shadenights

17 people killed in Maoist attack in Jharkhand


Ranchi, Oct 27 (IANS) At least 17 people, including the son of former chief minister Babulal Marandi, were killed while four others sustained injuries in a Maoist attack in Giridih district of Jharkhand early Saturday, police officials said.

The incident took place in Chilkhari village of Giridih district, about 290 km from Ranchi.


According to the police, Around 30 to 40 rebels of the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) attacked Chilkhari at around 1 a.m. Saturday while the villagers were engrossed in watching a cultural programme organised by Nunulal Marandi, the brother of Babulal Marandi.


The former chief minister was also expected to attend the programme but wasn't able to do so. However, his younger son Anup attended the event and was killed along with 16 others when Maoist guerrillas fired indiscriminately at the gathering.


Arun Kumar Singh, the superintendent of police of Giridih district, said: 'Seventeen people were killed while four others, including two women, were injured in the Maoist attack.'


Babulal Marandi said: 'My family has been the target of Maoist rebels for a long time as we have been fighting against them and organizing villagers to rebel against them.'


The police have launched a combing operation in the area to nab the Maoists. This has been the biggest civilian killing in the state since it was carved out from Bihar in November 2000.


Maoist rebels are active in 18 of the 24 districts of the state. Nearly 950 people, including 310 security personnel, have been killed in Jharkhand in Maoist related violence.

__________________

shadenights

Mukesh Ambani world's richest now

30-Oct
Billionaire Mukesh Ambani on Monday became the richest person in the world, surpassing American software czar Bill Gates, Mexican business tycoon Carlos Slim Helu and famous investment guru Warren Buffett, courtesy the bull run in the stock market.

Following a strong share price rally on in his three group company, India's most valued firm Reliance Industries, Reliance Petroleum and Reliance Industrial Infrastructure Ltd, the net worth of Mukesh Ambani rose to $63.2 billion (Rs 2,49,108 crore).

In comparison, the net worth of both Gates and Slim is estimated to be slightly lower at around $62.29 billion each, with Slim leading among the two by a narrow margin.

Warren Buffett, earlier the third richest in the world, also dropped one position with a net worth of about $56 billion.

Ambani's wealth of about Rs 2,49,000 crore includes about Rs 2,10,000 crore from RIL (50.98 per cent stake), Rs 37,500 crore from RPL (37.5 per cent) and Rs 2,100 crore from RIIL (46.23 per cent).

Slim's wealth has been calculated on the basis of his stake in companies like America Movil (30 per cent), Carso Global (82 per cent), Grupo Carso (75 per cent), Inbursa (67 per cent), IDEAL (30 per cent) and Saks Inc (10 per cent).

According to information available with the US and Mexican stock exchanges where these companies are listed, Slim currently holds shares worth a total of $62.2993 billion, with more than half coming from Latin American mobile major America Movil. Slim is closely followed by Gates with a net worth of $62.29 billion currently.

Earlier last month, US business magazine Forbes had named Gates as the richest American with a net worth of $59 billion, calculated as on August 30. The magazine had said that a movement of two dollars in the share price for Microsoft, the world's biggest software maker, could "add or subtract a billion dollars" from his wealth.

Since August-end, Microsoft's share price has risen by $6.58 (based on yesterday's closing on Nasdaq at $35.03), which results into a gain of $3.29 billion in Gates' wealth based on Forbes assumption.

Besides a stake in Microsoft, Gates' wealth also includes the commission and license fees earned by him and gains through his shares in an investment holding company that invests across the market.

Gates is followed by Buffett at the fourth place in the league of the world's richest with a net worth of $55.9 billion through his holding in his investment vehicle Berkshire Hathaway and in other companies. At the end of August, Buffett's wealth stood at $52 billion, as per the Forbes magazine. Berkshire Hathaway's share price has gained by about 7.5 per cent since then.

Earlier on September 26, Ambani had overtaken steel czar Lakshmi Mittal to become the richest Indian in the world.

Mittal currently ranks as the fifth richest in the world with a net worth of $50.9 billion through his 44.79 per cent stake in world's biggest steel maker ArcelorMittal.

While most of Mittal's wealth comes from his steel empire, though he has also spread his wings into businesses like oil and real estate, those of Ambani and Gates are mostly through petrochemicals and software respectively. However, Buffett and Slim are making money from investments across a host of sectors.

__________________