Say tchau, today is the last day of Orkut - Goodbye, Orkut! Google's first social network shutting down

September 30, 2014, 1:27 am

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Goodbye, Orkut! Google's first social network shutting down - Say tchau, today is the last day of Orkut

That is it, folks. Today is the last day of Orkut, a social-networking website that was once a rage among youngsters in India and Brazil. After today, you will not be able to access your Orkut profile.

On June 30, in a blog post titled, 'Tchau Orkut' Google had announced that it would shut down the service. It said that web users would no longer be able to create Orkut accounts though the website would remain accessible until September 30.


Google also said that the user data would be available to Orkut members until 2016. They can use Google's 'Takeout' tool to export their profile data, posts and photos.

Some of the data created as part of Orkut public communities will also remain available.

In an announcement, Google had said, "Orkut, the service, may be going away, but all of those incredible communities Orkut users have created will live on. We are preserving an archive of all public communities, which will be available online starting September 30, 2014. If you don't want your posts or name to be included in the community archive, you can remove Orkut permanently from your Google account."


Orkut, which started in 2004, was one of the most popular social networking websites between 2006 and 2009. In fact, in India and Brazil it was the top social networking website in 2008. But gradually Facebook became more popular and the majority of Orkut members stopped using it.

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WORLD TOP 10 - Ten destinations you’ve only dreamt of

October 6, 2014, 2:22 am

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WORLD TOP 10 - Ten destinations you’ve only dreamt of

If you won the lottery, what would you do with the money? Personally we’d book the next flight out to a tropical island. Let your imagination run wild with these destinations you’ve only dreamed of.




1. Turks and Caicos Islands - British Overseas Territory



If toasting beside beach fires, lounging on white sandy beaches, exploring many different Islands and sipping ice cold cocktails at the world’s first infinity bar (Grace Bay) is what makes you squeal, then this group of islands is pretty appealing. Only 90 minutes from Miami, Turks and Caicos is a destination you’ll want to revisit again and again.

2. Bora Bora - French Polynesia



Probably one of the most commonly desired romantic destinations, Bora Bora is dotted with wooden bungalows atop the transparent, balmy waters of the Pacific Ocean. Not short of paradise on Earth, Bora Bora is all about dining on the sand, diving out of bed straight into the water, and a whole lot of relaxation.

3. Necker Island - British Virgin Islands



If it’s good enough for the likes of Princess Diana and supermodel Kate Moss, then it surely justifies the $50,000 per night price tag. Owned by Sir Richard Branson, the island spans over 74,000 acres and is nothing but pure luxury and, in true Branson form, a whole lot of fun. The rooftop hot tub is a great way to take in the sprawling views of the surrounding azure waters, while the oversized infinity pool is the perfect spot for lunch served on a canoe by your personal chef.

4. Seychelles



With sand so white you’ll need polarized sunnies and ocean water temperatures varying between 24 and 32 degrees Celsius the year round, the Seychelles is likely the subject of many travel lovers’ dreams. A 155-island country spanning an archipelago in the Indian Ocean 1,500 kilometres Southeast of Africa, think deserted beaches, private everything (chefs, nannies, butlers…) you can check your mental baggage at the reception.

5. The Brando - Tetiaroa Island, French Polynesia



In need of a Royal escape? Look no further than the newly opened Brando Resort on the private island of Tetiaroa. For centuries the island was the exclusive retreat for Tahitian Royals, and Marlon Brando also frequented the island. Now it can be enjoyed by those seeking paradise with a plethora of action on the side. Paddle boarding, snorkelling and exploring the surrounding untouched private islands is a magical way to spend a morning, topped off by a trip to the spa and wellness centre.

6. Dunes Lodge - Namibia



A place like no other, this elegant lodge has been designed to blend in with its natural dessert surroundings in a discreet and luxurious way. Set into the dunes in the centre of the NamibRand Nature Reserve, the Dunes Lodge reflects the ambience of sleeping in a tent with canvas blinds which can be left open at night to create the effect of sleeping in the great outdoors right in the middle of the desert, while the Mountain View Suite offers a touch more privacy and luxury.

7. Taprobane Island - Sri Lanka



Getting to this secluded island could not be easier; you can choose to wade through the shallow water or jump high onto the back of an elephant to make the 200 meter journey across the waterway. Either way, you will arrive within minutes to this divine island only two and a half acres in size, surrounded by tropical waters. The house also comes with a full staff so you don’t have to lift a finger your entire stay. It is easy to walk to and fro to Weligama Bay if you should become restless.

8. Ayada Resort - Maldives



This Turkish owned resort island does not shy away from extravagance. After an hour flight from Male you are greeted on board the island’s speedboat and handed a fresh coconut as a welcome drink. The resort is made up of 50 over water villas, 62 seafront villas, 7 restaurants including an awesome cheese and wine bar set on the overwater walkway, a tennis court, mini football pitch and volley ball and badminton courts. If you have no option but to bring the kids, there is a kids club.

9. Chile - South America



This fascinating country stretching 4,290 kilometres from its border with Peru to remarkable Patagonia really is a place most of us only dream about visiting. The diverse country renowned for its first class wineries, amazing glaciers, epic surf, the wonderful Atacama Desert and of course the beauty of Patagonia’s national parks really has something to suit everyone and is a place you could spend years exploring.

10. Lighthouse Bay Resort - Barbuda and Antigua



Miles and miles of golden beaches and clear turquoise waters greet you when you arrive either by helicopter or boat at Lighthouse Bay. With 19 miles of unspoilt beach and only one resort on the island, one truly feels like they are exploring a deserted island paradise only ever seen in movies.

Amazon.in, Snapdeal and Flipkart Diwali Dhamaka Deals & Offers 2014 - Diwali Dhamaka Week

October 10, 2014, 4:35 am

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Amazon.in, Snapdeal and Flipkart Diwali Dhamaka Deals & Offers 2014 - Diwali Dhamaka Week

With so many products up for sale, The grand sale began on Amazon.in on 10th October and will end on 16th October; Amazon began its sale at 7 am everyday, an hour before Flipkart’s  Big Billion Day did and will close everyday at 6pm.

Amazon.in has already announced that it’ll offer its customers more lucrative deals than its competitors- Flipkart and Snapdeal. The e-commerce site is all set to go for the big day and have made the site look more appealing. There are few user-friendly features added such as creating a wish list and making multiple lists within itself. The biggest test for Amazon.in will be its inventory strength.


Flipkart failed to anticipate the heavy demand and made huge losses in one on its numero uno discount sales day. Snapdeal cut in its Flipkart’s sales by announcing its own discounted sales the same day. Amazon.in indulged in dirty tricks by buying the domain (www(dot)bigbillionday(dot)com) named after Flipkart’s mega day offer so as to divert all the traffic to its own homepage. It is to see if Flipkart resorts to such tricks. After all, revenge is sweet, when served cold!

After Flipkart’s Big Billion Day success / failure (we leave for you to decide), the onus will be on Amazon to deliver. If the sights of out-of-stock, not available, and 404 not found; are seen in the eventful week, it will be a huge embarrassment for the e-commerce site. The technical flaws in ‘Big Billion Day’ have clearly handed an edge to ‘Diwali Dhamaka Week’. And with the sale being a week-long the lesser traffic may help Amazon.in sustain the traffic.

For now, all we can say is ‘Happy Shopping!’  You can also go online shopping in the Diwali Dhamaka Week by clicking here.

Top 20 Road Trips in India that Every Serious Indian Traveller Must Take

October 13, 2014, 4:45 am

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Top 20 Road Trips in India that Every Serious Indian Traveller Must Take

And you thought monsoon isn’t a good time to take road trips! You can always hop inside a train or take a short flight to your next holiday destination. But, predictability in travel can be a little boring, don't you think? Why not hit the road instead. All you need is a car or bike. Tank it up, stock it with travel essentials and voila! Predictability in travel can be a little boring, don't you think? Why not hit the road instead? HolidayIQ Travellers provide penetrative insight on the trips you must take

1. Delhi-Leh



The road is open for traffic from June to September. Whether you travel by car or by bike, the ride is spectacular. The passes of Barlacha La, Rohtang Pass, the rivers Beas and Chandra, and a beautiful landscape will greet you. Throughout the route popular stops include Sarchu and Keylong.

Distance: 990 km Time taken: 3 days

Travel route: Delhi - Chandigarh - Mandi - Kullu - Manali - Rohtang La - Kokhsar - Tandi - Keylong - Darcha - Sarchu - Pang - Upshi - Leh

Travel tip: Make sure you fill up your tank at Tandi as the next petrol pump on the route is 365 km away. As the altitude increases after Sarcha, the road condition worsens. Make sure you are geared with all travel essentials including rain gear, woolens and food.


2. Jaipur to Jaisalmer



The golden sands beckon! Drive on highways as smooth as butter and watch desert life pass by. The route from Jaipur to Jaisalmer is dotted with small villages and towns that will welcome you with open arms. Vibrant colours and delectable food are a given.

Distance: 570 km Time taken: 9 hours

Travel route: Jaipur - Merta Road - Jodhpur - Mathaniya - Osiyan - Phalodi - Ramdevra - Pokaran - Lathi – Jaisalmer

Travel tip: Do make a pitstop at Kumbalgarh to visit the Kumbalgarh Fort and the Kumbalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary

3. Mumbai to Goa



Pack your sun block and flip-flops and travel to the land of sun and sand from Mumbai. And the drive from Mumbai to Goa is scenic too. Leave Mumbai around 5 am, Drive on NH 17 and reach Goa in time to catch the beautiful sunset.

Distance: 615 km Time taken: 10 hours

Travel route: Catch the NH 17 and its one beautiful road right up to Goa!

Travel tip: The roads are beautiful. All you do is look out of the window and be amazed by the picturesque views.

4. Bangalore to Coorg



If the bustling Bangalore life compels you to take a vacation to a lonely place, drive to the 'Scotland of India' - Coorg. The amazing local food joints serving the most delicious masala dosas and Maddur vada. Driving through the winding Western Ghats hugging the coffee plantations and the rough terrain indicates an adventurous yet peaceful holiday ahead.

Distance: 260 km Time taken: 5 hours

Travel Route: Bangalore – Bidadi – Ramanagaram – Chennapatna – Maddur – Mandya – Srirangapatna – Mysore - Yelwal – Hunsur – Kempalapura – Piriyapatna – Bylakuppe – Kushalnagara – Suntikoppa – Madikeri, Coorg

Travel Tip: Avoid entering Mysore City and escape the traffic by taking a bypass from Srirangapatna. Barring a 30-km stretch, just before reaching Coorg and the bypass, the road is in excellent condition.

5. Jaipur to Ranthambore 



With mustard fields and open spaces dotting the highway, the drive from Jaipur to Ranthambore is scenic. If the promise Ranthambore offers - a date with the tiger - isn't thrilling enough, the drive through small villages and roadside dhabas that offer delicious Rajasthani cuisine should be worth the trip.

Distance: 180 km Time taken: 4 hours

Travel route: Jaipur - Basi - Lalsot - Justana – Ranthambore

Travel tip: Preferably, take the route via Tonk. It takes more time but the roads on this route are in better condition. Do try some 'Dal bati' at a roadside dhaba near Tonk.

6. Kolkata to Kumaon

The change in landscape and on this road trip is incredible. A family of four or a group of friends, this road trip is convenient for all age groups as there are pumps and restaurants at regular intervals, the roads are great and the trip will give you a chance to discover varied destinations en route, right from the ghats of Varanasi to the foodie delights of Kanpur.

Distance: 1,300 km Time taken: 4 days

Travel route: Kolkata - Durgapur - Varanasi - Allahabad - Kanpur - Pilibhit - Kumaon

Travel tip: If you plan to explore Binsar on the way, drive down from Almora towards Binsar where you will find a German Bakery on the main road. It serves delicious pizzas and 'thukpa'.

7. Ahmedabad to Diu



Warm breeze and untouched, clean beaches, Diu is less touristy and a perfect getaway this summer. And the drive to the destination is an experience in itself; a must-visit.      

