Top 10 Tourist Destinations of 2011

A study by MasterCard lists the top tourist cities across the world in the year 2011. Here you go:

10. Rome, Italy

The city of endless art, churches and monumental museums has something to offer everyone. Check into The Hassler Roma, located at the top of the Spanish Steps, right in the heart of the city, and shop till you drop at Via Condotti. Rome's a treat for the eyes as well with historic landmarks, like the Pantheon, St Peter's Basilica, the Colosseum, the gardens of Villa Borghese and of course, the Trevi Fountain.

9. Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The flashy desert city of Dubai has lots to engage the traveler with. Check in to the world's fist Armani hotel at the Burj Khalifa, or this year's 'Leading Hotel' winner, the Burj Al Arab. At night, head to Buddha Bar, at the Dubai Grosvenor.

8. Frankfurt, Germany

One of Germany's most stylish cities, Frankfurt's beauty lies in the seamless balance between old and new. The skyline moves effortlessly from the neo-gothic to the modern and is dotted with great hotels like the Schloss Reinhartshausen and the recently opened Villa Kennedy, an early 1900s mansion with modern accents like metal chandeliers. Shop at Zeil, Frankfurt's famed shopping street, which has outlets of all haute designer labels and luxury stores.

7. Istanbul, Turkey

Turkey's capital city has enough ancient monuments, bijou boutiques, theatres and art Galleries - like the modernist Istanbul Modern Gallery. Istanbul offers amenities befitting a king, from private cruises across the Bosphorus Sea to self-indulgent luxury spas in a genuine Ottoman mansion. We recommend staying at the Ajia - a modern, minimalist boutique hotel by the sea. The hotel, with 16 rooms, including three suites that come with Philippe Starck baths next to the beds, is reachable after a 35 minute boat ride.

6. Madrid, Spain

Madrid is a party city. But the city has enough for the culture vultures too. The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (see pic) with its Picassos and the Museo del Prado which has a fabulous collection of Velázquezs, Goyas, Rubens, Rafaels and Botticell are worth a visit.

5. Hong Kong

The city is home to the Hong Kong Ritz Carlton, tallest hotel in the world. So it's worth it to head to the hotel's Ozone bar for drinks and the view, or even the a stylish Italian restaurant Tosca, whose highlight is the Chocolate Library - a cacao-themed lounge, which apparently serves up some real divine chocolate high tea. And with the Spectrum Wine Auctions also coming up, wine connoisseurs have all the more reason to fly. Destination Hong Kong.

4. Singapore

The island city, with its annual shopping festival and world class hotels is already a hot travel destination. The awe-inspiring Marina Bay Sands, with its indoor canals, vast casino and roof-top infinity pool is one of the newest (hotel) landmarks on Singapore's horizon. Also look out for quirky, one-off experiences like the luxury one-room Merlion Suite.

3. Bangkok, Thailand

The Thai city, also on MasterCard's list of top tourist cities, is a top party place. Bangkok is not short of stylish restaurants and bars, like the SkyBar at the Sirocco Lebua Hotel. This stunning rooftop bar, on the 63rd floor of one of Bangkok's best hotels, boasts 360 degree views of the city.

2. Paris, France

The City of Love has granted some of its top hotels the prestigious right to call themselves palaces. Among them are the Park Hyatt Paris Vendome and the Grand Hotel du Cap Ferrat which are worth checking into, or at least checking out.

1. London, United Kingdom

At the top of MasterCard's best tourist cities, London, home to the British Queen, has enough to keep the well-travelled visitor busy. Check into London's newest design hotel, W hotel, in Leicester Square. Watch War Horse, which just won a prestigious Tony Award, at the National Theatre or shop at Selfridges' summer sale. 

 

Source :- http://worldtoptenthings.blogspot.in/2012/09/top-10-tourist-destinations-of-2011.html

Top 10 hacking scandals of 2011

As more and more celebrities join the social networking bandwagon, they also become increasingly vulnerable to hacking. From heads of states to Hollywood celebrities, this year saw a series of hacking incidents involving high-profile victims. Check out the top 10 most controversial ones...

Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez's Twitter and Facebook fans woke up to an uncharacteristic post about her boyfriend Justin Bieber. The venomous post screamed "Oh yeah, JUSTIN BIEBER SUCKS!!!!!!!". The teen singer immediately clarified that it was a case of hacking and she had nothing to do with the post.

Ashton Kutcher

Hollywood star Ashton Kutcher, who used to host the celebrity prank show, Punk'd, got a taste of is medicine his Twitter account @aplusk was hacked. A tweet sent to his followers said, "Ashton, you've been Punk'd. This account is not secure. Dude, where's my SSL?"

