Drogba wants to quit Chelsea – Lampard may follow him

FUTURE IN DOUBT ... midweek Chelsea
heroes Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard

DIDIER DROGBA is determined to quit Chelsea next month — and Frank Lampard could follow him.

Drogba, 33, is furious the club have rejected his demands for a new two-year contract.

And he has resolved to make a lucrative move to China in the January transfer window rather than wait until his contract expires next summer.

The Ivory Coast international has been offered a two-year deal by Chinese club Dalian Aerbin worth £200,000 per week while Chelsea are only prepared to give him 12 months at £125,000 a week.

That means Drog can earn £20MILLION in China or £6.5m at the Bridge.

Drogba's decision is a massive blow at a time that club legend Lampard is considering his future.

Lamps is offended and mystified at his recent treatment by manager Andre Villas-Boas.

The England star wants to know where he stands at the club he has served for the past 10 years and believes he deserves an explanation for his absence from Chelsea's starting line-up.

Yet he has been left in the dark by AVB, who insists he will not be making any special allowances for the midfielder.

Villas-Boas said: "Plenty of players are pushing for selection and Frank is not the only one.

"Lamps and John Terry represent the best in the history of this club.

"But every player must be treated as fairly as possible."

Lampard has 18 months of his £170,000-a-week Chelsea contract to run and is unhappy at being on the bench for the last two games against Valencia and Manchester City.

He voiced his frustrations after coming on as a sub to score the winning penalty against league leaders City on Monday.

Villas-Boas said last night: "I speak with Frank every day and he will continue to be important for this club.

"I know that Steve Kutner, Frank's agent, has contacted Ron Gourlay (Chelsea chief executive) about Frank's contract situation. But we have not decided yet."

Those claims were denied by Kutner, who said: "I did not call Ron Gourlay to specifically discuss Frank's contract.

"It is true we had a meeting a while ago but we do fairly frequently.

"We discussed Frank's importance to the club off the pitch on matters such as sponsorship and merchandising, as well as his importance on the pitch.

"We are very happy with the 18 months left on his contract.

"As far as the manager speaking to Frank is concerned, I can only rely on what Frank is telling me."

Chelsea will let Nicolas Anelka leave for Shanghai Shenhua in January but are unlikely to agree to Drog's departure while they fight for the title and Champions League.

Mak nyah jadi pramugari di Thailand

EMPAT mak nyah yang bertugas sebagai pramugari untuk syarikat penerbangan PC Air ialah Chayathisa Nakmai (kiri), Dissanai Chitpraphachin (dua dari kiri), Nathatai Sukkaset dan Phuntakarn Sringern (kanan). - Reuters

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BANGKOK - Empat mak nyah bertugas sebagai pramugari untuk syarikat penerbangan PC Air bagi laluan Bangkok ke wilayah Surat Thani, Thailand.

Syarikat penerbangan itu pada mulanya hanya mahu menggaji lelaki dan wanita sebagai pramugari serta pramugari.

Namun, ia mengubah rancangan selepas menerima lebih 100 permohonan daripada golongan mak nyah.

Menurut syarikat penerbangan tersebut, kelayakan untuk menjadi pramugari itu adalah sama buat mak nyah iaitu memerlukan ciri-ciri kewanitaan dan mempunyai daya penarik.

Empat mak nyah itu ialah Chayathisa Nakmai, 24, Dissanai Chitpraphachin, 24, Nathatai Sukkaset, 26, dan Phuntakarn Sringern, 24. - Reuters

Konsert K-Pop pertama di Brazil

KUMPULAN 4Minute membuat persembahan di Sao Paulo, Brazil kelmarin. - AFP

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SAO PAULO, Brazil - Sejumlah peminat menonton buat kali pertama konsert penyanyi dan band pop dari Korea Selatan di Easpaco das Americas di sini kelmarin.

Penyanyi pop, G.NA, kumpulan nyanyian 4Minute dan Beast menyertai konsert tersebut yang berlangsung selama dua setengah jam.

Kumpulan 4Minute memulakan persembahan itu dengan lagu Muzik dan mengalu-alukan kehadiran para peminat.

Para peminat itu menjerit ke arah kumpulan tersebut dalam bahasa Korea yang bermaksud 'saya sayang kamu'.

Penyanyi G.NA turut menyanyikan lagu permintaan daripada para peminat iaitu Take a Bow yang dipopularkan oleh Rihanna.

Kumpulan Beast menyanyikan lagu Shock, Soom, Rainy Days, Fiction dan beberapa lagu lain daripada album mereka.

Semua penghibur dari Korea Selatan yang dikenali sebagai K-Pop itu bernaung di bawah syarikat Cube Entertainment. - Agensi

I beleaf in miracles... Images show animals' wonderful disguises

Fool-iage ... gecko could trick anyone into thinking it is not there

THIS gecko knows how to plant itself in the perfect hiding spot — by making itself look like a leaf.

The creature — a Leaf-tailed Gecko — is barely visible against the foliage.

It is one of a number of animals that are true masters of disguise, blending into their environment to fool predators or prey.

Some animals use a mixture of shape, colour, texture and behaviour to make them appear like their surroundings.

Sea-through? Speckled Sanddab is barely recognisable on pebbled ocean floor

The gecko in Andasibe-Mantadia National Park in Madagascar features in a collection of pictures that also include a Speckled Sanddab fish that makes itself look like pebbled ocean floor.

Other images show a Katydid that camouflages itself on moss in Costa Rica, a Bat-faced Toad among dead leaves in a park in Colombia, a Mossy Leaf-tailed Gecko on a tree, as well as a Lichen Spider that hides on bark in Thailand.

Green and unseen ... Katydid hides on moss

Hidden ... Bat-faced Toad is camouflaged on leaves

Hard find ... gecko is nearly impossible to spot on tree

Crawl over ... but spider is difficult to notice on bark

Freeze a jolly good fellow

Ice to see you, to see you ice ... climber Will Gadd scales the frozen waterfall

A CLIMBER d-ices with death – by scaling a 450ft waterfall covered in dangling icicles while UPSIDE DOWN.

Will Gadd, 44, and Tim Emmett, 37, spent two weeks meticulously plotting their ascent of the notoriously tricky Helmcken Falls in Canada - dubbed the world's hardest climb.

They had to battle deadly ice spray - which could freeze them to death in minutes - temperatures as low as -25°C, and the thought of one mistake sending them plunging into a frozen 100ft deep ice hole below.

Water risk ... the epic climb is in full flow

But amazingly, after four hours of constant, problem-free climbing, the pair successfully reached the summit to become the world's FIRST to conquer it.

And a triumphant Will declared that they had to use sheer brute force to overcome the tricky 20ft long icicles dangling from the falls overhanging walls.

Will said: "It's like doing hundreds of pull-ups on icicles to get to the top. By the end I'm not sure if we or the waterfall won.

Hang on a minute ... athlete Will Gadd climbing on the Ice Fall

"There was so much to deal with - getting covered in spray and turned into human popsicles, the huge icicles, the cold - the list is endless.

"It's overhang behind the actual waterfall is extreme and means you are often climbing almost horizontally - it is like climbing along the underside of a stadium's roof.

"Ice normally doesn't stick to overhanging walls, but this ice was literally sprayed on by the waterfall, creating the huge icicles.

Just don't look down ... Will Gadd breaks off an icicle on the Ice Fall

"There is literally no other ice in the world that is as difficult as this to climb.

"This thing is so unpredictable - no one knows what is going on with it in truth.

"The spray ice also appears to create a cone that surrounds the water as it is in mid-air falling into the plunge pool. Over time this grows to be more than 100ft in height.

"The falling river then disappears into the spray cone and flows out of the bottom.

"It is quite frightening to think about what would have happened had we fallen in. It would be like plummeting into lava - you simply wouldn't be likely to live."