Distance: 380 km Time taken: 8 hours

Travel route: Ahmedabad - Bavla - Bagodra - Dholera - Bhavnagar - Tahaja - Mahuva - Diu

Travel tip: A pitstop at Dholavira is a must

8. Mumbai to Mount Abu 



When tired and bored with a mundane life, getaway from the city and seek solace in the hills of Mount Abu. Summers are pleasant in Mount Abu and a boat ride on Nakki Lake is all you need to relax. Preferably, make a pit stop in Ahmedabad for a day and get to know the city.

Distance: 745 km Time taken: 12 hours

Travel route: Mumbai - Palghar - Dahanu - Vapi - Valsad - Bharuch - Vadodara - Nadiad - Ahmedabad - Himmatnagar - Abu Road - Mount Abu

Travel tip: NH8 is a preferred route. There are several filling stations and dhabas en route.

9. Guwahati to Tawang



The route takes you to travel gems, which are highly underrated such as Cherrapunji, Imphal and Kaziranga.  

Distance: 480 km Time taken: 9 hours

Travel route: Guwahati - Bomdilla - Tawang

Travel tip: While going to Tawang to Guwahati, go via Bomdilla. However, while returning, you can halt at Bhalukpong, which is a good option for a pitstop. On the route there are number of roadside stalls that offer tea, momos and Maggi.

10. Ahmedabad to Kutch



To the land, which is barren and white adorned by vibrant people, Kutch is a land of contrasts. A memorable drive from Ahmedabad to the town will give you a chance to discover the Rann of Kutch, a Wild Ass Sanctuary and precious local handicrafts.    

Distance: 400 km Time taken: 7 hours

Travel route: Ahmedabad - Viramgam - Dhrangadhra - Halvad - Lakadia - Bhachau - Bhuj

Travel tip: Do visit Hodko village in Kutch to shop for some local handicrafts.

11. Chennai to Yelagiri



Escape to the erstwhile colonial retreat - Yelagiri - to beat the city heat. This quaint little town surrounded by hills with hairpin bends is god sent for bikers. Popular for some of the best trekking trails through thick reserve forests across India, the hills are a true delight to the trekker.

Distance: 228 km Time taken: 4 hours

Travel Route: Take the Pollamani Road out of the town to reach Pollamani Town. From Pollamani, take the Bangalore Highway to reach Vellore, which is 140 km from Chennai. From Vellore, continue towards Vaniyabadi and keep a lookout for the signboard pointing to Yelagiri. Take that road, cross Ponneri in between and reach Yelagiri Hills, about 22 km away.

Travel Tip: Beware of rock falls as they are common during monsoon.

12. Mumbai to Tarkarli



One of the few hidden gems in Maharashtra, Tarkarli is a beach paradise. Clear waters and clean and untouched beaches, there aren't many tourists here and you can lounge at the beach without being disturbed by pesky hawkers. Scuba dive or snorkel in the clear blue sea before you leave.

Distance: 535 km Time taken: 9 hours

Travel route: Mumbai - Lonavala - Kolhapur - Gaganbavada - Kasal - Malvan - Tarkarli

Travel tip: Take the NH 17 from Mumbai. At Kasal, take the SH 108 to reach Tarkarli. The route is scenic and worth the long drive.

13. Bangalore to Munnar



The popularity of Munnar as the most favored summer tourist spot dates back to the colonial days. Let the wheels roll through smooth roads; for most part of it except for a few places in the ghat section. You have enough and more places keep you hunger away. Besides, there are numerous petrol pumps at regular intervals.

Distance: 476 km Time taken: 10 hours

Travel Route: Bangalore - Hosur- Krishnagiri - Dharmapuri - Salem - Perundurai – Kangeyam – Dharapuram – Udumalaipet – Marayoor - Munnar

Travel tip: This is a no-cell-phone-coverage zone! Be prepared to stay disconnected.

14. Delhi to Jaipur



This route ain't for the fainthearted. Embark on this road trip to be overwhelmed with a mix of culture, heritage and wildlife. Visit Agra for the Taj Mahal, Ranthambore for spotting the tiger, and Jaipur for its exquisite heritage structures and palaces. A five-day tour, this road trip is perfect for all groups, be it families, a group of friends or couples.

Distance: 275 km Time taken: 5 hours

Travel route: Delhi - Agra - Fatehpur Sikri - Jaipur

Travel tip: It's the Golden Triangle and the roads are definitely good. Before approaching Jaipur, on NH 11 visit the Sharma Dhaba for some mouth-watering Rajasthani food.

15. Hyderabad to Kannur



Craving for a long drive ride? Take a break on calm, more like private beaches of Kannur. The excellent stretch between Hyderabad and Bangalore is comfortable and can be covered easily in 8 hours. There are plenty of fuel stations throughout the journey and you can taste some of the best local cuisines along the highway. The beef biryani is to die for.

Distance: 897 km Time taken: 14 hours

Travel route: Hyderabad – Shamshabad – Shadnagar - Kurnool - Gooty - Anantpur - Penukonda - Bagepalli - Chikballapur - Devanahalli
Bangalore to Kannur (shortest distance): Bangalore – Srirangapatna - Yelvala - Hunsur - Virajpet - Makutta (ghat section) - Iritty - Kannur (Around 320 km)

Travel Tip: The bumpy roads at Virajpet can be avoided if you take the road via Coorg. You will take longer to reach Kannur.

16. Chennai to Pondicherry



Breathe in the architecture, the French culture and have a lazy weekend. The route to Pondicherry is among the best drives one can get off Chennai. Look out for the huge salt making set-up somewhere 50-60 km from Chennai. The curvy roads will surely excite the riders but at some points it is curvaceous to the point of being risky. So watch out!

Distance:160 km via ECR Time taken: 3 hours

Travel Tip: Tank up at Pondicherry and some save money on fuel!

17. Kolkata to Digha



A perfect short trip this summer! The journey won't take up much of your time. Digha's beaches, sea food and its laid back lifestyle is just what you need from that holiday you have been waiting for.

Distance: 180 km Time taken: 3 hours

Travel route: Kolkata - Vidyasagar Setu - Kolaghat - Nimtouri - Bajkul - Kanthi - Digha

Travel tip: Start really early from Kolkata, preferably at 5, or leave after 12 pm, to avoid traffic jams. Ideally, leave early, reach Kolaghat by 7.30 for a hearty breakfast.

18. Delhi to Dehradun



Cruise on the NH-58 and pass idyllic towns and villages to reach Dehradun from Delhi. A great place to escape the summer heat of Delhi, at Dehradun, let your hair lose and relax or indulge in trekking, hiking and skiing.    

Distance: 255 km Time taken: 5 hours

Travel route: Delhi - Meerut - Muzaffarnagar - Sahranpur- Dehradun

Travel tip: The route is prone to regular traffic jams     .

19. Darjeeling to Pelling



This is a trip you should take just to experience the journey. Pass through gorgeous valleys and mountains as you head towards Pelling from Darjeeling. En route there are many pit stops you can make including Kalimpong for some local sightseeing.

Distance: 110 km Time taken: 3 hours

Travel route: Darjeeling - Kalimpong - Manpur - Jorethang - Geyzing - Pelling

Travel tip: Do check weather updates before embarking on the road trip as the route is prone to blockages due to harsh weather conditions.

20. Kolkata to Puri



From the City of Joy to the land of beaches and the Jagannath Temple, the drive from Kolkata to Puri is less explored but worth the drive. Travellers can discover many smaller towns on the way including Kuliana and Basinga, which are otherwise, not popular on the tourist map.

Distance: 500 km Time taken: 11 hours

Travel route: Kolkata - Kolaghat - Panskura - Kharagpur - Kuliana - Betnoti - Basinga - Balasore - Bhadrakh - Cuttack - Pipli - Puri


Travel tip: The road conditions are usually not great between Balasore and Bhadrakh. Try and cover the stretch during the day.  

Worlds Top 10 nations for citizens' wellbeing

October 14, 2014, 10:25 pm

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Worlds Top 10 nations for citizens' wellbeing

The first Gallup-Healthways Global Well-Being Index ranks nations on five broad elements: purpose, community, social, financial and physical well-being. Here are the Top 10 nations for citizens' wellbeing.

10. CANADA 

Percentage of population thriving in at least three elements: 34%


Photo: Fireworks over Ottawa on Canada Day 2012, by Joel Bedford, Flickr.

Canada's economy is doing so well -- it's the 10th wealthiest nation in gross domestic product per capita -- that 52 percent of its population is thriving in financial well-being, its strongest of the five well-being components. It far outstrips the United States, where just 39 percent of the population is thriving financially.

Yet although it has the highest life expectancy in the Americas, Canada's physical well-being is its weakest trait. Only about a quarter of Canadians' scores qualify as thriving on that measure.


9. GUATEMALA

Percentage of population thriving in at least three elements: 34%


Photo: The market in Chichicastenango, Guatemala, by Pedro Szekely, Flickr.

In Guatemala, a strong sense of purpose and social well-being are particular strengths: 42 and 48 percent of the population, respectively, are thriving in those areas, which places the nation at No. 7 globally for those measures. Yet only 18 percent of the population is thriving financially (compared with 25 percent globally), which drags down its overall score.

8. SWEDEN

Percentage of population thriving in at least three elements: 36%


Photo: Halland, Sweden, by Kjell Eson, Flickr.

According to Gallup and Healthways, Sweden thrives more than Europeans overall on every one of the five elements of well-being. Financially, a stunning 72 percent of the population is thriving -- even though the unemployment rate is over 9 percent. That's close to twice the proportion of Europeans overall who are thriving financially. Its weakest elements, relatively speaking, are in the social and physical realms, but even on those measures, more than a quarter of its population is thriving.

Sweden also stands out for its sense of purpose and community: On both measures, residents are almost twice as likely to be thriving compared with the global population.

7. EL SALVADOR

Percentage of population thriving in at least three elements: 37%


Photo: Thinkstock

A sense of purpose is very strong in El Salvador; only in Panama and Costa Rica are larger proportions of the population thriving. Social and physical well-being are also strengths. But only 18 percent of El Salvador's population is thriving financially, lower than the global proportion of about 1 in 4. Community is not a standout element.

6. URUGUAY

Percentage of population thriving in at least three elements: 37%


Photo: A restaurant in the Historic Quarter of Colonia, Uruguay, by Boris G, Flickr.

Uruguay scores relatively well across the board, but its numbers for social well-being (54 percent of its population is thriving, the third-highest worldwide) and physical well-being (43 percent thriving, No. 4 worldwide) propel the nation into the top 10 overall. A larger proportion of its citizens are also better off financially than elsewhere in Latin America: 27 percent are thriving. And 39 percent of Uruguay residents are thriving on measures of purpose, more than double the global proportion of 18 percent.

5. BRAZIL

Percentage of population thriving in at least three elements: 39%


Photo: Escaderia Selaron in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, by Boris G, Flickr.

Brazil's strong showing may come as a surprise, given recent social upheaval there. And indeed, only 19 percent of its population is thriving financially, while 4 in 10 are struggling and the same number is outright suffering.

Yet its social fabric is unusually strong, with more than half of the population thriving and a mere 9 percent suffering -- "implying that close ties with family and friends are prevalent throughout the population," without variation among income or other demographic groups, according to Gallup and Healthways. (As a point of comparison: Globally, more of the population is suffering socially than is thriving -- 26 percent vs. 23 percent.)

4. AUSTRIA

Percentage of population thriving in at least three elements: 39%


Photo: Hallstatt, Austria, by -peperoni-, Flickr.

Austrians are not doing quite as well as Swedes for financial well-being, but that's only because Swedes' score is so stellar. Nearly two-thirds of Austrians are thriving financially, more than double the global proportion and nearly double even prosperous Europe's proportion. Fifty-two percent thrive in terms of community well-being, and 35 percent thrive physically. In fact, Austria outperforms Europe on every element except social well-being, where it's merely commensurate with the European proportion: 27 percent of the population is thriving socially.

3. DENMARK

Percentage of population thriving in at least three elements: 40%


Photo: Odense, Denmark's third-largest city, by Nelson Lourenco, Flickr.

