the Ateneo de Manila University which ranked 86th.
 
The De La Salle University landed on the 142nd spot while the University of Santo Tomas ranked 148th.
 
The University of Southeastern Philippines in Davao City, which placed 251st to 300th, made it to the list for the first time.
 
The Davao university placed 251st to 300th, with no specific rank, because only the top 150 Asian universities were published in rank order. The next 50 were in ranges of ten while the last 100 universities were in ranges of fifty.
 
The four Philippine universities all dropped from their rankings last year. In 2011, UP ranked 62nd; ADMU, 65th; UST, 104th; and DLSU, 107th.
 
Meanwhile, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology remains on top of the list for two years running.
 
On the other hand, The National University of Singapore, formerly third place in 2011, beats the University of Hong Kong on second place. The University of Hong Kong is now on third place.
 
The Seoul National University ranked fourth followed by the Chinese University of Hong Kong on fifth.
 
According to QSIU, it ranks the universities based on these indicators: 30 percent academic reputation from global survey, 30 percent papers per faculty and citations per paper, 20 percent faculty student ratio, 10 percent employer reputation from global survey, and 10 percent proportion of international faculty and students and proportion of inbound and outbound exchange students.
 
The QSIU has not released its world rankings yet for 2012.
 
Top 10 Asian universities of 2012 by QSIU:
1. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
2. National University of Singapore
3. University of Hong Kong
4. Seoul National University
5. Chinese University of Hong Kong
6. Peking University
7. Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
8. University of Tokyo
9. Pohang University of Science and Technology
10. Kyoto University

World's Wealthiest People

Slim beats Gates in first daily billionaire ranking

Carlos Slim, the telecommunications tycoon who controls Mexico's America Movil SAB (AMXL), is the richest person on Earth, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, a daily ranking of the world's 20 wealthiest individuals.

The 72-year-old's net worth fell $478.4 million in a day to $68.5 billion as of the close of markets on March 2, as U.S. moguls Bill Gates and Warren Buffett placed second and third on the list compiled by Bloomberg News. Brazil's Eike Batista, who ranks 10th, still covets the top spot after vowing a year ago that he'd become the world's wealthiest man by 2015.

"I'm competitive," Batista, who trails Slim by almost $39 billion, said in a March 2 telephone interview from Rio de Janeiro. "It's Brazil's time to be No. 1. Brazilians have always admired the American dream. What's happening in Brazil is the Brazilian dream and I happen to be the example."

The Bloomberg Billionaires Index takes measure of the world's wealthiest people based on market and economic changes and Bloomberg News reporting. Each net worth figure is updated every business day at 5:30 p.m. in New York. The valuations are listed in U.S. dollars.

Today's ranking was published with the release of new billionaires profile pages in the Bloomberg Professional service. The profiles feature a transparent analysis of how each billionaire's fortune was calculated.

Slim's fortune has increased 11 percent this year, according to the index. A spokesman for Slim didn't immediately return a telephone request for comment.
Gates, Buffett

Gates, 56, co-founder of Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) in Redmond, Washington, is worth $62.4 billion, down $102.1 million on March 2 and up 11 percent year to date.

The fortune of Buffett, 81, chairman of Omaha, Nebraska- based Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK/B), declined $336.9 million to $43.8 billion on March 2 and is up 2.4 percent in 2012. Almost all of Buffett's wealth is held in Berkshire Hathaway, the publicly traded holding company he has run since 1965.

The combined net worth of the 20 richest people is $676.8 billion. Nine are Americans, including three from the family of Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT)

Number seven is Larry Ellison, 67, chief executive officer of Redwood City, California-based Oracle Corp. (ORCL), the world's third-largest software maker after Microsoft and SAP AG. (SAP) His $38 billion fortune puts him $4 billion ahead of brothers Charles and David Koch, who each own 42 percent of Koch Industries Inc., one of the biggest closely held companies in the world by revenue. Charles, 76, and David, 71, control the Wichita, Kansas, refiner and chemical maker.

Batista, 55, whose investments range from iron ore to coal, is worth $29.8 billion, up $133.9 million on March 2. His fortune has grown 32 percent this year, the most on the list.

The House Wins

Sheldon Adelson, the casino magnate who owns 47 percent of Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS), which operates resorts in Macau and Las Vegas, is number 13 with $25.7 billion. Adelson, 78, and his family have pledged at least $10 million to a super-PAC supporting Newt Gingrich, a Republican presidential candidate.