Kim Kardashian

Kim Kardashian went into a panic mode when her Twitter account was hacked by internet pranksters this year. On discovering fake tweets posted by an imposter, the socialite appealed to bosses of the site to help restore the security on her account.

Sony PlayStation

In one of the biggest data breaches, Sony admitted to an external intrusion which exposed personal information of 77 million PlayStation Network users. The PlayStation maker warned users that the hackers might have access to customers' vital information, including names, birthdates, physical and e-mail addresses, and logins, handles and credit card details.

Research in Motion

Hackers defaced a website belonging to Blackberry maker Research in Motion soon after the company revealed its plans to support police investigating the London riots. The hackers posted on the blog: "No Blackberry you will NOT assist the police." Blackberry took off the blog briefly and restored it to its original form.

Facebook

In one of the most shocking security breach incident, around two lakhs Facebook accounts were hacked in Bangalore. The users' photos and videos were morphed and the sleazy links mailed to friends and families overnight.

Lady Gaga

A scam on Lady Gaga's Facebook page fooled many fans into clicking the link to win an iPad. The contest rules and registration were presented as a link to a Blogspot page. "Lady Gaga's new iPad comes out in 3 days! So for the next 72 hours we will be hosting a massive giveaway to all the Mother Monster fans. Sign up and receive your special Lady Gaga edition iPad in time for the Holidays!" hackers posted on her Facebook page. The presence of the fake iPad offer didn't go unnoticed, and was taken down within an hour.

Nicolas Sarkozy

Hackers played a cruel joke on French President Nicolas Sarkozy when they posted a fake resignation letter from his Facebook page. The post, which went out to more than 350,000 'friends' of the head of the state read like this: "Dear compatriots, given the exceptional circumstances our country is experiencing, I have decided in my spirit and conscience not to run for office again at the end of my mandate in 2012".

Yingluck Shinawatra

Thailand's Prime Minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, fell victim to the hacking menace when her Twitter account was hacked. Her followers received tweets criticizing her political experience and incompetence. The tweets also suggested that she was her brother's (former Prime Minister - Thaksin Shinawatra) puppet.

Fox News

While celebrities and popular figures have been the target of hackers, it was media house Fox News who faced their ire in July this year. In a gruesome joke, the hackers tweeted the death of president Obama. Some of the tweets read like this: @BarackObama has just passed. The President is dead. A sad 4th of July, indeed. President Barack Obama is dead." This was followed by more on the same lines claiming that Obama was shot at a restaurant while campaigning.

 

Source :- http://worldtoptenthings.blogspot.in/2012/09/top-10-hacking-scandals-of-2011.html

Top 10 Richest Women in the World - 2012

Forbes is an American publishing and media company. The magazine is well known for its lists, including its lists of the richest Americans and its list of billionaires. The motto of Forbes magazine is "The Capitalist Tool." Forbes has recently released the 2012 list of billionaires, there are 21 women billionaires in the world. They have a combined total net worth of $248.6 billion. Last year had 10 women billionaires in the world with combined fortune of $232 billion. Now, take a look at those top 10 richest women in the world.

1. Christy Walton, 57, family

Net worth: $25.3 billion As of March 2012

Source of Wealth: Wal-Mart, United States

The widow of John Walton, she inherited his fortune of $15.7 billion after he died in an airplane accident in 2005. Regaining her 2010,2011 title as worlds richest woman, she got an extra bump in her fortune because of her late husbands early investment in First Solar; shares up nearly 500% since 2006 initial public offering.

2. Liliane Bettencourt, 89

Net worth: $24 billion -As of March 2012

Source of Wealth: L'Oreal, France

Frances richest woman and the only child of Eugene Schueller, her late father founded L'Oreal one of the worlds largest cosmetics and beauty companies.

3. Alice Walton, 62

Net worth: $23.3 billion-As of March 2012

Source of Wealth: Wal-Mart, United States

The daughter of Wal-Mart co-founder, her father, Sam Walton (died in 1922), a former clerk, founded original Bentonville store with his brother James. Today Wal-Mart has sales of $405 billion, employs more than 2.1 million people.

4. Georgina Gina Rinehart, 58

Net worth: $18 billion-As of March 2012

Source of Wealth: Mining, Australia

The heiress of Hancock Prospecting and the daughter of the late mining magnate Lang Hancock. She is the richest person in Australia and the richest woman in Asia.

5. Iris Fontbona, 69, family

Net worth: $17.8 billion As of March 2012

Source of Wealth: Mining, Chile

The second wife, and now widow, of billionaire Andronico Luksic, who died of cancer in 2005. The family controls Antofagasta, one of the worlds largest copper miners. As of 2012, Iris Fontbona and her family have a net worth of $17.8 billion.