As with the other European nations in the top 10, a remarkable proportion of Danes are thriving financially -- although interestingly, Danes rank lower than Austrians or Swedes at 59 percent (compared with 64 percent for Austria and 72 percent for Sweden). That prosperity no doubt contributed to Denmark's status as the "happiest country in the world," based on 2013 Gallup World Poll data. It also has a strong sense of purpose -- 45 percent of Danes are thriving, which is almost triple the global proportion, and just 10 percent are suffering, a third of the global proportion.

"Danish society is characterized by a well-rounded view of the requirements for a 'good life,'" the report concludes, "and can, in many ways, serve as a model for other countries seeking to promote broad-based well-being for their residents."

2. COSTA RICA

Percentage of population thriving in at least three elements: 44%


Photo: Downtown San Jose, Costa Rica, by Ray Smith, Flickr.

Gallup and Healthways attribute Costa Rica's well-being to a number of factors: "the positivity present in many Latin American countries," its decision to invest in education rather than the military, its relative safety regionally, and its attractiveness to foreign investors.

Still, its scores on financial well-being are a drag on its ranking. Just 28 percent of the population is thriving financially, scarcely higher than the global proportion (25 percent) and slightly below the regional proportion (29 percent). But fully half of Costa Ricans are thriving in terms of purpose, and more than half -- 58 percent -- are thriving socially. Both of those numbers are considerably more than double the global proportion and significantly higher than the region overall.

1. PANAMA

Percentage of population thriving in at least three elements: 61%


Photo: Kuna women on the island of Wichub Wala, Panama, by Rita Willaert, Flickr.

Incredibly, Panama leads the world in four out of five measures of well-being, with more than half of its population thriving in the elements of purpose, social, community and physical. It's a stunning outcome for a country where only a third of the population is thriving financially, and a quarter is actually suffering. Thirty-seven percent of the population lives below the poverty line, of whom 19 percent live in extreme poverty.

Even Gallup and Healthways seem not quite to know what to make of Panama's well-being. "There are opportunities for further understanding: why residents provide responses that indicate such high levels of well-being and how much is attributable to culture versus other factors," they say. Their report also cites the "Latin American cultural predisposition that is associated with higher levels of positivity than other regions," its "relative political stability," an unemployment rate of just 4.5 percent, and investments in national development.

Worlds Top 20 Brands, The 20 most valuable brands in the world

October 21, 2014, 12:53 am

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Worlds Top 20 Brands, The 20 most valuable brands in the world

Apple has retained its position as the world’s most valuable brand, according tobrand management firm Interbrand’s annual rankings.

Apple usurped Coca-Cola from the top spot, which had held the position for 13 years, in last year's list. This year Apple has increased its brand value by 21% to $118.9 billion.

Tech brands dominated the rankings, with 13 entrants. Google once again was the second-most valuable in the world, increasing its brand value by 15% to $107.4 billion. Elsewhere in Interbrand’s top 100, Facebook and Amazon were among the top risers.

To conduct its annual study, Interbrand measures companies’ financial performance, the role that brand plays in influencing customer choice and the strength the brand has to command a premium price or secure earnings for the company.

20. Honda

• Brand value: $21.7bn
• Last year’s rank: 20
• Change in value: +17%

Honda has been plagued by recalls in 2014, but its announcement that it was returning to Formula 1 as an engine supplier for McLaren after a break of more than 20 years, is helping the brand grow and more clearly differentiate itself from competitors.



Honda has also been partnering with tech companies like Google and Apple to work on programs like telematics and driverless cars — although Interbrand says this is far from unique in the category.


19. Louis Vuitton

• Brand value: $22.5bn
• Last year’s rank: 17
• Change in value: -9%

Interbrand says Louis Vuitton is affected by fluctuating exchange rates in the global economy and the impact of political and economic climates on key customers, like Russian and Chinese travelers.



Louis Vuitton must push its core strengths in “extraordinary design, technical innovation, style, and authenticity” if it is to retain strong brand loyalty with global consumers, Interbrand says. That might be achieved during the fall season with the new collection of Marc Jacobs’ successor, Nicolas Guesquière, hitting stores for the first time.

18. Gillette

• Brand value: $22.8bn 
• Last year’s rank: 16
• Change in value: -9%

Gillette is maintaining its lead by staying true to its “The Best a Man Can Get” brand promise, offering a broad range of products. While sales growth is slowing as more men adopt facial hair, Gillette is responding with the introduction of new products like the Gillette Body razor and the Gillette Fusion ProGlide, which uses the brand’s proprietary “Flexball” technology.



But the brand remains under threat from cheaper alternatives like the Dollar Shave Club, 800Razors.com, and general disposable razors.

17. HP

• Brand value: $23.8bn
• Last year’s rank: 15
• Change in value: -8%

HP hit the headlines this month when it announced it would be splitting into two companies, one devoted to business technology and the other concentrating on personal computing. Interbrand says the year ahead for HP will be a “pivotal one.”



In recent months the company placed strategic bets on mobility, security, big data, and cloud technologies that have led to new product launches like the Slate VoiceTab phablet range for India, plans to invest in 3-D printing and the launch of a new converged infrastructure platform.

16. Oracle

• Brand value: $25.9bn
• Last year’s rank: 18
• Change in value: +8%

Oracle is a complex business, having spent 10 years acquiring more than 100 companies to build its back-office solutions suite. Its challenge now is to define the Oracle brand as a whole, not just a sum of these complex parts.



Oracle’s marketing of late has all been around “simplicity” as it looks to increase understanding about its business. Interbrand says with more effective storytelling about how the business is evolving and where it is headed, Oracle can transition smoothly into the next stage of its development.

15. Amazon

• Brand value: $29.5bn
• Last year’s rank: 19
• Change in value: 25%

Amazon was the “top riser” in Interbrand’s list this year. In 2013 the company expanded from its core retail roots by entering into a content licensing agreement with HBO, growing its AmazonFresh grocery delivery service, and launching its Fire TV service for users to access Netflix, Prime Instant Video, and Hulu all in one place.



Looking ahead, Interbrand says Amazon’s brand value may lift even higher if it gains approval from the Federal Aviation Authority to launch its Amazon Prime Air delivery service and as it continues to invest in customer personalization.

14. Cisco

• Brand value: $30.9bn
• Last year’s rank: 13
• Change in value: 6%

Last year Cisco launched its “Internet of Everything” marketing campaign, which is still running, telling the story of how the company is connecting the previously unconnected — a move that is expanding its presence in the global marketplace.



Interbrand says Cisco is now in a thought leadership position in terms of how technology is transforming the world. Aside from marketing, Cisco is also improving the value of its brand by increasing its speed to market to 12 to 18 months, from three to five years.

13. Disney

• Brand value: $32.2bn
• Last year’s rank: 14
• Change in value: 14%

The box-office super-hit that was "Frozen" helped revitalize Disney as a global powerhouse last year. Also key to Disney’s brand strength is its use of technology and data to understand what customers want and to personalize their experiences.



Big news like its partnership with Marvel to create programming for Netflix, the launch of the Disney Infinity gaming platform, and Disney’s acquisition of YouTube network Maker studios were all announced in recent months. Interbrand says that by continuing to grow its reputation for top family entertainment and increasing its focus on next generation media and technology, Disney is ready to “thrive.”

12. Intel

• Brand value: $34.2bn
• Last year’s rank: 9
• Change in value: -8%

Intel is facing an uphill challenge as global PC sales are experiencing a 4.4% year-on-year decline. In response, Intel is moving into new markets including cloud computing, the “internet of things” and wearables, demonstrated by its partnership with fashion designers Opening Ceremony to create a smart bracelet.



These are all moves in the right direction, but Intel, the brand built around power and performance, is finding it hard to differentiate itself — particularly as the tablet and smartphone markets are dominated by competitors ARM and Qualcomm.

Interbrand advises Intel to reignite growth through innovation, revitalize its identity, and generate awareness through marketing to build upon its heritage as a brand that transforms life through technology.

11. BMW

• Brand value: $34.2bn
• Last year’s rank: 12
• Change in value: +7%

BMW has managed to increase its relevance with models like the i3 emission-free car for driving around cities and the i8 progressive sports car and its “Born Electric” marketing campaign. The push has brought BMW’s mobility ideals to life, proving the brand is “Fueled by Innovation,” Interbrand says.



Over the past few years, BMW has refined its brand strategy, internal communications clarity, and external brand consistency to build the value of its brand. Record sales in China and an “enviable” profit margin per vehicle have also been credit for BMW’s success last year.

10. Mercedes-Benz

• Brand value: $34.3bn
• Last year’s rank: 11
• Change in value: +8%

German automaker Mercedes-Benz reported a record 14% increase in sales last year, having revitalized itself with new models and “fresh expressions of its brand,” which includes making contributions to clean mobility.



Interbrand says Mercedes-Benz owes much of its recent success to continual innovation and its commitment to debuting new products and services.

Its researchers say the brand has also raised the bar when it comes to delivering premium customer experiences with its “Mercedes me” initiative, which bundles benefits and services like “Move me,” “Connect me,” and “Assist me” on one digital platform.

9. McDonald’s

• Brand value: $42.3bn
• Last year’s rank: 7
• Change in value: +1%

McDonald’s global sales have been under pressure, but the brand is working hard to respond to consumer demand for healthier meals and to expand its operations globally.



High-profile sponsorships of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2014 Winter Olympics and major advertising campaigns have helped McDonald’s maintain awareness and promote new launches, like its revamp of its fries packaging, which allowed customers to play an augmented-reality soccer game.

The brand is now on a journey to rebrand itself as “not only a cheap food destination, but an appealing and high-quality one as well.”

8. Toyota

• Brand value: $45.4bn
• Last year’s rank 10
• Change in value: +20%

Toyota is the most valuable automotive brand on this year’s ranking, despite a huge vehicle recall and being fined $1.2 billion by the US Justice Department in March.



The company has evolved its marketing with campaigns like “Let’s go places” and “Go Fun Yourself” to add a more playful dimension to it communications. Elsewhere, Toyota has also made efforts to increase diversity within the company and collaborated with brands like BMW on projects like electric drivetrains and fuel cell engineering.

By prioritizing collaboration, investing in mobility, and putting sustainability and innovation at the top of its agenda, Toyota is well positioned for the future, Interbrand says.

7. Samsung

• Brand value: $45.5bn
• Last year’s rank: 8
• Change in value: 15%

Samsung continues to lead the competitive global smartphone market in terms of volume, and it doubled its presence in tablets last year. The company has also made sustained investments in R&D to bring out technologies like curbed TVs and a virtual reality headset.



In 2013, Samsung tripled its marketing spending to $14 billion — the equivalent of Iceland’s GDP and more than triple the combined marketing spend of Microsoft and Apple last year — to drive perceptions of the company as an aspirational brand.

6. General Electric

• Brand value: $45.5bn
• Last year’s rank: 6
• Change in value: -3%

General Electric is in the process of reinventing itself by harnessing big data to make its heavy industrial machines smarter.



Over the past 12 months GE has divested its retail finance division, and it was announced that Electrolux would buy GE’s appliance business for $3.3 billion, indicating how the company is transitioning away from consumer businesses and focusing more intently on industrials. But despite the shift, GE’s marketing and relationships with customers remains very personal, having produced ads like “What Would Happen” and “Childlike Imagination.”

Interbrand says initiatives like its Garages global road show, which showcases innovations in manufacturing, demonstrate how “GE is not just imagining what’s next, but is actually doing it.”

5. Microsoft

• Brand value: $61.2bn
• Last year’s rank: 5
• Change in brand value: +3%

The past 12 months have been transformational for Microsoft, with new CEO Satya Nadella now firmly in place and leading the company’s move toward a new “cloud and mobile first” era.



To demonstrate this new vision, Microsoft has completed its purchase of Nokia’s devices and services division, released the Cortana personal voice assistant, acquired the parent company of Minecraft, and rebranded its cloud computing enterprise Windows Azure to Microsoft Azure and made it compete on price with Amazon Web services.

4. IBM

• Brand value: $72.2bn
• Last year’s rank: 4
• Change in brand value: -8%

IBM is in the process of shifting from its five-year old “Smarter Planet” strategy to a stronger focus on big data, cloud computing, and analytics, following year-on-year declines in both revenue and profit.



