Dangote now 23rd richest in the world

NIGERIAN business mogul, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has retained his
position as Africa’s richest man with a $25 billion net worth.
He has held that position for the fourth successive year.
Globally, the influential Forbes Magazine rates him on the list of 25
richest people in the world.
Dangote is ranked 23 up 43rd among the 100 richest persons in the
world.
The Nigerian businessman with interests in cement, sugar, beverages
and petrochemical is said to be presently the first black man to break
into the rank of top 25 richest people in the world.
Mike Adenuga, owner of indigenous telecoms company Globacom, was
next to Dangote on the list with a wealth of $4.6 billion, maintaining
325 position in the world, while Folorunsho Alakija, with $2.5
billion, was 687 in the world and Abdulsamad Rabiu ranks 1372 in
the world, with $1.2 billion.
Meanwhile, Bill Gates is back on top after a four-year hiatus,
reclaiming the title of world’s richest person from telecoms mogul,
Carlos Slim Helu of Mexico, who ranked number one for the past
four years.
Spanish clothing retailer, Amancio Ortega (best known for the Zara
fashion chain) retains the number three spot for the second year in a
row, extending his lead over Warren Buffett, who is again number
four.

Why are so many young French people turning to jihad?

The scrapbook is filled with photographs and tributes: they
show Dominique Bons' son Nicolas growing from a teenager into a
young man.
Offering brief glimpses of past holidays and family moments, clues to
his passions and personality, the book is one of Bons' few souvenirs of
her son's short life.
Nicolas, from Toulouse, converted to Islam four years ago, gradually
becoming more and more devout.
Bons, who is a former French soldier, says Nicolas had never spoken
to her about wanting to join a religious war, but last year the 30-year-
old announced he and his half-brother were going on vacation together.
Three weeks later he called to say they were in Syria -- two of the
more than 900 French citizens the government believes are involved in
the jihad there and in Iraq.
Within days, his half-brother was killed, and shortly
afterward he spoke to his mother for the last time,
telling her she would be notified if anything happened
to him.
In late December, Bons received a text message
explaining that Nicolas has been killed in "an
explosives operation" -- that's all she knows.
"The body? There is no body... I don't have a body,"
she says. "If he was killed in a truck filled with
explosives, the body... boom!"
Because no body has been recovered, there is also no
death certificate, meaning that --officially at least, in
France -- Nicolas is still alive.
For his mother, he always will be. In her grief, she
has written a poem -- added to the treasured
scrapbook -- telling her son: "You will exist in my
heart eternally. I love you."
Unlike Bons, one anonymous French bus driver knows
his daughter is still alive in Syria -- but he is
desperately worried that may not be the case for much
longer.
The man -- who asked not to be identified out of
concern for his daughter's safety -- says the 23-
year-old converted to Islam and married a Tunisian
man before moving to Syria with the couple's two
children.
The couple said they were going there to do
humanitarian work; they are now believed to be in Raqqa, and safe --
for the moment at least -- but the city, an ISIS stronghold, is a target
of coalition forces.
And both father and daughter fear she could be arrested if she comes
back to France.
He has a warning for other parents: "Pay attention... it could happen to
you before you even know it."
David Thomson, author of "The French Jihadists," believes there are
many reasons why so many French Muslims are becoming radicalized
and heading to Iraq and Syria to join militant groups.
"Religious frustrations, material frustrations, perhaps a feeling that it
would be a sin to stay back in France, a desire to experience this
historic moment and die fighting the coalition," he explains.
Concerned at the growing threat of radicalization, French authorities
have introduced new regulations in an effort to stem the tide of citizens
traveling to the Middle East to join the fight.
"We had to change our rules in different ways,"
Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius explained to CNN's
Christiane Amanpour recently.
"First we decided that the government, the
administration, would be able to suspend not only
passports but also ID for people whose intention is to
go to Syria."
The second step is to encourage families concerned at
the path their children appear to be taking to contact
the authorities and report their fears.
"Because we have many cases where families do not
agree with the youngster and at the moment they are
aware that the young people want to leave and therefore
they have to get in touch with us in order to have a
reaction," he said.
"We have to be very, very strict and to explain to these
young people, especially the young girls -- 13, 14
years old -- that if they are going there, some of them
think that it will be a new life, [but] in fact they are
prostitutes, they are sexual slaves.
"The young people are utilized and many of them are
killed."
Fouad El Bathy has spent the past nine months trying
to bring his teenage sister safely home from Syria
before it is too late.
Nora, 16, was recruited and given a plane ticket to join
the fight in Syria, according to French intelligence.
Fouad is convinced she is being held against her will, and took the
risky step of trying to find her and get her back -- he was even taken
captive at one point.
But when he finally tracked her down, he couldn't convince her to leave.
"I told her to come back with me but she cried and beat her head
against the wall and she said I can't I can't."
Later he was told the leader of the group wanted to marry her.
Since Nora is a minor, El Bathy's lawyer hopes that if she does make
it back he can persuade French officials to treat her as a victim not a
combatant.
Like El Bathy and Bons, the relatives of many of those caught up in the
jihadists' web say they feel powerless to protect their children and
siblings.
Bons The scrapbook is filled with photographs and tributes: they
show Dominique Bons' son Nicolas growing from a teenager into a
young man.
Offering brief glimpses of past holidays and family moments, clues to
his passions and personality, the book is one of Bons' few souvenirs of
her son's short life.
Nicolas, from Toulouse, converted to Islam four years ago, gradually
becoming more and more devout.
Bons, who is a former French soldier, says Nicolas had never spoken
to her about wanting to join a religious war, but last year the 30-year-
old announced he and his half-brother were going on vacation together.
Three weeks later he called to say they were in Syria -- two of the
more than 900 French citizens the government believes are involved in
the jihad there and in Iraq.
Within days, his half-brother was killed, and shortly
afterward he spoke to his mother for the last time,
telling her she would be notified if anything happened
to him.
In late December, Bons received a text message
explaining that Nicolas has been killed in "an
explosives operation" -- that's all she knows.
"The body? There is no body... I don't have a body,"
she says. "If he was killed in a truck filled with
explosives, the body... boom!"
Because no body has been recovered, there is also no
death certificate, meaning that --officially at least, in
France -- Nicolas is still alive.
For his mother, he always will be. In her grief, she
has written a poem -- added to the treasured
scrapbook -- telling her son: "You will exist in my
heart eternally. I love you."
Unlike Bons, one anonymous French bus driver knows
his daughter is still alive in Syria -- but he is
desperately worried that may not be the case for much
longer.
The man -- who asked not to be identified out of
concern for his daughter's safety -- says the 23-
year-old converted to Islam and married a Tunisian
man before moving to Syria with the couple's two
children.
The couple said they were going there to do
humanitarian work; they are now believed to be in Raqqa, and safe --
for the moment at least -- but the city, an ISIS stronghold, is a target
of coalition forces.
And both father and daughter fear she could be arrested if she comes
back to France.
He has a warning for other parents: "Pay attention... it could happen to
you before you even know it."
David Thomson, author of "The French Jihadists," believes there are
many reasons why so many French Muslims are becoming radicalized
and heading to Iraq and Syria to join militant groups.
"Religious frustrations, material frustrations, perhaps a feeling that it
would be a sin to stay back in France, a desire to experience this
historic moment and die fighting the coalition," he explains.
Concerned at the growing threat of radicalization, French authorities
have introduced new regulations in an effort to stem the tide of citizens
traveling to the Middle East to join the fight.
"We had to change our rules in different ways,"
Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius explained to CNN's
Christiane Amanpour recently.
"First we decided that the government, the
administration, would be able to suspend not only
passports but also ID for people whose intention is to
go to Syria."
The second step is to encourage families concerned at
the path their children appear to be taking to contact
the authorities and report their fears.
"Because we have many cases where families do not
agree with the youngster and at the moment they are
aware that the young people want to leave and therefore
they have to get in touch with us in order to have a
reaction," he said.
"We have to be very, very strict and to explain to these
young people, especially the young girls -- 13, 14
years old -- that if they are going there, some of them
think that it will be a new life, [but] in fact they are
prostitutes, they are sexual slaves.
"The young people are utilized and many of them are
killed."
Fouad El Bathy has spent the past nine months trying
to bring his teenage sister safely home from Syria
before it is too late.
Nora, 16, was recruited and given a plane ticket to join
the fight in Syria, according to French intelligence.
Fouad is convinced she is being held against her will, and took the
risky step of trying to find her and get her back -- he was even taken
captive at one point.
But when he finally tracked her down, he couldn't convince her to leave.
"I told her to come back with me but she cried and beat her head
against the wall and she said I can't I can't."
Later he was told the leader of the group wanted to marry her.
Since Nora is a minor, El Bathy's lawyer hopes that if she does make
it back he can persuade French officials to treat her as a victim not a
combatant.
Like El Bathy and Bons, the relatives of many of those caught up in the
jihadists' web say they feel powerless to protect their children and
siblings.
Bons has set up an organization aimed at publicizing what has
happened to some of those who have made the trip to Iraq and Syria.
She hopes that by spreading the news through schools and social
media, she can convince others of the dangers posed by Islamist
extremists -- though for her son, it is too late. set up an organization aimed at publicizing what has
happened to some of those who have made the trip to Iraq and Syria.
She hopes that by spreading the news through schools and social
media, she can convince others of the dangers posed by Islamist
extremists -- though for her son, it is too late.

WWF: World has lost more than half its wildlife in 40 years

The world's animal population has halved in
40 years as humans put unsustainable demands on Earth, a new report
warns.
The World Wide Fund for Nature's Living Planet Index, released
Tuesday, revealed the dramatic decline in animal species, and said the
trend could cost the world billions in economic losses.
Humans need one and a half Earths to sustain their current demands, it
said.
The index, which draws on research around WWF's
database of 3,000 animal species, is released every
two years. This year's has the starkest warning yet of
the risks associated with the decline of wildlife.
The fund notes that it's relying on a never-before-used
methodology in this year's report, "which aims to be
more representative of global biodiversity."
The index showed shows a 52% decline in wildlife
between 1970 and 2010, far more than earlier
estimates of 30%. It is due to people killing too many
animals for food and destroying their habitats.
"We are eating into our natural capital, making it more
difficult to sustain the needs of future generations," the
report said.
Researchers from the Zoological Society of London
looked at changes in populations of more than 3,000
species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and
fish, tracking over 10,000 different populations.
Photos: Spectacular wildlife around the world
The decline in animals living in rivers, lakes and
wetlands is the worst -- 76% of freshwater wildlife
disappeared in just 40 years. Marine species and
animals living on land suffered 39% decline in their
populations.
Animals living in tropics are the worst hit by what
WWF calls "the biggest recorded threats to our
planet's wildlife" as 63% of wildlife living in tropics
has vanished. Central and South America shows the
most dramatic regional decline, with a fall of 83%.
And while the animals are suffering now, the long-term
impact will be on people, the report said.
Marco Lambertini, director general of WWF
International, said "protecting nature is not a luxury....it
is quite the opposite. For many of the world's poorest
people, it is a lifeline."
According to Lambertini, the threat to oceans could
create economic losses of up to $428 billion by 2050.
The global fishing sector employs more than 660
million people, and fish provide more than 15% of
protein in people's diet.
Global food security is under threat as the demands of
growing population drain the resources. Forests
provide water, fuel and food for more than billion people, including
350 million of the world's poorest people.

11 of the world's most amazing train stations

Whether they're blasting over the tracks in Germany or
Japan, trains offer travelers a chance to sit back and relax as they ride
through some of the world's most incredible scenery.
But often the stations the trains depart from are an attraction in their
own right, counting among the world's most beautiful pieces of
architecture.
Hamburg-based architectural data company, Emporis just released a
list of 11 of the world's most spectacular train stations.
"Increasing numbers of cities are adorning themselves
with eye-catching station buildings that, with their
unconventional roof structures, bright colors and
extravagant shapes, become unique architectural
landmarks of those cities," the report says.
MORE: Europe's most impressive metro stations
The 11 stations include the artistic Hundertwasser
Bahnhof in Germany, decorated in the style of artist
Friedensreich; futuristic Gare de Liege-Guillemins in
Belgium, with its "gigantic arched roof that spans the
entire length of the station"; and the soon-to-be-
completed World Trade Center Transportation Hub in
New York "that will set new standards in station
architecture."
The report adds that historical stations are now being
eyed for elaborate and unusual renovations.
Love traveling by train? Share your favorite photos
King's Cross in London and Gare de Strasbourg in France, for instance,
are among stations that are now part modern art and part historical
landmarks.
Meanwhile, architectural masterpieces like Grand Central Terminal in
New York and Chhaatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai are equally
as impressive today as they were when opening in 1913 and 1888,
respectively.
Check out the above gallery for Emporis' full list of spectacular train
stations.

