Milan plot City double swoop

EXILE ... Carlos Tevez

AC MILAN are plotting a move for Manchester City's Carlos Tevez and Mario Balotelli by cashing in on striker Alexandre Pato.

The Italian club want to sign Tevez and also have their eye on a summer swoop for Balotelli.

To get the £45million needed, the cash-strapped Italian giants must sell Brazilian front man Pato.

Paris St Germain are in pole position to land the 22-year-old but the news will have put Chelsea on red alert.

New PSG boss Carlo Ancelotti tried to sign Pato while he was at the Blues and owner Roman Abramovich is a great admirer.

Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has insisted there are currently no talks with PSG over Pato's future but he did not say the striker was not for sale.

Galliani insisted Tevez has told City he only wants to join Milan, though reports in Italy suggest cross-town rivals Inter are still in the hunt.

Galliani said: "The negotiations are very much alive.

"Manchester insist on a loan with an obligation to buy and we insist on a loan with the right to buy."

Milan want to pay City £20m for Tevez but over equal annual payments.

Hotel ais ada tiga bilik di Belanda

DUA pengunjung duduk di dalam sebuah hotel ais di bandar Zwolle, Belanda pada 15 Disember lalu.

ZWOLLE, Belanda - Sebuah hotel ais menawarkan harga untuk satu malam sebanyak penginapan AS$259 (RM821) termasuk sarapan pagi bermula pada 3 Disember hingga 29 Januari ini.

Hotel itu dilengkapi dengan jubah mandi, dua pasang selipar, sebuah katil dan bar mini.

Suhu hotel itu adalah di antara enam hingga lapan darjah Celcius.

Seorang pengunjung, Van Heijst berkata, dia memakai tiga pasang seluar semasa berada di dalam bilik hotel tersebut.

"Ia merupakan satu pengalaman yang menarik tetapi pastinya hanya untuk satu malam sahaja," katanya. - AFP

Bank Negara perkenal mata wang baharu

KAKITANGAN BNM, Nor Aimah Mohd. Nor menunjukkan siri mata wang baharu di Kuala Lumpur semalam.

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KUALA LUMPUR - Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) memperkenalkan siri mata wang baharu dengan rekaan wang kertas dan syiling yang menerapkan keunikan Malaysia daripada segi warisan, budaya dan khazanah alam di samping peningkatan ciri-ciri keselamatan berteknologi terkini.

Edaran wang kertas denominasi RM1, RM5, RM10, RM20 dan RM100 akan disediakan pada separuh kedua 2012 manakala denominasi RM50 baharu sudah berada di pasaran.

Wang syiling denominasi 5 sen, 10 sen, 20 sen dan 50 sen yang dilancarkan pada 25 Julai lalu akan diedarkan Januari depan.

"Bagi siri baharu ini, substrat polimer digunakan untuk pembuatan wang kertas denominasi RM1 dan RM5 manakala selebihnya menggunakan kertas.

"Siri wang kertas baharu ini menggabungkan ciri-ciri keselamatan yang seiring dengan teknologi terkini termasuk imej bayang-bayang, tetingkap jernih, potret tera air berpiksel dengan nombor yang jelas, benang keselamatan yang berubah warna dan benang kanta mikro," menurut BNM dalam satu kenyataan semalam.

Kenyataan itu menyebut, ciri-ciri lain adalah permukaan wang membolehkan individu yang bermasalah penglihatan mengenal pasti dan membezakan denominasi.

Tanduk badak sumbu dipotong diganti dengan kayu

AFP RUPA kepala seekor badak sumbu yang diawet selepas tanduk haiwan itu dipotong di Muzium Sejarah Alam Semula Jadi di Bern, Switzerland.

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GENEVA - Pihak pengurusan Muzium Sejarah Alam Semula Jadi di Bern, Switzerland mengambil langkah drastik apabila bertindak menggantikan tanduk enam ekor badak sumbu yang diawet dengan kayu bagi mengelak ia dicuri.