The challenge is differentiation: all its competitors are also focused on all the same areas. IBM will be hoping its b2b computing partnership with Apple, announced in July, will enrich its analytics offering with the input of billions of data points from iOS devices.

The company has made multimillion-dollar investments in acquisitions, net capital expenditures, and R&D, earning it the most US

3. Coca-Cola

• Brand value: $81.6bn
• Last year’s rank: 3
• Change in brand value: +3%

Coca-Cola has seen declining sales growth in North America, its biggest market, as demand for its products wanes among increasingly health-conscious consumers.



To help combat this, the company has been rolling out mid-calorie “green” cola Coca-Cola Life. Elsewhere it has also partnered with brands including Nike, P&G, Ford, and Heinz to accelerate the development of products made from plants as it looks to respond to concerns around sustainability.

Interbrand says Coca-Cola’s opportunity ahead lies in continuing to strengthen the brand’s connections with Millennials and addressing the shift away from sweet, carbonated beverages to high-energy and health-conscious ones, especially in North America and Western Europe.

2. Google

• Brand value: $107.4bn
• Last year’s rank: 2
• Change in brand value: +15%

Google continued its quest this year to be leaders in far more than search alone. Recent ambitious projects — known internally as “moon shots” — include self-driving cars, the rollout of Google Glass, Project Loon (its global network of high-altitude balloons that provide internet access to people in remote areas) and an investment in a biotech company that is working to slow human aging.



Interbrand says that with its extensive reach in search, advertising, Android, apps, and Google+, Google has the capabilities and resources to continue to deliver on its vision to provide more personalized experiences.

1. Apple

• Brand value: $118.9bn
• Last year’s rank: 1
• Change in brand value: 21%

Apple maintained its position at the head of the rankings by continuing to be bold, Interbrand says. Recent examples of boldness have included the launch of Apple Pay, the long-anticipated Apple Watch, two new iPhones and software like CarPlay and HomeKit.



Intebrand says the real breakthrough, though, is how the products now work together to make everything in your life work that bit better.

Top ten worst airports in Asia - List of the 10 worst airports in Asia

November 3, 2014, 2:25 am

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Top ten worst airports in Asia - List of the 10 worst airports in Asia

Chennai International Airport has featured in The Guide to Sleeping in Airports' list of Worst Airports for the third consecutive year in a row.

In 2012, along with Chennai, New Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata too had been rated poorly. But this year, no other airport from India has featured on this list.

Here's a look at Asia's worst aiports in 2014 Text via The Guide to Sleeping in Airports

10. Chennai International Airport, India



Chennai airport continues to aggravate travellers with its lack of cleanliness, its long queues and its serious lack of comfortable seating. The new International and Domestic Terminals have both experienced incidents of ceiling collapses.


9. Dhaka Shahjalal International Airport, Bangladesh

Dhaka airport is known to be dated, slow-moving, insect-filled and short on amenities.



8. Ho Chi Minh City Tan Son Nhat International Airport, Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh’s primary airport is generally described to be functional and reasonable. Facilities are generally quite average, and cleanliness levels fluctuate.
Photo by Dragfyre via Wikimedia Commons



7. Phnom Penh International Airport, Cambodia



This tiny airport loses points with travellers because of its exclusive use of metal chairs and seats with armrests. Otherwise, this airport receives reasonable reviews for its efficiency and ease of navigation.

6. Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, China



Guangzhou airport is often criticized for being dirty, inefficient, unaccommodating and generally dull; this stems from a lack of amenities, and a number of very unpleasant bathroom experiences.

5. Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport Vietnam



Hanoi’s international and domestic airport is frequently noted for being hot, chaotic and not especially clean. In spite of its tropical location, air conditioning seems to perpetually be a problem – and the constant crowds exacerbate overheating.
Photo by Craig via Wikimedia Commons

4. Tashkent International Airport, Uzbekistan



There are a few reports of bribes being solicited and immigration processes being highly suspect and inconsistent at Tashkent International Airport. Voters were also frustrated with everything from check-in to security to boarding to baggage.
Photo by Ramón via Wikimedia Commons

3. Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Philippines



After 3 years at the top of the worst airports lists, Manila NAIA saw a slight “improvement” in its ranking as a result of increased positive votes for its Terminal 3. Consider this a firm recommendation to do all that you can to fly on airlines that use Terminal 3 rather than Terminal 1, recommends The Guide to Sleeping in Airports'

2. Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport, Nepal



Nepal’s only international airport was eloquently described to resemble a “bus station in an impoverished neighbourhood”. The airport’s cleanliness is a chief concern for those travelling

1. Islamabad Benazir Bhutto International Airport, Pakistan



Likened to a central prison, Islamabad Benazir Bhutto International Airport is criticized for the crowds (and absence of crowd control), the pervasive corruption, the aggressive-yet-inconsistent security checks, and the overall lack of cleanliness and technology.

Top 10 richest people in America 2014

November 3, 2014, 2:37 am

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Top 10 richest people in America 2014

Thanks to a buoyant stock market, the richest people in the U.S. just keep getting richer. That has made it harder than ever to join the ranks of the 400 wealthiest Americans. The price of entry to The Forbes 400 this year is $1.55 billion, the highest it’s been since Forbes started tracking American wealth in 1982. Last year it took $1.3 billion to score a spot. Because the bar is so high, 113 U.S. billionaires didn’t make the cut.

Bill Gates is the richest American for the 21st year in a row, with a net worth of $81 billion. (He’s the world’s second richest person, behind Mexico’s Carlos Slim.)

Facebook cofounder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is now the 11th richest person in the U.S., and the biggest dollar gainer on the list. His fortune soared to $34 billion, up $15 billion since last year, due to a sharp rise in the price of the social network’s shares.

All together the 400 wealthiest Americans are worth a staggering $2.29 trillion, up $270 billion from a year ago. The average net worth of list members is $5.7 billion, $700 million more than last year and a record high.

Check out the top 10 of the Forbes 400.

Source: Forbes

10. S. Robson Walton 
Net worth: $34.8 billion, up $1.5 billion
Source: Wal-Mart
Age: 70



•    Oldest son of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton
•    Chairman of Wal-Mart board for nearly a half century
•    Also owns a stake in Hyatt Hotels
•    Public face of the Walton family has had to deal with criticism over low wages and bribery scandal in Mexico
•    Wal-Mart revenues have increased ninefold since he became chairman in 1992


9. Alice Walton 
Net worth: $34.9 billion, up $1.4 billion
Source: Wal-Mart
Age: 64



•    Daughter of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton
•    Opened her Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas in 2011, which has works from Andy Warhol, Norman Rockwell and Mark Rothko.
•    Fortune up $1.4 billion thanks to rising value of Wal-Mart shares

8. Michael Bloomberg
Net worth: $35 billion, up $4 billion
Source: Bloomberg LP
Age: 72



•    Returned to lead Bloomberg LP less than a year after ending tenure as mayor of New York
•    Owns 88% of Bloomberg LP, which will pass $9 billion in revenue in 2014
•    Got his start working on Wall Street at Salomon Brothers in 1966
•    Has given away $3.3 billion in his lifetime
•    Reportedly spending $50 million this year battling the NRA, which has launched an attack ad taking direct aim at Bloomberg personally.

7. Jim Walton 
Net worth: $36 billion, up $2.2 billion
Source: Wal-Mart
Age: 66



•    Largest individual shareholder of Wal-Mart
•    Youngest child of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton
•    CEO of family-founded Arvest Bank, which has branches in Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri

6. Christy Walton and family 
Net worth: $38 billion, up $2.6 billion
Source: Wal-Mart
Age: 59



•    Richest woman in the world
•    Married into the richest family in the world, worth over $150 billion
•    Former husband John Walton died in a plane crash in 2005
•    Richest member of the Walton family thanks to a side investment in solar company First Solar. Its shares are up 87% since last year’s Forbes 400

4. Charles Koch 
Net worth: $42 billion, up $6 billion
Source: diversified
Age: 78



•    Chairman and CEO of Koch Industries, second-largest private company in America, with sales of $115 billion
•    He took over for his father Fred in 1967 and grew the company into the giant it is today
•    He and his brother David are pouring money toward a Republican effort to take control of the Senate in 2014
•    This year Koch Industries acquired inkmaker Fling Group for a reported $3 billion and PetroLogistics for $2.1 billion.

4. David Koch 
Net worth: $42 billion, up $6 billion
Source: diversified
Age: 74



•    Richest man in New York City
•    He and his brother Charles share control of Koch Industries, second-largest private company in America
•    Koch Industries’ interests include oil pipelines, refineries, building materials, paper towels and even Dixie cups
•    The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York dedicated the David H. Koch Plaza in September after he funded a $65 million renovation

3. Larry Ellison 
Net worth: $50 billion, up $9 billion
Source: Oracle
Age: 70



•    Shocked business world when he announced he would step down as Oracle CEO in September, but will remain chief technology officer
•    Richest man in Silicon Valley
•    Built databases for the CIA before founding Oracle in 1977
•    Continuing to add to his real estate portfolio by buying up the Hawaiian island of Lanai.
•    He bought nearly the entire Hawaiian island of Lanai in 2012 and continues to add to his holdings there
•    86% of his net worth is tied up in Oracle stock.

2. Warren Buffett
Net worth: $67 billion, up $8.5 billion
Source: Berkshire Hathaway
Age: 84



•    Has been the second-richest man in America, behind Gates, every year since 2001
•    Net worth up $8.5 billion thanks to surging stock in Berkshire Hathaway
•    Class A shares of Berkshire Hathaway are the most expensive shares of any public company, over $200,000 apiece
•    Has given away nearly $23 billion in his lifetime, to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and to foundations run by his 3 children
•    His company has dozens of subsidiaries, including Dairy queen, Geico insurance, See’s Candies and Heinz ketchup.

1. Bill Gates 
Net worth: $81 billion, up $9 billion
Source: Microsoft
Age: 58



•    Richest man in America for the 21st straight year
•    His Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has given away $30 billion since 2000
•    As America’s top philanthropist, he picks and chooses which of the world’s biggest issues to tackle. This year he pledged $50 million to fight the Ebola outbreak in Africa and $1 million to advocate for gun control in Washington.
•    Net worth is up $9 billion, helped by rising shares of Microsoft, Canadian National Railway and trash company Republic Services
•    Cofounded Microsoft with childhood friend Paul Allen. Harvard hallmate Steve Ballmer served as longtime CEO. All three are among top 30 richest in America.

•    Bulk of his fortune is in private investment vehicle Cascade, which holds stakes in Canadian National Railway, tractor maker Deere & Co., and South American McDonald’s franchisee Arcos Dorados (golden arches in Spanish.)

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The Top 15 Most Powerful People in the World of Business & Finance - Forbes

November 6, 2014, 1:37 am

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The Top 15 Most Powerful People in the World of Business & Finance - Forbes

Ranked at No. 36, business tycoon Mukesh Ambani is the sole Indian entry from the business world in Forbes' list of 'The World's Most Powerful People 2014'.

According to Forbes, "Our annual ranking of the World’s 72 Most Powerful People (one for every 100 million people on the planet) is based on voting by a panel of FORBES editors, who consider things like financial resources, scope and use of power, and the number of people they impact."

