7 most Expensive Whiskies in the World

1. Macallan 1946 – $460,000

This bottle of single malt whiskey in a LaliqueCire Perdue decanter was sold in 2010 at an auction, with the proceeds going to charity. This whiskey is unusual in that it was made with peated malt because of the then-prohibitive prices of coal that shot up because of World War II. This is a classic Macallan and one of the best ever released.

2. Glenfiddich Janet Sheed Roberts Reserve 1955 – $94,000

Glenfiddich had a barrel of Scotch whiskey that has been aging since New Year’s Eve of 1955. When Janet Sheed Roberts, the granddaughter of Glenfiddich’s founder William Grant, passed away at the ripe old age of 110, the company decided to honor her by making 15 bottles from the said barrel. Four were kept by the family while the rest were auctioned off. A whiskey connoisseur from Atlanta bought one of them for $94,000. The whiskey has been acclaimed for its floral, fruity and sweet taste.

3. Macallan 1926 – $75,000

This is the oldest in the Fine and Rare collection of Macallan. It was distilled in 1926 and bottled only in 1986. Only 40 bottles were produced. The single malt blend is dry and concentrated as no water has been added. The color reflects that of the old barrel. A businessman from South Korea bought this bottle in 2005.

4. Dalmore 62 Single Highland Malt Scotch Matheson – $58,000

This is a blend of four single malt whiskies that were distilled in different years. Only 12 bottles were made in 1942, each of which was given names unique but relevant to the Dalmore Estate. The most expensive was the Matheson, named after Alexander Matheson, the owner of the estate. An anonymous buyer bought this in 2005. He quicly opened it and finished it with five of his closest friends.

5. Glenfiddich 1937 – $20,000

This is from the Rare Collection of Glenfiddich. It was distilled in 1937 in the company’s plant in Scotland. Left to age gracefully, the barrel was then opened and the whiskey was bottled in 2001. Only 61 bottles were made. The whiskey is said to have a rich walnut color, though it has hints of cedar, cinnamon, cloves and toffee. The bottle was bought at a charity auction in New York in 2006.

6. Macallan 55-Year-Old – $12,500

This whiskey was distilled in a sherry oak barrel and aged for 55 years. The single malt whiskey was then bottled in a Lalique Crystal Decanter, made by Rene Lalique who created a similar perfume bottle in 1910. The drink was said to have a dark rosewood color that exuded a nice smell that similar to peat smoke and sweet dried fruits. While the soft and smooth taste had a hint of citrus flavor, it was also noted to be a bit spicy.

7. Dalmore 50-Year-Old – $11,000

This is one of the best 50-year-old whiskies ever made and it is a much sought after drink all over the world. The whiskey was first distilled in 1920. It was then bottled in 1978, with only 60 bottles being produced. The bottles themselves were made of crystal decanters. The whiskey showed a deep amber hue. The taste itself is fresh, yet refined. It also had a flavor similar to that of a citrus. The drink also exhibited some spice and zest once the drinker tastes it.

7 Most Rich Teens in the World

Kira Plastinina, 18

Born on 1 June 1992, in Russia, the self-styled “Princess of Global Fashion” Kira Plastinina has her own fashion chain – courtesy of daddy. Her father is Sergei Plastinin, the multimillionaire juice-and-dairy king of Eastern Europe. He helped her open her first Style Studio in 2007 at the age of just 15. Kira now has 63 Studios in Russia, 11 in the Ukraine and five in Kazakhstan.

Her ventures in the US proved less successful, despite her father investing $80 million (£54.6 million) setting up 12 stores there, but, undeterred, Kira continues on her quest to build her fashion empire, opening her second Style Studio in the Philippines only last month.

Mark Indelicato, 15

Ugly Betty star Mark Indelicato, who played Justin Suarez in the hit TV show, earned an annual $460,000 salary (£313,000). Indelicato, who is of Italian and Puerto Rican descent, began acting at the age of eight at Philadelphia’s Walnut Street Theatre, before making it big in Ugly Betty.

The programme ran from 2006 until falling ratings prompted its cancellation in April 2010. Reports that he was given a rather modest $50 a week to spend on computer games and clothes – as well as some Kiehl’s and Clarins skin-care products to avoid breakouts – suggest that much of his fortune probably remains intact.

Dakota Fanning, 16

She may be only 16, but Dakota Fanning has appeared in more films than most actresses could hope to in their whole career. She began her acting career at the age of five when she was picked for a Tide detergent television commercial.

