Some of the World’s Tallest Buildings

1.
Taipei 101 Tower in Taipei, Taiwan. C.Y. Lee & Partner, Architects. Location: Taipei, Taiwan
Architect: C.Y. Lee & Partner
Year: 2004
Height: 509 meters / 1,670 feet
Stories: 101





About the Taipei 101 Tower

The design of Taipei 101 borrows heavily from Chinese culture. Both the building's interior and exterior incorporate the Chinese pagoda form and the shape of bamboo flowers. The lucky number eight, which means blooming or success, is represented by the eight clearly delineated exterior sections of the building.


2.

The Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Cesar Pelli, Architect. Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Architect: Cesar Pelli
Year: 1998
Petronas Tower 1 Height: 452 meters / 1,483 feet
Petronas Tower 1 Stories: 88
Petronas Tower 2 Height: 452 meters / 1,483 feet
Petronas Tower 2 Stories: 88



About the Petronas Towers

Traditional Islamic design inspired the floor plans for two Petronas towers in Kuala Lumur, Malaysia. Each floor of the 88-story towers is shaped like an 8-pointed star. The two towers have been called cosmic pillars that spiral heavenward. At the 42nd floor, a flexible bridge connects the two Petronas Towers.

3.

Sears Tower in Chicago, USA. Bruce Graham (SOM), Architect. Location: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Architect: Bruce Graham, Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM)
Year: 1973
Height: 442 meters / 1,450 feet
Stories: 110

About the Sears Tower

To provide stability against high winds, architect Bruce Graham used a new form of tubular construction for Sears Tower. Two hundred sets of bundled tubes were laid into the bedrock. Then, 76,000 tons of prefabricated steel in 15-foot by 25-foot sections were put into place. Four derrick cranes moved higher with each floor to lift these steel "Christmas Trees" into position.
Facts about the Sears Tower:

• The Sears Tower covers two city blocks and has 101 acres (4.4 million square feet) of office and commercial space.
• The roof rises a quarter of a mile -- 1, 454 feet (442 meters).
• Its highest occupied floor is 1,431 feet above the ground.
• The foundation and the floor slabs have some 2 million cubic feet of concrete -- enough to build an eight-lane highway five miles long.
• The Tower has more than 16,000 bronze-tinted windows and 28 acres of black duranodic aluminum skin.
• The 222,500-ton building is supported by 114 rock caissons. Each is securely socketed into the bedrock.
• A 106-cab elevator system (including 16 double decker elevators) divides the Tower into three separate zones, with skylobbies in between.

4.
Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai. Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM), Architects. Location: Shanghai, China
Architect: Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM)
Year: 1999
Height: 421 meters / 1,381 feet
Stories: 88

About the Jin Mao Building

The architects at Skidmore Owings & Merrill designed the Jin Mao Building around the number eight. Shaped like a Chinese pagoda, the Jin Mao Building is divided into segments. The lowest segment has 16 stories, and each succeeding segment is 1/8 smaller than the one below. Totalling 88 stories, the Jin Mao Building combines shopping and commercial space with office space and, on the upper 38 stories, the towering Grand Hyatt Hotel.

5.

Two International Finance Centre (IFC) in Hong Kong. Cesar Pelli, Architect. Location: Hong Kong
Architect: Cesar Pelli
Year: 2003
Height: 414 meters / 1,362 feet
Stories: 88

About Two IFC

Two IFC is the taller of two International Finance Centre buildings and part of a US$2.8 billion complex that includes a luxury shopping mall, the Four Seasons Hotel, and Hong Kong Station. Architect Cesar Pelli was selected to design Two IFC after winning an international design competition.

6.
CITIC Plaza in Guangzhou, China, DLN Architects. Location: Guanzhou, China
Architect: DLN Architects
Year: 1997
Height: 391 meters / 1,283 feet
Stories: 80

About CITIC Plaza:

The CITIC office tower in Guanzhou, China is flanked by two 38-story apartment buildings. The CITIC Plaza complex also has a train station, a metro station, and the Tianhe Sports Center.

Tribe Of Amazon

IN ISOLATION Members of an unknown Amazon Basin tribe and their dwellings are seen during a flight over the Brazilian state of Acre along the border with Peru in this May 2008 photo distributed by Survival nternational.

Survival International estimates that there are over 100 uncontacted tribes worldwide, and says that uncontacted tribes in the region are under increasing threat from illegal logging over the border in Peru .
Taken from a small airplane, the photos show men outside thatched communal huts, necks craned upward, pointing bows toward the air in a remote corner of the Amazonian rainforest.

AWAY FROM CIVILIZATION
More than 100 uncontacted tribes remain worldwide, and about half live in the remote reaches of the Amazonian rainforest in Peru or Brazil .Illegal logging in Peru is threatening several uncontacted groups, pushing them over the border with Brazil and toward potential conflicts with about 500 uncontacted Indians living on the Brazilian side, Survival International said.

(Photo courtesy: AP)

Inflation at 11.05%: FM admits times are tough

Powered by the fuel price rise, annual inflation shot-through-the-roof on Friday jumping to 13-year high levels
and stood at 11.05% for the week ending June 07. A visibly concerned FM said, “These are difficult times. Government is aware of people’s difficulties, but fuel price hike was unavoidable.

