Last year America had 563 billionaires while Asia had 637, a report by financial services firm UBS and auditor PricewaterhouseCoopers found.

The report credited the reversal of fortunes to the arrival of a new entrepreneurial class in China, with Asia creating a new billionaire every three days on average.

But while Asian billionaires now outnumber their US counterparts, the Americans still control more wealth in total.

Europe took third spot in the report’s billionaire database with 342.

In total there are now 1,542 billionaires in the world controlling $6trillion between them, researchers said.

That marks a 17 per cent rise from 2015, when billionaire wealth declined.

The group of billionaires either owns or partly controls companies that employ 27.7 million people, it added.

While the chasm between the world’s rich and poor remains a burning political issue across the continents, UBS and PwC said that billionaire assets are increasingly likely to benefit the needy.

‘Looking further forward, we estimate that $2.4trillion (2.1 trillion euros) of billionaire wealth will be transferred in the next two decades as billionaires age, with a significant amount going to philanthropic causes,’ the report said.

Three quarters of those who newly became billionaires in 2016 were from China and India, the findings showed.

John Mathews, a senior figure within UBS, said: ‘The US still leads in the world’s largest concentration of billionaire wealth.

As expected in a country with such an entrepreneurial mind set, technology is the biggest driver of wealth creation.

‘These entrepreneurs are leveraging their networks and focusing on not only growing their wealth, but also making sure they are socially impactful.’

The report found that billionaires are creating legacies for themselves through their cultural pursuits and are becoming more engaged in the arts and, increasingly, investing in sports clubs.

Private museums are growing in number and public museums are receiving more funding, increasing the accessibility of art to the public, the report said.

Billionaires are also helping sports clubs to become more sustainable, helping them to deliver associated benefits to the communities they are part of.

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By: Daily Mail UK

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After 11 days of action across 17 sports, the event came to a close at Hampden Park on Sunday evening, with hosts Scotland finishing fourth overall with a record haul of 19 golds and a best-ever tally of 53 medals.

England topped the medal table for the first time in 28 years, Wales surpassed their target of 27 and Northern Ireland reaped their largest tally since the Games was last in Scotland in 1986.

The Isle of Man had a silver to celebrate thanks to cyclist Peter Kennaugh’s efforts in the points race, but Jersey and Guernsey failed to register.

It is the third time in their 84-year existence that the Games have been staged in Scotland – after Edinburgh in 1970 and 1986 – and chief executive Hooper maintains they have been the best.

“In my view, they are the standout Games in the history of the movement,” said the New Zealander of the 20th edition.

“The way in which the people of Scotland and Glasgow have embraced the Games right from the get-go has been incredible.”

After an underwhelming staging in Delhi four years ago, and the withdrawals of a succession of big names in the build-up to Glasgow, there had been concerns over whether such success would be forthcoming.

Botswana’s Nijel Amos beat world record holder and Olympic champion David Rudisha in the 800m; Scotland’s Ross Murdoch stunned poster boy and compatriot Michael Jamieson to take gold in the 200m breaststroke; English 16-year-old Claudia Fragapane claimed four gymnastics golds and 13-year-old Erraid Davies’ took a swimming bronze for Scotland.

Scottish postman Charlie Flynn’s response to winning lightweight boxing gold made him a cult figure, as did Lynsey Sharp’s gutsy 800m silver just hours after being hooked up to a drip in the village hospital.

Rhythmic gymnast Frankie Jones ended her career by winning six gymnastics medals for Wales and the hosts’ flag-bearer Euan Burton concluded his career with judo gold minutes after English wife Gemma Gibbons claimed silver.

But the big names who did appear delivered too.

Usain Bolt anchored Jamaica to 4x100m relay gold to make everyone forget about claims he had been disparaging about the Games; South African swimmer Chad Le Clos won a record-equalling seven medals; Northern Ireland’s Olympic gold medallist Paddy Barnes made history by retaining his light-flyweight title and England’s Nicola Adams claimed the first ever women’s boxing gold; England’s Tom Daley took 10m platform diving gold; and David Weir romped to his first Commonwealth title in the men’s T54 1500m.

