Saturday, December 4, 2010

A Repost From ANN (Asian News Network)



It's official: Philippines bests India as No. 1 in BPO

Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - After challenging India for the top position for several years, the Philippines is now the world leader in business support functions like shares services and business process outsourcing, according to the latest reports and trends analyses.

In fact, the country overtook India in these categories last year, according to IBM's latest Global Locations Trend Annual Report, released recently in New York.

India now ranks No. 2, the first time it was not in the leading position for these activities, according to the IBM report, launched in October but made available online last month.

"The Philippines has taken over the lead in the global ranking from India," the report said.

The IBM report said the Philippines offered a similarly attractive business environment for international business support functions as India. Unlike India's BPO hot spots, however, labor costs here have not increased as much.

On Thursday (December 2), the Contract Center Association of the Philippines said the country had become the call centre of the world, with around 350,000 Filipinos working in call centers against India's 330,000-strong workforce.

Revenues from the country's call center industry are also expected to reach $5.7 billion this year, higher than India's $5.5 billion, the CCAP said.

The call centre industry, which provides so-called "voice" services like customer support and sales, is part of the BPO industry.

Call centres make up 70 per cent of the BPO industry in the Philippines.

Currently, there are 600,000 Filipinos employed in the country's BPO industry, according to the Business Processing Association of the Philippines.

India is here

In yet another sign of the Philippines' BPO dominance, Tata Consultancy Services, the information technology services, business solutions and outsourcing arm of India's giant Tata Group, opened its first BPO centre in Southeast Asia at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig on Thursday.

"We believe that the Philippines has a very high quality of talent that can represent the company before our Asia-Pacific customers and our global customers," said Vish Iyer, head for the Asia-Pacific region for Tata Consultancy Services.

Iyer also said Tata chose the Philippines because it "wants to be here to see the Philippine BPO industry grow from its current $9 billion (in annual revenues) to the projected $25 billion in 2016."

The BPO centre that Tata Consultancy inaugurated will have 400 seats, and a target of three clients, including Citibank.

Abid Ali Z. Neemuchwala, vice president and global head for business process services and process excellence, said the company expects to more than double this to 1,000 seats and a target of five clients two years from now.

The firm generated revenues of about $6 billion last year.

Support for BPO industry

In November, Philippine senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago said she would file a measure to "jump-start legislative support for the BPO industry, especially its workers" and urged other legislators "to formulate laws supporting this booming sunshine industry".

According to the International Labour Organisation, the BPO industry may be broadly divided into voice services such as call and contact centers, and non-voice or "back office" services, like finance and accounting, data processing and management, and human resource development.

An ILO report released last July noted that Filipino BPO employees were earning 53 percent more than workers of the same age in other industries.

Local BPO employees also work 44.7 hours per week on the average, with overtime work averages of 1.12 hours per week.

Night work

The study also found that 42.6 per cent of BPO employees in the country work at night, and that respondents have reported sleep disorders, fatigue, eye strain and body pains.

Following India in IBM's ranking of BPO leaders were the United States, Poland, China, Britain, Columbia, Costa Rica, Fiji, Ireland, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Hungary, Australia, Egypt, Chile, France, Canada, France, Singapore and the Netherlands.

The IBM report said Sri Lanka was another Asian country that had succeeded in positioning itself as an alternative to India. With Inquirer Research

Reposted From ANN (Asian News Network)

Friday, December 3, 2010

A Repost From PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal)



Akihiro Sato is the Celebrity Sole Survivor; takes home P3M cash prize

Akihiro Sato is the Celebrity Sole Survivor; takes home P3M cash prize
Slideshow: Showbiz Photos

Sa pagtatapos ng Survivor Philippines Celebrity Showdown, pinatunayan ng Brazilian-Japanese model turned actor na si Akihiro Sato na kayang madeklarang Sole Survivor gamit ang puso at mabuting hangarin.

Si Akihiro, o Aki sa kanyang mga kaibigan, ang idineklarang winner sa third season ng Kapuso hit realty show na Survivor Philippines.

Live na nai-broadcast ang finale mula sa Studio 5 ng GMA-7 kagabi, Disyembre 3.

THE FINAL FOUR. Apat na castaways ang nakarating sa finale. Bukod kay Aki, sila ay ang dating sexy actress na si Aubrey Miles, ang basketball player at model na si Ervic Vijandre, at ang model at make-up artist na si Solenn Heussaff.

