With Bruce Greenwood and Charles Aznavour, who gives every sign of being immortal.

NEWYORKER: Ararat

Almost all of the Lib Dems' 46 MPs, including Mr Ashdown, and many peers crowded into a Commons committee room to hear addresses from the six challengers - Charles Kennedy, SImon Hughes, Jackie Ballard, Don Foster, Malcolm Bruce and David Rendel.

BBC: News | UK Politics | Lib Dem contenders compete for MPs' support

Panelists included Charles Brandes of Brandes Investment Partners, Jan Hummel of Paradigm Capital, David Winters of Wintergreen Advisors, and Professors Bruce Greenwald and Tano Santos of the Columbia Business School.

FORBES: Some Closer than Others: Inside The Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting