Monday, August 25, 2008
Future of SAP in India
SAP All in One implementation at low costs and good quality would determine SAP in India especially in SMB segments
Special Report: Breaking into SAP consulting
So you've heard that SAP consulting can be a challenging and fulfilling career. The money's good. The work is interesting. The technology has a fairly solid future. Ready to jump ship and rush to find the nearest SAP opening? Join the club. At the moment SAP consulting is a challenging market for new consultants, but as with anything, a determined person can break into the market. The key is to find the right balance of timing, knowledge, and strategy.
Also, don't miss the companion article: Tips and tricks for SAP consulting success
The right time
"The first step is to understand that you don't just jump into independent SAP consulting," says Jon Reed, vice president of SAPtips (www.saptips.com). You have to make sure you're at a point in your career that consulting is a realistic option. While a few exceptions exist, having the right qualifications is far from a guarantee that you can find work.
"The aspiring SAP consultant is up against veterans, and few areas are so new that someone more experienced than you isn't on the case," says Reed. And SAP handles more of its consulting business than it used to, so independent consultants with senior level experience tend to score the open positions. In the past, certification was enough to get started, but Reed says that is no longer true. "Breaking into consulting now requires a lot of strategy and determination," he says.
According to Reed, the best time to try to break into consulting is when you already have a number of years of experience working with SAP technology. Reed advises breaking your plan into steps. "Don't expect 'today this, tomorrow SAP consulting,'" he says. Expect to spend a few years as a full-time employee to get exposure to SAP and develop a track record.
But just how much time do you need to put in before making the leap to consulting? That depends heavily on the type of work. "The less specific to the consulting target the consultant's past experience is, the more time is going to be needed." Bill Scheer, a research analyst with Kennedy Information, Inc., points out that a person working in automotive onboard diagnostics for a leading company might be able to translate that experience into consulting fairly quickly. Because longevity in the industry breeds networking and contacts, expect an average of ten years in the industry as being a good benchmark for being able to break into consulting, Scheer says. "Some can break in sooner, but lots do it later."
Reed agrees, pointing out that few universal truths exist regarding when and how individuals can break into consulting. "Whether or not you can break in in one step depends mostly on the overlap between your current skills and SAP," he says. Certain Web-based programmers may be able to break in right away because SAP is emphasizing programming in its new release. But people working on the business side may have difficulty finding such an overlap. "Just because you have a finance background doesn't mean you can suddenly become an SAP consultant in that area," Reed says. "You need a transitional opportunity with a company in order to get that exposure. Companies are much more willing to expose people to new skills development when they are permanent employees than when they are consultants."
Is consulting for you?
Is consulting even right for you in the first place? Reed offers the following checklist to help determine:
Do you like having control over what kind of project to work on and when?
In pursuing a higher income potential, are you willing to take on a bit more risk?
In independent consulting, finding the next project is often up to you. Are you comfortable with the sales and marketing component?
Are you comfortable with the financial management part of being your own boss?
The right knowledge
According to Scheer, the most important piece of expertise for would-be consultants is vertical expertise and industry knowledge. "There's significant play for consultants who have deep industry knowledge and expertise with clients in the same industry," he says. Consulting firms want to have the engagement team stacked with the best thought leaders and those who know the industry best, and this is important for independent consultants to keep in mind as well. The client needs to feel that the consultant or firm understands the client's needs and can deliver them, he says.
Narrowing in on the right area of focus can be a challenge for some consultants. "The relevant skills you need depend on which area of SAP you are trying to break into," Reed says. "What I encourage people to do is to study SAP's product in order to map your current skills into the product." Many new consultants don't recognize the marketability of their existing skills. For example, Reed points out that some people with a terrific background in finance chase CRM instead of doing their homework to determine how their skills best synch up with SAP. He advises choosing both a core and a cutting edge area of SAP to focus on. "An HR consultant, for example, might target core areas in payroll but look for cutting edge things like internationally based management, self service or succession planning or workforce management."
Scheer agrees that specializing is key. "Anyone considering going into consulting on SAP modules really needs to have a very tight focus," he says. Focus almost needs to be by industry sub-segment, he recommends. "It's almost not good enough to be an automotive specialist. You need to be sub-assembly transmission builder or electronics subcontracting specialist. That's the type of expertise that clients are expecting." Companies look for people who really live and breathe the industry to understand both sides of meeting the business needs.
If you wonder whether certification would make it easier to break into consulting, Reed says not to expect miracles. "There are good reasons to consider training and certification, but it doesn't have the immediate gratification aspect that it should," he points out. Taking training does allow you to begin the process of learning the application and making connections, but experience and paying your dues are key. "I think the people with the most luck are not those who go and get certified but those who take it upon themselves to do that good old fashioned networking."
The right strategy
Many people who aspire toward SAP consulting make a key error from the start. "They understand that SAP rates are really good, so they just want to jump ship to that higher rate application but really haven't looked hard at where the application is going." Reed advises staying up to date on SAP's direction through webcasts, product overviews, and following the industry as a whole. Having your finger on the SAP industry's pulse is key in your attempts to plan your strategy. "Don't try to break into where SAP is now. Imagine yourself meeting SAP further along the path as it's moving ahead." If you try to intersect further along, you'll be competing with more, and more experienced, consultants.
Wondering if a staffing agency might be a shortcut into the consulting world? "That would really depend on the consultant's goals," Scheer says. In terms of getting started, most consultants find the most direct route is to go back to the people they knew in the industry while working as a full-time employee. Then, it's word of mouth. "An outside agent is not going to have the first hand knowledge of where the consultant is trying to play," he says. "Consultants are really their own best representatives, so I really bet they are best off going to beat the bushes themselves."
The impact from offshore outsourcing
The rise in offshore outsourcing has led to an interesting challenge for prospective consultants. The most promising area, says Scheer, is consulting in business processes and functions. Consultants will find less opportunity on the programming side. "The technical side can be and is being offshored," he states.
That's not to say technical consulting can't be done, says Reed, but know that programmers face a special set of strategic considerations. One key tactic is to understand SAP's new technology architecture and the new development tools that come along with it. By gaining skills in new development and platforms, technical consultants face a better chance of success than if they focus on skills like ABAP programming, which is commonly outsourced.
"The cubicle coder is an endangered species," says Reed. "No longer can programmers show up, duck into a cubicle, and crank out code. They have to be on the cutting edge or just genius level talent, and there's not a lot in between." Those consultants finding success tend to find it in SAP projects with knowledge transfer. Companies are more sophisticated about in-house staff and look for someone that really understands how to work with functional teams and to identify issues with customizations.
"Soft skills may make you a little more marketable," Reed advises. Be prepared to do team leadership and training. To succeed as a technical consultant, expect to need broader skill sets than just technical programming. But Reed cautions against abandoning technical for functional consulting prematurely if programming is your true passion. "There are exceptions to every trend," he says "Although there's not a lot of room for average programmers in consulting, if you're super talented and super committed, I'm not sure you should bail out too soon. The areas that you are most passionate about are the ones about which you're going to put in the extra hours reading the latest book or manual on the plane."
Looking to the future
What can you expect regarding pay as a consultant? Reed says he can only speak in generalities and they don't necessarily apply across the board, but he estimates most salary-based SAP employees can expect compensation around $60-80,000 per year, and the consulting side might be more like $60-100,000, although finding jobs can be tricky. On the contracting side the rates tend to be around $60-90 per hour. Obviously those numbers are general and depend on skill and experience, he points out.
As far as prospects for future consultants, Reed points out that because most SAP customers are still running on R/3 4.6C, many are in the process of upgrading right now. 2009 is the last year that version is supposed to be on standard maintenance. Expect to see companies looking to upgrade to 5.0 or mySAP ERP with the NetWeaver release. "The pending upgrade activity bodes well for those who can find jobs with SAP customers who are planning upgrades." When companies are more in maintenance mode, less opportunity exists for interesting skill exposure, but the coming upgrades carry the potential for more action and activity for those who want to break in.
The choice is individual. If you prefer to focus exclusively on your passion for implementing SAP and stay focused on core technical skills, you may be best off working in an employee scenario or full-time for a consulting firm, Reed says. But if you prefer the freedom and additional responsibility of finding projects, attending conferences, and making decisions on where to go next, consulting may be the right choice for you.
Also, don't miss the companion article: Tips and tricks for SAP consulting success
The right time
"The first step is to understand that you don't just jump into independent SAP consulting," says Jon Reed, vice president of SAPtips (www.saptips.com). You have to make sure you're at a point in your career that consulting is a realistic option. While a few exceptions exist, having the right qualifications is far from a guarantee that you can find work.
"The aspiring SAP consultant is up against veterans, and few areas are so new that someone more experienced than you isn't on the case," says Reed. And SAP handles more of its consulting business than it used to, so independent consultants with senior level experience tend to score the open positions. In the past, certification was enough to get started, but Reed says that is no longer true. "Breaking into consulting now requires a lot of strategy and determination," he says.
According to Reed, the best time to try to break into consulting is when you already have a number of years of experience working with SAP technology. Reed advises breaking your plan into steps. "Don't expect 'today this, tomorrow SAP consulting,'" he says. Expect to spend a few years as a full-time employee to get exposure to SAP and develop a track record.
But just how much time do you need to put in before making the leap to consulting? That depends heavily on the type of work. "The less specific to the consulting target the consultant's past experience is, the more time is going to be needed." Bill Scheer, a research analyst with Kennedy Information, Inc., points out that a person working in automotive onboard diagnostics for a leading company might be able to translate that experience into consulting fairly quickly. Because longevity in the industry breeds networking and contacts, expect an average of ten years in the industry as being a good benchmark for being able to break into consulting, Scheer says. "Some can break in sooner, but lots do it later."
Reed agrees, pointing out that few universal truths exist regarding when and how individuals can break into consulting. "Whether or not you can break in in one step depends mostly on the overlap between your current skills and SAP," he says. Certain Web-based programmers may be able to break in right away because SAP is emphasizing programming in its new release. But people working on the business side may have difficulty finding such an overlap. "Just because you have a finance background doesn't mean you can suddenly become an SAP consultant in that area," Reed says. "You need a transitional opportunity with a company in order to get that exposure. Companies are much more willing to expose people to new skills development when they are permanent employees than when they are consultants."
Is consulting for you?
Is consulting even right for you in the first place? Reed offers the following checklist to help determine:
Do you like having control over what kind of project to work on and when?
In pursuing a higher income potential, are you willing to take on a bit more risk?
In independent consulting, finding the next project is often up to you. Are you comfortable with the sales and marketing component?
Are you comfortable with the financial management part of being your own boss?
The right knowledge
According to Scheer, the most important piece of expertise for would-be consultants is vertical expertise and industry knowledge. "There's significant play for consultants who have deep industry knowledge and expertise with clients in the same industry," he says. Consulting firms want to have the engagement team stacked with the best thought leaders and those who know the industry best, and this is important for independent consultants to keep in mind as well. The client needs to feel that the consultant or firm understands the client's needs and can deliver them, he says.
Narrowing in on the right area of focus can be a challenge for some consultants. "The relevant skills you need depend on which area of SAP you are trying to break into," Reed says. "What I encourage people to do is to study SAP's product in order to map your current skills into the product." Many new consultants don't recognize the marketability of their existing skills. For example, Reed points out that some people with a terrific background in finance chase CRM instead of doing their homework to determine how their skills best synch up with SAP. He advises choosing both a core and a cutting edge area of SAP to focus on. "An HR consultant, for example, might target core areas in payroll but look for cutting edge things like internationally based management, self service or succession planning or workforce management."
Scheer agrees that specializing is key. "Anyone considering going into consulting on SAP modules really needs to have a very tight focus," he says. Focus almost needs to be by industry sub-segment, he recommends. "It's almost not good enough to be an automotive specialist. You need to be sub-assembly transmission builder or electronics subcontracting specialist. That's the type of expertise that clients are expecting." Companies look for people who really live and breathe the industry to understand both sides of meeting the business needs.
If you wonder whether certification would make it easier to break into consulting, Reed says not to expect miracles. "There are good reasons to consider training and certification, but it doesn't have the immediate gratification aspect that it should," he points out. Taking training does allow you to begin the process of learning the application and making connections, but experience and paying your dues are key. "I think the people with the most luck are not those who go and get certified but those who take it upon themselves to do that good old fashioned networking."
The right strategy
Many people who aspire toward SAP consulting make a key error from the start. "They understand that SAP rates are really good, so they just want to jump ship to that higher rate application but really haven't looked hard at where the application is going." Reed advises staying up to date on SAP's direction through webcasts, product overviews, and following the industry as a whole. Having your finger on the SAP industry's pulse is key in your attempts to plan your strategy. "Don't try to break into where SAP is now. Imagine yourself meeting SAP further along the path as it's moving ahead." If you try to intersect further along, you'll be competing with more, and more experienced, consultants.
Wondering if a staffing agency might be a shortcut into the consulting world? "That would really depend on the consultant's goals," Scheer says. In terms of getting started, most consultants find the most direct route is to go back to the people they knew in the industry while working as a full-time employee. Then, it's word of mouth. "An outside agent is not going to have the first hand knowledge of where the consultant is trying to play," he says. "Consultants are really their own best representatives, so I really bet they are best off going to beat the bushes themselves."
The impact from offshore outsourcing
The rise in offshore outsourcing has led to an interesting challenge for prospective consultants. The most promising area, says Scheer, is consulting in business processes and functions. Consultants will find less opportunity on the programming side. "The technical side can be and is being offshored," he states.
That's not to say technical consulting can't be done, says Reed, but know that programmers face a special set of strategic considerations. One key tactic is to understand SAP's new technology architecture and the new development tools that come along with it. By gaining skills in new development and platforms, technical consultants face a better chance of success than if they focus on skills like ABAP programming, which is commonly outsourced.
"The cubicle coder is an endangered species," says Reed. "No longer can programmers show up, duck into a cubicle, and crank out code. They have to be on the cutting edge or just genius level talent, and there's not a lot in between." Those consultants finding success tend to find it in SAP projects with knowledge transfer. Companies are more sophisticated about in-house staff and look for someone that really understands how to work with functional teams and to identify issues with customizations.
"Soft skills may make you a little more marketable," Reed advises. Be prepared to do team leadership and training. To succeed as a technical consultant, expect to need broader skill sets than just technical programming. But Reed cautions against abandoning technical for functional consulting prematurely if programming is your true passion. "There are exceptions to every trend," he says "Although there's not a lot of room for average programmers in consulting, if you're super talented and super committed, I'm not sure you should bail out too soon. The areas that you are most passionate about are the ones about which you're going to put in the extra hours reading the latest book or manual on the plane."
Looking to the future
What can you expect regarding pay as a consultant? Reed says he can only speak in generalities and they don't necessarily apply across the board, but he estimates most salary-based SAP employees can expect compensation around $60-80,000 per year, and the consulting side might be more like $60-100,000, although finding jobs can be tricky. On the contracting side the rates tend to be around $60-90 per hour. Obviously those numbers are general and depend on skill and experience, he points out.
