TOP TEN GREATEST WONDERS OF THE WORLD

They’re the great wonders of the world that every intrepid traveller must have on their wish list.

From Ireland’s Giant’s Causeway, Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano, to India’s Taj Mahal and the Great Wall of China, to not see them, really is missing out.

A new book by Lonely Planet reveals the top 50 must-see world wonders – with the experts picking out their top 10 especially for MailOnline Travel.

The top 10 wonders of the world...

1. Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe/Zambia

2. Great Rift Valley, Ethiopia 

3. Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland

4. Taj Mahal, India

5. Terracotta Army, China

6. Great Wall of China, China

7. Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania  

8. Kilauea, Hawaii

9.  Hagia Sophia, Turkey

10. Potala Palace, Tibet

World’s Great Wonders brings together the most amazing man made structures and natural creations from across the globe.

From the formation of the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia to the painstaking creation of the Terracotta Army, the book dedicates at least four pages to each site’s fascinating facts, stunning photography and detailed illustrations which give the reader an insight into its creation.

The foreword for the book is provided by art historian and BBC presenter Dan Cruickshank who explains: ‘The aim of this book is straightforward – to inform, to inspire and to encourage its readers to travel. 

‘If you know key facts about your destination you will surely enjoy it – and most certainly understand it – better.

‘Of course the term “wonder” is loose, clearly subjective and poetic, rather than scientific or objective. I suggest anything that surprises, mystifies, or takes the breath away by its sheer size, beauty or audacity is a wonder.’

Jheni Osman, the author of The World’s Great Wonders, adds: ‘This book takes you a step further on your travels, revealing the science and engineering behind how epic structures were built or incredible natural wonders formed.

‘It was always going to be tough to reduce all the world’s amazing wonders into 50 must-see sights, but this book spans the heights of engineering, the spectrum of beautiful architecture, and the eons of time.’

World’s Great Wonders, which is now on sale priced £19.99, is available through Lonely Planet.

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe/Zambia: Explorer David Livingstone named the waterfalls of the Zambezi River after Queen Victoria, but locals call them Mosi-oa-Tunya, meaning 'the smoke that thunders'. Located on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, the falls plummet 108m, creating a mist that is visible from 20km away

Great Rift Valley, Ethiopia: Dallol volcano in the Great Rift Valley - the world's largest rift system which stretches 6,000km from the Red Sea down to Lake Malawi. Up to 74km in places, it's cradled by a series of cliffs, rising from the valley floor to the top of the highest escarpments, up to 1.6km above

Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland: Legend claims this rocky peninsula is the handiwork of an angry giant, but the real story behind the striking basalt columns is even more extraordinary

Taj Mahal, India: This marble-clad mausoleum, considered the most beautiful building in the world, and said by its creator to have made the sun and moon shed tears, is the jewel in India's crown

Terracotta Army, China: More than 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots and 670 horses from this vast, life-size clay army, protecting China's first emperor in the afterlife

Great Wall of China, China: The stone dragon weaves 6,500km across mountaintops and plunges deep into canyons. But its magnificence hides its tumultuous history

Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania: At 610m deep and 260sq-km, this is the largest unflooded caldera in the world. A blue-green vision from above, it's a haven for endangered wildlife and maasai livestock

Kilauea, Hawaii: The world¿s most active volcano has been constantly erupting for over three decades on Hawaii, creating the fastest-growing land on the planet

Hagia Sophia, Turkey: Cathedral. Mosque. Museum. The Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofya) has withstood the ravages of war and earthquakes, a testament to Istanbul's tumultuous past

Potala Palace, Tibet: An architectural wonder and the spiritual home of the Dalai Lama, the world¿s highest palace - at 3,700m above sea level - rises 13 storeys, and contains more than 100 rooms

 

Read more:

• http://www.lonelyplanet.com

SOURCE:: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2590028/Lonely-Planet-reveals-worlds-10-greatest-wonders.html#ixzz2y4sJL6Ba 

Good Leadership Qualities

Everyone wants to lead, but at what cost? A careless approach to leadership can result in major losses for everyone.

Most of us can recall a leader who just wasn't cut out for the job. Being a leader is demanding; becoming a great leader is uncommon. Followers aren't particularly merciful to those who lead incompetently. Instead, they can respond with insubordination, decreased productivity, or a generalized attitude of confusion or frustration.

