World's richest man is Carlos Slim of Mexico

MEXICO CITY — Mexican telecom tycoon Carlos Slim is the world's richest person, jumping past Americans Bill Gates and Warren Buffett to become the first person from a developing nation to top the list, according to Forbes magazine.

The rise of Slim, the son of an immigrant shopkeeper who amassed a $53.5 billion fortune and bought a major stake in the New York Times, is part of an increased presence on the list of billionaires from emerging countries, said Forbes' reporter Keren Blankfeld.

Slim is the first non-American to top the list since 1994.

Slim is known for wearing inexpensive suits and rarely using the computers his companies sell, preferring paper notebooks. A baseball fan, his indulgences are largely limited to cigars and diet soft drinks.

Brazil's president takes flak over Cuba

BRASILIA, Brazil — Brazil's president came under withering criticism Wednesday at home and in Cuba for his deference to the island's communist government over political prisoners and hunger strikes for human rights.

A Cuban dissident on hunger strike to demand the release of ailing political prisoners accused President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of complicity with "the tyranny of Castro." Brazilian pundits also criticized Silva and a political ally called the president's words disappointing.

Silva said Tuesday that "we have to respect the decisions of the Cuban legal system and the government to arrest people depending on the laws of Cuba, like I want them to respect Brazil."

This story was originally published March 11, 2010 at 12:00 AM with the headline "World's richest man is Carlos Slim of Mexico."