Sa Final 4, si Aki ang pinakagusto ng mga manonood. Sa katunayan, siya ang nanguna sa poll na ginawa rito sa PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) sa tanong kung sino ang karapat-dapat manalo sa Final 4.

Sa apat kasing finalists, si Aki ang sinasabing "Mr. Nice Guy."

Ayon sa mga masugid na manonood ng Survivor, walang sinirang alliance at walang tinraydor na kapwa castaway si Akihiro.

Si Aubrey naman ang tinawag na "Pasimuno" sa season na ito dahil siya ang nagplano ng boot order, o kung sino ang dapat na matanggal tuwing Tribal Council.

Si Ervic naman ang naging kanang-kamay ni Aubrey at tinaguriang "The Player."

Si Solenn—na tinaguriang "Diwata ng Isla"—ay nagkaroon naman ng iba't ibang alliances, na isa-isa ring nasira dahil sa pagtalikod niya sa mga ito.

"Nice guy" rin ang tingin ng karamihan ng Jury kay Aki.

Ang jury ang bumoto para malaman kung sino ang magiging Sole Survivor, at binubuo ito ng mga natanggal ng castaways.

Kasama sa Jury sina Jon Hall, Aira Bermudez, Michelle Madrigal, Ahron Villena, Elma Muros, at Moi Marcampo. Huling nasama sa jury si Aubrey, na natanggal dahil sa Final 4 twist ng season na ito.

LIVE FINALE. Sa pagsisimula ng live finale ay binasa ng host na si Richard Gutierrez ang mga boto kung sino ang magiging ika-pito at huling miyembro ng Jury.

Parehong nakakuha ng tatlong boto sina Aubrey at Akihiro, samantalang tigda-dalawa naman sina Ervic at Solenn.

Dahil nagkaroon ng tie sa pagitan nina Aubrey at Akihiro, kinailangang bumotong muli ng jury at Final 4.

Sa second voting, si Aubrey ang nakakuha ng pinakamaraming boto kaya siya ang natanggal.

Naiwan sina Akihiro, Ervic, at Solenn para maglaban-laban sa titulong Celebrity Sole Survivor at cash prize na P3 million—tax-free.

Naging mahigpit ang labanan ng tatlong natitirang castaways. Si Akihiro ay nakakuha ng tatlong boto at tigda-dalawang boto naman nina Solenn at Ervic.

Dahil dito, si Akihiro ang idineklarang first Celebrity Sole Survivor.

WHAT WENT BEFORE. Sa Ranong Province, Thailand ginanap ang Survivor Philippines Celebrity Showdown, na isinagawa mula Hulyo hanggang Agosto 2010.

Nagtagal ng 36 na araw ang buong kumpetisyon.

Ito ang unang celebrity season ng Survivor Philippines, at ang aktor na si Richard Gutierrez ang naging host nito.

Kasali dito ang 18 celebrities sa Pilipinas, at hinati sila sa tatlong tribo: Magan, Sar Mayee, at Nagar.

Ang mga miyembro ng Magan ay sina Doc Ferdz Recio, Buhawi Meneses, Myka Flores, Elma Muros, Mico Aytona, at Solenn Heussaff.

Kasama naman sa Sar Mayee sina Aira Bermudez, Pretty Trizsa, Akihiro Sato, Ervic Vijandre, Karen delos Reyes, at Aubrey Miles.

Ang mga naging miyembro naman ng Nagar ay sina Jon Hall, Michelle Madrigal, Elma Muros, Moi Marcampo, at Ian Batherson.

May isang celebrity castaway na hindi nakasali sa kahit anong tribo dahil nag-quit ito matapos lamang ang dalawang araw. Ito ay ang StarStruck V Avenger na si Princess Snell, na hindi kinaya ang gutom sa isla.

Sunud-sunod ang pagkapanalo ng immunity ng tribong Nagar, dahil na rin sa pagiging malakas na leader ni Jon.

Samantala, naging pinakamahinang grupo naman ang tribong Magan, dahil na rin sa mga maling desisyon ng mga miyembro nito.

Unang natanggal sa Magan si Doc Ferdz, matapos magkaroon ng twist kung saan ang tribe leader na si Buhawi lamang ang boboto.

Sumunod na natanggal si Myka, na binoto ng tribo dahil sa pagkakasakit nito.

Ikatlong natanggal si Buwi, na binoto ng mga natitirang miyembro ng Magan na sina Solenn, Mico, at Elma matapos nila itong sisihin sa pagkakatanggal kay Doc Ferdz, na isa sa pinakamalakas nilang miyembro.