Langkah itu dibuat selepas beberapa kurator muzium itu mendengar tanduk badak sumbu dicuri di beberapa muzium di seluruh Eropah termasuk di Britain, Perancis dan Jerman.

Tanduk badak sumbu amat berharga di Asia kerana kebanyakan penduduk menganggap ia boleh digunakan untuk melawan penyakit dan menguatkan tenaga batin.

Menurut pihak muzium itu, sejak beberapa bulan lalu, tanduk itu berharga di antara 20,000 franc (RM68,177) dan 250,000 franc (RM852,261).

"Di pasaran gelap, tanduk badak sumbu lebih bernilai daripada emas," kata muzium tersebut dalam satu kenyataan. - AFP

Beckham masih tiada tandingan

BILA berada di luar padang, Beckham lebih banyak menghabiskan masa dengan anak-anaknya.

KARIER bekas bintang bola sepak England, David Beckham masih belum menunjukkan tanda-tanda suram.

Meskipun telah berusia 36 tahun, bekas kapten skuad The Three Lions itu masih lagi laku di pasaran.

Setelah bermain dengan tiga kelab terkemuka dunia iaitu Manchester United, Real Madrid dan AC Milan, perancang yang kini bersama Los Angeles Galaxy itu masih mampu menarik minat banyak kelab elit Eropah.

Terbaru, suami kepada anggota kumpulan pop Spice Girls, Victoria itu kini dikaitkan dengan kelab dari Perancis, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

Namun, pihak pengurusan Beckham, XIX Entertainment dengan pantas menepis spekulasi tersebut meskipun kontraknya dengan LA Galaxy berakhir 31 disember ini.

“Tiada perjanjian dicapai dengan mana-mana kelab setakat ini. Semua cerita mengenai perjanjian tersebut hanyalah spekulasi sahaja.

“David masih lagi belum membuat keputusan mengenai masa depannya,” kata XIX Entertainment.

Biarpun berita itu hanya spekulasi, namun jelas sekali ia membuktikan bahawa populariti pemain kesayangan England itu masih utuh dan laku di pasaran.

Media melaporkan PSG sanggup menawarkan gaji 800,000 euro (RM3.32 juta) sebulan untuk membawa imej dan populariti Beckham ke ibu negara Perancis itu.

PSG yang dimiliki oleh Qatar Sport Investments, mahu menggunakan Beckham sebagai daya penarik kepada peminat bola sepak terhadap Liga Perancis, khususnya berkaitan dengan pemasaran dan penjenamaan kelab tersebut.

Selain menjadi bintang bola sepak terkemuka, Beckham yang mempunyai raut wajah yang kacak turut menjadi ikon metroseksual, model dan jurucakap kepada produk-produk terkenal dalam dunia fesyen, minyak wangi, kosmetik dan penjagaan kesihatan.

Status selebriti yang dikecapi Beckham di luar padang ini bagaimanapun tidak menjejaskan fokus utamanya di atas padang.

Buktinya, Beckham pernah menduduki tempat kedua dalam anugerah Pemain Terbaik Dunia FIFA sebanyak dua kali dan menjadi pemain menerima gaji paling mahal di dunia pada 2004 ketika bersama Real Madrid.

Pada 2007, Beckham menyertai saingan Liga Bola Sepak Amerika Syarikat dan sekali lagi menerima bayaran tertinggi dalam kontraknya bersama LA Galaxy selama tiga tahun.

Storybook Homes are More Than Make Believe

Storybook homes like this Moroccan estate can also come with fantastic prices. Photo: Realtor.com

With some children's stories, the setting is a major part of the story -- think of the woodland cottages in the "Hansel and Gretel," "Snow White," "Little Red Riding Hood," and "The Three Bears," or the unexplained footwear habitation of the poor old woman who lived in a shoe.