Breathtaking ... Will Gadd uses ropes to scale the fall

Standing at over 450ft in total, the Helmcken Falls, in Wells Grey Provincial Park, Canada, is one of the fiercest in the world - continuing to flow even in the depths of winter when temperatures dip well below freezing.

And its unique combination of challenges makes it one of the most difficult - and spectacular - climbs in the world.

Tim Emmett, from London, added: "There's always debate about the true hardest climb in the world but I think all climbers would agree this is easily the most difficult.

"When you have already climbed a long way up you are exhausted and drained, and then you have to deal with so many challenges.

"It is no wonder people consider this to be the world's hardest climb.

"As you can imagine, we took our time and enjoyed the view once at the top - I think we had earned it."

Challenge ahead ... Tim Emmett prepares to scale the 450ft Ice Fall

Wanita Saudi semakin kaya

PEMBABITAN wanita Arab Saudi dibidang ekonomi semakin penting berikutan nilai pelaburan yang kian meningkat.

Aset persendirian di negara Teluk dan Asia Barat dianggarkan RM125.6 bilion

RIYADH: Seorang pakar mendedahkan aset tunai yang dimiliki wanita Arab Saudi kini bernilai AS$12 bilion (RM37.5 bilion).

Sebagai tambahan, jumlah kekayaan persendirian wanita di negara Teluk dan Asia Barat dianggarkan AS$40 bilion (RM125.6 bilion).

“Penyertaan Wanita Teluk dalam bidang ekonomi menjadi semakin penting kerana pembabitan mereka dalam pelaburan meningkat kepada kira-kira AS$500 bilion (RM1.5 trilion),” kata Pengerusi dan Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Changing Our World, Michael Hoffman.

Beliau membuat pendedahan ini dalam syarahannya yang dipetik laman web www.yallafinance.com.

Beliau bercakap mengenai masa depan dan aspirasi untuk tahun baru terutama yang berkaitan sumber kewangan dan penyelesaian sesuai pada peringkat antarabangsa.

Selain itu, Hoffman turut membentangkan statistik mengenai potensi besar pelaburan yang diuruskan wanita seluruh negara yang beliau anggarkan bernilai kira-kira AS$20 trilion (RM62.5 trilion), menambah sembilan peratus daripada aset dimiliki wanita dan kadar ini dijangka meningkat dalam dekad akan datang.
Dalam perkembangan lain, Arab Saudi berada di tangga keempat ekonomi terbesar dari segi simpanan keseluruhan sehingga akhir 2010 dengan jumlah simpanan termasuk emas sebanyak SR 1.7 trilion (RM1.4 trilion).

Hoffman menambah sepanjang tempoh 10 bulan pertama pada 2011, jumlah simpanan kewangan negara itu meningkat sebanyak 18 peratus menjadikannya SR1.97 trilion (RM1.64 trilion). – Agensi

Mercedes SLK 55 AMG and Ducati Streetfighter 848

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled a new collaboration with Bologna-based Ducati to be unveiled at the Bologna Motor Show.

The ‘Streetfighter Yellow’ models are designed to celebrate the partnership between the automaker and motorcycle brand.

This partnership has already produced several collaborations such as the Ducati Djavel AMG Special Edition showcased in September at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

This time, the firms have produced both a car and a bike — the SLK 55 AMG and the new Ducati Streetfighter 848, both highlighted in bright yellow, a color variant which Mercedes-Benz says it will bring to production if there is enough demand.

Among the special features on the SLK 55 AMG, the most powerful SLK model ever made, are yellow-illuminated LED door sills and contrasting yellow stitching against black leather in the door panels, shift lever and steering wheel.

The Ducati Streetfighter, also finished in striking yellow, features a revised Testastretta 11° engine with 97 kW (132 hp) and new ergonomics.

The co-operation agreement between AMG and Ducati was signed in November 2010 at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

Lapan Ferrari, sebuah Lamborghini berlanggar

BEBERAPA anggota polis melakukan siasatan ke atas tiga buah kereta sport mewah yang terlibat dalam perlanggaran melibatkan 14 buah kenderaan di lebuh raya Chugoku, Shimonoseki kelmarin.