As far as prospects for future consultants, Reed points out that because most SAP customers are still running on R/3 4.6C, many are in the process of upgrading right now. 2009 is the last year that version is supposed to be on standard maintenance. Expect to see companies looking to upgrade to 5.0 or mySAP ERP with the NetWeaver release. "The pending upgrade activity bodes well for those who can find jobs with SAP customers who are planning upgrades." When companies are more in maintenance mode, less opportunity exists for interesting skill exposure, but the coming upgrades carry the potential for more action and activity for those who want to break in.
The choice is individual. If you prefer to focus exclusively on your passion for implementing SAP and stay focused on core technical skills, you may be best off working in an employee scenario or full-time for a consulting firm, Reed says. But if you prefer the freedom and additional responsibility of finding projects, attending conferences, and making decisions on where to go next, consulting may be the right choice for you.
U.S. Stocks Drop, Led by Financial Shares, AIG, Banks Retreat
Aug. 25 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. stocks fell the most in a month as a Kansas bank's failure and speculation American International Group Inc. will post a loss heightened concern that credit writedowns will keep rattling the financial system.
AIG tumbled to a 13-year low after Credit Suisse Group said the insurer may lose $2.41 billion this quarter on mortgage- related writedowns. Washington Mutual Inc. and Huntington Bancshares Inc. each dropped more than 6 percent after Columbian Bank & Trust Co. became the ninth U.S. bank to collapse this year. Alcoa Inc. and Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. led the Standard & Poor's 500 Materials Index to a 2.3 percent retreat as gold and aluminum prices decreased.
``The market's going to struggle until we get a clear indication that we know what the bottom is in the financials, and that may be a while,'' Peter Sorrentino, senior portfolio manager at Cincinnati-based Huntington Asset Advisors, which manages about $17 billion, told Bloomberg Television.
The S&P 500 dropped 25.36, or 2 percent, to 1,266.84, ending a three-day advance. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 241.81, or 2.1 percent, to 11,386.25, with all 30 of its companies lower. The Nasdaq Composite Index decreased 49.12 to 2,365.59. About 865 million shares changed hands on the New York Stock Exchange, the slowest trading day of the year. Volume last week was 35 percent less than the year-to-date average.
Broad Retreat
Almost 10 stocks retreated for each that rose on the NYSE. All 10 industry groups in the S&P 500 retreated as the index extended its first weekly decline since July. The benchmark for American equities slipped 0.5 percent last week as energy prices climbed and concern grew that the government may need to bail out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Stocks fell even after a report showed sales of previously owned homes in the U.S. rose in July from a 10-year low as declining prices helped stabilize demand and investor appetite increased for Freddie Mac's weekly sale of short-term debt securities.
Morgan Stanley cut its year-end forecast for the S&P 500 on concern banks will report more credit-related writedowns and the global economic slowdown will curb profits at technology and industrial companies.
``Our biggest concern for 2009 earnings estimates is that a combination of global growth slowdown, declining operating leverage, a stronger U.S. dollar, less share count reduction and a long tail to dysfunctional credit markets will create powerful headwinds for what appear to be very optimistic consensus expectations,'' Abhijit Chakrabortti wrote in a note to clients dated yesterday.
AIG, Banks Retreat
AIG fell 5.5 percent to $18.78 for the biggest drop in the Dow average. Credit Suisse analyst Thomas Gallagher predicted AIG will lose 86 cents a share in the third quarter. Previously he forecast a 13-cent profit. ``Recent deterioration'' in debt holdings may cause losses in the firm's credit-default swaps, Gallagher wrote today in a research note. He rates New York-based AIG ``neutral.''
The KBW Bank Index retreated 3.4 percent as all 24 of its companies decreased. Washington Mutual lost 23 cents to $3.60. Huntington Bancshares retreated 51 cents to $7.00. SunTrust Banks Inc., the largest bank based in Georgia, fell 6 percent to $40.15 after Citigroup Inc. began covering it with a ``sell'' rating.
Columbian Bank, with $752 million in assets and $622 million in total deposits, was shuttered by the Kansas state bank commissioner's office and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. on Aug. 22.
`Last Shoe'
The pace of bank closings is accelerating as global financial firms have reported more than $500 billion in writedowns and credit losses since 2007. The FDIC's ``problem'' bank list grew by 18 percent in the first quarter to 90 banks with combined assets of $26.3 billion. Prior to yesterday, the FDIC had closed 36 banks since October 2000, according to a list at fdic.gov. The U.S. shut 12 banks in 2002, the highest in the period, and 2005 and 2006 had no closures.
``Trying to guess when the last shoe has dropped is going to be a difficult way of making money,'' said Jeffrey Coons, co- director of research at Manning & Napier Advisors Inc., which manages $19 billion in Fairport, New York. Investors ``should focus on companies that aren't reliant on you picking a bottom in the financial crisis,'' he said.
-- Editors: Michael Regan, Chris Nagi
To contact the reporter on this story: Elizabeth Stanton in New York at estanton@bloomberg.net.
AIG tumbled to a 13-year low after Credit Suisse Group said the insurer may lose $2.41 billion this quarter on mortgage- related writedowns. Washington Mutual Inc. and Huntington Bancshares Inc. each dropped more than 6 percent after Columbian Bank & Trust Co. became the ninth U.S. bank to collapse this year. Alcoa Inc. and Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. led the Standard & Poor's 500 Materials Index to a 2.3 percent retreat as gold and aluminum prices decreased.
``The market's going to struggle until we get a clear indication that we know what the bottom is in the financials, and that may be a while,'' Peter Sorrentino, senior portfolio manager at Cincinnati-based Huntington Asset Advisors, which manages about $17 billion, told Bloomberg Television.
The S&P 500 dropped 25.36, or 2 percent, to 1,266.84, ending a three-day advance. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 241.81, or 2.1 percent, to 11,386.25, with all 30 of its companies lower. The Nasdaq Composite Index decreased 49.12 to 2,365.59. About 865 million shares changed hands on the New York Stock Exchange, the slowest trading day of the year. Volume last week was 35 percent less than the year-to-date average.
Broad Retreat
Almost 10 stocks retreated for each that rose on the NYSE. All 10 industry groups in the S&P 500 retreated as the index extended its first weekly decline since July. The benchmark for American equities slipped 0.5 percent last week as energy prices climbed and concern grew that the government may need to bail out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Stocks fell even after a report showed sales of previously owned homes in the U.S. rose in July from a 10-year low as declining prices helped stabilize demand and investor appetite increased for Freddie Mac's weekly sale of short-term debt securities.
Morgan Stanley cut its year-end forecast for the S&P 500 on concern banks will report more credit-related writedowns and the global economic slowdown will curb profits at technology and industrial companies.
``Our biggest concern for 2009 earnings estimates is that a combination of global growth slowdown, declining operating leverage, a stronger U.S. dollar, less share count reduction and a long tail to dysfunctional credit markets will create powerful headwinds for what appear to be very optimistic consensus expectations,'' Abhijit Chakrabortti wrote in a note to clients dated yesterday.
AIG, Banks Retreat
AIG fell 5.5 percent to $18.78 for the biggest drop in the Dow average. Credit Suisse analyst Thomas Gallagher predicted AIG will lose 86 cents a share in the third quarter. Previously he forecast a 13-cent profit. ``Recent deterioration'' in debt holdings may cause losses in the firm's credit-default swaps, Gallagher wrote today in a research note. He rates New York-based AIG ``neutral.''
The KBW Bank Index retreated 3.4 percent as all 24 of its companies decreased. Washington Mutual lost 23 cents to $3.60. Huntington Bancshares retreated 51 cents to $7.00. SunTrust Banks Inc., the largest bank based in Georgia, fell 6 percent to $40.15 after Citigroup Inc. began covering it with a ``sell'' rating.
Columbian Bank, with $752 million in assets and $622 million in total deposits, was shuttered by the Kansas state bank commissioner's office and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. on Aug. 22.
`Last Shoe'
The pace of bank closings is accelerating as global financial firms have reported more than $500 billion in writedowns and credit losses since 2007. The FDIC's ``problem'' bank list grew by 18 percent in the first quarter to 90 banks with combined assets of $26.3 billion. Prior to yesterday, the FDIC had closed 36 banks since October 2000, according to a list at fdic.gov. The U.S. shut 12 banks in 2002, the highest in the period, and 2005 and 2006 had no closures.
``Trying to guess when the last shoe has dropped is going to be a difficult way of making money,'' said Jeffrey Coons, co- director of research at Manning & Napier Advisors Inc., which manages $19 billion in Fairport, New York. Investors ``should focus on companies that aren't reliant on you picking a bottom in the financial crisis,'' he said.
-- Editors: Michael Regan, Chris Nagi
To contact the reporter on this story: Elizabeth Stanton in New York at estanton@bloomberg.net.
Oil ends higher; Atlantic storm raises supply concern
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Crude-oil futures closed higher Monday after the formation of a new tropical storm in the Atlantic raised concerns over the potential for supply disruptions in the Gulf of Mexico.
Oil prices struggled during much of the trading session to hold above $115 a barrel as traders weighed concerns over slowing global oil demand against support arising from supply risks tied to tensions involving Russia and the neighboring state of Georgia.
Crude for October delivery rose by 52 cents to close at $115.11 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It was last at $115.18 in electronic trading on Globex.
The contract rose as high as $116.06 earlier on Globex but also touched a low of $113.68.
The National Hurricane Center said Monday that a tropical depression in the Caribbean has strengthened into Tropical Storm Gustav.
There is a hurricane warning for the south coast of the Dominican Republic and a hurricane watch for Haiti, the NHC said in an update posted at 2 p.m. EDT. The center of Gustav will be moving near or over southwestern Haiti on Tuesday. It could strengthen into a hurricane prior to moving over land, the NHC said.
"I imagine crude and natural-gas traders are closing positions out ahead of what could be a problem," said Beth Sewell, a managing partner at Quantum Gas & Power Services.
Traders worry that storms in the Atlantic could eventually disrupt energy production in the Gulf of Mexico. The hurricane season is currently in its peak period.
Natural-gas prices cut their losses Monday. Natural gas for September delivery fell 1.8 cents, or 0.2%, to close at $7.825 per million British thermal units on Nymex, after trading as low as $7.62 on Globex.
It's the "fear factor," said Sewell. "Traders don't like open positions when there could be a supply disruption by a storm," she said, emphasizing the words "could be."
Friday drop
On Friday, crude futures dropped more than 5%, pressured by a stronger dollar and signs of slowing demand. Oil still finished with a weekly gain of 0.6%.
"The main reason behind Friday's move was the same as what took prices higher in the first place -- the dollar," wrote Edward Meir, analyst at MF Global, in a note.
"Friday's about-face in the greenback spurred broad-based sell-offs in a number of other commodity complexes besides energy," he pointed out.
The U.S. dollar traded mixed Monday after data showed that resales of U.S. single-family homes and condominiums rose in July but that inventories also increased, reaching record levels. See full story.
The dollar index (DXY:
76.82, +0.01, +0.0%) was at 76.82, off from 76.813 in
late North American trading on Friday. See Currencies.
The oil market is "being driven by the dollar and central-bank policy, and issues like war and supply/demand take a back seat," said Phil Flynn, a vice president at Alaron Trading, in a note to clients.
Oil prices also saw pressure after Friday's news that OPEC production was running well above official quotas set for the cartel's members, according to Meir.
Petrologistics said the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries will produce 32.95 million barrels a day in August, up 450,000 barrels from a revised 32.5 million barrels a day in July, according to a Reuters report.
"We could see further weakness gnaw at the markets over the next few weeks, as weaker demand aggravates the excess supply problem," Meir told clients. He thinks it's unlikely that OPEC will take action to roll back any of the excess supplies.
Also Monday, analysts at Action Economics singled out renewed tension between Washington and Moscow "after Russian lawmakers voted to recognize the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the two breakaway Georgian regions."
The two houses of Russia's parliament voted in favor of a resolution calling on President Dmitry Medvedev to recognize the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the BBC reported Monday on its Web site.
The unanimous votes in the Federation Council and State Duma are not binding on Russia's president, the BBC said. The votes came after Russia sent forces into Georgia in the countries' simmering dispute over South Ossetia.
Elsewhere on the energy markets Monday, October reformulated gasoline tacked on 1.4 cents to close at $2.8823 a gallon while October heating oil finished at $3.1514 a gallon, up 2 cents.
At the retail level, prices for a gallon of regular gasoline fell to $3.681 on Monday from $3.688 on Sunday, according to AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report. Prices stood at $3.983 a month ago.
Taking a look at commodities as a whole, the Reuters/Jefferies CRB Index (CRB:
395.13, +0.33, +0.1%) , a benchmark gauging the prices of major
commodities, edged up 0.1%.
Gold futures closed lower after last week's rally. See Metals Stocks.
Corn prices touched a more than one-month high. See Food Futures.
Myra P. Saefong is MarketWatch's assistant markets editor, based in San Francisco.
Polya Lesova is a New York-based reporter for MarketWatch.
Oil prices struggled during much of the trading session to hold above $115 a barrel as traders weighed concerns over slowing global oil demand against support arising from supply risks tied to tensions involving Russia and the neighboring state of Georgia.
Crude for October delivery rose by 52 cents to close at $115.11 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It was last at $115.18 in electronic trading on Globex.
The contract rose as high as $116.06 earlier on Globex but also touched a low of $113.68.
The National Hurricane Center said Monday that a tropical depression in the Caribbean has strengthened into Tropical Storm Gustav.
There is a hurricane warning for the south coast of the Dominican Republic and a hurricane watch for Haiti, the NHC said in an update posted at 2 p.m. EDT. The center of Gustav will be moving near or over southwestern Haiti on Tuesday. It could strengthen into a hurricane prior to moving over land, the NHC said.
"I imagine crude and natural-gas traders are closing positions out ahead of what could be a problem," said Beth Sewell, a managing partner at Quantum Gas & Power Services.
Traders worry that storms in the Atlantic could eventually disrupt energy production in the Gulf of Mexico. The hurricane season is currently in its peak period.
Natural-gas prices cut their losses Monday. Natural gas for September delivery fell 1.8 cents, or 0.2%, to close at $7.825 per million British thermal units on Nymex, after trading as low as $7.62 on Globex.
It's the "fear factor," said Sewell. "Traders don't like open positions when there could be a supply disruption by a storm," she said, emphasizing the words "could be."
Friday drop
On Friday, crude futures dropped more than 5%, pressured by a stronger dollar and signs of slowing demand. Oil still finished with a weekly gain of 0.6%.
"The main reason behind Friday's move was the same as what took prices higher in the first place -- the dollar," wrote Edward Meir, analyst at MF Global, in a note.
"Friday's about-face in the greenback spurred broad-based sell-offs in a number of other commodity complexes besides energy," he pointed out.
The U.S. dollar traded mixed Monday after data showed that resales of U.S. single-family homes and condominiums rose in July but that inventories also increased, reaching record levels. See full story.
The dollar index (DXY:
76.82, +0.01, +0.0%) was at 76.82, off from 76.813 in
late North American trading on Friday. See Currencies.
The oil market is "being driven by the dollar and central-bank policy, and issues like war and supply/demand take a back seat," said Phil Flynn, a vice president at Alaron Trading, in a note to clients.
Oil prices also saw pressure after Friday's news that OPEC production was running well above official quotas set for the cartel's members, according to Meir.
Petrologistics said the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries will produce 32.95 million barrels a day in August, up 450,000 barrels from a revised 32.5 million barrels a day in July, according to a Reuters report.
"We could see further weakness gnaw at the markets over the next few weeks, as weaker demand aggravates the excess supply problem," Meir told clients. He thinks it's unlikely that OPEC will take action to roll back any of the excess supplies.
Also Monday, analysts at Action Economics singled out renewed tension between Washington and Moscow "after Russian lawmakers voted to recognize the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the two breakaway Georgian regions."
The two houses of Russia's parliament voted in favor of a resolution calling on President Dmitry Medvedev to recognize the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the BBC reported Monday on its Web site.
The unanimous votes in the Federation Council and State Duma are not binding on Russia's president, the BBC said. The votes came after Russia sent forces into Georgia in the countries' simmering dispute over South Ossetia.
Elsewhere on the energy markets Monday, October reformulated gasoline tacked on 1.4 cents to close at $2.8823 a gallon while October heating oil finished at $3.1514 a gallon, up 2 cents.
At the retail level, prices for a gallon of regular gasoline fell to $3.681 on Monday from $3.688 on Sunday, according to AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report. Prices stood at $3.983 a month ago.
Taking a look at commodities as a whole, the Reuters/Jefferies CRB Index (CRB:
395.13, +0.33, +0.1%) , a benchmark gauging the prices of major
commodities, edged up 0.1%.
Gold futures closed lower after last week's rally. See Metals Stocks.
Corn prices touched a more than one-month high. See Food Futures.
Myra P. Saefong is MarketWatch's assistant markets editor, based in San Francisco.
Polya Lesova is a New York-based reporter for MarketWatch.
Infosys SAP consulting wont do wonders after Axon deal
Infosys has hardly 4-5 SAP implementations to its name. Axon consultants wont stick to Axon for along time. So this all cash deal will not be helpful to Infosys as in SAP consulting the only assets are the knowledge of consultants.
The clients may also seek other options than Axon.
Axon deal to raise our SAP-based solutions abilities: Infy
Infosys has acquired Axon Group, a UK-based company, for £407.1 million. Infosys says the Axon Group deal would be completed by November. The Infosys management said the deal is at 33% premium to the six-month average price of Axon.
S Gopalakrishnan, CEO, Infosys said that his company's SAP practice has been growing about 65%. "We are seeing continued demand for SAP services and we found the right opportunity and so we made the offer today."
"Our desire or our aspiration is to become a trusted transformation for our clients. This (deal) allows us to combine the strengths of both the organisations and become a trusted transformation partner using SAP as the underlying platform for making those transformations," Gopalkrishnan added.
Excerpts from CNBC-TV18’s exclusive interview with S Gopalakrishnan:
Q: There are question marks really on the timing of this acquisition because everyone at this point in time seems to be cutting discretionary spending or at least is going slow on that especially in the Enterprise resource planning (ERP) space. Why the timing?
A: When you look at the SAP practice for Infosys, when you look at the SAP practice for Axon - both of them have been growing and our SAP practice has been growing about 65%. We are seeing continued demand for SAP services and we found the right opportunity and so we are making the offer today.
Q: We have seen the client list that Axon has and an impressive client list at that but outside of that could you take us through the specifics and what really attracted you to Axon? Why the decision to choose Axon over possibly other targets that you might have had on your radar?
A: When we look at a potential acquisition, we want it to be strategic. We want it to enhance our capabilities in a particular service solution etc.
So in this case, our desire or our aspiration is to become a trusted transformation for our clients. This allows us to combine the strengths of both the organisations and become a trusted transformation partner using SAP as the underlying platform for making those transformations. That is the reason why this has attracted us.
Q: Dejargonise this transformational business for us? Could you take us through the actual synergies and also what are the gaps that Axon helps Infosys fill?
A: It is enhancing our capabilities in SAP-based consulting and implementation solutions. Many companies use SAP, as their core infrastructure in application infrastructure and that is what they leverage for transformation also. So, this allows us to enhance those capabilities, allows us to go after large opportunities, and large deals. It allows us to leverage the client base Axon has and cross-sell various other services. It also enhances our delivery capabilities through the centre in Malaysia. So, there are significant opportunities.
Q: Three large shareholders hold about 18% of Axon, rest by financial institutions as well as the public. You have had a conversation with those three large shareholders. Do you expect any kind of resistance or challenges from the rest?
A: For that we have to wait and see. The Board has supported it. Citi has recommended large shareholders, including the Management who has supported us, with a hard irrevocable. We now have to wait and go through the process.
The plan is that this is a process that is through a Scheme offer, where we have to go through the courts to do that. There is an Extraordinary General Meeting somewhere down the line. That process has to be gone through and we anticipate that this will close by end of November.
Q: Speaking of plans, is there also a plan on the cards to actually merge this with Infosys Consulting because Axon is in the consulting space; would it not make strategic sense then to merge the two?
A: We have not looked at how this structuring etc. would happen because it is too early. We have to make sure that this offer is expected and taken through. So we will talk about those details probably after the deal closes.
Q: When do you actually see this acquisition kicking in as far as the Infosys balance sheet is concerned and what kind of an impact does it really going to have on your guidance following that?
A: Actual numbers - we will have to wait till the deal closes and when we revise guidance etc. What we can clearly talk about today is about the strategic nature of this opportunity.
Q: Give us some sort of a ballpark figure on what you could actually see this do to the balance sheet?
A: We have to go through this process. There are strict guidelines on what we can talk about and things like that. We hope over the long-term this will significantly add to our capabilities on large deals, (and enhance) our capabilities to grow the SAP practice and to cross-sell and leverage each other. The synergy we can talk about is all in terms of the strategic intent to be a transformational partner using SAP as the underlying platform.
Q: You have got about USD 1 billion in cash post this acquisition now. Is there anything more on the horizon as far as Infosys is concerned?
A: No, our focus right now will be to make sure that we close this and we are able to integrate and take this over. If something comes, we will look at it at that point. Right now I cannot comment on this. All I can say is that our principles in terms of what we look for have not changed and that will continue.
S Gopalakrishnan, CEO, Infosys said that his company's SAP practice has been growing about 65%. "We are seeing continued demand for SAP services and we found the right opportunity and so we made the offer today."
"Our desire or our aspiration is to become a trusted transformation for our clients. This (deal) allows us to combine the strengths of both the organisations and become a trusted transformation partner using SAP as the underlying platform for making those transformations," Gopalkrishnan added.
Excerpts from CNBC-TV18’s exclusive interview with S Gopalakrishnan:
Q: There are question marks really on the timing of this acquisition because everyone at this point in time seems to be cutting discretionary spending or at least is going slow on that especially in the Enterprise resource planning (ERP) space. Why the timing?
A: When you look at the SAP practice for Infosys, when you look at the SAP practice for Axon - both of them have been growing and our SAP practice has been growing about 65%. We are seeing continued demand for SAP services and we found the right opportunity and so we are making the offer today.
Q: We have seen the client list that Axon has and an impressive client list at that but outside of that could you take us through the specifics and what really attracted you to Axon? Why the decision to choose Axon over possibly other targets that you might have had on your radar?
A: When we look at a potential acquisition, we want it to be strategic. We want it to enhance our capabilities in a particular service solution etc.
So in this case, our desire or our aspiration is to become a trusted transformation for our clients. This allows us to combine the strengths of both the organisations and become a trusted transformation partner using SAP as the underlying platform for making those transformations. That is the reason why this has attracted us.
Q: Dejargonise this transformational business for us? Could you take us through the actual synergies and also what are the gaps that Axon helps Infosys fill?
A: It is enhancing our capabilities in SAP-based consulting and implementation solutions. Many companies use SAP, as their core infrastructure in application infrastructure and that is what they leverage for transformation also. So, this allows us to enhance those capabilities, allows us to go after large opportunities, and large deals. It allows us to leverage the client base Axon has and cross-sell various other services. It also enhances our delivery capabilities through the centre in Malaysia. So, there are significant opportunities.
Q: Three large shareholders hold about 18% of Axon, rest by financial institutions as well as the public. You have had a conversation with those three large shareholders. Do you expect any kind of resistance or challenges from the rest?
A: For that we have to wait and see. The Board has supported it. Citi has recommended large shareholders, including the Management who has supported us, with a hard irrevocable. We now have to wait and go through the process.
The plan is that this is a process that is through a Scheme offer, where we have to go through the courts to do that. There is an Extraordinary General Meeting somewhere down the line. That process has to be gone through and we anticipate that this will close by end of November.
Q: Speaking of plans, is there also a plan on the cards to actually merge this with Infosys Consulting because Axon is in the consulting space; would it not make strategic sense then to merge the two?
A: We have not looked at how this structuring etc. would happen because it is too early. We have to make sure that this offer is expected and taken through. So we will talk about those details probably after the deal closes.
Q: When do you actually see this acquisition kicking in as far as the Infosys balance sheet is concerned and what kind of an impact does it really going to have on your guidance following that?
A: Actual numbers - we will have to wait till the deal closes and when we revise guidance etc. What we can clearly talk about today is about the strategic nature of this opportunity.
Q: Give us some sort of a ballpark figure on what you could actually see this do to the balance sheet?
A: We have to go through this process. There are strict guidelines on what we can talk about and things like that. We hope over the long-term this will significantly add to our capabilities on large deals, (and enhance) our capabilities to grow the SAP practice and to cross-sell and leverage each other. The synergy we can talk about is all in terms of the strategic intent to be a transformational partner using SAP as the underlying platform.
Q: You have got about USD 1 billion in cash post this acquisition now. Is there anything more on the horizon as far as Infosys is concerned?
A: No, our focus right now will be to make sure that we close this and we are able to integrate and take this over. If something comes, we will look at it at that point. Right now I cannot comment on this. All I can say is that our principles in terms of what we look for have not changed and that will continue.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Web browser now in privacy mode
Microsoft Corporation, the software giant is going to launch its latest version of web browser ‘Internet Explorer (IE) 8.0’ which first beta version ‘beta1’ has already been launched and second beta version ‘beta2’ is expected to come by the end of this year, as per market reports.
E-mail Article
Printer Friendly
Text-Size
E-mail Article
Printer Friendly
Text-Size
As per a recent official blog post, Microsoft said privacy as one of the major concern in browsing and the company is planning to add ‘privacy mode’ in the forthcoming version of IE8. This will allow user to restrict the leakage of knowledge that stores in history, cache memory and cookies and can be accessed later when user close the browser or even shut down the computer.
But, in the latest upcoming beta version, users would be able to delete all files containing private information and contents whether user’s computer is in the share mode or not. Besides, IE8 would also inform the users if someone tries to track the user’s computer, the sources said.
This move of Microsoft may lead the users to surf pornographic websites that is easily associated with the concept of privacy browsing, however, this can also be used for other tasks like to research a particular medical condition, or plan a surprise vacation or birthday party for a loved one etc on a personal note.
Earlier, Apple had already launched this facility in its web browser ‘Safari’ in which user can clear all the data that can be restored or accessed later.
Firefox, as per the sources, was also planning to launch this facility in its latest version of Firefox 3.0 but dropped it due to some reasons; however, it still provides the facility to delete the history, clear the cache memory and cookies in Firefox 3.0.
Firefox may also include this facility in its upcoming version of ‘Firefox 3.1’ to compete with IE8.
Microsoft Corporation has however not commented so far about this so called ‘information’ but if it comes in the market it will definitely enhance the market share of Microsoft because ‘who wants to be exposed?’
E-mail Article
Printer Friendly
Text-Size
E-mail Article
Printer Friendly
Text-Size
As per a recent official blog post, Microsoft said privacy as one of the major concern in browsing and the company is planning to add ‘privacy mode’ in the forthcoming version of IE8. This will allow user to restrict the leakage of knowledge that stores in history, cache memory and cookies and can be accessed later when user close the browser or even shut down the computer.
But, in the latest upcoming beta version, users would be able to delete all files containing private information and contents whether user’s computer is in the share mode or not. Besides, IE8 would also inform the users if someone tries to track the user’s computer, the sources said.
This move of Microsoft may lead the users to surf pornographic websites that is easily associated with the concept of privacy browsing, however, this can also be used for other tasks like to research a particular medical condition, or plan a surprise vacation or birthday party for a loved one etc on a personal note.
Earlier, Apple had already launched this facility in its web browser ‘Safari’ in which user can clear all the data that can be restored or accessed later.
Firefox, as per the sources, was also planning to launch this facility in its latest version of Firefox 3.0 but dropped it due to some reasons; however, it still provides the facility to delete the history, clear the cache memory and cookies in Firefox 3.0.
Firefox may also include this facility in its upcoming version of ‘Firefox 3.1’ to compete with IE8.
Microsoft Corporation has however not commented so far about this so called ‘information’ but if it comes in the market it will definitely enhance the market share of Microsoft because ‘who wants to be exposed?’
Free Tibet rally against China marks Olympic close
KATHMANDU, Aug 24 (Reuters) - About 2,000 Tibetan exiles, including children, monks and nuns, joined a protest rally in Kathmandu on Sunday, hours before the closing ceremony of the Olympics in Beijing.
Maroon-robed monks and nuns with shaven heads, some with Tibetan flags and placards calling for independence, were among the participants who walked silently for eight-km (five miles) on the outskirts of the Nepali capital.
In India's northern town of Dharamsala, home of the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, hundreds of Tibetan youths marched, vowing to keep alive their "Free Tibet" campaign even after the Beijing Olympics.
Monks and nuns walked alongside ordinary Tibetans, shouting "Free Tibet" and "We want justice".
In Kathmandu, police kept a strict vigil, snatched some flags but let the march continue from the Boudha suburb to the ancient monastery of Swyambhu outside the main city.
Exiles called for United Nations and other fact-finding missions to "assess the actual situation in Tibet and let the world know the truth".
Over 20,000 Tibetans still live in Nepal, the second biggest home for them outside Tibet after India, since fleeing their homeland after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959.
Nepal, which considers Tibet as part of China -- an aid donor and trade partner -- says the exiles can stay in the impoverished nation but can't organise any activities against its influential neighbour.
Maroon-robed monks and nuns with shaven heads, some with Tibetan flags and placards calling for independence, were among the participants who walked silently for eight-km (five miles) on the outskirts of the Nepali capital.
In India's northern town of Dharamsala, home of the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, hundreds of Tibetan youths marched, vowing to keep alive their "Free Tibet" campaign even after the Beijing Olympics.
Monks and nuns walked alongside ordinary Tibetans, shouting "Free Tibet" and "We want justice".
In Kathmandu, police kept a strict vigil, snatched some flags but let the march continue from the Boudha suburb to the ancient monastery of Swyambhu outside the main city.
Exiles called for United Nations and other fact-finding missions to "assess the actual situation in Tibet and let the world know the truth".
Over 20,000 Tibetans still live in Nepal, the second biggest home for them outside Tibet after India, since fleeing their homeland after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959.
Nepal, which considers Tibet as part of China -- an aid donor and trade partner -- says the exiles can stay in the impoverished nation but can't organise any activities against its influential neighbour.
The refugees have managed to protest, however, and have tried to storm the Chinese consular office in Kathmandu regularly since a crackdown on anti-China riots in March.
About 10,000 refugees have been arrested in the past five months, but later freed.
New-York based Human Rights Watch said last month that Nepali authorities were under pressure from Beijing to stop Tibetan protests, a charge China denied.
Nepal's new Maoist Prime Minister Prachanda is in Beijing to attend the closing of the Olympics, and is due to meet Chinese President Hu Jintao and other leaders and discuss Nepal-China relations. (Reporting by Gopal Sharma in Kathmandu and Abhishek Madhukar in Dharamsala; Editing by Krittivas Mukherjee and Myra MacDonald) (For the latest Reuters news on Nepal see: in.reuters.com, for blogs see blogs.reuters.com/in)
Kyrgyz passenger plane crashes, dozens dead
By Olga Dzyubenko
BISHKEK (Reuters) - A Kyrgyz passenger plane crashed outside the capital Bishkek on Sunday and 25 people of the 90 people on board have survived, Kyrgyzstan's emergencies minister said.
The plane, chartered by an Iranian company and heading for Tehran, crashed soon after take off, a spokeswoman for Manas airport, 30 km (20 miles) from Bishkek, said.
"It took off and reported a technical problem and tried to return to the airport," the spokeswoman said.
The flight was run by private Kyrgyz company Itek-Air, she said.
Initially, Russian news agencies and officials said 123 people were on board but later the number was revised to 90.
"There were 90 people on board, 25 of them survived," Emergencies Minister Kamchibek Tashiyev told Reuters.
A Reuters correspondent saw at least two ambulances rushing from the airport towards Bishkek. A Health ministry spokeswoman said at least 9 injured people were taken to city hospitals.
BISHKEK (Reuters) - A Kyrgyz passenger plane crashed outside the capital Bishkek on Sunday and 25 people of the 90 people on board have survived, Kyrgyzstan's emergencies minister said.
The plane, chartered by an Iranian company and heading for Tehran, crashed soon after take off, a spokeswoman for Manas airport, 30 km (20 miles) from Bishkek, said.
"It took off and reported a technical problem and tried to return to the airport," the spokeswoman said.
The flight was run by private Kyrgyz company Itek-Air, she said.
Initially, Russian news agencies and officials said 123 people were on board but later the number was revised to 90.
"There were 90 people on board, 25 of them survived," Emergencies Minister Kamchibek Tashiyev told Reuters.
A Reuters correspondent saw at least two ambulances rushing from the airport towards Bishkek. A Health ministry spokeswoman said at least 9 injured people were taken to city hospitals.
Interfax news agency quoted Health Ministry spokeswoman Yelena Belyaninova as saying that doctors found many people at the crash site with injuries.
Russian news agencies said the plane was a Boeing-737. It fell several km (miles) from the airport near the village of Dzhangi-Dzher.
(Writing by Oleg Shchedrov; editing by Jon Boyle and Angus MacSwan)
Kyrgyz passenger plane crashes, dozens dead
By Olga Dzyubenko
BISHKEK (Reuters) - A Kyrgyz passenger plane crashed outside the capital Bishkek on Sunday and 25 people of the 90 people on board have survived, Kyrgyzstan's emergencies minister said.
The plane, chartered by an Iranian company and heading for Tehran, crashed soon after take off, a spokeswoman for Manas airport, 30 km (20 miles) from Bishkek, said.
"It took off and reported a technical problem and tried to return to the airport," the spokeswoman said.
The flight was run by private Kyrgyz company Itek-Air, she said.
Initially, Russian news agencies and officials said 123 people were on board but later the number was revised to 90.
"There were 90 people on board, 25 of them survived," Emergencies Minister Kamchibek Tashiyev told Reuters.
A Reuters correspondent saw at least two ambulances rushing from the airport towards Bishkek. A Health ministry spokeswoman said at least 9 injured people were taken to city hospitals.
BISHKEK (Reuters) - A Kyrgyz passenger plane crashed outside the capital Bishkek on Sunday and 25 people of the 90 people on board have survived, Kyrgyzstan's emergencies minister said.
The plane, chartered by an Iranian company and heading for Tehran, crashed soon after take off, a spokeswoman for Manas airport, 30 km (20 miles) from Bishkek, said.
"It took off and reported a technical problem and tried to return to the airport," the spokeswoman said.
The flight was run by private Kyrgyz company Itek-Air, she said.
Initially, Russian news agencies and officials said 123 people were on board but later the number was revised to 90.
"There were 90 people on board, 25 of them survived," Emergencies Minister Kamchibek Tashiyev told Reuters.
A Reuters correspondent saw at least two ambulances rushing from the airport towards Bishkek. A Health ministry spokeswoman said at least 9 injured people were taken to city hospitals.
Interfax news agency quoted Health Ministry spokeswoman Yelena Belyaninova as saying that doctors found many people at the crash site with injuries.
Russian news agencies said the plane was a Boeing-737. It fell several km (miles) from the airport near the village of Dzhangi-Dzher.
(Writing by Oleg Shchedrov; editing by Jon Boyle and Angus MacSwan)
Women experience 'more pain' than men
For centuries, it has been believed that women are the more sensitive gender. Now, a new study has revealed that when it comes to pain, the fair sex are in fact the most sensitive.
An international team has carried out the study and found that women experience more pain throughout the course of their lifetime, more often, and actually for longer duration as compared to men.
What's interesting is that the study found that women are also less likely to get the right treatment as most drugs, trialled mainly on men, are often less effective on them, 'The Independent' reported.
According to researchers at International Association for the Study of Pain, it is due to different hormones, body composition and central nervous systems that make women more susceptible to a range of painful conditions than men.
Dr Beverly Collett of Chronic Pain Policy Coalition in Britain said, "Most doctors and nurses are unaware of these differences that has life-threatening consequences for women."
Better understanding among health professionals of sex differences in pain could save lives, according to the team
An international team has carried out the study and found that women experience more pain throughout the course of their lifetime, more often, and actually for longer duration as compared to men.
What's interesting is that the study found that women are also less likely to get the right treatment as most drugs, trialled mainly on men, are often less effective on them, 'The Independent' reported.
According to researchers at International Association for the Study of Pain, it is due to different hormones, body composition and central nervous systems that make women more susceptible to a range of painful conditions than men.
Dr Beverly Collett of Chronic Pain Policy Coalition in Britain said, "Most doctors and nurses are unaware of these differences that has life-threatening consequences for women."
Better understanding among health professionals of sex differences in pain could save lives, according to the team
Can China repeat 50 gold in olympics after olympics
the answer is no as the next generation of chinese wont have the need to reprove their supremacy thus lacking the vital fire.
The chinese performance we saw this year is exceptional and one off. Only if China repeats its gold quest year after year, it can claim supremacy to that legacy.
25th august
August 25 is the 237th day of the year (238th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 128 days remaining until the end of the year.Contents [hide]
1 Events
2 Births
3 Deaths
4 Holidays and observances
5 External links
[edit]
Events
1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III, the Archbishop of Utrecht.
1537 - The Honourable Artillery Company, the oldest surviving regiment in the British Army, and the second most senior, is formed.
1580 - Battle of Alcântara. Spain defeats Portugal.
1609 - Galileo Galilei demonstrates his first telescope to Venetian lawmakers.
1758 - Seven Years' War: Frederick II of Prussia defeats the Russian army at the Battle of Zorndorf.
1768 - James Cook begins his first voyage.
1814 - Washington, D.C. is burned and White House is destroyed by British forces during the War of 1812.
1825 - Uruguay declares its independence from Brazil.
1830 - The Belgian Revolution begins.
1835 - The New York Sun perpetrates the Great Moon Hoax.
1894 - Shibasaburo Kitasato discovers the infectious agent of the bubonic plague and publishes his findings in The Lancet.
1910 - Yellow Cab is founded.
1912 - The Kuomintang, the Chinese nationalist party, is founded.
1916 - The United States National Park Service is created.
1920 - Polish-Soviet War: Battle of Warsaw, started on August 13, now ends. The Red Army is defeated.
1921 - The first skirmishes of the Battle of Blair Mountain occur.
1933 - Diexi earthquake shook Mao County, Sichuan, China and killed 9,000 people.
1942 - World War II: Battle of Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea.
1942 - World War II: Second day of the Battle of the Eastern Solomons. A Japanese naval transport convoy headed towards Guadalcanal is turned-back by Allied air attack, losing one destroyer and one transport sunk, and one light cruiser heavily damaged.
1944 - World War II: Paris is liberated by the Allies.
1945 - Ten days after World War II ended with Japan announcing its surrender, armed supporters of the Communist Party of China killed Baptist missionary John Birch, regarded by a portion of the American right as the first victim of the Cold War.
1948 - House Un-American Activities Committee holds first-ever televised congressional hearing: "Confrontation Day" between Whittaker Chambers and Alger Hiss.
1950 - President Harry Truman orders the US Army to seize control of the nation's railroads to avert a strike.
1981 - Voyager 2 spacecraft makes its closest approach to Saturn
1989 - Tadeusz Mazowiecki chosen as the first non-communist Prime Minister in Central and Eastern Europe.
1989 - Voyager 2 spacecraft makes its closest approach to Neptune, the outermost planet in the Solar System.
1989 - Mayumi Moriyama becomes Japan's first female cabinet secretary.
1991 - Belarus declares independence from the Soviet Union
1997 - Egon Krenz, the former East German leader, was convicted of a shoot-to-kill Berlin Wall policy.
2003 - The Tli Cho land claims agreement is signed between the Dogrib First Nations and the Canadian federal government in Rae-Edzo (now called Behchoko).
[edit]
Births
1530 - Tsar Ivan IV of Russia (d. 1584)
1561 - Philippe van Lansberge, Dutch astronomer (d. 1632)
1624 - François de la Chaise, French confessor of Louis XIV of France (d. 1709)
1662 - John Leverett the Younger, American educator (d. 1724)
1719 - Charles-Amédée-Philippe van Loo, French painter (d. 1795)
1724 - George Stubbs, British painter (d. 1806)
1741 - Karl Friedrich Bahrdt, German theologian (d. 1792)
1744 - Johann Gottfried Herder, German writer (d. 1803)
1767 - Antoine Louis Léon de Richebourg de Saint-Just, French revolutionary and writer (d. 1794)
1786 - King Ludwig I of Bavaria (d. 1868)
1796 - James Lick, American land baron (d. 1876)
1802 - Nikolaus Lenau, Austrian poet (d. 1850)
1803 - Luís Alves de Lima e Silva, the Duque de Caxias, Brazilian military leader
1819 - Allan Pinkerton, American private detective (d. 1884)
1836 - Bret Harte, American writer (d. 1902)
1841 - Emil Theodor Kocher, Swiss medical researcher; Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1917)
1845 - King Ludwig II of Bavaria (d. 1886)
1867 - James W. Gerard, American jurist and diplomat (d. 1951)
1868 - Nikolaos Levidis, Greek shooter
1882 - Seán T. O'Kelly, Irish politician (d. 1966)
1893 - Henry Trendley Dean, American dental researcher (d. 1962)
1898 - Helmut Hasse, German mathematician (d. 1975)
1900 - Hans Adolf Krebs, German physician and biochemist; Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1981)
1902 - Stefan Wolpe, German-born composer (d. 1972)
1903 - Arpad Elo, American chess writer (d. 1992)
1905 - Faustina Kowalska, Polish mystic (d. 1938)
1909 - Ruby Keeler, Canadian singer and actress (d. 1993)
1909 - Michael Rennie, English actor (d. 1971)
1911 - Vo Nguyen Giap (Võ Nguyên Giáp), Vietnamese general and statesman
1912 - Erich Honecker, East German politician (d. 1994)
1913 - Walt Kelly, American cartoonist (d. 1973)
1913 - Don DeFore, American actor (d. 1993)
1915 - Walter Trampler, American violist (d. 1997)
1916 - Van Johnson, American actor
1916 - Frederick Chapman Robbins, American pediatrician and virologist; Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2003)
1916 - Saburo Sakai, Japanese aviator (d. 2000)
1917 - Mel Ferrer, Cuban-American actor, film director and film producer (d. 2008)
1918 - Leonard Bernstein, American conductor and composer (d. 1990)
1918 - Richard Greene, English actor (d. 1985)
1919 - George Wallace, American politician (d. 1998)
1921 - Monty Hall, Canadian-born game show host
1921 - Brian Moore, Irish-born writer (d. 1999)
1921 - Bryce Mackasey, Canadian politician (d. 1999)
1925 - Thea Astley, Australian writer, (d. 2004)
1927 - Althea Gibson, American tennis player (d. 2003)
1928 - Herbert Kroemer, German-born physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
1928 - Darrell Johnson, American baseball player (d. 2004)
1930 - Sean Connery, Scottish actor
1930 - Graham Jarvis, Canadian actor (d. 2003)
1930 - Bruce Allpress, New Zealand actor
1931 - Hal Fishman, Los Angeles based local news anchor. (d. 2007)
1931 - Regis Philbin, American television host
1933 - Wayne Shorter, American jazz musician
1933 - Tom Skerritt, American actor
1934 - Lise Bacon, French Canadian politician
1934 - Eddie Ilarde, Filipino disk jockey, television host, and Senator
1935 - Charles Wright, American poet
1938 - David Canary, American actor
1938 - Frederick Forsyth, English author
1939 - John Badham, American film director
1940 - José Van Dam, Belgian baritone
1944 - Anthony Heald, American actor
1944 - Conrad Black, newspaper magnate
1944 - Jacques Demers, Canadian hockey coach
1946 - Rollie Fingers, American baseball player
1946 - Charles Ghigna (Father Goose), American poet and Children's Author
1946 - Charlie Sanders, American football player
1949 - Martin Amis, English novelist
1949 - John Savage, American actor
1949 - Gene Simmons, Israeli-born musician (Kiss)
1949 - Fariborz Lachini, Canadian-Iranian composer