The other Indian entry in the list of powerful people, is Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who ranks at No. 15. Scroll Below to see the 'World's 15 most powerful people in the world of Business, Finance and Economy'
(REUTERS/B Mathur/Files)


Forbes Rank: 6 I Name: Janet Yellen I Country: United States I Age: 68 I Profile: Chair, Federal Reserve, Washington, United States (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/Files)



Forbes Rank: 7 I Name: Bill Gates I Country: United States I Age: 59 I Profile: Cofounder, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (REUTERS/Jim Urquhart/Files)



Rank: 8 I Name: Mario Draghi I Country: Italy I Age: 67 I Profile: President, European Central Bank (REUTERS/Yves Herman)



Forbes Rank: 9 I Name: Sergey Brin I Country: United States I Age: 41 I Profile: Cofounder, Director Of Special Projects, Google (Associated Press Images)



Forbes Rank: 9 I Name: Larry Page I Country: United States I Age: 41 I Profile: CEO, Google (Associated Press Images)



Forbes Rank: 12 I Name: Warren Buffett I Country: United States I Age: 84 I Profile: CEO, Berkshire Hathaway (REUTERS/Lucas Jackson)



Forbes Rank: 16 I Name: Jeff Bezos I Country: United States I Age: 50 I Profile: CEO and Founder, Amazon.com (REUTERS/Gus Ruelas/Files)



Forbes Rank: 14 I Name: Carlos Slim Helu & family I Country: Mexico I Age: 74 I Profile: Honorary Chairman, América Móvil Image: Agencies



Forbes Rank: 18 I Name: Jamie Dimon I Country: United States I Age: 58 I Profile: CEO, JPMorgan Chase (Associated Press Images)



Forbes Rank: 20 I Name: Rex Tillerson I Country: United States I Age: 62 I Profile: CEO, Exxon Mobil (Associated Press Images)



Forbes Rank: 21 I Name: Jeffrey Immelt I Country: United States I Age: 58 I Profile: CEO, General Electric (Associated Press Images)



Forbes Rank: 22 I Name: Mark Zuckerberg I Country: United States I Age: 30 I Profile: Cofounder, Chairman and CEO, Facebook (REUTERS/Edgard Garrido/Files)



Forbes Rank: 23 I Name: Michael Bloomberg I Country: United States I Age: 72 I Profile: CEO, Bloomberg REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/Files



Forbes Rank: 24 I Name: Charles Koch I Country: United States I Age: 79 I Profile: CEO, Koch Industries
Forbes Rank: 24 I Name: David Koch I Country: United States I Age: 74 I Profile: Executive Vice President, Koch Industries
(Image: Company website screenshot)

Nike Secrets: Eleven things hardly anyone knows about Nike

November 10, 2014, 12:04 am

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Nike Secrets: Eleven things hardly anyone knows about Nike

Nike turned 50 this year.To celebrate, a UK gym, My Fitness Boutique, has created this infographic to celebrate the shoe and apparel company's five decades in business.

We've picked out some of the most interesting factlets from the infographic, and a few snippets from around the web, that many people may never have known about the world's most famous sports brand.
By Business Insider


1. Nike was founded in 1964 as Blue Ribbon Sports and initially operated as a distributor for the Japanese shoemaker Onitsuka Tiger (now known as Asics). It officially became Nike Inc. in 1971.



2. The company was founded with just $1,200 in the bank. It was created by Bill Bowerman — a track-and-field coach — and Phil Knight, a middle-distance runner from Portland who was enrolled in the University of Oregon.



3. Nike cofounder and chairman Phil Knight had originally wanted to call the company "Dimension 6." The Nike name comes from the Greek goddess of victory, and it’s pronounced "ny'-kee." Nike's first employee, Jeff Johnson, came up with the name.



4. The first Nike shoes were made inside a waffle iron. Bowerman’s first eureka moment for footwear innovation came in 1971, when he and his wife were making waffles for breakfast: It sparked an idea for a grooved pattern on the sole of trainers to help athletes grip running tracks. It spawned the “Nike Waffle Trainer,” patented in 1974 (at the expense of his wife Barbara's waffle iron), Nike explains on its press site.



5. The Nike swoosh was designed by Portland State University student Carolyn Davidson, for just $35 (just over $200 in today's currency). At a later stage she was given stock that is now worth more than $640,000.



6. The slogan “Just Do It” was inspired by serial killer Gary Gilmore, who said “let’s do it” just before he was executed by a firing squad in 1977. The revelation was made in a 2009 documentary about advertising called “Art & Copy.



7. The first “Just Do It” campaign launched in 1988. The ad featured Walt Stack, a then 80-year-old running icon, plodding across the Golden Gate Bridge.



8. Despite the fact that he hasn’t played basketball professionally since 2003, Michael Jordan still reportedly earns $60 million annually in royalties from Nike, according to Forbes. That makes him the athlete with — by far — the biggest Nike endorsement deal.



9. Romanian tennis professional Ilie Nastase, "the Bucharest Buffoon," was the first athlete to sign an endorsement contract with Nike, in 1972. Nastase was a gifted tennis player but also became infamous for his erratic temperament and was lumped with several fines, suspensions, and disqualifications throughout his career.



10. Nike’s 1987 ad for the Air Max shoes was soundtracked by The Beatles’ “Revolution” — the first time a Beatles song had ever been used in a TV commercial, according to the Career in Sports book.




11. The world’s largest Nike store is not in its US homeland but on London’s Oxford Street. It cost £10.5 million to build the store, which spans three levels and roughly 42,000 feet. It was constructed around the theme of a town square.

2015 Cricket World Cup - Meet the teams

November 12, 2014, 2:09 am

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2015 Cricket World Cup - Meet the teams

Strengths and weaknesses of the 14 finalists. This is the third in our series Counting Down to the ICC World Cup.

1. POOL A, ENGLAND



As English cricket returns to a state of relative calm following the fall-out from Kevin Pietersen's autobiography, the three-time losing finalists (1979, 1987 and 1992), can concentrate on their World Cup preparations. Unusually, England won't play any Test cricket between now and the World Cup, instead taking part in a one-day tour of Sri Lanka and a tri-series staged by Australia in a bid to give themselves the best possible chance of winning the tournament for the first time.

But given a lack of proven hard-hitting ODI batsmen -- England are pinning a lot of hope on Alex Hales and Jos Buttler -- as well as bowlers who can run through, rather than, at best, contain, an opposition top-order, it would be a major surprise if Alastair Cook's men made it all the way to the final, let alone won the tournament. However, their fans won't mind too much if they regain the Ashes next year.


2. POOL A, AUSTRALIA



The pressure will be on Australia as hosts and as the tournament's most successful team with four titles. India ended the Australians' 12-year reign as champions with victory in the quarter-finals of the last 2011 event in Ahmedabad. The Michael Clarke-led Aussies are third ranked, just a rating point behind South Africa and recently completed a 3-0 clean sweep over Pakistan in the UAE before suffering a two-Test whitewash.

The hosts' chances hinge on the fitness of skipper Clarke and the explosive and improvised batting of Aaron Finch, David Warner, Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell, while Mitchell Johnson is the most lethal paceman in world cricket. Australia will have a thorough lead-in to the World Cup with a five-game ODI home series against South Africa in November followed by a tri-series involving India and England in January.

3. POOL A, SRI LANKA



The 1996 champions, who were beaten by Australia in the 2007 final and lost out to India four years later, have been one of the most consistent teams in recent years. Angelo Mathews' men should have no complaints about the build-up to the tournament. After a hurriedly-arranged ODI series in India this month, Sri Lanka host England for seven matches and then tour New Zealand over the New Year for two Tests and another seven one-dayers.

The veteran trio of Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan comprise a formidable top-order while sling-arm fast bowler Lasith Malinga remains a devastating wicket-taker despite recent injuries.

4. POOL A, BANGLADESH



Gone are the heady days when Bangladesh stunned Australia in a one-dayer in England and knocked India out of the 2007 World Cup. Victories are so rare these days that Mushfiqur Rahim's team has lost all 12 one-dayers they have played this year. Tamim Iqbal is almost unrecognisable as the flamboyant opener who tore apart the best of attacks.

Off-spinner Sohag Gazi has been suspended for an illegal bowling action, leaving Shakib Al Hasan and the gutsy Rahim to carry the team's fortunes. Bangladesh will be considered to have done well if they qualify for the knock-out rounds.

5. POOL A, NEW ZEALAND



New Zealand have reached the World Cup semi-finals six times (1975, 1979, 1992, 1999, 2007, 2011) and are desperate to shed the tag of perennial also-rans as they co-host the tournament. They have become a disciplined, aggressive unit under captain Brendon McCullum, capable of beating anyone when fit and firing, as ODI series wins against South Africa, India and the West Indies in the past two years have shown.

But two heavy losses to the Proteas last month exposed a lack of depth, particularly in batting, and they may have to recall the talented but troubled Jesse Ryder. The return of Daniel Vettori adds a world-class spinner to a promising attack boasting the new-ball combination of Tim Southee and Trent Boult.

6. POOL A, AFGHANISTAN



Twenty-two years after they were inspired by Pakistan's World Cup win, Afghanistan's cricketers gear up for their maiden appearance in the mega event. From learning the game in refugee camps on the Pakistan-Afghan border after the Russian invasion of their country in 1979, Afghanistan cricket has progressed by leaps and bounds.

Captain Mohammad Nabi believes the World Cup will be a big learning curve for his team and if they beat any one of the top teams -- with Bangladesh as their main target -- it will be an achievement. They were buoyed by beating Zimbabwe twice to share a four-match series earlier this year. Afghanistan will be coached by Englishman Andy Moles after Kabir Khan stepped down.

7. POOL A, SCOTLAND



Have plenty of high-level backroom assistance in former Test batsmen Paul Collingwood and Matthew Maynard, the World Cup highlight for a team whose head coach is New Zealander Grant Bradburn is likely to be the pool clash with England in Christchurch on February 23.

Scotland have fallen behind the likes of Ireland in terms of the pecking order among non-Test nations during recent years and this World Cup sees them returning to the showpiece tournament for the first time since a disappointing showing in the West Indies in 2007 where they lost all their group matches. County batsman Kyle Coetzer made 128 in their recent warm-up match against Otago but Scotland still suffered a 67-run defeat by the New Zealand provincial side, suggesting their bowlers in particular could be in for a tough time.

8. POOL B, INDIA



Mahendra Singh Dhoni's defending champions have endured a tough 12 months with a 12-12 win/loss record in one-day internationals so far. What will worry Dhoni and coach Duncan Fletcher is that seven of those losses have come away from home, in New Zealand, South Africa and England.

But with four Tests in Australia and a one-day tri-series with England coming up, India should be in the right groove when they launch their World Cup campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan in Adelaide on February 15. A power-packed batting unit, India will always be considered strong contenders to defend the title -- provided the bowlers can stem the flow of runs.

9. POOL B, SOUTH AFRICA



AB de Villiers got off to a rocky start as South Africa one-day captain in 2013, losing at home against New Zealand and being suspended for two matches because of a woefully slow over rate. The Proteas were well beaten by hosts England in the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy semi-final and then lost 4-1 in a series in Sri Lanka. Since then, though, South Africa -- under an increasingly confident and capable De Villiers -- have climbed up the rankings, reaching number one when they won a recent series in New Zealand.

Next up is a series in Australia, the other World Cup co-hosts. De Villiers and Hashim Amla are the top two batsmen in the ICC one-day rankings, while Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and leg-spinner Imran Tahir lead a strong bowling attack. But South Africa lack a world-class all-rounder and have a poor record in global knock-out games.

10. POOL B, PAKISTAN



The 1992 champions are unsure whether they will have the services of ace spinner Saeed Ajmal who has been suspended for an illegal bowling action while the tussle between Misbah-ul Haq and mercurial all-rounder Shahid Afridi over the captaincy has further hurt Pakistan who lost 3-0 to Australia in a recent one-day series.

But despite the usual off-field problems, no one can underestimate Pakistan's chances. They have some talented players who can match Imran Khan's cornered tigers who lifted the Cup from nowhere in Australia and New Zealand in 1992.

11. POOL B, WEST INDIES



Winners of the first two World Cups in 1975 and 1979, the West Indies' hopes of reaching a final for the first time since 1983 were already slim before their recent implosion in India. The cancellation of their tour amidst a bitter row between players, union and the WICB highlighted the steady decline of the sport in the Caribbean.

Frustratingly for fans, there had been small signs of life in recent months with a 3-0 sweep of Bangladesh on home ground in the one-dayers followed by a 124-run win against world champions India in Kochi four weeks ago in the first of five planned games. Doubts exist over the West Indies' ability to even send a full-strength team to the World Cup. Much rests on Chris Gayle's ability to add significantly to his 8,755 career runs.

12. POOL B, ZIMBABWE



On an emotion-charged day in Harare in August, Zimbabwe beat Australia by three wickets and showed why none of the big guns in Pool B can afford to take them lightly during the World Cup. Such triumphs may be rare but Zimbabwe will be outside contenders to reach the knock-out stage. Since the 2011 World Cup, Zimbabwe have won ten of 39 matches, but only two wins were against top tier teams, with Pakistan losing one of three matches in Zimbabwe in 2013.