That was one of 12 English Para-sport medals – from a tally of 174 – with Scottish athletes claiming seven from a total of 53 and their Welsh counterparts three from 36.

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson has praised the programme, but the Welsh 11-time Paralympic gold medallist says some Commonwealth nations still “need to do more” before the 21st Games in Australia’s Gold Coast four years from now.

Of the 17 sports on the Glasgow schedule, judo will be absent in 2018. That means 13 medallists from both England and Scotland, two from Wales and one from Northern Ireland will not get the chance to emulate their successes.

Instead, the home nations’ basketball players will get their chance to shine.

Whether judo will return for 2022 is unclear. So, too, is the venue for those Games, with Canadian city Edmonton and South African city Durban both bidding to host the event.

“The entire executive board of the Commonwealth Games Federation have been delighted with the Glasgow Games,” added Hooper. “They are all very excited about the future of the movement going forward to Gold Coast [in 2018] and then beyond.”

What effect the events of the past 11 days will have on Glasgow and Scotland will not be clear for some time either.

David Grevemberg, the chief executive of Glasgow 2014, believes the city has shown that it has a “special way of hosting sport”.

“I believe this is the beginning, not the end,” the American said. “The legacy of these Games will live on in the children it has inspired and I hope, as a committee, we have done all we can to ensure that Glasgow 2014 becomes a part of everybody’s lives in some way.”

The jamboree ended with a closing ceremony opened by Glaswegian singer Lulu and closed by Scottish singer-songwriter Dougie MacLean.

In between were athletes emerging from tents, speeches, a presentation from the Gold Coast organisers, Kylie Minogue, more speeches, chips, policemen dancing the slosh and yet more speeches.

Then, before the lights were turned off at Hampden Park, a mass rendition of Auld Lang Syne bid farewell to Glasgow 2014.

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Source: BBC Sport

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The Nigerian, 16, won weightlifting gold with a combined total of 196kg in the women’s 53kg category.

The Commonwealth Games Federation says it will meet on Friday to determine her punishment following her positive ‘B’ sample test.

Amalaha was provisionally suspended from the Games after an ‘A’ sample was found to contain banned substances.

The samples contained amiloride and hydrochlorothiazide, which are both prohibited as diuretics and masking agents.

After confirming the positive test, CGF chief executive Mike Hooper said: “I can’t and won’t speculate on what the outcome might be.

“We have a robust process in place that must be followed to ensure fairness to all.”

Amalaha was the first athlete to fail a test at the Games, but Welsh 400m hurdler Rhys Williams and 800m runner Gareth Warburton both missed the competition after being charged with anti-doping rule violations.

Both athletes deny knowingly taking any banned substance.

The World Anti-Doping Agency recommends a standard two-year ban for a first doping offence.

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Source: BBC Sport

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The 25-year-old, who won Monday’s 100m, claimed victory in 22.25 seconds.

The two English sprinters ran personal best times, as did their compatriot Anyika Onuora, who took fourth.

England’s Jazmin Sawyers won silver in the women’s long jump but Shara Proctor had to pull out after picking up an injury attempting her first jump.

Sawyers, a Winter Youth Olympic games silver medallist in the bobsleigh, recorded a distance of 6.54 metres to finish second behind Nigeria’s Ese Brume.

There were tears for Proctor, though, who pulled up halfway down the runway holding her left thigh, and was unable to continue.

Jodie Williams and Bianca Williams shed tears of a different kind by claiming respective silver and bronze in the 200m.

The former, a 20-year-old who won silver in the 2010 World Junior Championships, ran 22.50secs to finish just 0.08 ahead of her 21-year-old team-mate.

In the men’s 200m, Jamaica swept the medals, with Rasheed Dwyer taking gold in 20.14, ahead of Warren Weir and Jason Livermore.

Two more Jamaicans, Kaliese Spencer and Janieve Russell, won gold and bronze respectively in the women’s 400m hurdles, but the Hampden Park cheers were reserved for home favourite Eilidh Child, who took silver.

South Africa’s Cornel Fredericks won the equivalent men’s event in a time of 48.50, seeing off the challenge of Trinidad and Tobago’s Jehue Gordon, who took silver, and Jeffery Gibson of the Bahamas, who claimed bronze. England’s Niall Flannery was fourth.

Botswana’s Nijel Amos produced a stunning run down the final straight to beat Kenyan David Rudisha to 800m Commonwealth gold.

Six-time Paralympic champion David Weir put in a majestic display to win his first Commonwealth gold medal in the men’s T54 1500m, while fellow English athlete Jade Jones won her first senior medal with bronze in the women’s T54 1500m.

England’s Jessica Judd claimed a superb victory in the second semi-final of the women’s 800m.

She was joined in Friday’s final by compatriot Jenny Meadows and Scotland’s Lynsey Sharp, who were a disappointing fourth and fifth respectively in the first semi, but qualified courtesy of being the fastest losers.

Scotland’s Emily Dudgeon narrowly missed out on qualification despite finishing fourth in her semi.

India’s Vikas Shive Gowda won the men’s discus with a throw of 63.64, with Cypriot Apostolos Parellis taking silver and Jason Morgan of Jamaica claiming bronze.

Jamaica cleaned up in the men’s 200m

Okagbare (right) was just short of her own personal best in her run in Glasgow

Child, who also won silver in Delhi four years ago, ran a strong race and came home in 55.02 seconds.

England’s Jade Jones (right) is mentored by Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson

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Source: BBC Sport

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Ghana’s women doubles team lost to Jamaica in the first round of event by three matches to one at the Scotstoun Table Tennis Centre.

Celia Baah-Danso and Cynthia Kwabi could not get past Shenique Clare and Yvonne Foster but the other female team of Mareen Adom Amankwa and Bernice Borquaye did better in beating Uganda’s Amina Luukaya and Ludia Natunga.

They, however, fell at the second hurdle to Singapore’s Ye Lin and Yihan Zhou by three games to zero.

In the Men’s Singles first round event, Derek Abrefa lost to Philip Xiao of New Zealand by four matches to two.

Felix Lartey was equally unsuccessful in his first round match  as he lost to Malaysia’s Chee Feng Leong by four matches to one.

Emmanuel Commey did not also do well after he lost to Tengteng Liu of New Zealand by four games to zero.

That was the last match in Team Ghana’s table tennis campaign in the Commonwealth Games.

By: Nathan Quao/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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She finished 2^nd in her heat in a time of 24.05 seconds  as the race was won by England’s Jodie Williams in a time of 23.42 seconds.

Amponsah thus qualifies for Thursday’s semi-finals.

Gemma Acheampong could not join Janet as she  finished 5^th in the women’s 200m heats in a time of 24.90 seconds. The race was won by Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbere in a time of 22.90 seconds.

Doreen Agyei was unsuccessful in her bid after finishing 5^th in her 200m heat in a time of 25.27 seconds. Jamaica’s Anneisha McClaughlin won the race with a time of 23.27 seconds

Jodie Williams won the heat in 23.42 seconds

Ghana’s Mary Narteh finished 11^th in the women’s javelin with a throw of 48.23 metres. The event was won by Australia’s Kim Mickle with a throw of 65.96 seconds.

In Badminton, Ghana’s Daniel Sam and Emmanuel Donkor lost to Canada’s Adrian Liu and Derrick Ng in the men’s Doubles Round of 32 by 21-7 and 21-12

The women did not do better in the doubles match as they lost to Australia.