1950 - Charles Fambrough, American jazz musician
1951 - Rob Halford, English singer (Judas Priest)
1951 - Bill Handel, American radio personality
1952 - Geoff Downes, English keyboardist (Buggles, Yes, Asia)
1954 - Elvis Costello, English musician
1956 - Henri Toivonen, Finnish rally driver
1958 - Tim Burton, American film director
1958 - Christian LeBlanc, American actor
1960 - Ashley Crow, American actress
1961 - Billy Ray Cyrus, American singer and actor
1961 - Joanne Whalley, British actress
1962 - David Packer, American actor
1962 - Vivian Campbell, Irish musician (Def Leppard, Whitesnake, Dio)
1964 - Maxim Kontsevich, Russian mathematician
1964 - Blair Underwood, American actor
1964 - Vassilios Kotronias, Greek chess grandmaster
1964 - Marti Noxon, American television writer and producer
1965 - Mia Zapata, American singer (The Gits) (d. 1993)
1966 - Albert Belle, American Major League Baseball player
1966 - Derek Sherinian, American keyboardist
1966 - Robert Maschio, American Actor ("The Todd" in Scrubs)
1967 - Jeff Tweedy, American singer (Wilco)
1968 - Rafet El Roman, Turkish singer and composer
1968 - Yuri Mitsui, Japanese actress, model and racing driver
1968 - Stuart Murdoch, Scottish musician (Belle & Sebastian)
1968 - Takeshi Ueda, Japanese singer and composer
1968 - Rachael Ray, American chef and television personality
1968 - Spider One, American musician (Powerman 5000)
1969 - Cameron Mathison, Canadian actor
1970 - Robert Horry, American basketball player
1970 - Jo Dee Messina, American country music singer
1970 - Claudia Schiffer, German model
1971 - Mike Lockwood, professional wrestler (d. 2003)
1971 - Thalia Sodi, Mexican actress and singer
1972 - Marvin Harrison, American football player
1973 - Fatih Akin, Turkish-German film director
1973 - Olavi Mikkonen, Swedish heavy metal guitarist (Amon Amarth)
1974 - Eric Millegan, American actor
1974 - Dave Luza, Dutch comedian
1974 - Pablo Ozuna, Dominican baseball player
1975 - Jeremy Horn, American MMA Fighter
1976 - Alexander Skarsgård, Swedish actor
1977 - Sophie Cadieux, Quebec actress
1977 - Diego Corrales, American boxer (d. 2007)
1977 - Jonathan Togo, American actor
1978 - Kel Mitchell, American actor
1979 - Marlon Harewood, English footballer
1980 - Neal Musser, American baseball player
1981 - Rachel Bilson, American actress
1981 - Clare Oliver, Australian cancer activist (d. 2007)
1983 - James Righton, Musician (Klaxons)
1983 - James Rossiter, British racing driver
1983 - Janet Chow, Miss Hong Kong 2006 Runner-Up
1987 - Stacey Farber, Canadian actress
1987 - Blake Lively, American actress
1987 - Justin Upton, American baseball player
1987 - James Wesolowski, Australian soccer player
1987 - Liu Yifei, Chinese actress and singer
1988 - Angela Park, Brazilian golfer
1988 - Raymond Quinn, English singer
1992 - Miyabi Natsuyaki, Japanese singer
1994 - Josh Flitter, American actor
1997 - Holly Gibbs, English child actor
1998 - China Anne McClain, American actress
[edit]
Deaths
383 - Gratian, Roman Emperor
471 - Gennadius I, Patriarch of Constantinople
1192 - Hugh III, Duke of Burgundy (b. 1142)
1270 - King Louis IX of France (b. 1214)
1282 - Thomas Cantilupe, English saint
1330 - Sir James Douglas, Scottish soldier (b. 1286)
1482 - Margaret of Anjou, queen of Henry VI of England (b. 1429)
1554 - Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, English politician (b. 1473)
1632 - Thomas Dekker, English dramatist
1650 - Richard Crashaw, English poet
1688 - Henry Morgan, Welsh privateer
1699 - King Christian V of Denmark (b. 1646)
1711 - Edward Villiers, 1st Earl of Jersey, English politician
1742 - Carlos Seixas, Portuguese composer (b. 1704)
1774 - Niccolò Jommelli, Italian composer (b. 1714)
1776 - David Hume, Scottish philosopher and historian (b. 1711)
1792 - Jacques Cazotte, French writer (b. 1719)
1822 - William Herschel, German-born astronomer (b. 1738)
1867 - Michael Faraday, English scientist (b. 1791)
1900 - Friedrich Nietzsche, German philosopher (b. 1844)
1900 - Kuroda Kiyotaka, Prime Minister of Japan (b. 1840)
1904 - Henri Fantin-Latour, French painter (b. 1836)
1904 - William Hall, Canadian Royal Naval sailor (b. 1827)
1908 - Henri Becquerel, French physicist, Nobel laureate (b. 1852)
1924 - Mariano Álvarez, Filipino general (b. 1818)
1925 - Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf, Austro-Hungarian field marshal (b. 1852)
1938 - Aleksandr Kuprin, Russian writer (b. 1870)
1939 - Babe Siebert, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1904)
1942 - George Edward Alexander Windsor, Duke of Kent (b. 1902)
1945 - John Birch, American intelligence officer and missionary (b. 1918)
1950 - Earl Caddock, professional wrestler (b. 1888)
1956 - Alfred Kinsey, American research biologist (b. 1894)
1965 - Moonlight Graham, American baseball player
1967 - Stanley Bruce, eighth Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1883)
1967 - Paul Muni, Polish actor (b. 1895)
1967 - George Lincoln Rockwell, American Nazi Party leader (b. 1918)
1971 - Ted Lewis, American musician and entertainer (b. 1890)
1976 - Eyvind Johnson, Swedish writer, Nobel laureate (b. 1900)
1979 - Stan Kenton, American musician and bandleader (b. 1911)
1980 - Gower Champion, American dancer, actor, and choreographer (b. 1919)
1984 - Truman Capote, American author (b. 1924)
1984 - Waite Hoyt, American baseball player (b. 1899)
1984 - Viktor Chukarin, Soviet gymnast (b. 1921)
1985 - Samantha Smith, American social activist (b. 1972)
1990 - Morley Callaghan, Canadian writer (b. 1903)
1999 - Rob Fisher, English musician (b. 1956)
2000 - Carl Barks, American cartoonist (b. 1901)
2000 - Jack Nitzsche, American record producer (b. 1937)
2001 - Aaliyah, American singer and actress (b. 1979)
2001 - Carl Brewer, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1938)
2001 - Ken Tyrrell, former race driver and founder of Tyrrell Racing (b. 1924)
2001 - Philippe Léotard, French actor and singer (b. 1940)
2002 - Dorothy Hewett, Australian writer (b. 1923)
2005 - Peter Glotz, German politician (b. 1939)
2007 - Ray Jones, English professional footballer (b. 1988)
[edit]
Holidays and observances
Roman festivals - Opiconsivia held in honor of Ops.
Roman Catholic Saints - Genesius of Arles, Saint Louis IX of France, Saint Joseph Calasanz.
Uruguay - National Day (independence from Brazil in 1825).
1 Events
2 Births
3 Deaths
4 Holidays and observances
5 External links
[edit]
Events
1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III, the Archbishop of Utrecht.
1537 - The Honourable Artillery Company, the oldest surviving regiment in the British Army, and the second most senior, is formed.
1580 - Battle of Alcântara. Spain defeats Portugal.
1609 - Galileo Galilei demonstrates his first telescope to Venetian lawmakers.
1758 - Seven Years' War: Frederick II of Prussia defeats the Russian army at the Battle of Zorndorf.
1768 - James Cook begins his first voyage.
1814 - Washington, D.C. is burned and White House is destroyed by British forces during the War of 1812.
1825 - Uruguay declares its independence from Brazil.
1830 - The Belgian Revolution begins.
1835 - The New York Sun perpetrates the Great Moon Hoax.
1894 - Shibasaburo Kitasato discovers the infectious agent of the bubonic plague and publishes his findings in The Lancet.
1910 - Yellow Cab is founded.
1912 - The Kuomintang, the Chinese nationalist party, is founded.
1916 - The United States National Park Service is created.
1920 - Polish-Soviet War: Battle of Warsaw, started on August 13, now ends. The Red Army is defeated.
1921 - The first skirmishes of the Battle of Blair Mountain occur.
1933 - Diexi earthquake shook Mao County, Sichuan, China and killed 9,000 people.
1942 - World War II: Battle of Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea.
1942 - World War II: Second day of the Battle of the Eastern Solomons. A Japanese naval transport convoy headed towards Guadalcanal is turned-back by Allied air attack, losing one destroyer and one transport sunk, and one light cruiser heavily damaged.
1944 - World War II: Paris is liberated by the Allies.
1945 - Ten days after World War II ended with Japan announcing its surrender, armed supporters of the Communist Party of China killed Baptist missionary John Birch, regarded by a portion of the American right as the first victim of the Cold War.
1948 - House Un-American Activities Committee holds first-ever televised congressional hearing: "Confrontation Day" between Whittaker Chambers and Alger Hiss.
1950 - President Harry Truman orders the US Army to seize control of the nation's railroads to avert a strike.
1981 - Voyager 2 spacecraft makes its closest approach to Saturn
1989 - Tadeusz Mazowiecki chosen as the first non-communist Prime Minister in Central and Eastern Europe.
1989 - Voyager 2 spacecraft makes its closest approach to Neptune, the outermost planet in the Solar System.
1989 - Mayumi Moriyama becomes Japan's first female cabinet secretary.
1991 - Belarus declares independence from the Soviet Union
1997 - Egon Krenz, the former East German leader, was convicted of a shoot-to-kill Berlin Wall policy.
2003 - The Tli Cho land claims agreement is signed between the Dogrib First Nations and the Canadian federal government in Rae-Edzo (now called Behchoko).
[edit]
Births
1530 - Tsar Ivan IV of Russia (d. 1584)
1561 - Philippe van Lansberge, Dutch astronomer (d. 1632)
1624 - François de la Chaise, French confessor of Louis XIV of France (d. 1709)
1662 - John Leverett the Younger, American educator (d. 1724)
1719 - Charles-Amédée-Philippe van Loo, French painter (d. 1795)
1724 - George Stubbs, British painter (d. 1806)
1741 - Karl Friedrich Bahrdt, German theologian (d. 1792)
1744 - Johann Gottfried Herder, German writer (d. 1803)
1767 - Antoine Louis Léon de Richebourg de Saint-Just, French revolutionary and writer (d. 1794)
1786 - King Ludwig I of Bavaria (d. 1868)
1796 - James Lick, American land baron (d. 1876)
1802 - Nikolaus Lenau, Austrian poet (d. 1850)
1803 - Luís Alves de Lima e Silva, the Duque de Caxias, Brazilian military leader
1819 - Allan Pinkerton, American private detective (d. 1884)
1836 - Bret Harte, American writer (d. 1902)
1841 - Emil Theodor Kocher, Swiss medical researcher; Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1917)
1845 - King Ludwig II of Bavaria (d. 1886)
1867 - James W. Gerard, American jurist and diplomat (d. 1951)
1868 - Nikolaos Levidis, Greek shooter
1882 - Seán T. O'Kelly, Irish politician (d. 1966)
1893 - Henry Trendley Dean, American dental researcher (d. 1962)
1898 - Helmut Hasse, German mathematician (d. 1975)
1900 - Hans Adolf Krebs, German physician and biochemist; Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1981)
1902 - Stefan Wolpe, German-born composer (d. 1972)
1903 - Arpad Elo, American chess writer (d. 1992)
1905 - Faustina Kowalska, Polish mystic (d. 1938)
1909 - Ruby Keeler, Canadian singer and actress (d. 1993)
1909 - Michael Rennie, English actor (d. 1971)
1911 - Vo Nguyen Giap (Võ Nguyên Giáp), Vietnamese general and statesman
1912 - Erich Honecker, East German politician (d. 1994)
1913 - Walt Kelly, American cartoonist (d. 1973)
1913 - Don DeFore, American actor (d. 1993)
1915 - Walter Trampler, American violist (d. 1997)
1916 - Van Johnson, American actor
1916 - Frederick Chapman Robbins, American pediatrician and virologist; Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2003)
1916 - Saburo Sakai, Japanese aviator (d. 2000)
1917 - Mel Ferrer, Cuban-American actor, film director and film producer (d. 2008)
1918 - Leonard Bernstein, American conductor and composer (d. 1990)
1918 - Richard Greene, English actor (d. 1985)
1919 - George Wallace, American politician (d. 1998)
1921 - Monty Hall, Canadian-born game show host
1921 - Brian Moore, Irish-born writer (d. 1999)
1921 - Bryce Mackasey, Canadian politician (d. 1999)
1925 - Thea Astley, Australian writer, (d. 2004)
1927 - Althea Gibson, American tennis player (d. 2003)
1928 - Herbert Kroemer, German-born physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
1928 - Darrell Johnson, American baseball player (d. 2004)
1930 - Sean Connery, Scottish actor
1930 - Graham Jarvis, Canadian actor (d. 2003)
1930 - Bruce Allpress, New Zealand actor
1931 - Hal Fishman, Los Angeles based local news anchor. (d. 2007)
1931 - Regis Philbin, American television host
1933 - Wayne Shorter, American jazz musician
1933 - Tom Skerritt, American actor
1934 - Lise Bacon, French Canadian politician
1934 - Eddie Ilarde, Filipino disk jockey, television host, and Senator
1935 - Charles Wright, American poet
1938 - David Canary, American actor
1938 - Frederick Forsyth, English author
1939 - John Badham, American film director
1940 - José Van Dam, Belgian baritone
1944 - Anthony Heald, American actor
1944 - Conrad Black, newspaper magnate
1944 - Jacques Demers, Canadian hockey coach
1946 - Rollie Fingers, American baseball player
1946 - Charles Ghigna (Father Goose), American poet and Children's Author
1946 - Charlie Sanders, American football player
1949 - Martin Amis, English novelist
1949 - John Savage, American actor
1949 - Gene Simmons, Israeli-born musician (Kiss)
1949 - Fariborz Lachini, Canadian-Iranian composer
1950 - Charles Fambrough, American jazz musician
1951 - Rob Halford, English singer (Judas Priest)
1951 - Bill Handel, American radio personality
1952 - Geoff Downes, English keyboardist (Buggles, Yes, Asia)
1954 - Elvis Costello, English musician
1956 - Henri Toivonen, Finnish rally driver
1958 - Tim Burton, American film director
1958 - Christian LeBlanc, American actor
1960 - Ashley Crow, American actress
1961 - Billy Ray Cyrus, American singer and actor
1961 - Joanne Whalley, British actress
1962 - David Packer, American actor
1962 - Vivian Campbell, Irish musician (Def Leppard, Whitesnake, Dio)
1964 - Maxim Kontsevich, Russian mathematician
1964 - Blair Underwood, American actor
1964 - Vassilios Kotronias, Greek chess grandmaster
1964 - Marti Noxon, American television writer and producer
1965 - Mia Zapata, American singer (The Gits) (d. 1993)
1966 - Albert Belle, American Major League Baseball player
1966 - Derek Sherinian, American keyboardist
1966 - Robert Maschio, American Actor ("The Todd" in Scrubs)
1967 - Jeff Tweedy, American singer (Wilco)
1968 - Rafet El Roman, Turkish singer and composer
1968 - Yuri Mitsui, Japanese actress, model and racing driver
1968 - Stuart Murdoch, Scottish musician (Belle & Sebastian)
1968 - Takeshi Ueda, Japanese singer and composer
1968 - Rachael Ray, American chef and television personality
1968 - Spider One, American musician (Powerman 5000)
1969 - Cameron Mathison, Canadian actor
1970 - Robert Horry, American basketball player
1970 - Jo Dee Messina, American country music singer
1970 - Claudia Schiffer, German model
1971 - Mike Lockwood, professional wrestler (d. 2003)
1971 - Thalia Sodi, Mexican actress and singer
1972 - Marvin Harrison, American football player
1973 - Fatih Akin, Turkish-German film director
1973 - Olavi Mikkonen, Swedish heavy metal guitarist (Amon Amarth)
1974 - Eric Millegan, American actor
1974 - Dave Luza, Dutch comedian
1974 - Pablo Ozuna, Dominican baseball player
1975 - Jeremy Horn, American MMA Fighter
1976 - Alexander Skarsgård, Swedish actor
1977 - Sophie Cadieux, Quebec actress
1977 - Diego Corrales, American boxer (d. 2007)
1977 - Jonathan Togo, American actor
1978 - Kel Mitchell, American actor
1979 - Marlon Harewood, English footballer
1980 - Neal Musser, American baseball player
1981 - Rachel Bilson, American actress
1981 - Clare Oliver, Australian cancer activist (d. 2007)