Brendan Taylor and Hamilton Masakadza are mainstays of a sometimes fragile batting line-up but Zimbabwe can rely on good fielding and steady if not especially penetrative bowling. Stalwart off-spinner Prosper Utseya is suspended because of an illegal bowling action and left-arm spinner and useful batsman Sean Williams was not selected for the current tour of Bangladesh after reportedly falling out with coach Stephen Mangongo.

13. POOL B, IRELAND



It is a measure of Ireland's success at the last two World Cups, where they have beaten the likes of Pakistan -- a 2015 pool opponent -- Bangladesh and England, that it will no longer be regarded as a colossal shock should they see off another Test nation in 2015. Several of their players have been hardened by the experience of playing English county cricket, while the squad is set to include Kevin O'Brien, who hit the fastest World Cup hundred of all-time, off just 50 balls, in their stunning victory over England at Bangalore in 2011.

Coached by former West Indies batsman Phil Simmons, Ireland will also look to get one over the Caribbean side -- who they've beaten in other matches -- in the pool phase. But whether any success at this World Cup takes Ireland nearer to their goal of playing Test cricket remains to be seen.

14. POOL B, UAE



Back at the World Cup for the first time since 1996 -- where they beat the Netherlands for their only win -- the United Arab Emirates team is made up of mostly Indian and Pakistan expatriate talent and boast former Pakistan seamer Aqib Javed, part of his country's 1992 World Cup winning side, as their coach.

"I think that in 1996, no-one took the UAE as seriously as they do today. There was only limited exposure to the world. People weren't sure how good UAE cricket was. But now, people have seen UAE playing at different levels, and I think we can surprise a few people and a few teams," said Aqib. The UAE, who have only had ODI status since this year, were narrowly beaten 3-2 by a Pakistan 'A' team in a five-match series.

Top 20 Haunted Places in India to Avoid If You’re a 'Scared of Ghosts'

November 17, 2014, 2:46 am

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Top 20 Haunted Places in India to Avoid If You’re a 'Scared of Ghosts'

1. Bhangarh Fort, Rajasthan



Scary story: Located in the Alwar district of Rajasthan, this fort is notorious for shocking paranormal activities. There is a legend that explains why the place is haunted. Apparently there was a tantrik named Singhiya who was in love with Princess Ratnavati. He used his black magic on the princess, but it backfired on him and he died. But just before he did, he cursed the fort, saying that all who dwelt in the fort shall die. Till date people are warned not to visit the fort after sunset.


2. Dumas Beach, Gujarat



Scary story:  Beaches are the best spots to relax. But not this one. Dumas beach is a cremation ground for the Hindus, therefore it is said that the tormented souls and the ones who did not seek ‘moksha’ loiter on the beach post sunset.

3. Vrindavan Society, Thane



Scary story: It's hard to believe that ghost stories exist even amidst the hustle and bustle of the city. One such case here is that of Vrindavan society, which is said to be the largest residential complex of Thane. 66 B is the building from the complex that has an eerie past. A man had committed suicide here and since then there have been reports of paranormal activities.

4. Lambi Dehar Mines, Uttarakhand



Scary story:  So apparently these mines were shut down because workers died coughing blood due to improper work conditions. Locals also say that the location is haunted by a witch who makes unnerving noises at night.

5. Jamali Kamali Masjid, Delhi



Scary story: The masjid is said to be the home of djinns. It is said that people who visit this place experience nightmares and paranormal experiences post their visit.

6. Grand Paradi Towers, Mumbai



Scary story: The swankiest area of South Mumbai called Malabar Hill is a home to a 28-storeyed jinxed tower called Grand Paradi. A spate of suicides at this luxurious society has drawn lot of attention and has made it the most infamous society in the locality. There have been about 20 suicides and accidents which have taken place since the towers were constructed in 1976. Residents here have sought psychiatric help and a few have moved out of the premises.

7. D’Souza Chawl, Mahim



Scary story:  A lady who fell in the well while drawing water, apparently haunts the chawl even today.

8. Tunnel No. 33, Shimla



Scary story: Shimla is abode to many scary stories. One such story is of Tunnel no.33, where the friendly ghost of Colonel Barog loiters around the tunnel during the night. Colonel Barog was a railway engineer during the times of the British Raj. Locals say that his ghost has friendly chats with people who take the tunnel. Though it is said to be a harmless soul, but a ghost talking can never be a friendly thing right?

9. Agrasen Ki Baoli, Delhi



Scary story:  There's something going on in the well here, that lures people to jump in and commit suicide.

10. Brij Raj Bhavan Palace in Kota, Rajasthan



Scary story: Major Burton who was the British resident of the Kota palace was killed by sepoys in the 1857 mutiny. It is believed that his ghost walks the palace at night.

11. Savoy Hotel, Mussoorie



Scary story: The heritage Savoy hotel in Mussoorie is believed to be home to the ghost of Lady Garnet who was poisoned here during British times. It is said that her ghost is in search of the person who poisoned her. The story gets a mention in Agatha Christie’s ‘The Mysterious Affair at Styles’ and Ruskin Bond’s ‘In a Crystal Ball- A Mussoorie mystery.’

12. Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad



Scary story: Imagine a scary story coming from a film city where so many movies are being shot! It is said that there are occurrences of paranormal activities like lights going off on their own and people disappearing.

13. GP Block, Meerut



Scary story: Locals say that ghosts of men who were drinking partners when they were alive can be seen here. Ghosts of girls in red dresses have also been spotted here.

14. Malcha Mahal, Delhi



Scary story: A family with a royal past stays in the palace. However, it is said that they have no connection with the world outside the palace, and that they stay with their ferocious dogs. Nobody tries to trespass the locality, as it looks horribly terrifying from the outside.

15. Dow Hills, West Bengal



Scary story: People never loiter in the dense area of Dow Hills because of its horrid past. The hills have witnessed many deaths and therefore remain secluded.

16. Raj Kiran Hotel, Lonavla



Scary story:  Lonavla, a quaint hill station near Mumbai is a famous picnic spot and many travellers plan a night out at lodges and resorts. However, people avoid staying at Raj Kiran hotel because of its haunted ground floor. People have experienced strange knockings on their room door, bed sheets being pulled off and other strange incidences.

17. Delhi Cantt



Scary story: Everybody in the area will tell you the terrifying story of a lady in white who seeks a lift from people. If you don’t stop you vehicle then she jumps on the boot. Now that’s friggin scary!

18. South Park Street Cemetery, Kolkata



Scary story: This story sounds like a horror movie plot. A group of friends visited this place and took a group picture. It is said that the entire group experienced paranormal activities after posing for the pictures. After this incident, people started avoiding this area.

19. Shaniwarwada, Pune



Scary story: Punekars have many scary Shaniwarwada stories to share. It is said that strange apparitions and paranormal activities are witnessed during the full moon. And, that the wada should not be visited during the night.

20. Lothian Cemetery, Delhi




Scary story:  This cemetery has witnessed the mass burial of people who lost their lives in the 1857 mutiny. The cemetery is said to be haunted by the ghost of headless Nicholas who was a soldier in the British contingent.

Top 25 Most Dangerous Roads in the World

November 21, 2014, 1:36 am

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Top 25 Most Dangerous Roads in the World

For thousands of years roads have provided a means for safer and more efficient movement of goods and people, but as you will see in a moment this is not always the case. While some of the roads on our list are heavily traveled thoroughfares others are remote, winding, and narrow. Whatever the case may be though, the 25 most dangerous roads in the world will likely convince you that walking isn’t really that bad after all.

25. Trans-Siberian Highway, Russia



Along with the Trans Canada Highway and Australia’s Highway 1, the Trans-Siberian Highway is one of the longest in the world. In order to get from Vladivostok to St. Petersburg it crosses forests, mountains, deserts, and everything in between. Much of it is unpaved and certainly not ideal for a casual Sunday drive.


24. Highway 1, Mexico



While some parts of Highway 1 in Mexico are paved with asphalt, most of it is little more than dirt and rock, winding along dangerous precipices with no railings or guard rails.

23. Stelvio Pass Road, Italy



It may not be the scariest road on our list to drive, but it certainly is the most winding and this 2.7km road in the Italian Alps has been known to give drivers trouble.

22. Cotopaxi Volcano Road, Ecuador



Although there are many dangerous sections branching off the Pan American highway, the 40-km long dirt track that links it with the Cotopaxi Volcano National Park in Ecuador tops the list. With enormous potholes, slippery slopes, and all around precarious driving conditions make this a road a bit of a challenge.

21. Pan-American Highway, Alaska to Argentina



As we just saw, many dangerous roads branch off the from the Pan-American Highway but the highway itself can be fairly dangerous as well. It has been named the “longest motorable” road in the world as you can travel by car from the stretches of Alaska down to the tip of South America, which is about a 30,000 miles in total. As you can imagine, crossing two continents and traversing through jungles, mountains, glaciers, and deserts can inevitably lead to some challenges.

20. A44, England



Although this road from Oxford to Aberystwyth in the UK is not dangerous in the same way that the previous roads have been, for some reason A44 has been responsible for so many head-on collisions that the government had to step in with countermeasures.

19. The A682 Road, England



Like route A44, highway A682 seems like a rather quiet and uneventful road. In the past couple years, however, it has been responsible for hundreds of fatalities.

18. Arica to Iquique Road, Chile



Driving along the road can seem rather harmless as runs through flat and wide open spaces but apparently drivers are often lulled into a false sense of security leading them to speed which many times ends in disaster.

17. Sichuan-Tibet Highway, China



A road with a record of over 7,500 deaths for every 100,000 drivers has reason to be feared. Due to rock slides, avalanches, and poor weather drivers should certainly use caution.

16. Patiopoulo-Perdikaki Road, Greece



The Patiopoulo-Perdikaki Road in Greece is narrow, filled with potholes, lacking guardrails, and is very slippery especially when it rains. Unless you’re up for a challenge it might just be better to walk or something.

15. A726, Scotland



Similar to its English counterparts earlier in the list, A726 Highway is another sleepy road that has managed to really rack up a serious reputation for head on collisions.

14. U.S. Route 431, USA, Alabama



Known as the “Highway to Hell” this stretch of road in Alabama is dotted with crosses that stand in memory of all the lives the highway has claimed.

13. The Barton Highway, Australia



Commonly recognized as the worst highway in Australia, Barton doesn’t have a very good reputation, especially when it comes to getting people safely to their destinations.

12. Luxor-al-Hurghada Road, Egypt



While some roads are dangerous for natural reasons, drivers stuck on the Luxor-al-Hurghada Road have a different reason to be wary. In fact, after dark some people will turn off their headlights due to the frequent attacks from bandits.

11. The Way to Fairy Meadows, Pakistan



Although it may sound harmless, The Way to Fairy Meadows has nothing to do with Pixie Dust or Fairies. It is actually an extremely narrow and dangerous 10 km stretch of road that leads to Nanga Parbat or The Killer Mountain in Pakistan. Fairy Meadows is a nearby valley with serene views of the huge mountain.

10. Skippers Canyon Road, New Zealand



This narrow and winding road actually requires a special permit to drive. If you do manage to get permission though, be ready for a slippery challenge and good luck if you run into someone coming from the other direction.

9. Halsema Highway, Philippines



The only way to get to Sagada, a popular tourist spot in the Philippines, is via the landslide-prone Halsema Highway. It is one of the most poorly maintained roads in the world and every year a bus or two will go rolling over its edge.

8. Pasubio, Italy



The Pasubio in northern Italy is famous for its incredible views. Driving can be a challenge, however, and isn’t even allowed after a certain point. Unfortunately restricting vehicle access hasn’t stopped people from riding their bikes over the edge.

7. Taroko Gorge Road, Taiwan



Known as one of the most dangerous roads in Taiwan, the Taroko Gorge Road is full of blind curves, sharp turns, and narrow paths leading through cliffs and mountains.

6. Guoliang Tunnel Road, China



Although it may be hard to see in the photo, this road in China was hollowed out of the side of a mountain by several villagers from the town of Guoliang. Before the construction of this mountain pass the village was cut of from the rest of civilization by the surrounding cliffs. Although it doesn’t see much traffic, due to its construction it is inherently fairly dangerous.