Since then, her performances have included playing alongside Tom Cruise in War of the Worlds, I Am Sam with Sean Penn and Charlotte’s Web with Julia Roberts. At the age of just 13, she was ranked number three on Forbes rich list, earning $4 million (£2.7 million) a year.

The Sprouse Twins, 17

Twin brothers Cole Sprouse and Dylan Sprouse, born on 4 August 1992 are tipped to be the most successful twins since Mary-Kate and Ashley Olson. Named after the poet Dylan Thomas and musician Nat King Cole, the two boys, reportedly now both multi-millionaires, first appeared on screen at the tender age of just six months, in an advertisement for toilet paper.

They featured in their first major film Big Daddy, at the age of five, sharing the role of Julian, a boy adopted by Adam Sandler’s character. However their big break came after being cast as leads in the Disney series, the Suite Life of Zac and Cody, which was a huge ratings success. Immensely popular among teen and pre-teen audiences, they even launched their own brand of clothing, magazines and comic books.

Abigail Breslin, 14

Breslin’s acting career began when she was aged just three, with a humble appearance in a Toys ‘R’ Us commercial. Quickly identified as a talented actress, at five years old she starred in her first feature film, Signs, opposite Mel Gibson.

Aged 10, she was nominated for an Oscar for her role Olive in the hit film Little Miss Sunshine, pocketing a cheque for $1.5 million (£1 million) along the way. Now aged 14, she commands around $3 million (£1.5 million) a film. With an impressive list of roles behind her, she is now thought to be worth an estimated $12 million (£8 million).

Tyler Williams, 18

“I’m good for three things,” the Everybody Hates Chris star said on being cast in 2005 as the central character in this hit US comedy show. “Making fried-baloney sandwiches, picking out good movies and making money.”

He’s not wrong. With an estimated salary of $1.2 million (£810,000) per season, the opportunity to play the boyhood persona of US comedian Chris Rock has certainly paid off. Now 18, his career continues to develop with voice roles in the Ant Bully and the Batman franchise.

India Rose James, 18

India Rose is the granddaughter of the late publisher Paul Raymond, who made his fortune through top-shelf magazines and property. He earned his first money by launching Raymond’s Revue Bar in 1957, taking over the Whitehall Theatre in the 1960s and the Windmill Theatre in 1974, but it was his publishing empire that enabled him to fund his lucrative property investments.

Raymond died in March 2008, leaving an inheritance of £75 million in his will to India Rose and her sister Fawn. The family empire is said to be worth £500 million, with the sisters’ share standing at around £120 million.

7 Poorest Countries in the World

#1. Congo, Democratic Republic of the

GDP Per Capita: $348 (As of 2011)

Not to be mixed with the neighboring Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has become the poorest country in the world as of 2010. Democratic Republic of the Congo was known as Zaire until 1997. Congo is the largest country in the world that has French as an official language – the population of D.R Congo is about six million larger than the population of France (71 million people in D.R Congo vs 65 million in France). The Second Congo War beginning in 1998 has devastated the country. The war that involves at least 7 foreign armies is the deadliest conflict in the world since World War II – by 2008 the Second Congo War and its aftermath had killed 5.4 million people.

#2. Liberia

GDP Per Capita: $456 (As of 2011)

Liberia is one of the few countries in Africa that have not been colonized by Europe. Instead, Liberia was founded and colonized by freed slaves from America. These slaves made up the elite of the country and they established a government that closely resembled that of the United States of America. In 1980 the president of Liberia was overthrown and a period of instability and civil war followed. After the killings of hundreds of thousands, a 2003 peace deal was led to democratic elections in 2005. Today, Liberia is recovering from the lingering effects of the civil war and related economic dislocation, with about 85% of the population lives below $1 a day.

#3. Zimbabwe

GDP Per Capita: $487 (As of 2011)

The government of Zimbabwe released its largest bank note 100 trillion dollar bill issued on January 2009. In addition to the economic problems the life expectancy of Zimbabwe is the lowest in the world – 37 years for men and just 34 for women. One of the problems for the early deaths are the 20.1% of the population with HIV and AIDS. The health issues aren’t seeing any improvement.