Stella Amasah and Evelyn Botwe lost to New Zealand’s Anna Rankin and Madeleine Stapleton  21-10, 21-3

By: Nathan Quao/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The 16-year-old Amalaha provided an ‘A’ sample on July 25 – shortly after winning the women’s 53kg category – which revealed traces of diuretics and maskings agents.

Amalaha will have a ‘B’ sample tested at a laboratory in London on July 30.

Commonwealth Games Federation chief executive Mike Hooper said: ‘We [have] issued a formal notice of disclosure to an athlete following an adverse analytical finding as a consequence of an in-competition test.

‘That athlete is Nigerian weightlifter Chika Amalaha who was tested on July 25th. That athlete has now been suspended from the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.’

Hooper added: ‘[the substances] are diuretics and masking agents. In general terms, these substances are on the prohibited list for two reasons – firstly in weight category sports they can be used to unfairly aid weight loss… and secondly, their use has been reported in attempts to mask the presence in the body of other prohibited substances.

‘The relevant processes, as detailed in our anti-doping standard for the Games, are now being followed and Ms Amalaha has pursued her right to have her ‘B’ sample tested.

‘This will take place at an accredited laboratory in London tomorrow, July 30. Upon receipt of those results the process will continue.’

Before: Amalaha (centre) celebrates winning women’s weightlifting 53kg class gold

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Source: Dailymail

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Amy McIntosh had been signed off work for several weeks when her bosses caught her on TV dancing as a giant Tunnock’s tea cake during the celebrations in Glasgow.

The 25-year-old had signed up to be a volunteer for the Games, but is not believed to have asked for time off for rehearsals, which began three weeks ago.

Ms McIntosh is now understood to be facing a crunch meeting with her bosses at the Woodlands Day Nursery in Houston, Renfrewshire.

A source told The Sun: ‘Nobody could believe it when they saw her on TV, bold as brass.

‘She must have been at rehearsals at the same time she was saying that she wasn’t well enough to work. It’s very disappointing.’

Ms McIntosh, from Erskine, confirmed to the paper that she had been off sick at the time of the ceremony, it is believed with tonsillitis.

Facing showdown talks with bosses: Ms McIntosh (right) had signed up to be a volunteer for the Games, but is not believed to have asked for time off to rehearse

She says she has been ‘signed off sick’ by a doctor and has a referral for the hospital.

The opening ceremony for the 20th Commonwealth Games was watched by some 9.4million viewers at the height of the celebrations last Wednesday night.

As well as the Tunnock’s tea cake, the £20million ceremony featured a giant haggis, cabers, golf clubs, a gay wedding, 41 Scottish terriers and Rod Stewart as well as other Scottish inventions such as the television and Sherlock Holmes.

After the ceremony, Ms McIntosh’s friends praised her on her Facebook page, with one saying that she was ‘shining bright like the star that you are.’

A spokesman for Woodlands declined to comment.

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Source: Dailymail

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Ophelia Swayne came sixth in the Women’s 50m Butterfly Heat 3 with a time of 29.66 seconds. The race was won by Jamaica’s Trudiann Patrick with a time of 28.78 seconds.

Abbiw Jackson came fourth in the Men’s 100m Freestyle Heat 4 with a time of 56.87 seconds. Mozambique’s Shakil Fakir won the race in a time of 55.08 seconds.

Abeiku Jackson did not fare better either as he came third in Heat 3 of the Men’s 100m freestyle in a time of  56.47 seconds. Malaysia’s Lim Ching Hwang was the winner of the heat and his time as 51.65 seconds.

Nana Kwabena Antwi did not even start the second heat of the Men’s 100 Freestyle events for undisclosed reasons.

Jackson will compete in the first heat of the Men’s 100 Butterfly on the 27 July, 2014.

Kweku Addo will also take part in the Men’s 50m Freestyle Heat 4 on the 28th July.

By: Nathan Quao/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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