Liliane Bettencourt, 89, who with her family owns 31 percent of Paris-based cosmetics companyL'Oreal SA (OR), is last on the ranking. Bettencourt was the subject of an international scandal in 2007 when her daughter, Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, filed a lawsuit accusing a family friend, photographer Francois- Marie Banier, of exploiting her mother's frail state. Evidence later revealed Bettencourt had granted more than $1 billion in cash and gifts to Banier. In October, Meyers and two grandsons became guardians of the clan's $22.4 billion fortune.

Diluting Zuckerberg

Mark Zuckerberg, the 27-year-old founder of Facebook Inc. (FB), the world's largest social-networking company, didn't make the cut. Based on a roughly $100 billion valuation the Menlo Park, California-based company has been trading at in the private market, Zuckerberg's stake may be worth $21 billion, or about 25 percent less than previous estimates, once Facebook holds its initial public offering.

The reason: Facebook will issue more than 500 million shares of its Class B stock at the offering, diluting Zuckerberg's ownership to 21 percent after he exercises 120 million options and sells about 42 million shares to cover the tax bill associated with the gain from those options.

Sweden's Ingvar Kamprad is the richest European, according to the index, ranking fourth globally with a $42.5 billion net worth. Kamprad, 85, controls Ikea Group, the world's largest furniture retailer, through a series of trusts and foundations he asserts he doesn't own.

Luxury goods

Bernard Arnault, the chairman of LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA (MC) , places fifth. The majority of Arnault's $42.3 billion comes from his stake in Paris-based LVMH, the world's largest maker of luxury goods. Arnault, 63, controls about 46 percent of LVMH's outstanding stock through his family group, according to the company's latest annual report.

Amancio Ortega, whose publicly traded Inditex SA (ITX) owns the Zara clothing chain, is Spain's wealthiest individual and sixth in the world with a $38.8 billion fortune. Ortega, 75, has invested dividends from Arteixo-based Inditex into a real estate portfolio that owns office and retail properties in the U.S. and Europe.

No Russians appear in the index as falling metals prices hurt the fortunes of many of the richest oligarchs. Alisher Usmanov, 58, the Muscovite who controls the Metalloinvest metals and mining company and Digital Sky Technologies, which currently owns 5.5 percent of Facebook, is Russia's wealthiest person thanks to a $20.1 billion fortune.

Asia's wealthiest

Mukesh Ambani, 54, leads Asians with a net worth of $26.8 billion, down $185.4 million in a day. His fortune is up 25 percent this year, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, as his shares in India's top company by market value, Mumbai-based Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL), have risen 17 percent.

Hong Kong's Li Ka-shing, nicknamed "Superman" by the local media for his investing prowess, ranks second in the region, with $25.8 billion. Li, 83, owns large stakes in Hong Kong-based property developer Cheung Kong Holdings Ltd. (1), Hong Kong shipping and ports operator Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. (13) and Husky Energy Inc. (HSE), the Calgary-based energy company.

Lakshmi Mittal, the India-born chairman of ArcelorMittal (MT), the world's biggest steelmaker, is the third-richest Asian, with holdings valued at $23.6 billion. In addition to his ArcelorMittal stake, the 61-year-old London resident owns hundreds of millions of dollars in U.K. real estate.

On the rise: Gina Rinehart, the Australian mining heiress who is worth $20.4 billion. Rinehart, 58, the daughter of the man who discovered the mines that made Australia the world's biggest iron ore exporter, inherited perpetual royalty rights to some of Rio Tinto Ltd. (RIO)'s Hamersley mines in addition to other thermal and iron-ore deposits throughout the country.

Soaring demand for coal and iron ore from China have made Rinehart's assets attractive to acquisitive industrial companies. In separate deals in the past year, steelmakers Posco and GVK Power & Infrasture Ltd. (GVKP) agreed to pay a combined $2.9 billion for pieces of Rinehart's empire.


This article is written by Matthew G. Miller and Peter Newcomb of Bloomberg.

http://ph.news.yahoo.com/slim-beats-gates-in-first-daily-billionaire-ranking.html

10 places in Asia you never thought of visiting, but you should 2012

Just when you thought you have travelled the entire continent of Asia, here are 10 places that you probably have never given a thought to.

1. Harbin, Heijongjiang Province, China

More than just the home to the first Club Med ski resort in Greater China, Harbin is also home to the largest natural park for wild Siberian tigers in the world with over 500 purebred Siberian tigers. Come right up close to black pumas, lynx, lions, herds of majestic tigers, and the very stunning white tigers. For a certain price, you can choose to release live animals like chickens and ducks into the safari area of the park (while you're comfortably seated in a bus) and watch Discovery Channel happen right in front of your eyes.

