Park: I wasn't forced out

HE'S R'S ... Hoops have bagged Ji-Sung Park

JI-SUNG PARK arrived at QPR yesterday insisting: It was MY decision to quit Manchester United.

The midfielder ended his seven-year stay at Old Trafford by sealing a £5million switch to Loftus Road.

And after signing a two-year deal with Rangers, he denied he had been forced out of United by boss Alex Ferguson.

The South Korean star, 31, who may succeed Joey Barton as R’s skipper, said: “I was the one who said I wanted to leave the club because I’d had a great offer.

“I was the one who said it to Manchester United.

“It was a difficult decision because United are a good club and everybody wants to play there.

“But last season I didn’t play as much. I would still have had a good chance to play for Man United but QPR made me a very good offer and their ambitions and plans were interesting for me.

“That’s why I made the decision to leave. If QPR hadn’t explained their future I might have stayed.”

Park became the first South Korean to play in the Premier League when United signed him from Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven for £4m in 2005.

He repaid that fee by helping the club win four Premier League titles and the Champions League.

Park added: “It is a big step to leave United but it is important to understand this is about another challenge in my life.”

Rob’s the £37m Man

IN FOR A PENNY ... Roberto Mancini

ROBERTO MANCINI’S new £37.5million contract makes him British football’s highest-paid boss.

The Manchester City chief ended speculation about his future last night, despite a £6.5m-a-year approach from the Russian FA.

He said: “I’m very much looking forward to the challenges and excitement ahead. The opportunity that exists to build on our recent success is huge.”

The Russians wanted the 47-year-old Italian to take over from Dick Advocaat and steer their national team towards the 2018 World Cup, which they will host.

But SunSport revealed on Sunday that Mancini was ready to pledge his future to the Premier League champions.

And his mega £7.5m-a-year deal, which ties him to City until 2017, takes him way above Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson in the pay league.

Fergie earns around £4m a year at Old Trafford.

But Mancini’s new contract recognises his achievement of guiding City to their first title in 44 years last season.

Mancini added: “I’m delighted to be able to give my all to City for a further five years.

“This is a fantastic club from the owner, chairman, board and executive team through to the players, staff and fans.”

The news Mancini is staying will come as a huge relief to City supporters, who have taken him to their hearts.

He ended the club’s 35-year wait for silverware with last year’s FA Cup triumph — and followed it up by winning the Premier League on the final day 12 months later.

Mancini had been about to enter the last year of the deal he signed when he succeeded Mark Hughes in December 2009.

From shimmering cities to the dark side of the world: Stunning satellite images which show how we use light and energy

At night, London is a burning bright spot, consuming enough energy to power Ireland with its light show.

But as these stunning images from space show, we in the West are guilty of wasting energy and polluting light on a staggering scale.

Now compare the Third World countries in Africa, South America and large swathes of Asia which lie in almost complete darkness.

Waste of energy: A satellite image of Britain and Europe at night showing the light show from space, with far greater uses of energy in the major cities

Light show: An image of the U.S. from space highlighting the staggering light pollution, especially on the east coast, in Houston, Texas, and San Francisco and Los Angeles on the west coast

In darkness: Third World countries in Africa barely register any light at night in contrast to the West, apart from an amazing trail of light from Cairo running down the Nile in Egypt

Each year London consumes 150 thousand gigawatt hours of energy, equal to the consumption of nations such as Portugal and Greece.

Campaigners have warned that 50 per cent of the UK's population cannot see many stars because the night skies are 'saturated' with light pollution.

The pictures created by scientist Felix Pharand-DeschÍnes using data gathered by satellites highlight the contrast between the first and third world.

They show Egypt's densely populated River Nile as it scorches a path through the darkness of Northern Africa while Japan is wall-to-wall light.

America shines brightly, but south of its border the countries are almost lightless and in central Asia, India and Australia barely any light is registered.

Global view: A satellite picture of the energy waste in the West and darkness in the rest of world showing how much more energy the rich world uses than other areas

Contrast: This shot of the Western Hemisphere demonstrates a higher use of energy in Europe compared to Africa and Asia, and incredible bursts of light in London, Paris and Moscow

Desolate: While much of the United States and Canada are awash with light, the vast areas to the north are almost invisible on this map

Chelsea pull plug on Battersea Power Station stadium plans as Malaysian rivals get go-ahead

Chelsea's hopes of moving to Battersea Power Station have been extinguished after a Malaysian consortium completed a £400million purchase of the London landmark.

The Blues are considering moving away from Stamford Bridge and had lodged a bid to move to the iconic 39-acre site on the south bank of the River Thames.