SHUFFLE. Matapos ang sunud-sunod na pagkatalo ng Magan sa immunity challenges, nagkaroon ng shuffle at na-dissolve ang nasabing tribo.

Ang naging miyembro ng bagong Sar Mayee ay sina Akihiro, Ervic, Aubrey, Elma, Michelle, Jon, at Trizsa.

Kasama naman sa bagong Nagar sina Karen, Mico, Ian, Aira, Ahron, Moi, at Solenn.

Dahil sa shuffle, nawalan ng kaalyansa si Karen, maliban kay Aira, at natanggal siya matapos matalo ang bagong Nagar sa immunity challenge.

Sumunod namang natanggal si Trizsa nang makita siyang hindi mapagkakatiwalaan ng kanyang tribong bagong Sar Mayee.

Sumunod namang natanggal sina Mico at Ian dahil sa isang double-elimination twist.

Sa part one ng double elimination episode, tinawag ng mga manonood na "traydor" si Solenn dahil sa pagboto niya kay Mico, na kasama na niya mula pa sa Magan.

THE MERGE. Matapos ang double elimination twist ay sumapit na ang merge. Nakasama sa merge sina Ervic, Aubrey, Aki, Jon, Michelle, Aira, Solenn, Elma, Moi, at Ahron.

Mas lalong naging solid sa merge ang Aubrey-Ervic-Aki alliance.

Unang natanggal si Jon, na sinasabing biggest threat ngayong season.

Sumunod namang natanggal si Aira matapos niyang pagplanuhang i-vote out si Ervic.

Tinanggal naman si Michelle, girlfriend ni Jon, dahil wala na siyang kaalyansa sa kumpetisyon.

Si Aubrey ang nagplano ng sumunod na boot order, na binase niya sa kung sino dapat ang kasama nila ng pinaka-alliance niyang si Ervic sa final three para masiguro ang kanilang panalo.

Sa pagtataya ni Aubrey, malaki ang tsansa niyang manalo kung kasama niya si Solenn.

Agad namang nabuo ang Aubrey-Ervic-Solenn alliance nang hindi alam ni Aki.

Sumama si Solenn sa alliance dahil nakita niyang mas malaki ang tsansa niyang manalo kung kasama niya ang dalawang "villain" ng season.

Natupad ang boot order ni Aubrey: sunud-sunod na natanggal sina Ahron, Elma, at Moi.

Nagkaroon naman ng Final 4 twist: apat na castaways ang natitirang maglalaban-laban para sa titulo at cash prize.

Bago umalis sa isla, bumoto ang Final 4 at ang jury ng nais nilang matanggal, at magiging huling miyembro ng jury.

Magkakaroon naman ng live voting sa Pilipinas para malaman kung sino ang magiging Sole Survivor.

VOTE REVEALED. Kagabi lamang ipinaalam ang resulta ng botohan para sa ika-pitong miyembro ng jury.

Live na binasa ang boto, at ipinakitang tie ang resulta para kina Aubrey at Aki. Samakatuwid, awtomatikong pasok na sa Final 3 sina Ervic at Solenn.

Nagbotohan naman muli ang Final 4 at jury para malaman kung sino kina Aubrey at Aki ang matatanggal.

Nang binasa muli ang boto, idineklara si Aubrey na pampitong miyembro ng jury.

Matapos nito, binigyan ng pagkakataon ang Final 3 na magbigay ng maikling speech para sa jury.

Pahayag ni Aki, ginawa lamang niya ang nararapat at magiging mabuting halimbawa para sa manonood kung siya ang mananalo.

"We can show the right thing," sabi niya.

Saad naman ni Ervic, siya raw ang "pinaka-nangangailangan" ng titulo at ng premyong P3 million.

Ayon naman kay Solenn, marami siyang pinagdaanan para marating ang Final 3.

"I came from a broken tribe, I broke a lot of my alliances, and I'm the only Magan standing... I'm in every Tribal Council of this season except one, and I'm the only last girl standing," sabi niya.

Binigyang din ng pagkakataon ang mga malalapit na tao sa Final 3 para magbigay ng pahayag para sa jury.

Unang nagsalita si Louie Heussaff, na ama ni Solenn. "She's fair, she's good, and she's my daughter," pahayag nito.