1983 - James Righton, Musician (Klaxons)
1983 - James Rossiter, British racing driver
1983 - Janet Chow, Miss Hong Kong 2006 Runner-Up
1987 - Stacey Farber, Canadian actress
1987 - Blake Lively, American actress
1987 - Justin Upton, American baseball player
1987 - James Wesolowski, Australian soccer player
1987 - Liu Yifei, Chinese actress and singer
1988 - Angela Park, Brazilian golfer
1988 - Raymond Quinn, English singer
1992 - Miyabi Natsuyaki, Japanese singer
1994 - Josh Flitter, American actor
1997 - Holly Gibbs, English child actor
1998 - China Anne McClain, American actress
[edit]
Deaths
383 - Gratian, Roman Emperor
471 - Gennadius I, Patriarch of Constantinople
1192 - Hugh III, Duke of Burgundy (b. 1142)
1270 - King Louis IX of France (b. 1214)
1282 - Thomas Cantilupe, English saint
1330 - Sir James Douglas, Scottish soldier (b. 1286)
1482 - Margaret of Anjou, queen of Henry VI of England (b. 1429)
1554 - Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, English politician (b. 1473)
1632 - Thomas Dekker, English dramatist
1650 - Richard Crashaw, English poet
1688 - Henry Morgan, Welsh privateer
1699 - King Christian V of Denmark (b. 1646)
1711 - Edward Villiers, 1st Earl of Jersey, English politician
1742 - Carlos Seixas, Portuguese composer (b. 1704)
1774 - Niccolò Jommelli, Italian composer (b. 1714)
1776 - David Hume, Scottish philosopher and historian (b. 1711)
1792 - Jacques Cazotte, French writer (b. 1719)
1822 - William Herschel, German-born astronomer (b. 1738)
1867 - Michael Faraday, English scientist (b. 1791)
1900 - Friedrich Nietzsche, German philosopher (b. 1844)
1900 - Kuroda Kiyotaka, Prime Minister of Japan (b. 1840)
1904 - Henri Fantin-Latour, French painter (b. 1836)
1904 - William Hall, Canadian Royal Naval sailor (b. 1827)
1908 - Henri Becquerel, French physicist, Nobel laureate (b. 1852)
1924 - Mariano Álvarez, Filipino general (b. 1818)
1925 - Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf, Austro-Hungarian field marshal (b. 1852)
1938 - Aleksandr Kuprin, Russian writer (b. 1870)
1939 - Babe Siebert, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1904)
1942 - George Edward Alexander Windsor, Duke of Kent (b. 1902)
1945 - John Birch, American intelligence officer and missionary (b. 1918)
1950 - Earl Caddock, professional wrestler (b. 1888)
1956 - Alfred Kinsey, American research biologist (b. 1894)
1965 - Moonlight Graham, American baseball player
1967 - Stanley Bruce, eighth Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1883)
1967 - Paul Muni, Polish actor (b. 1895)
1967 - George Lincoln Rockwell, American Nazi Party leader (b. 1918)
1971 - Ted Lewis, American musician and entertainer (b. 1890)
1976 - Eyvind Johnson, Swedish writer, Nobel laureate (b. 1900)
1979 - Stan Kenton, American musician and bandleader (b. 1911)
1980 - Gower Champion, American dancer, actor, and choreographer (b. 1919)
1984 - Truman Capote, American author (b. 1924)
1984 - Waite Hoyt, American baseball player (b. 1899)
1984 - Viktor Chukarin, Soviet gymnast (b. 1921)
1985 - Samantha Smith, American social activist (b. 1972)
1990 - Morley Callaghan, Canadian writer (b. 1903)
1999 - Rob Fisher, English musician (b. 1956)
2000 - Carl Barks, American cartoonist (b. 1901)
2000 - Jack Nitzsche, American record producer (b. 1937)
2001 - Aaliyah, American singer and actress (b. 1979)
2001 - Carl Brewer, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1938)
2001 - Ken Tyrrell, former race driver and founder of Tyrrell Racing (b. 1924)
2001 - Philippe Léotard, French actor and singer (b. 1940)
2002 - Dorothy Hewett, Australian writer (b. 1923)
2005 - Peter Glotz, German politician (b. 1939)
2007 - Ray Jones, English professional footballer (b. 1988)
[edit]
Holidays and observances
Roman festivals - Opiconsivia held in honor of Ops.
Roman Catholic Saints - Genesius of Arles, Saint Louis IX of France, Saint Joseph Calasanz.
Uruguay - National Day (independence from Brazil in 1825).
End of Musharraf era
End of Musharraf era
The Hindu
PERVEZ Musharraf finally got his calculations right. The military dictator who ruled Pakistan for nine years, shed his uniform towards the end, insisted on remaining president after his power melted away in a democratic upsurge, and deservedly faced impeachment, could have hung on to office only if circumstances had turned in his favour in one of two ways. The first was mustering enough parliamentary support to deny the democratic combine led by the Pakistan People’s Party and the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) the two-thirds majority required for impeachment. With the King’s Party disintegrating rapidly, this option was not available. The second hypothetical scenario was of the retired general persuading his former comrades-in-arms to back a move to dismiss the elected government and dissolve parliament. The deafening silence from Rawalpindi ruled out any such madness. While his is a more honourable exit than is normal with dictators, the real credit for this inspiring denouement must go to the people of Pakistan, their political parties, news media and civil society institutions. There was plenty of discord within the ruling coalition on the way forward — but it held its ground thanks largely to the political resoluteness of Nawaz Sharif and the sobriety displayed by Asif Zardari.
The self-congratulatory tenor of President Musharraf’s farewell address can be interpreted as a soldierly attempt to save face. It is true that he made more worthwhile contributions to Pakistan’s overall policies than previous military dictators but his claims on all-round progress are highly questionable. As his political difficulties mounted, he became more and more despotic and unscrupulous — undermining state institutions, targeting the independent judiciary and manipulating elections. In the end, President Musharraf became the biggest obstacle to the advancement of the interests of the people of Pakistan. The ruling coalition could hardly focus on key issues of governance when it had to guard its rear against an undermining ex-dictator. Overall, the international community will regard the Musharraf era as a wasted opportunity. The man who advocated moderation and promised to recast his country as a progressive model for the Muslim world failed to deliver because he just would not completely abandon the religious extremists. For all that, New Delhi cannot overlook the contribution General Musharraf made towards stabilising and improving the relationship between India and Pakistan — learning perhaps from the Kargil misadventure. His most lasting contribution may well be the process of India-Pakistan détente, which needs to be taken forward resolutely. — (Aug 19)
The Hindu
PERVEZ Musharraf finally got his calculations right. The military dictator who ruled Pakistan for nine years, shed his uniform towards the end, insisted on remaining president after his power melted away in a democratic upsurge, and deservedly faced impeachment, could have hung on to office only if circumstances had turned in his favour in one of two ways. The first was mustering enough parliamentary support to deny the democratic combine led by the Pakistan People’s Party and the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) the two-thirds majority required for impeachment. With the King’s Party disintegrating rapidly, this option was not available. The second hypothetical scenario was of the retired general persuading his former comrades-in-arms to back a move to dismiss the elected government and dissolve parliament. The deafening silence from Rawalpindi ruled out any such madness. While his is a more honourable exit than is normal with dictators, the real credit for this inspiring denouement must go to the people of Pakistan, their political parties, news media and civil society institutions. There was plenty of discord within the ruling coalition on the way forward — but it held its ground thanks largely to the political resoluteness of Nawaz Sharif and the sobriety displayed by Asif Zardari.
The self-congratulatory tenor of President Musharraf’s farewell address can be interpreted as a soldierly attempt to save face. It is true that he made more worthwhile contributions to Pakistan’s overall policies than previous military dictators but his claims on all-round progress are highly questionable. As his political difficulties mounted, he became more and more despotic and unscrupulous — undermining state institutions, targeting the independent judiciary and manipulating elections. In the end, President Musharraf became the biggest obstacle to the advancement of the interests of the people of Pakistan. The ruling coalition could hardly focus on key issues of governance when it had to guard its rear against an undermining ex-dictator. Overall, the international community will regard the Musharraf era as a wasted opportunity. The man who advocated moderation and promised to recast his country as a progressive model for the Muslim world failed to deliver because he just would not completely abandon the religious extremists. For all that, New Delhi cannot overlook the contribution General Musharraf made towards stabilising and improving the relationship between India and Pakistan — learning perhaps from the Kargil misadventure. His most lasting contribution may well be the process of India-Pakistan détente, which needs to be taken forward resolutely. — (Aug 19)
Naxals aiming to control 35% of India by 2009
The growing strength of Naxal groups has emboldened them so much that they are harbouring ambitions of controlling more than a third of India's territories in the next two years, a latest intelligence report has said.
Basing its information on literature and pamphlets seized by the security forces in anti-Naxal operations, and also on interrogation of arrested guerillas, the intelligence report says the Naxal groups are aiming to liberate and control 35 per cent of India's land by the end of 2009, Home Ministry sources said.
In a fresh assessment of the Naxalite movement in the country, the report points out that ultra-Left groups having faith in Maoist ideologies have spread their activities to as many as 22 out of 28 states in the country, including states that were earlier not known to have any Naxal links like Delhi, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Gujarat. As many as 39 Left-wing extremist groups are currently operating in the country with a combined membership of more than a lakh. Not all of
them are violent though. CPI (Maoists) alone account for more than 90 per cent of violent incidents.
Though separate outfits, most of these Naxalite groups have common modus operandi, especially when it comes to dealing with Government and security forces. They see police and security forces just as major suppliers of weapons, the report, which was recently presented to the Home Ministry, points out. Hence the high frequency of attacks on police stations and security camps to loot firearms.
The security forces seized a number of pamphlets and booklets that urged the members to take up the cause of the local population and fight for them as endearing themselves to the local population was extremely vital for their own survival.
Identifying under-development as the primary reason for the spread of Naxalism, the intelligence report also documents factors which led to Chhattisgarh becoming the nerve-centre of Naxal activities. The state lies low on a number of development indices. Nearly 40 per cent of the population lives below poverty line, infant mortality is as high as 86 per thousand, 68 per cent do not have access to electricity and nearly half the population is devoid of drinking water at home. No wonder then that Chhattisgarh has emerged as the breeding ground for Naxal groups, the report says.
The report recommends more powers and facilities for police forces, and better coordination among security forces but goes on to say that military efforts alone would not be able to succeed against Naxalites. It has to be ably supplemented by developmental initiatives, it says.
Intelligence says...
• Naxalites aiming to control 35% of India's land area by 2009
• Naxal groups active in 22 out of 28 states
• Strategy is to attack police forces and loot their weapons
• At the same time, take up cause of locals and fight for them
• A total of 39 Left wing extremist groups present with combined membership of more than a lakh
Basing its information on literature and pamphlets seized by the security forces in anti-Naxal operations, and also on interrogation of arrested guerillas, the intelligence report says the Naxal groups are aiming to liberate and control 35 per cent of India's land by the end of 2009, Home Ministry sources said.
In a fresh assessment of the Naxalite movement in the country, the report points out that ultra-Left groups having faith in Maoist ideologies have spread their activities to as many as 22 out of 28 states in the country, including states that were earlier not known to have any Naxal links like Delhi, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Gujarat. As many as 39 Left-wing extremist groups are currently operating in the country with a combined membership of more than a lakh. Not all of
them are violent though. CPI (Maoists) alone account for more than 90 per cent of violent incidents.
Though separate outfits, most of these Naxalite groups have common modus operandi, especially when it comes to dealing with Government and security forces. They see police and security forces just as major suppliers of weapons, the report, which was recently presented to the Home Ministry, points out. Hence the high frequency of attacks on police stations and security camps to loot firearms.
The security forces seized a number of pamphlets and booklets that urged the members to take up the cause of the local population and fight for them as endearing themselves to the local population was extremely vital for their own survival.
Identifying under-development as the primary reason for the spread of Naxalism, the intelligence report also documents factors which led to Chhattisgarh becoming the nerve-centre of Naxal activities. The state lies low on a number of development indices. Nearly 40 per cent of the population lives below poverty line, infant mortality is as high as 86 per thousand, 68 per cent do not have access to electricity and nearly half the population is devoid of drinking water at home. No wonder then that Chhattisgarh has emerged as the breeding ground for Naxal groups, the report says.
The report recommends more powers and facilities for police forces, and better coordination among security forces but goes on to say that military efforts alone would not be able to succeed against Naxalites. It has to be ably supplemented by developmental initiatives, it says.
Intelligence says...
• Naxalites aiming to control 35% of India's land area by 2009
• Naxal groups active in 22 out of 28 states
• Strategy is to attack police forces and loot their weapons
• At the same time, take up cause of locals and fight for them
• A total of 39 Left wing extremist groups present with combined membership of more than a lakh
Worls: Top 200 sites by web traffic
This summary is not available. Please
click here to view the post.
Top websites mover in web traffic
#1
Mover
84% ~ Weekly Traffic Rank: 90 (was 167)
NBC Olympics: Beijing 2008
Includes results, schedules, TV listings, medals, photographs, video, information on each sport, and athlete profiles.
www.nbcolympics.com
Site info for nbcolympics.com
2.