6. Birgit Rausing, 88, family

Net worth: $14 billion- As of March 2012

Source of Wealth: Packaging, Sweden

The widow of Gad Rausing, after death of her husband in 2000, she inherited the packaging giant Tetra Laval along with her three children. In 1944 her father-in-law founded the company, which revolutionized the packaging of liquids such as juices and milk.

7. Jacqueline Mars, 72

Net worth: $13.8 billion -As of March 2012

Source of Wealth: Candy, Pet food, United States

The granddaughter of Frank C. Mars, founders of the American candy company Mars, Incorporated. The company's products are chocolate (Snickers, M&Ms) and pet food (Pedigree). The family has since created the worlds largest confectionery company by acquiring gum maker Wrigley in 2008 for $23 billion.

8. Susanne Klatten, 49

Net worth: $13 billion -As of March 2012

Source of Wealth: BMW, pharmaceuticals, Germany

Susanne Klatten is the daughter of Herbert Quandt, she inherited stake in automaker BMW from late father Herbert Quandt, who rescued it from bankruptcy in the early 1960s. Additionally, she is a trained economist with an M.B.A., Klatten also inherited a 50% stake in chemical manufacturer Altana and has since increased her control of the company to 100% and delisted the company.

9. Anne Cox Chambers, 92

Net worth: $12.5 billion -As of March 2012

Source of Wealth: Cox Enterprises, United States

The daughter of Cox Enterprises founder James M. Cox (Died in 1957), who finished high school at 17 and worked as a school teacher and newspaper reporter before shelling out $26,000 for the Dayton Evening News in 1898.

10. Savitri Jindal, 62

Net worth: $10.9 billion As of March 2012

Source of Wealth: Steel, India

She became the chairperson of O.P. Jindal Group (a steel and power conglomerate) after her husband, Om Prakash Jindal, died in a helicopter crash in 2005. Om Prakash Jindal founded the company in 1952.Savitri Jindal and her four sons Prithviraj, Sajjan, Ratan and Naveen runs the businesses. 

 

Source :- http://worldtoptenthings.blogspot.in/2012/08/top-10-richest-women-in-world-2012.html

Top 10 Fascinating Lawsuits Against Fast Food Giants

1. Monika Samaan Vs. KFC:

In 2012, An Australian judge has ordered KFC to pay 8 million Australian dollars ($8.3 million USD) to the family of a Sydney girl who was left brain damaged after eating a chicken wraps. According the family of Samaan, the then 7-year-old girl contracted salmonella poisoning from a KFC chicken wrap in 2005. Samaan was in a coma for months and is left with brain damage. KFC denied responsibility and plans to appeal.

 2. Amanda Obney vs. Taco Bell:

Obney sued Taco Bell after she claimed that the fast food giant was filling tacos and burritos with non-real beef “beef seasoning”. She later withdrew her claim against the Mexican fast food chain. Taco Bell issued a $3-4 million dollar advertising campaign to combat negative publicity.

3. McDonald’s (1990):

Lawsuit was brought against this fast good giant in the early 1990s. This case involved having beef inside French Fries, which were advertised as vegetarian. The case was brought to the public eye after McDonald’s released a press release discussing how it cooked the French fries in 100% vegetable oil. There was another letter that emerged to a customer specifying that the French fries were vegetarian.

4. Liabeck vs. McDonald’s:

Stella Liabeck from Albuquerque, New Mexico sued McDonald’s after suffering third degree burns from hot coffee she spilled on herself at the drive-thru in 1992. Both parties settled for an undisclosed amount. This was an example of frivolous litigation.

5. John Florio vs. McDonald’s:

John Florio, a police officer in New York was given a Big Mac with one extra ingredient: shard glass. He received cuts to his throat and mouth and also broke his tooth in the process. The culprit was an 18 year old employee. The boy was arrested after an officer noticed him spitting into his food. Florio sued McDonald`s for $5.5 million.

6. David Sheiding vs. Arby`s:

Sheiding sued Arbey`s in 2005 after he found an inch long flesh in his sandwich. He immediately fell ill and health investigators found that the restaurant manager cut his thump when shredding lettuce as to be the cause. Sheiding sued for over $50,000 and rejected settlement from the franchise.

7. Sexual Harassment case in Burger King:

Kaizen Restaurant Inc., which operates a number of Burger King restaurants in Oregon and Washington, had to pay $150,000 and to implement preventative measures to resolve harassment lawsuit. A supervisor in one of the stores sexually harassed a teen employee working there.