5. The Himalayan Roads



This catch all term for any road leading up into the Himalayas refers to a very dangerous network of unpaved, narrow, and slippery roads that are dotted with crashed cars and rolled over buses.

4. BR-116, Brazil



The second longest road in Brazil has been nicknamed “The Highway of Death” for obvious reasons. Every year thousands of people die due to its poor upkeep and maintenance and even threats from gangs and bandits.

3. James Dalton Highway, Alaska



The James Dalton Highway in Alaska, although appearing serene at first glance, is filled with potholes, small flying rocks carried by fast winds, and worst of all it runs through the middle of nowhere.

2. Commonwealth Avenue, Philippines



More popularly known as the “Killer Highway” of the Philippines, Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City has seen numerous pedestrian, cyclist, and vehicular deaths over the years due to awful regulations and enforcement of traffic laws.

1. North Yungas Road, Bolivia



Also known as the “Road of Death” in Bolivia, it is often cited as the most dangerous road in the world. It is a regular occurrence for buses and trucks to go tumbling to the valley below, especially when they try passing each other. Yea, walking doesn’t sound too bad after all.

Most Deadliest Islands in World: Keep off, these are the world's deadliest islands

November 25, 2014, 2:18 am

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Most Deadliest Islands in World: Keep off, these are the world's deadliest islands

Islands conjure up visions of paradise - of isolation, romance and adventure, of sunny, sandy beaches lined with coconut palms. Of a sense of discovery.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but these islands are not your typical honeymoon destination. Some of them are sealed off from any tourism at all. Others are considered dangerous. Some are swarming with venomous serpents, while others are patrolled by leagues of ravenous sharks and crocodiles. Still others are polluted with insanely high levels of nuclear radiation and chemical weapons.

Dream on about your favourite island getaways, but keep off these deadly ones.

1. Vozrozhdeniya This island is currently shared by Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and technically joined to the mainland thanks to the waters of the Aral Sea shrinking. In 1948 the Soviets set up a bioweapons lab to test diseases like smallpox, anthrax, bubonic plague and tularemia and to make them into weapons. In 2000, the US helped decontaminate ten anthrax storage sites but we aren’t keen to put Vozrozhdeniya on our visit list as the disease-carrying containers stored here have been known to leak.





2. Islands conjure up images of paradise - tropical beaches, lush rainforests and clear waters. These islands however, are quite the opposite. Some are sealed off from any tourism at all. Most are considered dangerous.



3. Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands 

Bikini Atoll is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a highly dangerous place. Between 1946 and 1958, it was the site of serious nuclear weapon testing. Upon the declaration of reduced radiation levels, many returned to the island in 1987. But, it wasn’t as safe as thought to be. Many of the crabs, foods, and plants had been contaminated. Eating the locally grown produce is not advised.



4. North Sentinel Island, Andaman Islands The local inhabitants of this island want it to stay hidden. They shun contact with the outside world and there is a story of two fisherman who accidentally floated onto the island in 2006 and met their demise at the hands of the Sentinelese.



5. Miyake-jima, Japan The volcano on this tiny island’s most recent eruption lasted four years (2000-2004) and led to the evacuation of any inhabitants. Since the eruption there has been a constant flow of sulfuric gas, leading residents to carry gas masks at all times.



6. Ramree Island, Burma The Guinness World Records calls it “The Greatest Disaster Suffered [by humans] from Animals” and it happened on this Burmese Island. During WWII, Japanese soldiers were forced into the surrounding marshes but the island’s main inhabitants, saltwater crocodiles, made their move, and are said to have eaten at least 400 people.



7. Reunion Island, Indian Ocean Home to one of the highest amounts of shark attacks in the world, Reunion Island has seen over 12 attacks in the last three years. Surfing has been banned here due to the increasing number of sharks hanging around.



8. Ilha de Queimada Grande, Brazil This island is popularly known as Snake Island. Given that it is home to some of the most venomous snakes in the world, it is an apt name. Local legend believes there to be five snakes per square mile on the island, including Golden Lancehead Vipers. The Brazilian Navy has banned all civilians from visiting.



9. Gruinard Island, Scotland During the Second World War, Gruinard Island was using as a testing site for anthrax as a bioweapon. The island remained contaminated for decades until 1986, when 280 tonnes of formaldehyde was sprayed to kill the spores. It has been declared free of danger since 1990 but we aren’t 100 per cent convinced.

Top 10 Worst Airports: The worst airports in North America

December 4, 2014, 2:44 am

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Top 10 Worst Airports: The worst airports in North America

Bloomberg Businessweek has released "The Airport Frustration Index"— a ranking of the most frustrating airports in the U.S. and Canada. Each airport gets a Frustration Score, which includes factors like how long it takes to reach each airport during rush hour, on-time arrivals and departures, and the opinions of more than 3,000 travelers surveyed (another good way to make the list: be one of the three airports that serve New York City). -- Sid Lipsey, Yahoo Travel

10. Philadelphia International



This "old, ugly and cramped airport" is also cited by Bloomberg Businessweek for its unappealing restrooms.


9. Miami International



People clearly don't like getting around in Miami's airport: it was cited for "Most Confusing Terminal Layout" and "Most Time-Consuming Check-in/Security."

8. Dallas/Fort Worth International



DFW covers 27 square miles, so it's a challenging airport to navigate — especially if you're trying to make your way to a baggage claim or a tight connection.

7. Toronto Pearson International



The massive lines for security and baggage are what make Toronto Pearson Canada's representative on this list. Travelers also weren't keen on the 17-mile commute to the city of Toronto.

6. Los Angeles International



LAX is victimized by a not-uncommon complaint in L.A.: traffic. Travelers list the hordes of cars and passengers here as this airport's most frustrating features.

5. John F. Kennedy International



JFK tops the "Longest Rush Hour Drive Time to the Airport" category. And while it's ranked better than the other New York City-area airports, JFK's look leaves much to be desired. Bloomberg Businessweek writes: "JFK is like its metro-area peers: A mix of stylish new amenities and dated, dungeon-like warrens..."

4. Chicago O'Hare International



If you come to O'Hare, expect to wait. It's consistently one of the most-delayed airports in the country.

3. Washington Dulles International



Located 30 miles outside of Washington, Dulles loses points on convenience. Its frequently bottlenecked security lines are another sore point.

2. Newark Liberty International



Newark was tops in delayed and canceled planes. Plus Bloomberg Businessweek isn't impressed with its decor, writing, "The airport appears to be trapped in 1974, desperately needing a facelift."

1. LaGuardia




Vice President Joe Biden once said this airport feels like it's in a third-world country and Bloomberg Businessweek does not disagree. LaGuardia was cited for having the lousiest restaurants and shops and for its dirty restrooms. Its crowded gate areas and its extremely inconvenient location (out of reach of the city's subway system) help make this the country's most frustrating airport.

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2014 Year in Review: Most Powerful Photos

December 8, 2014, 2:23 am

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2014 Year in Review: Most Powerful Photos

Henri Cartier-Bresson famously remarked that photography is the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event. Though 2014 has been full of events too numerous to recall, the images that have stayed with us remain etched in memory. The emotion writ large in their frames make them more telling than others. They leap out of the pages of time, larger than life. That criterion, more than ever, drove this selection of images that defined the year gone by:

1. An Indian artist dressed as the Hindu goddess Kali participates in a procession to celebrate the Ram Navami festival in Allahabad on April 8, 2014. Hindu devotees celebrate the festival of Ram Navami, the birth anniversary of Lord Rama, across India, which also marks the end of the nine-day long fasting and Navaratri festival. AFP PHOTO/SANJAY KANOJIA




2. A Pakistani man wounded in a suicide bomb attack, reacts to the camera after received first aid in hospital in Wagah border, near Lahore November 2, 2014. At least 45 people were killed on Sunday when a suicide bomber blew himself up on the Pakistani-Indian border, police said, just after a daily ceremony when troops from both sides simultaneously lower the two nations' flags. REUTERS/Mani Rana.



3. A man walks, on July 17, 2014, amongst the wreckages of the malaysian airliner carrying 298 people from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur after it crashed, near the town of Shaktarsk, in rebel-held east Ukraine. The Malaysian airliner was shot down over Ukraine by a surface-to-air missile Thursday but it was unclear who fired the weapon, US officials told AFP. Intelligence analysts are reviewing data to determine whether the weapon was launched by pro-Moscow separatists in Ukraine, Russian troops across the border or Ukrainian government forces, said two US officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity. AFP PHOTO/ ALEXANDER  KHUDOTEPLY



4. Visitors run away as waves caused by a tidal bore surge past a barrier on the banks of Qiantang River, in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, in this August 13, 2014 file photo.  REUTERS/Stringer



5. A Palestinian youth throws a stone towards Israeli soldiers as he jumps over burning tyres during clashes that followed a rally to support President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Hebron March 17, 2014. Thousands of Palestinians took to the streets on Monday to show their support for Abbas, who is under heavy pressure as he prepares to meet U.S. President Barack Obama. REUTERS/Mussa Qawasma



6. Young divers stretch as they hang from a steel bar during a training session at a sports school in Hefei, Anhui province August 23, 2014. Eleven teenage divers - four girls and seven boys - from the country's rural areas have been training at this school for over two years to prepare themselves for a provincial competition in the coming days. The competition is considered to be their only chance to be picked by the provincial diving team and a gateway to becoming a professional athlete. Picture taken August 23, 2014. REUTERS/Stringer



7. An aerial picture taken on September 14, 2014 shows a plane flying over the Bardarbunga volcano spewing lava and smoke in southeast Iceland. The Bardarbunga volcano system has been rocked by hundreds of tremors daily since mid-August, prompting fears the volcano could explode. Bardarbunga, at 2,000 metres (6,500 feet), is Iceland's second-highest peak and is located under Europe's largest glacier, Vatnajoekull. AFP PHOTO / BERNARD MERIC.



8. Anti-government protesters kiss during a protest against Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro's government in Caracas March 22, 2014. Two Venezuelans died from gunshot wounds during protests against Maduro, witnesses and local media said on Saturday, pushing the death toll from almost two months of anti-government protests to 33. REUTERS/Christian Veron.



9. A protester shout as police officers try to remove the chairs displayed to block the entrance of the Taiwanese Parliament which is occupied by activists to protest against moves by the ruling Kuomintang party to ratify a contentious trade agreement with Chinain, in Taipei on March 19, 2014. Late on March 18 around 200 students and activists broke through a security barrier and took over the main chamber in Taiwan's parliament, singing and dancing in protest against the trade agreement. AFP  PHOTO / SAM YEH.



10. Lightning flashes over the Christ the Redeemer statue on top of Corcovado Hill in Rio de Janeiro on January 14, 2014. AFP PHOTO / YASUYOSHI CHIBA.



11. Protesters advance towards new positions in Kiev on February 20, 2014. Armed protesters stormed police barricades in Kiev on Thursday in renewed violence that killed at least 26 people and shattered an hours-old truce as EU envoys held crisis talks with Ukraine's embattled president. Bodies of anti-government demonstrators lay amid smouldering debris after masked protesters hurling Molotov cocktails and stones forced police from Kiev's iconic Independence Square -- the epicentre of the ex-Soviet country's three-month-old crisis.  AFP PHOTO / LOUISA GOULIAMAKI.



12. Members of the pro-government "red shirt" movement attack a Buddhist monk outside the National Anti-Corruption Commission office in Nonthaburi province, on the outskirts of Bangkok March 24, 2014. Members of the movement attacked the monk after he shouted complaints to the group blocking a road near the National Anti-Corruption Commission. REUTERS/Chaiwat Subprasom.



13. A man has his temperature taken using an infrared digital laser thermometer at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, August 11, 2014.  REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde.



14. A pro-democracy protester confronts the police during a demonstration in Hong Kong on September 28, 2014. Police fired tear gas as tens of thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators brought parts of central Hong Kong to a standstill on September 28, in a dramatic escalation of protests that have gripped the semi-autonomous Chinese city for days. It marked a dramatic escalation of protests in the city, which rarely sees such violence, after a tense week of largely contained student-led demonstrations exploded into mass angry street protests.  AFP PHOTO / XAUME OLLEROS.