2. Gili Meno, Lombok, Indonesia

It might be quite a trek to get to, but Gili Meno, the smallest of the three Gili Islands off the main island of Lombok has beaches you only once dreamt about. Picturesque turquoise waters, white sandy beaches, and hardly a person in sight. If that's not enough, put on a snorkel mask and find yourself swimming with turtles, swordfishes and other marine life that puts a five-star seafood buffet to shame.

3. Jaisalmer, India

The interminable bus journey to reach this dauntingly remote corner of India is amply rewarded by the spectacle of Jaisalmer's vast city wall, with its 99 circular turrets rising dramatically out of the Thar Desert. Once inside the Golden City, look for the havelis, the former mansion houses of rich merchants, with their glorious honeycomb balconies and lattice-work parapets. This is a place to lose yourself in twisting medieval streets, then explore beyond the surrounding sand dunes on a camel trek.

4. Bagan, Myanmar

After you've watched French filmmaker Luc Besson's The Lady, trace the steps of the Burmese Nobel laureate and pro-democracy figurehead Aung San Suu Kyi in her home country and see her people, and their land with your own eyes. Far from a luxurious holiday, a trip to Myanmar will make you realize how lucky you are to be able to live the way you are now. Bagan is an ancient city in the Mandalay Region of Burma and it is littered with stunning pagodas where little Burmese kids play hide-and-seek at. For an unparalleled view of the Bagan plain, you can take a hot air balloon ride at sunrise through a company called Balloons Over Bagan - do this at sunset and it'll be etched in your mind forever.

5. Nikko, Japan

Nikko is a long day trip from Tokyo, but possible if you take the shinkansen, or high-speed rail, which stops in Utsunomiya 35 km to the east. Set in the mountains, the town looks like the real life version of the village in Kung Fu Panda. Against a backdrop of mountains, stunning forests, and rocky, wooded, ravines with fast flowing streams, Nikko is home to some famous temples and shrines. The town essentially developed around the temples, the first said to have started in 766. Among the most famous are the Toshogu Shrine, founded in 1617, with its ornamental gate and Three Wise Monkeys. Besides the shrines and temples there is heaps of nature to be enjoyed and admired in Nikko: Lake Chuzenji and Kegon Falls, one of the three highest in Japan.

6. Plain of Jars, Laos

One of the most intriguing mysteries in Asia is the Plain of Jars. Hundreds of stone jars are scattered around the Phonsavan Plains in Las, and it is known as the ‘Jewel of the Mekong'.

According to local legend, these were celebratory jars used for carrying lao rice wine which was consumed after a battle won by the 6th century warrior king, Khun Jeuam. However, experts have yet to agree on the origin of these mysterious jars that weigh as much as 6 tons. Though many smaller jars have been stolen, there are still several hundred jars remaining.

7. Nilaveli Beach, Sri Lanka

Aside from bragging rights you get for going to a place once seemed to have been plagued by misfortune, including a brutal civil war between the Sinhalese-dominated government and a separatist Tamil group, Sri Lanka is likened to a "big tropical zoo" by The New York Times. Elephants, buffalos and other random animals roam about freely in the country and those looking for a respite from the heat can seek salvation from the stunning waters of Nilaveli Beach.

8. The Northwest Highlands, Hà Giang, Vietnam

The capital of one of Vietnam's poorest provinces, Hà Giang bears witness to material poverty that lies in stark contrast with its wealth of natural beauty. Hà Giang's scenery is not its only attraction: the town also serves as the gateway to the rugged Vn-Mèo Vac road, one of the country's most breathtaking journeys. Transportation to and around this city is painfully inconsistent, but you'll hardly notice the delays once you hit the stunning highway. In addition to those amazing mountain views, Hà Giang itself has begun working to become a major border crossing into southern China.

9. Jinshan Hot Springs, Taiwan

Jinshan means "Gold Mountain", which reflects on the gold-colored sulfur strewn about the area. The spring is potable as well as suitable for bathing, and is even claimed to be beneficial for those afflicted with skin ailments. Furthermore, the sulfur content is moderate, and is appealing to those who object to the rotten-egg odor present in other hot springs. Visitors can try the 40-year-old facilities in Huangjintang Spring in Wencuan Road, or go for the Jinshan Youth Activity Center in Cingnian Road, which can fit 500 people at any one time, the largest of its kind in Southeast Asia.

10. Sibu Island, Malaysia

It's hard to believe an island so beautiful could be so close to our sunny shores. Relatively uninhabited save for a handful of resorts, Sibu Island is a little slice of paradise, with nothing much else to do other than kick back with a cocktail and frolick in the clear waters.


By Faz Abdul Gaffa for Yahoo! Travel
http://unopower.blogspot.com/2012/03/top-amusement-parks-in-asia-2012.html