If you are a business leader or thinking about becoming one, here are some mistakes to avoid:

 

1. Don't lord it over your staff. 

No one likes a know-it-all. Assuming a cocky stance or a bullying attitude will strike a similar flint in the hearts of your subordinates.

 

2. Don't be very soft. 

Just as a sharp edge can have a cutting effect, a marshmallow can quickly lose its shape. Being a people pleaser means that you will inevitably let someone down, so don't even try. Instead, focus on the job and make it work with everyone's interests as best you can without bending over backwards until you break.

 

3. Don't put on a over-confident front. 

If you need information, ask for it rather than pretend you have all the answers. There's nothing wrong with an honest question, but there's plenty wrong with someone who is afraid to ask.

 

4. Don't misjudge employees' abilities. 

Take time to read files, interview people, and observe performance before making staffing decisions. Put competent, trustworthy people in charge of important projects so that neither you nor the company will regret it.

 

5. Don't play favorites. 

Owing a favor or liking a person are two poor reasons for handing out raises and promotions. Feeling sorry for someone is just as bad. Use good judgment and fair play to make staff decisions.

 

6. Don't hold a grudge. 

If you don't get along with someone, stay away from the person; don't try to get even. Leaders who use their position of authority to take punitive action based on personal vendettas are likely to find themselves in trouble.

 

7. Don't take a casual approach to the budget. 

Get to know it thoroughly. Understand company growth patterns and long-term projections, as well as how your leadership can play a role. Being careless with money is dangerous and potentially costly in the business world. Careless mistakes take time to fix, and in business, time is money.

 

8. Don't overlook company shifts, goals, or problems. 

Study the "big picture" with a view to finding your place in it and growing with the company.

 

9. Keep an eye on industry trends. 

Know what's "hot" and what's not; that's how leaders keep leading. Otherwise, someone who is more knowledgeable than you may take your place.

 

10. Stay human. 

When mistakes happen, forgive others and yourself. Laugh and be friendly, but don't look foolish doing it. Avoid mechanical responses and a 24/7 mentality toward your job. Do your best, but then leave the rest of your job at work until the next day. It'll be there when you return. At night and on weekends, enjoy your family and have fun. You've earned it.

 

Becoming a leader is challenging. Follow these suggestions to avoid problems and help your company and your career reach their potential. 

What is a WILL and How to make it? How to write a Digital Will

As one becomes older there is a need to facilitate the easy disbursement of one's posessions and properties to one's loved ones and dependents, so that there will be no legal battles among them. For this reason it is advisable that everyone with some property or wealth should prepare a "WILL".

A "WILL" can be defined as "A legal statement written by an individual, stating the manner in which his or her wealth may be distributed after his or her demise." A person making a Will is known as a "TESTATOR".

It is best that one consults an advocate before preparing a Will. It would be better if the advocate is a person on whom you have the utmost confidence.

Here are some guidelines to prepare a WILL.

It is better to make a Will at a younger age. As and when events or changes in the family necessitate changes the Will can be changed. One of the advantages of making a Will at an earlier age is that unscrupulous relatives could contest the legality of the Will made by a very old person on the basis that the person was not of sound mind when the Will was made. A Will must always be dated. If more than one Will is made then the one having the latest date will nullify all other Wills. In fact it would be better to make a statement nullifying all other Wills. A Will should be Simple, Precise and Clear. Otherwise there may be problems for the legal heirs. Sometimes relatives and others may try to distort the interpretation of the Will for their own benefit. It is always better to take the advise of a trusted advocate. A Will can be hand-written or typed out. No stamp paper is necessary. There should be an Executor of the Will who would be entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring that the assets are distributed according to the provisions of the Will. Sometimes more than one Executor may be required to execute the Will. The Testator (person making the Will) should take the prior consent of the person whom he or she wishes to name as the Executor. A Will should be signed by the Testator in the presence of atleast two Witnesses who have to attest the same. The full names and addresss of the Witnesses should be clearly indicated in the Will. It would be better if one of the Witnesses is a medical practitioner, but this is not essential. The practitioner should certify that the Testator is of sound mind (especially if the Testator is of an advanced age) and he or she should also note his or her registration number and degree (educational qualification). A Witness should not be a beneficiary of the Will. A Witness should also not be an Executor of the Will. Each page of the Will should be serially numbered and signed by the Testator and the Witnesses. This is to prevent substitution, replacement or insertion of a page or pages by persons with fraudulent intentions. At the end of the Will the Testator can indicate the total number of pages in the Will. Corrections if any should be countersigned. The Will may be kept in a safe place like a bank vault. The Executor and the beneficiaries should be informed where the Will is kept. It is advisable to keep a signed copy of the Will with a trusted advocate. Duplicate copies of the Will may be made, signed by the Testator and the Witnesses and kept at separate places so that if one is misplaced the other may be used. Sometimes the value of certain items of the assets (example: value of share certificates) may fluctuate. In such a situation, it is better to mention the percentage of such item/s which should go to each beneficiary. Whenever changes in the family circumstances or other reasons necessitate any change in the Will in the intervening period (from the time of making the Will to the time of demise of the Testator), the structure of the Will can be amended. Even if there are changes in the nature of the property or assets, an amendment may be needed. For making changes only in certain clauses of the Will, a Codicil (supplement) is to be prepared which should be read in conjunction with the Will and which has the power to make appopriate changes in the relevant clauses of the Will. If there are too many changes in the Will, it is better to prepare an entirely new Will. It is not compulsory for one to register a Will with the Registering Authority, but in case any property or asset is given to any charitable organisation, then registration should be done. A person's Will becomes operative only after his or her demise.There is no restriction in the way a person can deal with his or her property even after writing the Will.