No go: Chelsea's impressive hopes to build a new 60,000-seater stadium (below) at Battersea Power Station have ended

The west Londoners released plans in May that detailed how they hoped to turn the derelict site in to a 60,000-seater stadium incorporating the four famous chimneys.

Administrators Ernst & Young revealed last month that they had shunned the Blues' offer, opting instead to name a Malaysian consortium as the preferred bidders.

And after a 28-day due diligence process, the consortium's bid has been rubber-stamped.

'Following a global marketing process that started in February 2012 and covered all major world wealth centres, a consortium comprising SP Setia, Sime Darby and the Employees' Pension Fund of Malaysia have exchanged contracts on the (Battersea) site for £400m,' a statement from Ernst & Young read.

The consortium have planning consent to build 3,500 homes and 1.7 million square feet of office space. They also plan to build a tube station on the premises that will connect to the Northern Line.

Last year Chelsea failed in their bid to buy back the freehold of the 42,000-capacity Stamford Bridge from supporters group Chelsea Pitch Owners.

Power surge: A Malaysian consortium have planning consent to build 3,500 homes and 1.7 million square feet of office space

Tower about that? Chinese city builds its own version of the world-famous London landmark

China is well known for leading the world in exporting goods, but these pictures of its very own Tower Bridge show the country is not adverse to importing a historical monument or two.

To the untrained eye, visitors to Suzhou in the east of China may well believe they have ended up 9,000km away by mistake.

The city in the Jiangsu province now boasts its very own - almost identical - version of London's most iconic bridge.

The cloned Tower Bridge in Suzhou in China's Jiangsu province, is an almost identical version of London's landmark

As if that's not enough to stave off homesickness for English visitors, the reproduction of the bridge also boasts a cafe at the top promising 'English-style coffee'.

All that differs between the two replicas is that the Chinese version lacks a raising mechanism to allow boats to pass underneath.

The top floor of the building boasts a cafe promising 'English-style coffee' to guests

Unlike the version spanning the Thames, the replica Tower Bridge lacks a raising mechanism

And, of course, during the Olympics this summer, it also won't boast the five rings currently adorning the version that spans the River Thames.

London is not the only city to have inspired builders in Suzhou, though.

Sitting about 200 miles north-west of Shanghai, the area has become well known for cloning other world-famous landmarks.

The river through the city also has its own Sydney Harbour Bridge, as well as a copy-cat Alexandre III Bridge straight out of the French capital, Paris.

English, Dutch and French visitors to Suzhou can all feel at home in the city thanks to its replica landmarks

As well as being inspired by London's landmark, the city also boasts its own Sydney Harbour Bridge

The original Tower Bridge, complete with Olympic rings, which will be illuminated every night during the Games

On top of that, the area boasts a Dutch town complete with windmill and Dutch-style housing.

Suzhou is often dubbed the 'Venice of the East' and has been an important hub of China's silk industry for around a thousand years.

The original Tower Bridge dates back to 1896 when it was the only crossing point over the river Thames.

A colossal 11,000 tonnes of steel help provide the framework to the tower which, at the time it was built, was the product of 432 working over an eight year period.

London miliki bangunan tertinggi di Eropah

GAMBAR menunjukkan bangunan tertinggi di Eropah iaitu Shard yang terletak di tebing Sungai Thames, London.

LONDON – Bangunan pencakar langit tertinggi di Eropah, Shard yang dibina dengan 95 peratus dana dari Qatar, dirasmikan di sini semalam.

Struktur besi dan kaca setinggi 310 meter itu dirasmikan oleh Perdana Menteri Qatar, Hamad Jassem Al-Thani dan Putera Andrew yang merupakan anak lelaki pemerintah Britain, Ratu Elizabeth II.

Satu pertunjukan cahaya laser dengan iringan muzik orkestra diadakan bagi menyerikan majlis perasmian tersebut.

Perasmian berkenaan menandakan pembinaan bahagian luar bangunan itu telah siap.

Bangunan Shard terletak di tebing selatan Sungai Thames dekat Jambatan London di sini.

Kerja-kerja menyiapkan bahagian dalaman bangunan berkenaan dijangka berterusan sehingga tahun hadapan.

Bangunan itu lebih rendah jika dibandingkan dengan Bangunan Burj Khalifa di Dubai, Emiriyah Arab Bersatu yang merupakan bangunan pencakar langit tertinggi di dunia.

Burj Khalifa setinggi 828 meter.