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TOKYO - Lapan buah kereta sport Ferrari, sebuah Lamborghini dan dua buah kereta Mercedes berlanggar di sebuah lebuh raya di Shimonoseki, tenggara Jepun kelmarin.

Menurut agensi berita AP, polis menyatakan perlanggaran itu disebabkan salah seorang pemandu sebuah Ferrari itu cuba untuk mengubah laluan sebelum kereta tersebut merempuh penghadang jalan.

Kereta Ferrari itu kemudian berpusing di lebuh raya tersebut.

Beberapa buah kereta lain berlanggar kerana cuba mengelak Ferrari tersebut.

Tiada seorang yang cedera serius dalam nahas itu tetapi polis di wilayah Yamaguchi menyatakan 10 orang dirawat kerana mengalami luka.

Menurut polis, 14 buah kereta terlibat dalam nahas itu.

Agensi berita AFP melaporkan bahawa kos perlanggaran itu melibatkan 300 juta yen (RM12.07 juta).

Harga kereta baharu Ferrari ialah lebih 20 juta yen (RM804,794) manakala Lamborghini berharga sehingga 30 juta yen (RM1.20 juta). - Agensi

Into the record bugs

Biggest ever ... Weta bug found in NZ

AN EXPLORER has found the biggest insect ever on record - so large it can scoff a carrot.

She's called a Weta Bug and has a huge wing span of SEVEN inches and weighs as much as three mice.

Former park ranger Mark Moffett, 55, discovered the cricket-like creature up a tree on New Zealand's Little Barrier Island.

He spent two days searching for the creepy crawly which were thought to be extinct after Europeans brought rats to the island many years ago.

American Mark, 53, said: "Three of us walked the trails of this small island for two nights scanning the vegetation for a giant weta.

Huge ... insect weighs as much as three mice

"We spent many hours with no luck finding any at all, before we saw her up in a tree.

"The giant weta is the largest insect in the world, and this is the biggest one ever found.

"She enjoyed the carrot so much she seemed to ignore the fact she was resting on our hands and carried on munching away.

"She would have finished the carrot very quickly, but this is an extremely endangered species and we didn't want to risk indigestion.

"After she had chewed a little I took this picture and we put her right back where we found her."

Mark, from Colorado, added: "We bug lovers hear a lot of people who think insects are inferior in some way because of their size, so it was great to see such a big insect.

"This became all the more amazing when we realised that this was the largest insect recorded."

Superman comic sells for £1.4m

Record ... original Superman edition

THE first comic book to ever feature Superman has been sold for a record £1.4MILLION — reportedly by cash-strapped Hollywood star Nicolas Cage.

The Action Comics No.1 introduced the iconic superhero to the world in 1938 and cost just ten cents at the time.

Con Air star Cage famously bought a copy of the collector's item — of which there are only around 100 in existence for £96,000 in 1997 — when he was set to appear in a Superman film directed by Tim Burton.

It is said the comic that was sold was stolen in 2000 and recovered in a California storage shed in April this year — just like an issue owned by Cage.

Seller? ... Nicolas Cage

Cage — who is so obsessed with the Man of Steel he named his six-year-old son Kal-El, Superman's birth name — had to pay to get it back because the insurance company had already settled up.

The actor — who used to command millions for his films — is believed to have had to flog the comic after getting into financial trouble.

Two years ago Cage sued his former business manager, Samuel Levine, for allegedly squandering his fortune on bad investments.

Since then he has been sued by the taxman, banks and finance companies, and even his ex-girlfriend, Christina Fulton, the mother of his 20-year-old son, Weston.

He has lost several properties through foreclosure and sold off others, including two in England and a castle in Bavaria, to try to pay his bills.

Only a handful of the Action Comics No 1 still in existence are thought to be in a good condition.

Another copy of the same issue sold for a previous record price of £950,000 in March last year.

But that one was not said to be in as good condition as the copy sold yesterday through New York-based ComicConnect.