155% ~ Weekly Traffic Rank: 723 (was 2,380)
Premierleague.com
The official site with news, fixtures, results, league table, statistics, club profiles and travel details.
www.premierleague.com
Site info for premierleague.com
3.
33,000% ~ Weekly Traffic Rank: 4,983 (was 628,848)
Searchingforbigfoot.com
www.searchingforbigfoot.com
Site info for searchingforbigfoot.com
4.
500% ~ Weekly Traffic Rank: 4,653 (was 25,950)
Michael Phelps
Official site. Site includes a biography, schedule and results, ask Michael section, media request forms and links.
www.michaelphelps.com
Site info for michaelphelps.com
5.
77% ~ Weekly Traffic Rank: 655 (was 1,399)
NOS Data Explorer
Offers interactive mapping tools that allow users to locate NOS products in any area in the United States and its territories through a metadata catalog.
www.noaa.gov
Site info for noaa.gov
6.
360% ~ Weekly Traffic Rank: 4,514 (was 21,082)
Steamgames.com
www.steamgames.com
Site info for steamgames.com
7.
1,200% ~ Weekly Traffic Rank: 7,765 (was 76,116)
Nastialiukin.com
www.nastialiukin.com
Site info for nastialiukin.com
8.
155% ~ Weekly Traffic Rank: 7,450 (was 12,732)
Lexus
The official site of Lexus USA.
www.lexus.com
Site info for lexus.com
9.
2,200% ~ Weekly Traffic Rank: 19,423 (was 241,753)
WDTN 2
Dayton. Includes headlines, consumer alerts, weather, and program schedule. [ABC]
www.wdtn.com
Site info for wdtn.com
10.
1,400% ~ Weekly Traffic Rank: 14,596 (was 138,475)
Bigfoot Field Researchers' Resources Homepage
Includes geographic database, theories, research projects, and tips on collecting evidence.
www.bfro.net
Mover
84% ~ Weekly Traffic Rank: 90 (was 167)
NBC Olympics: Beijing 2008
Includes results, schedules, TV listings, medals, photographs, video, information on each sport, and athlete profiles.
www.nbcolympics.com
Site info for nbcolympics.com
2.
155% ~ Weekly Traffic Rank: 723 (was 2,380)
Premierleague.com
The official site with news, fixtures, results, league table, statistics, club profiles and travel details.
www.premierleague.com
Site info for premierleague.com
3.
33,000% ~ Weekly Traffic Rank: 4,983 (was 628,848)
Searchingforbigfoot.com
www.searchingforbigfoot.com
Site info for searchingforbigfoot.com
4.
500% ~ Weekly Traffic Rank: 4,653 (was 25,950)
Michael Phelps
Official site. Site includes a biography, schedule and results, ask Michael section, media request forms and links.
www.michaelphelps.com
Site info for michaelphelps.com
5.
77% ~ Weekly Traffic Rank: 655 (was 1,399)
NOS Data Explorer
Offers interactive mapping tools that allow users to locate NOS products in any area in the United States and its territories through a metadata catalog.
www.noaa.gov
Site info for noaa.gov
6.
360% ~ Weekly Traffic Rank: 4,514 (was 21,082)
Steamgames.com
www.steamgames.com
Site info for steamgames.com
7.
1,200% ~ Weekly Traffic Rank: 7,765 (was 76,116)
Nastialiukin.com
www.nastialiukin.com
Site info for nastialiukin.com
8.
155% ~ Weekly Traffic Rank: 7,450 (was 12,732)
Lexus
The official site of Lexus USA.
www.lexus.com
Site info for lexus.com
9.
2,200% ~ Weekly Traffic Rank: 19,423 (was 241,753)
WDTN 2
Dayton. Includes headlines, consumer alerts, weather, and program schedule. [ABC]
www.wdtn.com
Site info for wdtn.com
10.
1,400% ~ Weekly Traffic Rank: 14,596 (was 138,475)
Bigfoot Field Researchers' Resources Homepage
Includes geographic database, theories, research projects, and tips on collecting evidence.
www.bfro.net
India: Top 100 internet sites by Traffcis
1.
Google India
Indian version of this popular search engine. Search the whole web or only webpages from India. Interfaces offered in English, Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi and Tamil.
google.co.in
Site info for google.co.in
2.
Yahoo!
Personalized content and search options. Chatrooms, free e-mail, clubs, and pager.
yahoo.com
Site info for yahoo.com
3.
Google
Enables users to search the Web, Usenet, and images. Features include PageRank, caching and translation of results, and an option to find similar pages. The company's focus is developing search technology.
google.com
Site info for google.com
4.
Orkut.co.in
orkut.co.in
Site info for orkut.co.in
5.
Rediff.com India Ltd.
Online portal with free e-mail and many other services.
rediff.com
Site info for rediff.com
Interested in popular sites on the web?
Buy a List of 10,000 or 100,000!
6.
YouTube
YouTube is a way to get your videos to the people who matter to you. Upload, tag and share your videos worldwide!
youtube.com
Site info for youtube.com
7.
Blogger.com
Free, automated weblog publishing tool that sends updates to a site via FTP.
blogger.com
Site info for blogger.com
8.
RapidShare
Users can upload up to 100 meg files for sharing. Provides downloads of 100 megs per hour on the free service. Premium service also available.
rapidshare.com
Site info for rapidshare.com
9.
Windows Live
Search engine from Microsoft.
live.com
Site info for live.com
10.
Microsoft Network (MSN)
Dialup access and content provider.
msn.com
Site info for msn.com
11.
Wikipedia
An online collaborative encyclopedia.
wikipedia.org
Site info for wikipedia.org
12.
Facebook
A social utility that connects people, to keep up with friends, upload photos, share links and videos.
facebook.com
Site info for facebook.com
13.
Microsoft Corporation
Main site for product information, support, and news.
microsoft.com
Site info for microsoft.com
14.
Naukri.com
India's No. 1 job site.
naukri.com
Site info for naukri.com
15.
Indiatimes
Portal site; includes news stories under subject headings, and links to other information sources.
indiatimes.com
Site info for indiatimes.com
16.
Orkut
Social networking and discussion site operated by Google.
orkut.com
Site info for orkut.com
17.
Bharatstudent.com
bharatstudent.com
Site info for bharatstudent.com
18.
Xboard.us
xboard.us
Site info for xboard.us
19.
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation
Offers online rail ticket booking, and checking of ticket reservation status. Includes train schedules, availability of tickets, and a travel planner.
irctc.co.in
Site info for irctc.co.in
20.
Cricinfo
International cricket news, live scores, photos, columns and player profiles. Provides archive scorecards, statistics database, ratings and email newsletter. Part of ESPN International. UK.
cricinfo.com
Site info for cricinfo.com
21.
Sify.com
India s leading portal for news, business, shopping, sports, movies, vedic astrology, food, and bollywood videos for Indians and NRIs. The largest Indian Community
sify.com
Site info for sify.com
22.
WordPress.com
Free blogs managed by the developers of the WordPress software. Includes custom design templates, integrated stats, automatic spam protection and many more features.
wordpress.com
Site info for wordpress.com
23.
Debonairblog.com
debonairblog.com
Site info for debonairblog.com
24.
Fastclick
An online advertising agent that provides products, such as Ad Network and AdServer, to ensure optimal output and performance for its clients.
fastclick.com
Site info for fastclick.com
25.
MoneyControl.com
MoneyControl.com is India s leading financial information source. It s the official site for CNBC TV18, and provides news, views, and analysis on equity / stock markets, commodities, personal finance, mutual funds, insurance and loans.
moneycontrol.com
Site info for moneycontrol.com
26.
The Internet Movie Database
Features plot summaries, reviews, cast lists, and theatre schedules.
imdb.com
Site info for imdb.com
27.
Googlesyndication.com
googlesyndication.com
Site info for googlesyndication.com
28.
ICICI Bank
Offers a wide range of banking products and financial services to corporate and retail customers.
icicibank.com
Site info for icicibank.com
29.
Monsterindia.com
monsterindia.com
Site info for monsterindia.com
30.
Indian Railways
The official site with information on trains, fares and availability.
indianrail.gov.in
Site info for indianrail.gov.in
31.
Metacafe
Promises to serve the world's best videos. Offers incentives for user generated content.
metacafe.com
Site info for metacafe.com
32.
Mininova
Large searchable torrents directory.
mininova.org
Site info for mininova.org
33.
HDFC Bank Ltd.
Information about services offered to resident Indians, NRI's, and companies. Links to its subsidiary companies.
hdfcbank.com
Site info for hdfcbank.com
34.
PerfSpot
Social and business networking.
perfspot.com
Site info for perfspot.com
35.
Flickr
Picture galleries available with social networking, chat, groups, and photo ratings.
flickr.com
Site info for flickr.com
36.
Hi5
One of the world's largest social networks
hi5.com
Site info for hi5.com
37.
Torrentz.com
torrentz.com
Site info for torrentz.com
38.
Reliancebroadband.co.in
reliancebroadband.co.in
Site info for reliancebroadband.co.in
39.
ImageVenue hosting
World s most popular free image hosting for bloggers and message board users.
imagevenue.com
Site info for imagevenue.com
40.
Sulekha
Online Indian community with classifieds for 60 cities worldwide, matrimonials for Indian professionals, tickets, petitions, weblogs and news.
sulekha.com
Site info for sulekha.com
41.
Komli.com
komli.com
Site info for komli.com
42.
CNET Download.com
Download shareware, freeware and Demo software for PC, Mac, Linux, and Handhelds categorized into categories, plus software reviews.
download.com
Site info for download.com
43.
A World of Music - Raaga.com
Hindi, Tamil and Telugu songs.
raaga.com
Site info for raaga.com
44.
Masala Talk
Chat about Bollywood, movies, and music.
masalatalk.com
Site info for masalatalk.com
45.
About
Directory features links, articles and reviews.
about.com
Site info for about.com
46.
Redefining Entertainment Online
Complete coverage of Hindi, Tamil and Telugu movies. Get the latest news, trailers, galleries of stars and movies, download wallpapers, reviews, previews and much much more.
indiaglitz.com
Site info for indiaglitz.com
47.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited
Facilities for bill payments, news links, and services and corporate information.
bsnl.in
Site info for bsnl.in
48.
ICICI Direct
Online share and mutual funds trading facility by the ICICI group.
icicidirect.com
Site info for icicidirect.com
49.
Reliancebroadband.co.in/user/refresh
reliancebroadband.co.in/user/refresh
Site info for reliancebroadband.co.in/user/refresh
50.
Rediffmail.com
rediffmail.com
Site info for rediffmail.com
51.
Savitabhabhi.com
savitabhabhi.com
Site info for savitabhabhi.com
52.
NDTV
Breaking News, Latest News, e-Bulletins, Stocks, Bollywood, Cricket, Video, Blogs and RSS feeds from India
ndtv.com
Site info for ndtv.com
53.
Bollywood Sargam
News, star interviews, photo gallery, chat, songs, movie reviews, and gossip.
bollywoodsargam.com
Site info for bollywoodsargam.com
54.
Amazon.com
Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Site has numerous personalization features and services including one-click buying, extensive customer and editorial product reviews, gift registries, gift certificates, wish lists, restaurant and movie listings, travel, and photo processing.
amazon.com
Site info for amazon.com
55.
Adult Friendfinder
Personal adverts with pictures and chat. [Membership]
adultfriendfinder.com
Site info for adultfriendfinder.com
56.
Photobucket image hosting and photo sharing
Provides image hosting for auctions, live journals, blogs, message boards, personal websites and online photo albums. Reliable, fast and very simple to use.
photobucket.com
Site info for photobucket.com
57.
BharatMatrimony.com
Offers matchmaking and matrimonial services to singles around the world.
bharatmatrimony.com
Site info for bharatmatrimony.com
58.
OneIndia.in
OneIndia, as the name signifies, provides all information
oneindia.in
Site info for oneindia.in
59.
Shaadi
Offers matrimonial and wedding related services for Indian and south Asian communities worldwide.
shaadi.com
Site info for shaadi.com
60.
AOL
America On Line's portal, offering search, shopping, channels, chat and mail.
aol.com
Site info for aol.com
61.
Picscrazy.com
picscrazy.com
Site info for picscrazy.com
62.
Santabanta.com
An Indian entertainment portal.
santabanta.com
Site info for santabanta.com
63.
EBay India
Online shopping mall to buy and sell by auction. Includes classifieds listing of products.
ebay.in
Site info for ebay.in
64.
Adobe
Provides a range of products for digital media creation and editing, multimedia authoring, and web development. Includes documentation and support for all software.
adobe.com
Site info for adobe.com
65.
Ibibo.com
ibibo.com
Site info for ibibo.com
66.
Jeevansathi.com
A free site for Indian origin persons seeking matrimonial alliances.
jeevansathi.com
Site info for jeevansathi.com
67.
BBC Newsline Ticker
Headline ticker will automatically update throughout the day with the latest news, sport, travel, finance and weather from the BBC. Available for multiple OS platforms.
bbc.co.uk
Site info for bbc.co.uk
68.
123 Greetings
Includes holidays, everyday, birthdays, flowers and pets. Features cards for several religious faiths. Animated images.
123greetings.com
Site info for 123greetings.com
69.
Answers.com
An ad-supported reference search service, which displays concise answers drawn from over 100 encyclopedias, dictionaries, glossaries and atlases.
answers.com
Site info for answers.com
70.
Ibnlive.com
Most comprehensive coverage of news, videos, Bollywood, music, politics, cricket and blogs nformation from India.
ibnlive.com
Site info for ibnlive.com
71.
Mozilla.com
mozilla.com
Site info for mozilla.com
72.
Indian Sex Stories
More than 2000 Indian sex stories catergorized as desi, lesbian, couple ,incest, etc
indiansexstories.net
Site info for indiansexstories.net
73.
Songs.pk
songs.pk
Site info for songs.pk
74.
Eenadu
Andhrula abhimaana vaaratha patrika - ippudu internetlo
eenadu.net
Site info for eenadu.net
75.
Indyarocks.com
indyarocks.com
Site info for indyarocks.com
76.
Clicksor
An advertising network offers content targeted advertising service on CPC/PPC basis.
clicksor.com
Site info for clicksor.com
77.
ImageShack
ImageShack® is a free image hosting solution. It can be used to share pictures with friends, as well as post images on message boards and blogs. It can also be used to direct link images from your personal website or online auction. And best of all, it's completely free.
imageshack.us
Site info for imageshack.us
78.
Zapak.com
zapak.com
Site info for zapak.com
79.
The Pirate Bay
Worlds largest Bittorrent tracker.
thepiratebay.org
Site info for thepiratebay.org
80.
Scribd.com
scribd.com
Site info for scribd.com
81.
BrotherSoft
Shareware, freeware and commercial software downloads arranged by categories rated and reviewed.
brothersoft.com
Site info for brothersoft.com
82.
Times Jobs & Careers
A database of jobs advertised in India for positions in India and abroad. From the Times of India Group.
timesjobs.com
Site info for timesjobs.com
83.