MODEL WILL

I, (Name), Son of (Father's Name), usually residing at (Address), being of sound mind and memory hereby revoke any Will, Codicil or testamentary deposition I may have made hitherto and declare this Will made at (Address) on (Date) to be my last Will.

In order to prevent any litigation amongst my heirs, it is my wish that all my properties and assets should be disbursed amongst my heirs in the manner described below

1)  I hereby appoint the following two persons ______________________ (Name and Address) First Executor _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ (Name and Address) Second Executor _______________________ _______________________

to be Executors / Executrixes of this Will.

The First Executor (Name) shall administer the disbursement of my properties and if he or she is unable to take up this responsibility, the Second Executor (Name) shall administer the disbursement. The Executor so appointed shall act as guardian of any minor person who may benefit from my Will.

2)  I have been enjoying full ownership and control over the following properties.

2.1) Immovable Property (Give full details, address, names and percentage of share of  other co-holders if any)

2.2) Movable Property Cash Bank Accounts (Saving, Current, Fixed etc.) Insurance Jewellery Shares

3)  I declare that all my belongings shall be distributed amongst the persons mentioned by me as follows:- S.No. Property Name & Address Relationship to me 1. 2. 3. 4.

4)  The following are my special instruction before commencing disposal of my properties.

4.1) (Example): I have allocated Rupees one lakh to my daughter  (Name) aged _____ who is a widow and having a daughter (Name) aged _____. I request the Executor of my Will to guide her in investing this amount in a safe and prudent manner so that she will be able to maintain herself out of the returns of this investment. On the demise of my daughter the returns from this money is to be tranferred to her daughter who, if she is a minor at the time of demise of my daughter, will be under the custody of the Executor.

5)  (Example) I have kept aside Cash value of Rupees one lakh for expenses that may be incurred on my illness if any, or to meet expenses for my funeral and related ceremonies. Any legal expenses, unpaid taxes etc, shall be met out of this money. The balance from this money after all payments, and any other residue of my property, I bequeath to my wife.

6)  I, Declare that this Will comprises of _____ pages.