#4. Burundi

GDP Per Capita: $615 (As of 2011)

Burundi is known for its tribal and civil wars.  Burundi have never really had any peaceful time between the everlasting civil wars as a result its the fourth poorest country. Owing in part to its landlocked geography, poor legal system, lack of economic freedom, lack of access to education, and the proliferation of HIV and AIDS.  Approximately 80% of Burundians live in poverty and according to the World Food Programme 57% of children under 5 years suffer from chronic malnutrition; 93% of Burundi’s exports revenues come from selling coffee.

#5. Eritrea

GDP Per Capita: $735 (As of 2011)

Affected by the Italian colonizers of the 19th century.  Eritrea’s advantage of controlling the sea route through the Suez Canal made the italians to colonized it just a year after the opening of the canal in 1869 and same reason the British conquered it in 1941.  The present Eritrea’s economic conditions have not improved and real gross domestic product growth averaged 1.2 percent between 2005 and 2008; in 2009 GDP growth was estimated at 2.0 percent.

#6. Central African Republic

GDP Per Capita: $768 (As of 2011)

Despite its significant mineral resources; uranium reserves in Bakouma, crude oil, gold, diamonds, lumber, hydropower  and its arable land, it remains one of the poorest countries in the world.  Diamonds constitute the most important export of the Central Africans Republic, accounting for 40–55% of export revenues. The 2010 UNDP Human Development Report ranks CAR near the bottom of its Human Development Index (159th out of 162 countries) and unlikely to meet its MDG goals. The proportion of Central Africans living on $1 a day has decreased slightly to 62%  but it needs to be half of that in order to reach the 2015 goal.

#7. Niger

GDP Per Capita: $771 (As of 2011)

With over 80% of its land is covered by the giant desert of Sahara, Niger has a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita in Parity Purchasing Power (PPP) terms of US$771 as of 2011, one of the lowest in Africa. Niger’s poverty is exacerbated by political instability, extreme vulnerability to exogenous shocks and inequality which affects girls, women and children disproportionately.In January 2000, Niger’s newly elected government inherited serious financial and economic problems including a virtually empty treasury and was qualified for enhanced debt relief under the International Monetary Fund program for Highly Indebted Poor Countries.

7 Most Expensive IPL Players

1. Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Ghambhir – 31 years old, a left handed opening batsman of the Indian Cricket team. In spite of base salary of $200,000, he is sold at a price tag of $ 2.4 million by Kolkata Knight Riders, owned by Red Chillies Entertainment and Mehta Group. He is the most expensive player of the Indian Premier League auction. Under his captaincy, KKR even won their first title in IPL5- 2012.

2.  Yusuf Khan Pathan

Yusuf Pathan- 30 years old, Right handed batsman and Right arm off-break bowler of the Indian Cricket team. Even though his salary is $300,000 he was auctioned for  $ 2.1 million by Kolkata knight Riders in the IPL. He was named as the “Man Of The Tournament”  in IPL1-2008.

3. Robin Venu Uthappa

Robin uthappa- 27 years old, a right handed batsman of the Indian Cricket team. His salary is $200,000 he was sold to Pune Warriors India, owned by Sahara India Pariwar for $2.1 million in IPL auction. He was the Top Scorer during IPL5-2012 for Pune Warriors India. He played the role of wicket keeper in his team.

3. Rohit Gurunath Sharma

Rohit sharma- 26 years old, a right handed batsman and right arm off -break bowler of Indian Cricket team. In spite of his base salary of $200,000 he sold at $2 million by Mumbai Indians, owned by Reliance Group in the IPL auction. He was named as the “Best Under-23 years old player of the Tournament” during IPL2- 2009. He is the current captain of Mumbai Indians.

5. Ravindra Anirudhsinh jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja- 24 years old, a left handed batsman and left hand orthodox bowler of Indian cricket team, his base salary of $100,000 he was snapped up by Chennai Super Kings  after winning a tie breaker against Deccan Chargers for $2 million. Owned by India cement in IPL auction, he has proved himself as a valuable player by his accuracy in all formats of the game.

6. Irfan Khan Pathan

Irfan Pathan- 28 years old, a left handed batsman and left hand fast medium bowler of the Indian Cricket team.  In spite of his base salary of $300,000 he was bought by Delhi Daredevils, owned by GMR Group in the IPL auction for a $1.9 million.

7. Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj singh- 31 years old,  a left handed batsman and left handed orthodox bowler of the Indian Cricket team. He makes $400,000 he was taken by Sahara Pune Warriors, owned by Sahara India Parivar for $ 1.8 million. He is one of the cleanest hitters of a cricket ball.