15. A man protects a woman as they face a police officer dispersing protesters who gathered on the central Istoklal avenue near Taksim square in Istanbul, on May 31, 2014, as the police blocked access to the square during the one year anniversary of the Gezi park and Taksim square demonstrations. Turkey's combative prime minister warned protesters that police would do "whatever is necessary" to clamp down on demonstrations today in Istanbul's Taksim Square to mark the anniversary of last year's turmoil. Last year, what started as a small campaign to save the nearby Gezi Park from the bulldozers eventually drew an estimated three million protesters in an outpouring of anger at the perceived authoritarian tendencies of Erdogan's Islamic-rooted government. Eight people died and thousands were injured in the ensuing violence as police launched a brutal crackdown, frequently employing tear gas and water cannons. AFP PHOTO / BULENT KILIC



16. A protester is taken away by policewomen after storming into the government headquarters in Hong Kong September 27, 2014. REUTERS/Bobby Yip.



17. The June 27th lava flow from the Kilauea Volcano moves along he ground  October 28, 2014  in Pahoa, Hawaii. Observatory conducted ground and air observations of the lava flow from the Kilauea Volcano and determined that it was 510 meters (560 yards) upslope from Pa-hoa Village Road and the flow width was about 50 meters (55 yards) at the leading edge. Molten rock from the flow is inching its way towards homes in the town of Pahoa on Hawaii's Big Island where close to a thousand people live.  (Photo by Andrew Hara/Getty Images).



18. Jiejin Qiu, who is six months pregnant with her first baby, poses underwater during a photo shoot at a local wedding photo studio in Shanghai, in this September 5, 2014 file photo.  REUTERS/Carlos Barria.



19. The shadow of a Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) P3 Orion maritime search aircraft is seen on low-level clouds as it flies over the southern Indian Ocean looking for missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, in this March 31, 2014 file photo.     REUTERS/Rob Griffith.



20. Wearing masks members of Russian punk group Pussy Riot, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova (L) and Maria Alyokhina (R) speak to journalists while leaving the police station of Adler, near Sochi, on February 18, 2014 after her arrest earlier in the host city of the 2014 Winter Olympics. Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina walked free after being questioned about an alleged theft from a hotel.  AFP PHOTO / ANDREJ ISAKOVIC.



21. A man prays at the statue of the Virgin Mary amongst the debris of hundreds of destroyed homes, bulldozed during a clean-up operation of the coastal commune of Port Bouet, just east of Abidjan and west of Grand-Bassam, on October 23, 2014. The tearing down of the buildings is part of a clean up operation by the Ivorian government, which also aims to prevent the dangers of the advancing sea. AFP PHOTO / SIA KAMBOU.



22. Cleaners laid-off by the Finance ministry are pushed back by riot police in their attempt to protest outside the ministry in Athens on June 12, 2014. Angry cleaners tried to protest outside the ministry after the Supreme Court has put on hold the ruling by a lower court ordering the Greek Finance Ministry to rehire about 400 sacked cleaners.  AFP PHOTO / LOUISA GOULIAMAKI.



23. A Palestinian man plays with his baby on a beach on September 7, 2014 in Gaza city. AFP PHOTO/MAHMUD HAMS.



24. Children play around a man disguised as Batman at the Favela do Metro slum, area just near the Maracana stadium, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on January 9, 2014. Families living in this shantytown within a stone's throw of Rio's mythical Maracana stadium refuse to have their homes demolished as part of a project to renovate the district before the FIFA World Cup circus pitches camp in June.  AFP PHOTO / YASUYOSHI CHIBA.



25. Health officers in full protective gear wait to cross a road near a wholesale poultry market in Hong Kong, in this January 28, 2014 file photo. REUTERS/Tyrone SiuPakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai, the joint winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, speaks at Birmingham library in Birmingham, central England, in this October 10, 2014 file photo.  REUTERS/Darren Staples.

E-Visa Facility - India launches e-visa facility to these 43 countries

December 15, 2014, 1:42 am

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E-Visa Facility - India launches e-visa facility to these 43 countries

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, along with union Culture and Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma launched the Tourist Visa on Arrival (TVOA) service enabled with electronic travel authorisation (ETA) scheme last week.

This visa will allow entry of the tourists into India within 30 days from the date of approval of ETA and will be valid for 30 days stay from the date of arrival.

1. Mauritius




2. Laos



3. Vanuatu



4. Tuvalu



5. Tonga



6. Solomon Islands



7. Samoa



8. Republic of the Marshall Islands



9. Papua New Guinea



10. Palau



11. Oman



12. Nauru



13. Kiribati



14. Niue



15. Vietnam



16. Ukraine



17. United Arab Emirates (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)



18. Singapore



19. Russia (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)



20. South Korea



21. Philippines



22. Norway



23. New Zealand



24. Myanmar



25. Mexico



26. Luxembourg



27. Thailand



28. Kenya



29. Germany



30. Jordan



31. Indonesia



32. Finland



33. Micronesia (Thinkstock Images)



34. Djibouti (Thinkstock Images)



35. Fiji (Thinkstock Images)



36. Cook Islands (Thinkstock Images)



37. Cambodia (Thinkstock Images)



38. Brazil



39. Australia



40. Israel



41. Japan



42. United States of America (USA)



43. Palestine

Merry Christmas to All - India sets new Guinness World Record of collecting Santa Clause

December 29, 2014, 11:20 pm

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Merry Christmas to All - India sets new Guinness World Record of collecting Santa Clause

Thrissur (Kerala): The archdiocese of Thrissur in Kerala Saturday created a new Guinness World Record when they assembled 18,112 Santa Clauses on the streets and broke the existing record set by Derry in Northern Ireland with 13,000.

The event, named "Boun Natale 2014", was the brainchild of Archbishop Andrews Thazhath, who had last year managed to parade 5,000 Santas.

Guinness officials were Saturday present to oversee the record-breaking event, and each and every Santa was bar-coded before they assembled, to make a scientific evaluation on the exact number.


Luciya, a Guinness representative from Britain, told the gathering that Saturday's event will be registered in the Guinness World Records as the largest assembly of Santas.

The announcement was greeted with a huge applause by the Santas.

Even though the official figure was registered as 18,112, the organisers said there were more, but could not be documented.

The procession of Santas began at 1 p.m and the announcement came after 4.30 p.m.

"The Guinness team with the help of new technology did the counting and it was for that barcodes was used for each of the Santas. There was an application process that each Santa had to go through and it came from the various parishes attached to the archdiocese," said Simon Joseph, an official of the Thrissur archdiocese.


Thrissur is often referred to as Kerala's cultural capital, and through this award winning effort, yet another feather has been added to its cap.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 - The big numbers of 2015

December 29, 2014, 11:32 pm

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ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 - The big numbers of 2015

A range of stats touching on changes of underwear, Bob Willis pronouncements, and Tendulkar books.

23 Opening combinations still to be tried by England in the forthcoming World Cup.

865 Positives to be taken by England shortly after the forthcoming World Cup.

4 Number of years it will take England to really put in a serious challenge (number may change) (in four years' time).

90 Proposed Midge not behaving any time soon.


11 Number of debutants expected in the West Indies team if their board has the temerity to arrange a Test match that clashes with the BBL, the IPBPL, the EPL, the CeeBeeGeeBeeL, IcantbelieveitsnottheBBBBPL etc.

0 Number of England players at Kevin Pietersen's retirement party.

7273 England cricket figures celebrating at the rival "Thank God He's Gone" dinner and dance the same night.

1,890,298,014 Tweets from Piers Morgan about it all.

16 Percentage target ratio of good balls to bad being worked on at Indian Seam Bowling Centre Of Excellence.

278 Number of books to be published about Sachin Tendulkar.

100 Dollars (in billion) - the in-no-way suspicious amount of money being promised to England by an unknown business consortium if they just agree to play a little T20 contest in the Bahamas, nothing fishy about that at all, it's all above board, what could possibly go wrong?

127,839 Number of tickets still available for some of the early-summer England v New Zealand ODIs.

15 Maximum number of slips demanded by Sir Ian Botham during an Ashes bowling spell.

25 Changes of underwear needed by England top order during Mitchell Johnson's opening spell.

50 Percent probability that Mitch reverts to being not-so-good anymore.

97 Number of diplomatic incidents caused by David Warner on the Ashes tour.

10,986 Withering assessments to be delivered by Bob Willis.

0 Number of English batsmen looking forward to facing Dale Steyn on his home patch late in the
year.

7 Number of South African batsmen who might get a game for England in that series.

3 Number of countries playing cricket by the end of the year, if Big Three masterplan comes off.


ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

7 Brazen Breastaurants in the U.S. in 2014

January 6, 2015, 1:21 am

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7 Brazen Breastaurants in the U.S. in 2014

1) Hooters


Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The biggest and the oldest of the breastaurant chains, Hooters is franchisor and operator of more than 412 restaurants in 44 states and 27 countries. "Everyone is liberated from the ordinary while enjoying great food, fun and uniquely-Hooters service," says the company. It's also aware of its growing competition over the past few years. To revitalize itself, it recently introduced a new decor plus a variety of fresh menu items, such as chopped cobb salad and New England-style clam chowder.

2) Tilted Kilt


Photo: Tilted Kilt

Based in Tempe, AZ, Tilted Kilt first opened in 2003 as a contemporary Celtic-themed sports pub. Its tagline: "A Cold Beer Never Looked So Good." With 90 restaurants in the U.S. and Canada, the chain serves fish & chips and shepherd’s pie as well as burgers; it has 44 beers on tap. Servers wear mini-kilts made of an original tartan plaid and the Tilted Kilt is now recruiting male bartenders. In 2011 the chain had annual sales of $124 million, reflecting growth of 33 percent, according to Technomic.

3) Twin Peaks


Photo: Wikimedia Commons

With servers who show a "hint of sass" and a "girl-next-door image," Twin Peaks sprang up in 2005 in Texas and now has 23 locations. The award-winning chain in 2011 was named Franchisee of the Year by the International Franchise Association and stresses its "hearty made-from-scratch comfort food." It plans to open 25 franchised and corporate locations in 2014.

4) Bone Daddy’s House of Smoke


Photo: Bone Daddy’s House of Smoke

With 6 locations in Texas, this chain boldly claims that its food, including its juke joint-sliced brisket and its "smokin' pulled pork," is "the other reason you're here." Bone Daddy's restaurants made an average of $5 million each in sales in 2011 and are company-owned, with no plans to franchise. Originally calling itself "the Hooters of barbecue," it was recently named one of the 100 best barbecue restaurants in the U.S.

5) Cowgirls Espresso


Photo: Cowgirls Espresso

Who said breastaurants serve only red meat? Launched in 2002, Cowgirls Espresso, with 15 locations in the greater Seattle/Tacoma area, serves lattes, mochas, and its "famous 32-ounce Buckin' Bronco" (4 espresso shots in 32 ounces of a cold beverage), which is "guaranteed to put the starch back in the ol' blue jeans." The restaurant dishes out pastries and treats, too, and, in summertime, iced Italian soda.

6) Mugs 'n Jugs Sports Bar & Grill


Photo: Mugs 'n Jugs

Located in Clearwater, Florida, Mugs 'N Jugs says its claim to fame is its "huge award-winning wings" and its other great sports bar fare. It offers karaoke most nights, while sports occupy its flatscreen TVs; a game room offers another entertainment outlet. Here's a surprise: Tuesday night is family night; kids under 12 eat free with the purchase of a $6.99 adult entree.

7) Bikinis Sports Bar and Grill


Photo: Yelp

The Lone Star State is home to Bikinis Sports Bar & Grill, begun in 2006 and owned by Austin-based ATX Brands. “I’m very optimistic about the segment,” CEO Doug Guller told Nation's Restaurant News last year. “There’s a lot of competition as the breastaurant industry has seen success over the last 5 to 10 years. It’s a somewhat recession-resilient industry. I don’t think food, booze, sports or sex are going to die anytime soon.” The chain trademarked the "breastaurant" term and a couple of years ago bought a ghost town not far from Austin, boldly renaming it "Bikinis, Texas."