This will has been prepared in the presence of the following two persons as witnesses __________________________ (Name & Address)   __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ (Name & Address) __________________________ __________________________ (The details provided above are only guidelines. You are well advised to seek legal advice before executing a Will) Source: http://www.seniorindian.com/making_your_will.htm How to write a Digital Will Where there’s a will, there’s less confusion for legal heirs. In fact, this piece of paper outlining the final allocation of one’s assets is a crucial step in financial planning. Legally speaking, all you need to do is jot down how you want to pass on your property after death, sign this piece of paper, and get it attested by two independent witnesses, who don’t stand to gain from your will. However, in this golden age of technology, people are no longer settling for a simple penning of wills. Instead, they are increasingly opting for more stylish options, such as video-recorded and online wills. Says Sandeep Nerlekar, CEO and MD, Warmond Trustees Executors: “People have started realising the importance of a will and no longer rely on the simple version. They want to make it safer, so these new variants have cropped up.” However, no matter which option you choose, you need to have a physical copy of the will. “This is because India does not have a central agency that recognizes digitised signatures,” explains Rajesh Gupta, partner at SN Gupta , a leading law firm. Video-recorded will In this case, the signing of the will by the testator and the two witnesses is recorded on a video camera. The will has to be prepared before the cameras start rolling; a mere recitation of the document’s contents is not accepted. “When the execution process-where the will is duly signed by the trio involved-is recorded, it becomes difficult to question the genuineness of a will. So, getting a probate is comparatively easy,” says Richa Karpe, co-founder and ED, Altamount Capital. She adds, “Generally, the person who has been left out in the will challenges it on the grounds that it wasn’t executed properly. If the process is recorded on camera, this problem won’t arise.” A probate is a copy of the will that is certified by a court and can be granted only to the executor appointed by the will. This is mandatory in case there is no will or if there is a problem with the existing one. However, given that a will becomes inviolate after it is probated (that is, nobody can file a law suit against it on the grounds that the testator was of unsound mind), the process is highly recommended by experts in any case. Incidentally, Video-recorded wills are also accepted by the Indian courts. In October 2009, while deciding a 1985 case seeking the grant of a will, the Delhi High Court had ruled that video recording of a will is a legally admissible evidence. Succession planning firms typically charge around 5,000 to record the execution of a will. As wills do not require the presence of a lawyer, you can choose to record the process for free on your personal camcorder, but then you’ll lose out on a key advantage of using professional firms, namely, safe custody of both your will and the video. Several web portals and companies now allow you to make your will online. “The making of online wills is picking up as many people do not have the time to sit with a lawyer and discuss the will in detail,” says Nerlekar. Warmond Trustees Executors, for instance, has introduced the InstaWILL service, where a customer gives instructions online and receives a customised will on e-mail within a week. To make an online will, you’ll have to register on the website of the company. The portal will give you access to an application, which will help you draft the will. All you need to do is answer the questions and leave the drafting to them. An online will would cost you around Rs 10,000. Many websites abroad, such as the UK-based Q-Will and US-based legacywriter.com, also offer templates from which you can choose the one that suits your needs, while others offer a one-size-fits-all standard template. However, in India, this service has just picked up, so there are not many options in the market. Once you fill in the relevant details, the service provider will e-mail a draft of your will, which you need to print and sign. You’ll subsequently have to get it attested by two witnesses. Some portals like warmond.co.in allow you to store a copy of the will on the Net and make changes without registering afresh. On the other hand, some portals simply allow you to upload and store a scanned copy of the will. This online option works best for someone who is very clear of how he wants to distribute his assets and does not require any guidance. Don’t  forget that you will still need to keep a physical copy of the will with you. Digital will Don’t confuse this with the online will. A digital will isn’t a process or an alternative to supplement the plain vanilla paper will. It is a special type of will that allow you to pass on your online ‘properties’, such as your social networking account or an e-mail account. “Just as you make a will for your financial assets, you can make one for your online accounts too,” says Nerlekar. This is becoming increasingly important because our accounts contain a lot of private information about us as well as that of our friends and families and, hence, pose a significant threat if hacked. Most e-mail service providers and social networking companies have death policies that determine what will happen to your account on your death. For instance, Yahoo and Flickr permanently delete all your accounts and their contents on receiving a copy of your death certificate. What if you want to preserve your digital legacy? This is where a digital will comes in. “If you leave a digital will, the e-mail service provider will hand over your account details to the person named in the will,” says Nerlekar. Though any law firm can help you make a digital will, you don’t necessarily need a lawyer for this process. You can also integrate your digital legacy with a standard will. However, take into account the death policy of your social networking site while drafting the will. WHAT EVERY WILL SHOULD HAVE No matter how you make your will, keep these things in mind: 1. Clearly mention the people to whom you wish to pass on your wealth. Don’t use nicknames or incomplete names. 2. If the property is quantifiable, such as cash, mention it clearly. 3. Where it cannot be quantified, give a clear description of the property. 4. The attesting witness or his spouse should not benefit from the will in any way. 5. Appoint an executor for your will. He is a person who will see that your directions are carried out in the manner stated in your will. 6. Though it’s not mandatory, have a probate for your will. It establishes the legal capacity of the person writing it. Source: Economic Times