Source : www.zeenews.com

price of petrol is highest and lowest in the world

The price of petrol in India is set to go through the roof. Reason? Global oil prices are at all-time high levels (about $130 per barrel) and the nation's public sector oil companies can no longer sustain the heavy subsidy on petroleum products.

which are the nations where the price of petrol is highest and lowest in the world?

• Turkey: Rs 113.30 per litre : In Turkey, the prices of petrol are the highest in the world. Petrol costs a whopping $2.68 or about Rs 113.30 per litre here. Guess, it's not a place one would want to drive in.

• Norway (Oslo): Rs 112 per litre : In Norway (Oslo), petrol prices are amongst the highest in the world and a shade lower than those in Turkey. In Olso petrol costs $2.65 or about Rs 112 per litre.

• United Kingdom: Rs 95.50 per litre : In United Kingdom, too, the cost of petrol is shockingly high. Petrol costs $2.26 or about Rs 95.50 per litre here.

• Hong Kong: Rs 84.10 per litre : In Hong Kong, petrol prices are a bit lower than in European nations, but it still boasts of the most expensive oil in Asia. Petrol costs $1.99 or about Rs 84.10 per litre in Hong Kong.

• Brazil (Sao Paolo): Rs 66 per litre : In Brazil (Sao Paolo), the price of petrol is much higher than in India and costs $1.56 or approximately Rs 66 per litre.

• Canada: Rs 57 per litre : In Canada, petrol costs $1.35 or about Rs 57 per litre, slightly more than the price in India or the United States.

• India: Rs 51 per litre : In dollar terms, the cost of petrol in India (in Mumbai, specifically) is around $1.20 (Rs 50.76) per litre. And it is set to rise by about 10-15 per cent.

• Pakistan: Rs 44.80 per litre : In Pakistan, petrol costs less than it does in India. At $1.06 or about Rs 44.80 per litre, petrol is still affordable here.

• The United States: Rs 44.25 per litre : In United States, petrol costs $1.047 or about Rs 44.25 per litre. And this is the price after a recent increase.. Even this led to a huge uproar in the nation and reports said that many Americans are now looking to drive fuel-efficient small cars.

• Russia (Moscow): Rs 42.275 per litre : In Russia (Moscow), petrol costs $1 or about Rs 42.275 per litre. Russia, of course, also has huge oil reserves.

• China: Rs 31.30 per litre : In China, petrol costs $0.74 or about Rs 31.30 per litre. That is almost half of what it costs in India.

• Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur): Rs 25.40 per litre : In Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur), petrol costs $0.60 or about Rs 25.40 per litre.

• United Arab Emirates: Rs 15.65 per litre :In the United Arab Emirates, petrol costs $0.37 or about Rs 15.65 per litre

Pakistan win tri-series; beat India by 25 runs in final

A spirited comeback by the Pakistan cricket team helped them beat India by 25 runs in the final of the tri-series. It was a clinical display of brilliant batting and disciplined bowling by the Pakistan team that helped them put behind the huge defeat suffered at the hands of India in the league stage and eventually beat the favourites in the all important final.

Source : www.zeeenews.com

Govt gives Rs 29.81 cr package for Bhagalpur riot victims

New delhi, June 12: After nearly two decades of the communal violence in Bhagalpur in Bihar, the Centre Thursday announced a Rs 29.81 crore relief and rehabilitation package for the next of kin of those killed and injured in the riots. .The package was approved by the Union Cabinet at its meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Under the relief package for Bhagalpur riot victims, an ex-gratia of Rs 3.5 lakh will be paid to the next of kin of each of the 844 persons killed in the 1989 communal violence, an official spokesman told reporters after the meeting. He said the relief amount would be in addition to what has been paid by the state government and added that this would entail an expenditure of Rs 29.54 crore to the exchequer.

A sum of up to Rs 1.25 lakh would be given to 22 injured persons, but the amount would be adjusted against what has been paid by the state government. This would entail an expenditure of Rs 26.99 lakh. The payment of ex-gratia to the victims of communal riots in Bhagalpur would be at par with the package announced for victims of anti-Sikh riots of 1984. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had earlier written to the Prime Minister asking for a relief package for the Bhagalpur riot victims at par with the relief given to the anti-Sikh riots.

Source: www.zeenews.com

Petrol price hiked by Rs 5, diesel by Rs 3; LPG to cost Rs 50 more

New Delhi, June 04: The Central government on Wednesday announced a steep hike in domestic fuel prices, effective midnight tonight. The price of petrol has been hiked by Rs 5 per litre, while the price of diesel has gone up by Rs 3. The domestic LPG will now cost Rs 50 more per cylinder. The price of kerosene oil, meanwhile, has been left untouched. The announcement with regard to the revision of fuel prices was made by Petroleum Minister Murli Deora at a press conference.

Earlier in the day, the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs met to discuss the surging global oil prices and approved the hike in domestic fuel prices.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will address the nation at 8:30 pm tonight to explain why his government has raised the fuel prices. The Left parties, meanwhile, have announced week-long nationwide protests against the hike beginning tomorrow.

Speaking at the press conference, the Revenue Secretary said that there will be no rationing of LPG cylinders as reported in a section of the media. Instead, the government will look to streamline LPG production and distribution, he said.

The official further informed that customs duty on crude oil imports has been cut from 5% to nil. The government has also reduced customs duty on petrol and diesel from the existing 7.5% to 2.5%, while the same has been cut from 10% to 5% for all other petroleum products. Further, excise duty on petrol and diesel has been slashed by Rs 1 per litre.

source : www.zeenews.com