Ayon naman kay Joseph de Leon, na kaibigan ni Aki, ang Brazilian-Japanese model-actor daw ang pinaka-nangangailangan ng pera sa tatlo. Ito rin daw ang may hangaring tumulong sa mga charity kapag nanalo.

Saad naman ni Vicky Vijandre, ina ni Ervic, mahirap ang pinagdaanan ng kanyang anak para lamang makasali sa Survivor Philippines.

JURY VOTES. Matapos ang speech ng Final 3 at ng kanilang mga kamag-anak at kaibigan, bumoto na ang jury.

Sa harap sila ng audience nagsulat ng boto. Matapos isulat ang pangalan ng gusto nilang castaway, itiniklop nila ang papel at nagbigay ng pahayag sa camera para ipaliwanag ang kanilang boto.

Si Jon ang unang bumoto. Ayon sa kanya, hindi raw charity ang Survivor Philippines kaya binoto niya ang pinaka-deserving at hindi ang taong nangangailangan ng pera.

Ayon naman kay Aira, humanga siya sa taong ibinoto niya.

Humanga naman si Michelle sa ginawa ng castaway na ibinoto niya sa final challenge.

Natuwa naman si Ahron dahil hindi raw sumuko ang kanyang binoto.

Saad naman ni Elma, ang ibinoto niya ay ang pinaka-deserving para sa kanya at sa mga Pilipino.

Ang ibinoto naman ni Moi ay gumamit daw ng "utak at puso."

Tingin naman ni Aubrey, ang binoto niya ang "pinaka-deserving."

AKI WINS. Matapos nito ay binasa na ni Richard ang mga boto. Naging head-to-head ang labanan, at sa huli ay idineklarang panalo si Aki.

Nakakuha ng tatlong boto si Aki mula kina Elma, Aira, at Jon.

Nakakuha ng dalawang boto si Ervic mula kina Moi at Aubrey.

Nanggaling naman kina Ahron at Michelle ang dalawang boto ni Solenn.

Naghiyawan ang mga tao sa studio nang i-announce ang pangalan ni Aki bilang Sole Survivor.

Mismong ang presidente ng GMA-7 na si Atty. Felipe Gozon ang nag-abot kay Aki ng tseke na nagkakahalaga ng P3 million

THE SOLE SURVIVOR. Na-interview ng PEP si Aki ilang sandali matapos ang live finale.

Halatang shocked pa si Aki at halos hindi makapagsalita.

"I don't know what word I can say. Just again say, thank...maraming salamat sa Survivor," sambit niya, habang suot-suot ang necklace na sumisimbolo ng kanyang pagkapanalo.

Hindi raw niya in-expect na mananalo siya.

"Kasi sobrang tight, lahat sila, nung the vote, the other castaways, was really tight. So, you really don't know how many chances I have."

Nagpasalamat din siya sa kanyang mga tagahanga, na ang iba ay dumayo pa sa studio para panoorin siya nang live.

"This time now, I just like to thank all of my fans for support. Not just all of the fans, pero the Survivor support. It's wonderful," sabi ni Aki.

Kinumpirma niya ring tutulong siya sa charity.

"Siyempre naman, I work with Gawad Kalinga. I like to help people... Siyempre gusto ko to help. I'm looking to help more people," aniya.

Ano ang plano niya ngayong nanalo siya?

"A lot of things. I want to bring my family [from Brazil]. I have the possibility to make a business," sagot ni Aki.

Gusto rin daw ng modelo na bumili ng sarili niyang sasakyan.

Sa kanyang panghuling pahayag, sinabi ni Aki na narating niya ang panalo nang hindi gumagawa ng masama.

"Good thing for the Filipinos, like you don't need to play dirty. You can play with your heart to get to where I am now. I don't know, thank you so much," saad niya.

Reposted From PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal)


Thursday, December 2, 2010

A Repost From AP (Associated Press)



Starry, starry, starry night: Star count may triple

This photo provided by NASA, taken in 2006 by the Hubble Space Telescope shows a cluster of diverse galaxies. A new study led by a Yale University ast AP – This photo provided by NASA, taken in 2006 by the Hubble Space Telescope shows a cluster of diverse galaxies. …

WASHINGTON – The universe may glitter with far more stars than even Carl Sagan imagined when he rhapsodized about billions upon billions. A new study suggests there are a mind-blowing 300 sextillion of them, or three times as many as scientists previously calculated. That is a 3 followed by 23 zeros. Or 3 trillion times 100 billion.

The estimate, contained in a study published online Wednesday in the journal Nature, is based on findings that there are many more red dwarf stars — the most common star in the universe — than once thought.