8. Wendy`s vs. Burger King:

Wendy`s filed a $25 million lawsuit in 1982 against Burger King and its promotion of the Whopper sandwich, which Burger King claimed to be better tasting than Wendy`s. The lawsuit was filed on grounds of false, misleading and deceptive information.

9. Shelly Lynn vs. McDonald`s:

Lynn is suing McDonald`s as she believes the fast food chain lead her to become a prostitute. While working at McDonald`s she met Keith Handley, who owned a company that started the franchise Arroyo Grande. When the two started dating, Handley convinced one of the managers to fire her for insubordination.

10. Francisco Prieto vs. Dominos:

This delivery man was delivering his pizza when 3 men jumped him and also robbed him. The man is now suing Domino`s, because he feels the former employer cruelly denied compensation due to injuries and also fired him 5 months later.

 

Source :- http://worldtoptenthings.blogspot.in/2012/08/top-10-fascinating-lawsuits-against.html

Top 10 Unbelivable Balance Stones around the world

Earth is one of the most unstable planet in our solar system. Earthquake, volcanoes, Hurricane, storm, rain, and sun change the face of our planet since thousand of years ago.

Amazingly, above our planet activities there are some huge stones that can keep its inertial stability between the relentless force of gravity of the earth and the sky. Here`s Top 10 Unbelievable Balance Stones in the world. These stones are real. No camera trick involved .

1.Balanced Rock Colorado

Same as the name, this rock stays at the Garden of Gods near Pike`s Peak at the Colorado springs, Colorado. The rock stands over a paved access public road and The rock is located around beautiful landscape.

2. Balancing Rock, Digby, Nova Scotia, Canada

This rock is a 30 feet high horizontal columnar basalt at the Nova Scotia, Canada. What make the balancing rock amazing, around 50% of the rock column stands over the air. If the stone is man made, can you imagine how difficult is to find the precise calculation to stand the huge rock at the edge of cliff for hundreds of years against storms,rain, and winds

3. Idol Rock, Brimham Moor, North Yorkshire, UK

Idol rock is a family of several balance rocks that scatter around 50- acre of Brimham Moor area, North York shire, UK. Idol rock is around 200 tonnes and it is only supported by a smaller pyramidal stone. It is unbelievable and outstanding. The small pyramidal stone carries huge pressure from Idol rock and balances the odd shape stone flawlessly.

4. El Torcal de Antequera, Andalucia, Spain

El Torcal de Antequera is karst stone towers of terrace limestone rock with horizontal weathering patterns.It is tall, old and stable.Wind, rain and sun have evolved the stone become flapjack stacks that attracts many people every year. Although it is strong and balance, Climbing the rock is not recommendable.

5. Kjeragbolten, Norway

Kjeragbolten or Kjerag Boulder is a 5 square meters (roughly 15 sq ft) rock that is stuck between 2 gigantic wall of Kjerag mountain. The rock is trapped above 1,000 meters air for thousand of years. It is safe to stand above the Boulder.

6. Peyro Clabado, Sidobre, France

Peyro Clabado or Nailed Rock is located at Languedoc, France. It is eroded granite boulders and rock formations that is left by 300 million years activity of Old mountain that formed western Europe. One of the balance rock is 780 tons weight .

7. Mushroom Rocks, Kansas, USA

The Rocks can be found in Mushroom Rock State Park, at the Smoky Hills region of Kansas. The Mushroom Rock State Park is only 5 acres and it saves old mushroom balancing rocks that are already here since the time of Dinosaurs. The size of the balancing rock is different. One of them is so big so that it looks like a hookah-smoking caterpillar in the movie Alice of the wonderland.

8. Chiremba Balancing Rocks, Epworth, Zimbabwe.

Chiremba Balancing Rocks are typical weathered boulders balancing rock same as what on Sidore-France. It was carved by winds and weather since millions of years before it looks like what we know today.

9. Mexican Hat Rock, Utah, USA

From Distance, the rock is like a sombrero cap of Mexico. Mexican Hat Rock is the only balance rock that is located outside Monument Valley of south-central San Juan County, Utah. This rock is 60-foot wide and 12-foot thick. It is a red sandstone rock that is still under construction. Soon or later, the balancing cap rock below the Mexican hat is completely eroded.

10. The Steady Hand Of Man

This balancing rocks is the creation of ,an artist, Daliel Leite. He got inspiration from the balancing stone object around the world and he tried to make his own balancing stone in a small scale. He only know small information of art of balancing rock and he applied it on this rocks

 

Source :- http://worldtoptenthings.blogspot.in/2012/08/top-10-unbelivable-balance-stones.html