7 most haunted places in India

1. Dow Hill, Kurseong, West Bengal

Kurseong is a hill station located in Darjeeling district of West Bengal. Kurseong lies 30 km from Darjeeling. Dow Hill in Kurseong is often reported to be a centre of paranormal activities and several accidents have taken place in the vicinity of the town as per the locals. The locals rumor that they can hear sounds of footstep emanating in the corridor of the Victoria Boys Higher Secondary School during long holidays of December to March. A number of murders have been committed in the woods near the school and that has left a sense of eerie feeling in the air. There have even been reports of a headless boy between the stretch of Dow Hill road and Forest Office, who later disappears into the woods. The locals say that anyone who has seen him is not even spared by his apparition in their dreams.

---

2. Delhi Cantonment, Delhi

Delhi Cantt is one of the three statutory towns that make up the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Delhi Cantt area which is full of lush green vegetation is one of the most haunted area in Delhi. A pure white sari clad woman spectre is seen gliding around with a candle is one of the most popular sightings in this area. Possibly the lady was hitchhiker while she was alive, and hence she waves at lonely passengers and if denied is said to run swiftly alongside the car at high speeds and suddenly disappears. Mostly the sightings have been reported near the metro station of Dwarka.

---

3. Lambi Dehar Mines, Uttarakhand

The Lambi Dehar mines are located on the outskirts of Mussoorie. There used to be strip mine and lime quarries that have long been shut because of irregularities with a lot of safety regulations and a number of incidents of trucks veering off the roads and falling down the hills. The town was inhabited by nearly 50,000 workers in the 1990s, a lot of whom died a very painful death, coughing blood, due to lung diseases caused by improper mining. Today the town is very sparsely populated and has been a ghost town for 20 years. Trees have grown in the houses and there have been reports of strange sounds at night. With reports of cars and trucks going off the road and a reported incident of a helicopter crash, it leaves little to the imagination. Legend has it that there’s also a witch that walks down the mountains screaming. It is also a scary place due to its remoteness from any civilization and with its record of deaths.

---

4. Tunnel no 103, Shimla-Kalka Railway Line, Himachal Pradesh

Shimla has its share of ghost stories associated with it. One of the more famous one is Tunnel no 103 on Shimla-Kalka railway line where there have been reported apparitions of a British Colonel, Col. Barog and other Englishmen. Though much is not known about him, one fact for sure is that he was the person assigned with the task of constructing the tunnel. After work started on digging the tunnel, on reaching the center, he found out that both ends did not align properly and therefore was heavily penalized. He was so ashamed of his error that he shot himself. Mostly, it is the spirit of Col. Barog mounted on his horse that is reported. It is also surprising due to the fact that on confrontation, the Englishman responds to humans and people are said to have had long conversations with it. There have also been reports of a woman apparition, who jumps into a well screaming and a man walking lighting his cigarette. These are reported mostly by people venturing into the tunnel on foot and there have hardly been reports of these apparitions when travelling by train.

---

5. Brijraj Bhavan Palace, Rajasthan

The Brij Raj Bhawan Palace Hotel, a heritage hotel, set in beautiful gardens stands on the banks of the Chambal river, near the city of Kota in Rajasthan in India. It has the only ghost of the Sepoy Mutiny still “active”, the ghost of Major Charles Burton, killed by Indians in the 1857 armed revolt against the British. In 1857, the building was the British Residency and the home of the resident posted to Kota, Major Charles Burton. Abandoned by all their servants, except one camel-driver, Major Burton and his two sons took refuge in an upper room with the few arms that they had been able to snatch and waited for help to arrive from the Maharaja. Mutineers ascended to the terrace and Major Burton and his two sons, who had retreated to the room below, were murdered. The former maharani of Kota told British journalists in 1980 that she used to see Major Burton frequently, as the room in which he was killed, was being used as her drawing room then. An elderly man with a cane in his hand, ghost of Major Burton does not harm anybody, but during his night visit, if any of the guards are sleeping or dozing, Major Burton gives them a slap.

---

6. Dumas Beach, Gujarat

Dumas Beach is an urban beach located 21 km south west of Surat. Famous for its black sand, it is a very popular tourist spot in south Gujrat. It stands 2nd in Asia for the most haunted place. This stretch of beach has been notorious for paranormal activities. One of the main reasons being pointed out is that Hindus burn their deceased on the beach. The locals complain of hearing weird noises and screams during nights. People also report hearing strange whispers on Dumas Beach. Dogs are reported to behave weird around the ocean and cry at night. There have been many instances of tourists, who venture out to walk the beach during nights going missing.