But the research goes deeper than that. The study by Yale University astronomer Pieter van Dokkum and Harvard astrophysicist Charlie Conroy questions a key assumption that astronomers often use: that most galaxies have the same properties as our Milky Way. And that conclusion is deeply unsettling to astronomers who want a more orderly cosmos.

When scientists previously estimated the total number of stars, they assumed that all galaxies had the same ratio of dwarf stars as the Milky Way, which is spiral-shaped. Much of our understanding of the universe is based on observations made inside our own galaxy and then extrapolated to other galaxies.

But about one-third of the galaxies in the universe are elliptical, not spiral, and van Dokkum found they aren't really made up the same way as ours.

Using the Keck telescope in Hawaii, van Dokkum and a colleague gazed into eight distant, elliptical galaxies and looked at their hard-to-differentiate light signatures. The scientists calculated that elliptical galaxies have more red dwarf stars than predicted. A lot more.

[Related: Atmosphere of alien super-earth revealed for first time]

"We're seeing 10 or 20 times more stars than we expected," van Dokkum said.

Generally scientists believe there are 100 billion to a trillion galaxies in the universe. And each galaxy — the Milky Way included — was thought to have 100 billion to a trillion stars. Sagan, the Cornell University scientist and best-selling author who was often impersonated by comedians as saying "billions and billions," usually said there were 100 billion galaxies, each with 100 billion stars.

Van Dokkum's work takes these numbers and adjusts them. That's because some of those galaxies — the elliptical ones, which account for about a third of all galaxies — have as many as 1 trillion to 10 trillion stars, not a measly 100 billion. When van Dokkum and Conroy crunched the incredibly big numbers, they found that it tripled the estimate of stars in the universe from 100 sextillion to 300 sextillion.

That's a huge number to grasp, even for astronomers who are used to dealing in light years and trillions, Conroy said.

"It's fun because it gets you thinking about these large numbers," Conroy said. Conroy looked up how many cells are in the average human body — 50 trillion or so — and multiplied that by the 6 billion people on Earth. And he came up with about 300 sextillion.

So the number of stars in the universe "is equal to all the cells in the humans on Earth — a kind of funny coincidence," Conroy said.

For the past month, astronomers have been buzzing about van Dokkum's findings, and many aren't too happy about them, said astronomer Richard Ellis of the California Institute of Technology.


Reposted From AP (Associated Press)

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

A Repost From PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal)



Sunshine Dizon's husband turns himself in to police after running down elderly woman

Sunshine Dizon's husband turns himself in to police after running down elderly woman
Slideshow: Showbiz Photos

Sumuko na sa pulisya si Timothy Tan, ang asawa ng aktres na si Sunshine Dizon, matapos makasagasa ng 60-taong gulang na babae kahapon ng gabi, Nobyembre 29.

Namatay sa aksidente ang biktima, na kinilalang si Johara Alignaye, isang Badjao.

Ayon sa ulat ng Umagang Kay Ganda ng ABS-CBN kaninang umaga, Nobyembre 30, nangyari ang aksidente sa Barangay Balibago sa Angeles, Pampanga, sa ganap na alas-onse ng gabi.

Natagpuan ang bangkay ni Alignaye na nakahiga sa kalsada.

Ayon sa mga saksi, mabilis daw ang pagmamaneho ni Timothy sa kanyang itim na kotse nang mabangga niya ang tumatawid na biktima.

"Nag-red light, e, [tapos] nag-green, tapos bigla siyang nagbilis... Open ang daan... Yung matanda, tumatawid. Tapos, hindi na siya pumreno, dire-diretso siya hanggang sa makalayo siya," saad ni Junell Magnaye, isa sa mga saksi.

Agad namang sumuko si Timothy sa mga awtoridad.

Kakasuhan umano ang mister ni Sunshine ng Reckless Imprudence Resulting in Homicide.

Tumangging magpaunlak ng panayam si Timothy sa staff ng Umagang Kay Ganda.

Pinakasalan ni Timothy, isang piloto, ang aktres na si Sunshine noong March 20, 2010 sa isang private ceremony sa Valle Verde 6 clubhouse sa Pasig City.

Wala pa silang anak, bagamat apat na buwang buntis ngayon si Sunshine.