Clicksor.net
clicksor.net
Site info for clicksor.net
84.
IBM Corporation
Website for International Business Machines Corporation
ibm.com
Site info for ibm.com
85.
Bombay Stock Exchange - India
Site featuring real time stock quotes, stock market news, graphs and customizable tools for stock research.
bseindia.com
Site info for bseindia.com
86.
Cooltoad.com
cooltoad.com
Site info for cooltoad.com
87.
Google UK
The local version of this pre-eminent search engine, offering UK-specific pages as well as world results.
google.co.uk
Site info for google.co.uk
88.
SmileyCentral
Download free smileys, emoticons, and other animations.
smileycentral.com
Site info for smileycentral.com
89.
Citibank.co.in
citibank.co.in
Site info for citibank.co.in
90.
160by2.com
160by2.com
Site info for 160by2.com
91.
Way2SMS
India's No:1 Messaging Portal.
way2sms.com
Site info for way2sms.com
92.
Where Are You Now? (WAYN)
A travel and lifestyle social networking community designed for members to meet others, keep friends and family informed of their whereabouts and activities, and share experiences.
wayn.com
Site info for wayn.com
93.
Ziddu.com
ziddu.com
Site info for ziddu.com
94.
IsoHunt
Welcome to isoHunt, the most complete BitTorrent search engine.
isohunt.com
Site info for isohunt.com
95.
Dailymotion
On demand video publishing and sharing website, strongly interfaced with video blogs.
dailymotion.com
Site info for dailymotion.com
96.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd.
Offers telephone services to private and business customers.
bsnl.co.in
Site info for bsnl.co.in
97.
In.com
in.com
Site info for in.com
98.
第29届奥林匹克运动会
北京2008奥运会官方网站，提供奥组委介绍、新闻、奥运视听及相关活动。
beijing2008.cn
Site info for beijing2008.cn
99.
Myspace
Social Networking Site.
myspace.com
Site info for myspace.com
100.
Yourfilehost.com
yourfilehost.com
Site info for yourfilehost.com
Google India
Indian version of this popular search engine. Search the whole web or only webpages from India. Interfaces offered in English, Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi and Tamil.
google.co.in
Site info for google.co.in
2.
Yahoo!
Personalized content and search options. Chatrooms, free e-mail, clubs, and pager.
yahoo.com
Site info for yahoo.com
3.
Enables users to search the Web, Usenet, and images. Features include PageRank, caching and translation of results, and an option to find similar pages. The company's focus is developing search technology.
google.com
Site info for google.com
4.
Orkut.co.in
orkut.co.in
Site info for orkut.co.in
5.
Rediff.com India Ltd.
Online portal with free e-mail and many other services.
rediff.com
Site info for rediff.com
Interested in popular sites on the web?
Buy a List of 10,000 or 100,000!
6.
YouTube
YouTube is a way to get your videos to the people who matter to you. Upload, tag and share your videos worldwide!
youtube.com
Site info for youtube.com
7.
Blogger.com
Free, automated weblog publishing tool that sends updates to a site via FTP.
blogger.com
Site info for blogger.com
8.
RapidShare
Users can upload up to 100 meg files for sharing. Provides downloads of 100 megs per hour on the free service. Premium service also available.
rapidshare.com
Site info for rapidshare.com
9.
Windows Live
Search engine from Microsoft.
live.com
Site info for live.com
10.
Microsoft Network (MSN)
Dialup access and content provider.
msn.com
Site info for msn.com
11.
Wikipedia
An online collaborative encyclopedia.
wikipedia.org
Site info for wikipedia.org
12.
A social utility that connects people, to keep up with friends, upload photos, share links and videos.
facebook.com
Site info for facebook.com
13.
Microsoft Corporation
Main site for product information, support, and news.
microsoft.com
Site info for microsoft.com
14.
Naukri.com
India's No. 1 job site.
naukri.com
Site info for naukri.com
15.
Indiatimes
Portal site; includes news stories under subject headings, and links to other information sources.
indiatimes.com
Site info for indiatimes.com
16.
Orkut
Social networking and discussion site operated by Google.
orkut.com
Site info for orkut.com
17.
Bharatstudent.com
bharatstudent.com
Site info for bharatstudent.com
18.
Xboard.us
xboard.us
Site info for xboard.us
19.
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation
Offers online rail ticket booking, and checking of ticket reservation status. Includes train schedules, availability of tickets, and a travel planner.
irctc.co.in
Site info for irctc.co.in
20.
Cricinfo
International cricket news, live scores, photos, columns and player profiles. Provides archive scorecards, statistics database, ratings and email newsletter. Part of ESPN International. UK.
cricinfo.com
Site info for cricinfo.com
21.
Sify.com
India s leading portal for news, business, shopping, sports, movies, vedic astrology, food, and bollywood videos for Indians and NRIs. The largest Indian Community
sify.com
Site info for sify.com
22.
WordPress.com
Free blogs managed by the developers of the WordPress software. Includes custom design templates, integrated stats, automatic spam protection and many more features.
wordpress.com
Site info for wordpress.com
23.
Debonairblog.com
debonairblog.com
Site info for debonairblog.com
24.
Fastclick
An online advertising agent that provides products, such as Ad Network and AdServer, to ensure optimal output and performance for its clients.
fastclick.com
Site info for fastclick.com
25.
MoneyControl.com
MoneyControl.com is India s leading financial information source. It s the official site for CNBC TV18, and provides news, views, and analysis on equity / stock markets, commodities, personal finance, mutual funds, insurance and loans.
moneycontrol.com
Site info for moneycontrol.com
26.
The Internet Movie Database
Features plot summaries, reviews, cast lists, and theatre schedules.
imdb.com
Site info for imdb.com
27.
Googlesyndication.com
googlesyndication.com
Site info for googlesyndication.com
28.
ICICI Bank
Offers a wide range of banking products and financial services to corporate and retail customers.
icicibank.com
Site info for icicibank.com
29.
Monsterindia.com
monsterindia.com
Site info for monsterindia.com
30.
Indian Railways
The official site with information on trains, fares and availability.
indianrail.gov.in
Site info for indianrail.gov.in
31.
Metacafe
Promises to serve the world's best videos. Offers incentives for user generated content.
metacafe.com
Site info for metacafe.com
32.
Mininova
Large searchable torrents directory.
mininova.org
Site info for mininova.org
33.
HDFC Bank Ltd.
Information about services offered to resident Indians, NRI's, and companies. Links to its subsidiary companies.
hdfcbank.com
Site info for hdfcbank.com
34.
PerfSpot
Social and business networking.
perfspot.com
Site info for perfspot.com
35.
Flickr
Picture galleries available with social networking, chat, groups, and photo ratings.
flickr.com
Site info for flickr.com
36.
Hi5
One of the world's largest social networks
hi5.com
Site info for hi5.com
37.
Torrentz.com
torrentz.com
Site info for torrentz.com
38.
Reliancebroadband.co.in
reliancebroadband.co.in
Site info for reliancebroadband.co.in
39.
ImageVenue hosting
World s most popular free image hosting for bloggers and message board users.
imagevenue.com
Site info for imagevenue.com
40.
Sulekha
Online Indian community with classifieds for 60 cities worldwide, matrimonials for Indian professionals, tickets, petitions, weblogs and news.
sulekha.com
Site info for sulekha.com
41.
Komli.com
komli.com
Site info for komli.com
42.
CNET Download.com
Download shareware, freeware and Demo software for PC, Mac, Linux, and Handhelds categorized into categories, plus software reviews.
download.com
Site info for download.com
43.
A World of Music - Raaga.com
Hindi, Tamil and Telugu songs.
raaga.com
Site info for raaga.com
44.
Masala Talk
Chat about Bollywood, movies, and music.
masalatalk.com
Site info for masalatalk.com
45.
About
Directory features links, articles and reviews.
about.com
Site info for about.com
46.
Redefining Entertainment Online
Complete coverage of Hindi, Tamil and Telugu movies. Get the latest news, trailers, galleries of stars and movies, download wallpapers, reviews, previews and much much more.
indiaglitz.com
Site info for indiaglitz.com
47.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited
Facilities for bill payments, news links, and services and corporate information.
bsnl.in
Site info for bsnl.in
48.
ICICI Direct
Online share and mutual funds trading facility by the ICICI group.
icicidirect.com
Site info for icicidirect.com
49.
Reliancebroadband.co.in/user/refresh
reliancebroadband.co.in/user/refresh
Site info for reliancebroadband.co.in/user/refresh
50.
Rediffmail.com
rediffmail.com
Site info for rediffmail.com
51.
Savitabhabhi.com
savitabhabhi.com
Site info for savitabhabhi.com
52.
NDTV
Breaking News, Latest News, e-Bulletins, Stocks, Bollywood, Cricket, Video, Blogs and RSS feeds from India
ndtv.com
Site info for ndtv.com
53.
Bollywood Sargam
News, star interviews, photo gallery, chat, songs, movie reviews, and gossip.
bollywoodsargam.com
Site info for bollywoodsargam.com
54.
Amazon.com
Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Site has numerous personalization features and services including one-click buying, extensive customer and editorial product reviews, gift registries, gift certificates, wish lists, restaurant and movie listings, travel, and photo processing.
amazon.com
Site info for amazon.com
55.
Adult Friendfinder
Personal adverts with pictures and chat. [Membership]
adultfriendfinder.com
Site info for adultfriendfinder.com
56.
Photobucket image hosting and photo sharing
Provides image hosting for auctions, live journals, blogs, message boards, personal websites and online photo albums. Reliable, fast and very simple to use.
photobucket.com
Site info for photobucket.com
57.
BharatMatrimony.com
Offers matchmaking and matrimonial services to singles around the world.
bharatmatrimony.com
Site info for bharatmatrimony.com
58.
OneIndia.in
OneIndia, as the name signifies, provides all information
oneindia.in
Site info for oneindia.in
59.
Shaadi
Offers matrimonial and wedding related services for Indian and south Asian communities worldwide.
shaadi.com
Site info for shaadi.com
60.
AOL
America On Line's portal, offering search, shopping, channels, chat and mail.
aol.com
Site info for aol.com
61.
Picscrazy.com
picscrazy.com
Site info for picscrazy.com
62.
Santabanta.com
An Indian entertainment portal.
santabanta.com
Site info for santabanta.com
63.
EBay India
Online shopping mall to buy and sell by auction. Includes classifieds listing of products.
ebay.in
Site info for ebay.in
64.
Adobe
Provides a range of products for digital media creation and editing, multimedia authoring, and web development. Includes documentation and support for all software.
adobe.com
Site info for adobe.com
65.
Ibibo.com
ibibo.com
Site info for ibibo.com
66.
Jeevansathi.com
A free site for Indian origin persons seeking matrimonial alliances.
jeevansathi.com
Site info for jeevansathi.com
67.
BBC Newsline Ticker
Headline ticker will automatically update throughout the day with the latest news, sport, travel, finance and weather from the BBC. Available for multiple OS platforms.
bbc.co.uk
Site info for bbc.co.uk
68.
123 Greetings
Includes holidays, everyday, birthdays, flowers and pets. Features cards for several religious faiths. Animated images.
123greetings.com
Site info for 123greetings.com
69.
Answers.com
An ad-supported reference search service, which displays concise answers drawn from over 100 encyclopedias, dictionaries, glossaries and atlases.
answers.com
Site info for answers.com
70.
Ibnlive.com
Most comprehensive coverage of news, videos, Bollywood, music, politics, cricket and blogs nformation from India.
ibnlive.com
Site info for ibnlive.com
71.
Mozilla.com
mozilla.com
Site info for mozilla.com
72.
Indian Sex Stories
More than 2000 Indian sex stories catergorized as desi, lesbian, couple ,incest, etc
indiansexstories.net
Site info for indiansexstories.net
73.
Songs.pk
songs.pk
Site info for songs.pk
74.
Eenadu
Andhrula abhimaana vaaratha patrika - ippudu internetlo
eenadu.net
Site info for eenadu.net
75.
Indyarocks.com
indyarocks.com
Site info for indyarocks.com
76.
Clicksor
An advertising network offers content targeted advertising service on CPC/PPC basis.
clicksor.com
Site info for clicksor.com
77.
ImageShack
ImageShack® is a free image hosting solution. It can be used to share pictures with friends, as well as post images on message boards and blogs. It can also be used to direct link images from your personal website or online auction. And best of all, it's completely free.
imageshack.us
Site info for imageshack.us
78.
Zapak.com
zapak.com
Site info for zapak.com
79.
The Pirate Bay
Worlds largest Bittorrent tracker.
thepiratebay.org
Site info for thepiratebay.org
80.
Scribd.com
scribd.com
Site info for scribd.com
81.
BrotherSoft
Shareware, freeware and commercial software downloads arranged by categories rated and reviewed.
brothersoft.com
Site info for brothersoft.com
82.
Times Jobs & Careers
A database of jobs advertised in India for positions in India and abroad. From the Times of India Group.
timesjobs.com
Site info for timesjobs.com
83.
Clicksor.net
clicksor.net
Site info for clicksor.net
84.
IBM Corporation
Website for International Business Machines Corporation
ibm.com
Site info for ibm.com
85.
Bombay Stock Exchange - India
Site featuring real time stock quotes, stock market news, graphs and customizable tools for stock research.
bseindia.com
Site info for bseindia.com
86.
Cooltoad.com
cooltoad.com
Site info for cooltoad.com
87.
Google UK
The local version of this pre-eminent search engine, offering UK-specific pages as well as world results.
google.co.uk
Site info for google.co.uk
88.
SmileyCentral
Download free smileys, emoticons, and other animations.
smileycentral.com
Site info for smileycentral.com
89.
Citibank.co.in
citibank.co.in
Site info for citibank.co.in
90.
160by2.com
160by2.com
Site info for 160by2.com
91.
Way2SMS
India's No:1 Messaging Portal.
way2sms.com
Site info for way2sms.com
92.
Where Are You Now? (WAYN)
A travel and lifestyle social networking community designed for members to meet others, keep friends and family informed of their whereabouts and activities, and share experiences.
wayn.com
Site info for wayn.com
93.
Ziddu.com
ziddu.com
Site info for ziddu.com
94.
IsoHunt
Welcome to isoHunt, the most complete BitTorrent search engine.
isohunt.com
Site info for isohunt.com
95.
Dailymotion
On demand video publishing and sharing website, strongly interfaced with video blogs.
dailymotion.com
Site info for dailymotion.com
96.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd.
Offers telephone services to private and business customers.
bsnl.co.in
Site info for bsnl.co.in
97.
In.com
in.com
Site info for in.com
98.
第29届奥林匹克运动会
北京2008奥运会官方网站，提供奥组委介绍、新闻、奥运视听及相关活动。
beijing2008.cn
Site info for beijing2008.cn
99.
Myspace
Social Networking Site.
myspace.com
Site info for myspace.com
100.
Yourfilehost.com
yourfilehost.com
Site info for yourfilehost.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