---

7. Bhangarh Fort, Rajasthan

Bhangarh is a ghost town in India that is famous for its historical ruins. It is in the Rajgarh municipality of the Alwar district in the state of Rajasthan. It is now mostly a deserted town supposedly after it was cursed by a tantrik (person practicing black magic). It is infamous for its fort that is believed to be haunted. There are many legends as to its history and reasons why the fort still is haunted. According to legend, the city of Bhangarh was cursed by the Guru Balu Nath, who sanctioned the construction of the town on one condition, “The moment the shadows of your palaces touch me, the city shall be no more!” When a descendant prince, Ajab Singh raised the palace to a height that cast a shadow on Balu Nath’s forbidden retreat, he cursed the town. Balu Nath is said to be buried there to this day in a small samadhi. Local villagers say that anything constructed there collapses and no one has returned, who has spent a night in the fort. The board put up by the Archeological Survey of India that read, “Entering the borders of Bhangarh before sunrise and after sunset is strictly prohibited,” was later modified due to controversial reasons. The ASI has still not taken steps to explore the tehkhana (basement) of the fort. The people even do not speak of the fort due to fear. It has been tagged due to various experiences by many people over years as, “The Most Haunted Place in India.”

7 most beautiful places in India

1Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal in Agra is an immense mausoleum of white marble, built between 1632 and 1653 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife. Called “a teardrop on the cheek of eternity” it is one of the masterpieces of Mughal architecture, and one of the great tourist attractions in India. Besides the white domed marble mausoleum the Taj Mahal includes several other beautiful buildings, reflecting pools, and extensive ornamental gardens with flowering trees and bushes
.

2Varanasi

flickr/dirk huijssoon

Situated on the banks of the River Ganges, Varanasi is sacred to Hindus, Buddhists and Jains and also one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. In many ways Varanasi epitomizes the very best and worst aspects of India, and it can be a little overwhelming. The scene of pilgrims doing their devotions in the River Ganges at sunrise set against the backdrop of the centuries old temples is probably one of the most impressive sights in the world.

3Ajanta Caves

flickr/Captain Nandu Chitnis, is back

The Ajanta Caves are rock-cut cave monuments dating from the 2th century BC. The magnificent Ajanta caves were abandoned around 650 AD and forgotten until 1819, when a British hunting party stumbled upon them. Their isolation contributed to the fine state of preservation in which some of their paintings remain to this day. The well preserved murals depict everything from battlefields to sailing ships, city streets and teeming animal-filled forests to snow-capped mountains. The city of Aurangabad is the gateway to the Ajanta Caves as well as the equally spectacular Ellora Caves.

4Jaisalmer

flickr/Carlo_it

Located in Rajasthan’s remote westernmost corner close to the border with Pakistan, Jaisalmer is the quintessential desert town. The yellow sandstone walls of the “Golden City” rise from the Thar desert like a scene from the Arabian Nights while the Jaisalmer Fort crowns the city. Uncontrolled commercialism has dampened the romantic vision of Jaisalmer, but even with all the touts and tour buses, it remains one of the most popular tourist attractions in India.

5Harmandir Sahib

flickr/Gurumustuk Singh

The Harmandir Sahib, better known as the Golden Temple is the main tourist attraction in Amritsar, and the most important religious place to the Sikhs. Construction of the temple was begun by Guru Ram Dast in the 16th century. In the 19th century, Maharaja Ranjit Singh the upper floors of the temple were covered with gold. It’s a stunning temple, and always full of thousands of pilgrims from all over India, excited to be at a place that they usually only see on television.

6Kanha National Park

flickr/Vagabond on move...

Kanha National Park is among the most beautiful wildlife reserves in Asia and one of best places to catch a glimpse of a tiger in India. The lush sal and bamboo forests, grassy meadows and ravines of Kanha provided inspiration to Rudyard Kipling for his famous novel “Jungle Book” and make this one of the top attractions in India.

7Palolem

flickr/abmiller99

Palolem is the most southerly of Goa’s developed beaches and also one of the most beautiful. It is a natural bay surrounded by lofty headlands on either sides, resulting in a calm, idyllic sea with a gently sloping bed. For those who believe a beach cannot be paradise without a decent selection of cheap restaurants and good hotels, a dose of nightlife and plenty of like-minded people Palolem is the place to be.