Reposted From PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal)

Monday, November 29, 2010

A Repost From AFP

China surgery probe after death of TV personality

Sina.com-issued photo shows Chinese TV personality Wang Bei. Authorities in China have launched a probe into the death of the aspiring pop singer during plastic surgery, an incident that has sparked concerns about the dangers of going under the knife.
Slideshow: Faces of Asia PH

BEIJING (AFP) - – Chinese authorities have launched a probe into the death of an aspiring pop singer during plastic surgery, an incident that has sparked concerns about the dangers of going under the knife.

Wang Bei, 24, a former contestant on "Super Girl" -- China's smash-hit answer to "American Idol" -- died on November 15 during "facial bone-grinding surgery" in Wuhan, capital of the central province of Hubei.

"The Ministry of Health has tasked the Hubei health department to investigate and verify the situation... and to announce results of the probe to the public without delay," the ministry said in a statement late Saturday.

Wang, whose beauty had made her a popular contestant on "Super Girl", died in an "anaesthetic accident" as she was having surgery, the official Xinhua news agency reported earlier, citing the local health bureau.

Her jaw suddenly started bleeding during the procedure, blocking her windpipe and causing her to suffocate, reports said.

Wang's mother was having the same procedure at the clinic when her daughter died.

Her death has fuelled concerns about the dangers of plastic surgery in a country where three million people go under the knife each year, according to figures published by state media.

Surging demand for cosmetic surgery has led to untrained doctors carrying out operations, "which is risky and irresponsible," Zhang Huabin, a professor of plastic surgery at southern China's Guangdong Medical College, was quoted by Xinhua as saying.

The health ministry has ordered increased supervision in the industry, according to the statement.

Reposted From AFP

Sunday, November 28, 2010

A Repost From AFP


India's Ambani shows off 'world's priciest home'

Indian billionaire tycoon Mukesh Ambani, pictured, has hosted a lavish housewarming party to show off his just-completed new skyscraper residence, believed to be the world's most expensive private home.
Slideshow: Faces of Asia PH

MUMBAI (AFP) - – Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani has hosted a lavish housewarming party to show off his just-completed new skyscraper residence, believed to be the world's most expensive private home.

Some 80 of India's rich and famous attended the party on Friday night at the 27-storey building, which dominates the skyline above the sprawling slums and traffic-choked roads of Mumbai, the Times of India reported.

Indian novelist Shobhaa De, who attended the party, called the building -- reported to be the world's priciest private residence costing over one billion dollars -- "the Taj Mahal of the 21st century".

Ambani, who heads India's largest private company, petrochemical giant Reliance Industries, will need 600 employees to maintain the palatial residence, reports said.

De described visiting "what has got to be the biggest, glitziest ballroom in India -- the Palace of Versailles is a poor cousin" with groaning buffet tables lining "one of the unending walls".

Ambani, his wife and three children are to live in the 174-metre (570-feet) tall home, which according to reports has six floors of parking, swimming pools and a cinema. It is named after the mythical Atlantic island "Antilia".

One newspaper said the residence epitomised "the swagger and confidence of India's economically buoyant upper echelons".

Ambani, 53, is India's wealthiest man with a 27-billion-dollar fortune, according to Forbes.

Anti-poverty campaigners have highlighted the contrast between the home and the plight of many in Mumbai, where half of the estimated 18 million population live in slums, with sketchy or non-existent power and water supplies.

The gulf between rich and poor is visible just a short walk from Ambani's residence on Altamount Road, where entire families can be found living under a flyover and on pavements near foreign consulates and exclusive boutiques.

Guests at the residence, which has a temple on the ground floor and a personal library on the top, included Bollywood stars Preity Zinta and Aamir Khan as well as Indian billionaire Kumar Mangalam Birla.

"It's great to breathe fresh air at this height and leave Mumbai's pollution down below," one unnamed guest was quoted as saying about the vertical mansion with its panoramic views of Mumbai and the Arabian Sea beyond.

Designed according to Vaastu principles, an Indian tradition much like feng shui -- said to move energy beneficially through the building -- the building looks from the outside like a tall pile of books of varying sizes.

Mukesh Ambani's elderly mother also has quarters at the new home.

She will commute between Antilia and the 14-storey residence of her younger son Anil where all family members previously lived under one roof -- albeit on separate floors, novelist De reported.

Ambani's younger brother Anil held a "parallel party" at the family's original Seawind residence the same night, De said.

The siblings in May publicly ended a bitter feud arising from the division of the vast conglomerate left by their rags-to-riches father Dhirubhai, who died in 2002 without a will. However they are still rarely seen together.

Reposted From AFP

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