We gathered 10 such storybook-worthy homes. Some of these properties look like they’re straight out of children’s stories, while others look like they belong in a beautifully illustrated vintage children’s book. We’ve even featured a few from an architecture style known as Storybook.

Information on some of the following houses was provided by Realtor.com, and photos of a few others were supplied by John Robert Marlow, creator of the website Storybookers, which pays tribute to the whimsical, Tudor-meets-Hobbit Storybook architecture style that had a moment in the 1920s, but which lost its popularity by the end of the '30s.

Haines Shoe House
Location: York, PA
Price: $140,934 (estimate)
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 2
Square Footage: 1506

The quirky home was built in 1948 as an outlandish advertisement to sell shoes. Photo: Beck Gusler | Flickr

This novelty house in the shape of a shoe recalls nursery-rhyme memories of the old woman who had so many children she didn’t know what to do. The Haines Shoe House on Shoe House Road has been occupied by senior women, but only temporarily as a guest house for couples to spend the weekend. Honeymooners were also invited to stay in the home by the owner, “Shoe Wizard” shoe seller Mahlon Haines. There’s an ice-cream shop located in the instep and a shoe-shaped dog house also sits on the property.

Spadena Witch House
Location: Beverly Hills, CA
Price: $1,300,000 in 1998, current estimate $2,872,000
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 4
Square Footage: 3,970

The witch house made a cameo appearance in Clueless starring Alicia Silverstone. Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri | Creative Commons; Insets: Katherine O. | Yelp.com

This famous Storybook-style house has a few names: Spadena House, the Witch House, and it’s also called the Hansel & Gretel House. It was built in 1921 by Hollywood art director Harry Oliver and originally served as office space and dressing rooms for silent filmmaker Willat Studio. The next occupants were the Spadena family, hence the name, but there are no official records of any witches or Hansel and Gretel in residence. By the late 1990s, the home had fallen to ruin and was nearly razed, but it was recently rehabilitated, including restoring a once filled-in moat, with the help of another Hollywood art director, Nelson Coates.

Moroccan Palace
Location: 4 W Rivercrest Dr
Price: $8,900,000
Bedrooms: 8
Bathrooms: 10
Square Footage: 19,668

This palatial abode was built in 2005 and sits on 3.78 acres. Photo: Realtor.com

This Moroccan-style palace has room for Aladdin, Ali Baba, and approximately 40 thieves, with eight bedrooms in the main building and two two-story guest houses, each with three bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms. In addition to the oversize pool, two cabanas, and general palatial grandeur, the property comes with a petting zoo.

Searles Castle
Location: 389 Main St, Great Barrington, MA 01230
Price: $11,000,000
Bedrooms: 14
Bathrooms: 17
Square Footage: 60,000

The sprawling 68-acre estate includes a private pond. Photo: Realtor.com

Some think that cottages must be quaint. Not so when speaking of Berkshire cottages — mansions built by business tycoons of the Gilded Age. This French Chateau-style mansion on 61 acres in the Berkshires region of Western Massachusetts went on the market for $15 million a few years ago. The price has since been reduced. Built as Kellogg Terrace by the railroad tycoon widow Mary Hopkins circa 1887, the mansion later took the name of her second husband, Edward Searles, whom she hired to decorate the home. In recent decades, the estate has served as a school and an events venue.

Disney Court
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Price: N/A
Bedrooms: N/A
Bathrooms: N/A
Square Footage: N/A

Disney's original studio was but a couple doors away in 1931. Photo: John Robert Marlow

If the circa-1931 Disney Court bungalows look familiar, it’s likely because they were “almost certainly” the inspiration for the woodland home in the Walt Disney animated feature " Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." Another tale holds that Disney animators lived here, and supporting that, the Los Feliz, Calif., location is proximate to the original Disney Studios. A different Snow White-inspired house — owned by the woman who was the voice of Snow White in the animated film — is on the market.

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