Beyond Pistorius: rise of 'cyberathletes' could change sport as we know it

Andy Lewis' dream died when he was 16. Just out of
school, the Englishman had been accepted for an elite traineeship with
the army when he was hit by a truck, which resulted in most of his left
leg being amputated.
The available prosthetics were basic and uncomfortable, severely
restricting his movement. For over a decade, he could not run.
"The legs were too heavy and manufacturing companies didn't
understand what materials I needed," Lewis recalls.
Now 31, Lewis is fresh from winning a gold medal at the Madrid World
Paratriathlon in September. The achievement owes much to his
determination to succeed, but technology has also finally caught up with
his ambition.
Lewis won the race using an Ottobock S380 - the first above-the-
knee prosthetic leg specially made for athletes. A lightweight, shock-
absorbing frame allows for greater speed and comfort, and a flexible
knee joint provides range of movement and versatility that enables
Lewis to make rapid transitions from the pool to bike to track -- which
shaved critical seconds off his winning time.
But when we meet at his training center in Chesham,
on the outskirts of London, the champion is impatient
for further progress.
"By the Paralympics in 2016 I can envisage a lot of
new legs coming out...The knees are getting smaller,
the legs will have microprocessors, and you will be
able to press a button to change foot for the different events."
Lewis also hopes to have a 3D-printed socket to avoid some of the
bruising he suffers in competition.
To his support team at Pace Rehabilitation , the new champion is a
symbol of a revolution in prosthetics, which is transforming lives and
sporting competition.
"There have been major changes in the last two to three years," says
Pace's head prosthetist Jamie Gillespie. "It used to be that there were
only two types of running blade, but companies are now offering a
greater range for different competitions, adjusted to boost performance,
so the challenge now is to find the right blade for the right person for
the right sport."
Previous models were generally too painful for athletes with prosthetics
to run over 200 meters, but Gillespie notes that Oscar Pistorius rose
to prominence at 400 meters. As the possibilities multiply for
disabled athletes, so too does participation, competition, and standards,
which encourages manufacturers to develop ever-better equipment.
Pace's clients include numerous Paralympic athletes, and they work
with some of the most advanced new prosthetics. These include
Ottobock's new Genium X3 , widely regarded as the most advanced
prosthetic leg in the world, co-developed with the US military and
fitted with a micro-processor that adjusts for the user's stride pattern,
different types of movement from jogging to climbing stairs, and a
range of terrains.
Another client, skier Jozef Metelka, became the first European to
receive a power assisted ankle system from Biom last year, which
allows him to move faster and use less energy.
As the equipment improves, athletes with prosthetics have achieved
some startling feats, even out-performing able-bodied athletes.
Amputee long jumper Markus Rehm won the German national
championships with a jump of 8.24 meters on carbon fiber blades,
before the athletics federations controversially excluded him from their
squad, claiming he could have an unfair advantage.

Andy Murray survives five match points to break trophy drought

It's been 15 long months since he lifted a trophy and Andy
Murray certainly did it the hard way.
The Scot survived five match points against Tommy Robredo in the
Shenzhen Open final Sunday before closing out a grueling three-set
victory in two and a half hours.
Following his 2013 triumph at Wimbledon, Murray had back surgery
later that year and has struggled to match those heroics this year.
He opted to play at the inaugural even in China and
after battling to the final found himself a set down and
trailing 2-6 in the second set tiebreaker.
Showing typical fighting quality he saved the initial
four match points and another at 7-6 down, before
claiming the tiebreaker to level.
The third set was one-sided as Murray won 5-7 7-6
6-1 and moves up to 10th in the race to make the ATP
Tour Finals in London in November, with the top eight
qualifying.
"It's been a long time since I won a tournament,"
Murray told the official ATP Tour website.
"The way that the match was won doesn't happen very
often. It's rare to win a match like that. I was very
close to losing.
"It was an emotional week for me. I managed to fight
my way through it, win the title, and hopefully I can
win another one before the end of the year."
Murray will stay in China for the ATP World Tour
500 tournament in Beijing and the ATP World Tour Masters 1000
event in Shanghai, hoping to reach the finals for a seventh year in a
row.
He was claiming his 29th career title, the first since beating Novak
Djokovic in last year's Wimbledon final.
Robredo was also looking for his first title since last year and was
disappointed to lose out after having so many chances.
"In a match like today that was so close, it's tough to accept it. But
Andy did a great job. He was pushing right till the end and in the end,
he deserved it," the Spaniard added.