Bagaimanapun, bangunan Shard mengatasi Menara Moscow di Rusia sebagai bangunan tertinggi di Eropah.

Nama Shard diberikan oleh arkitek Itali yang mereka bentuk bangunan berkenaan, Renzo Piano.

Dengan kapasiti boleh memuatkan 12,000 orang, bangunan setinggi 95 tingkat itu akan menempatkan sebuah hotel lima bintang, ruang pejabat seluas 600,000 meter persegi dan beberapa restoran mewah serta kedai.

Bangunan pencakar langit berbentuk meruncing itu juga akan menempatkan 10 unit apartmen.

Setiap apartmen dilaporkan berharga sehingga £50 juta (RM246 juta).

Apartmen di tingkat 53 hingga 65 bangunan itu merupakan kediaman tertinggi di Britain.

Dibina dengan kos £450 juta (RM2.22 bilion), Shard akan dibuka sebagai tarikan pelancong pada Februari depan. Setakat ini lebih 17,500 orang mendaftar secara dalam talian untuk melawat dek pemandangan bangunan tersebut manakala tiket bagi tujuan tersebut boleh ditempah bermula hari ini. – AFP

Pelancong diminta tidak pakai skirt pendek

GAMBAR fail menunjukkan sejumlah pelancong asing menaiki sebuah perahu di Tasik Nagin, Srinagar pada 30 Ogos 2007.

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SRINAGAR, India - Sebuah kumpulan Islam di Kashmir India semalam memberi amaran kepada para pelancong supaya mereka tidak memakai skirt pendek dan pakaian yang mendedahkan tubuh badan di wilayah itu.

Kumpulan tersebut, Jamaat-e-Islami meminta lembaga pelancongan di wilayah itu supaya menyokong pendirian mereka.

Menurutnya, para pelancong perlu diberitahu lebih awal supaya berpakaian sopan ketika berada di Kashmir bagi mengelakkan mereka mencetuskan kemarahan golongan ekstremis agama.

"Sejumlah pelancong, terutamanya warga asing, memakai skirt pendek dan pakaian menjolok mata yang bercanggah dengan etika dan budaya tempatan serta tidak dapat diterima dalam masyarakat yang bertamadun," kata jurucakap Jamaat-e-Islami, Zahid Ali.

Sejumlah pelancong kembali mengunjungi wilayah Kashmir yang ditadbir India sejak dua tahun lalu selepas keganasan antara pihak pemisah Islam semakin berkurangan di rantau berkenaan.

Majoriti penduduk wilayah tersebut terdiri daripada orang Islam.

Kashmir terkenal kerana memiliki panorama yang indah seperti rumat bot, banjaran gunung dan tasik. - AFP

Kelab MU disenarai di Bursa New York

Kelab MU

NEW YORK - Manchester United (MU) telah membuat permohonan untuk membuat penyenaraian di bursa saham Amerika Syarikat (AS) bagi menjana modal AS$100 juta (£64 juta atau RM300 juta).

Dalam dokumen difailkan di Suruhanjaya Sekuriti dan Bursa, gergasi Liga Perdana Inggeris itu menyebut bahawa pihaknya mahu menyenaraikan syarikat kelab ternama ini di Bursa Saham New York.

Sebelum ini kelab itu telah menerokai peluang kemungkinan membuat penyenaraian di Singapura.

Laporan BBC menyebut bahawa MU, antara kelab yang memperoleh sokongan padu di dunia, mahu menggunakan modal yang dijana menerusi penyenaraian untuk membayar balik hutangnya.

Kelab itu dikuasai sejak 2005 oleh keluarga Glazer family.

Bagaimanapun, menurut laporan itu, sejak beberapa tahun kebelakangan ini ia berhadapan dengan masalah hutang yang besar meskipun mengambil pelbagai usaha pemasaran dan promosi di peringkat global.

"Kami berhasrat untuk menggunakan keseluruhan hasil bersih daripada penyenaraian ini untuk mengurangkan (beban) hutang kami," kata MU dalam prospektus, dipetik laporan BBC.

Sehingga April lalu, kelab itu disenaraikan sebagai salah satu daripada 50 pasukan sukan paling bernilai di dunia. Nilainya dianggarkan £1.4 bilion (RM6.9 bilion).

Selepas disenaraikan di Bursa Saham London pada 1991, kelab itu dibeli oleh Malcolm Glazer pada Mei 2005 pada harga £800 juta (RM3.9 bilion).

Sehingga 31 Mac lalu, hutang kelab itu dianggarkan £423.3 juta (sekitar RM2 bilion).

Ikan duyung hanya dongeng

TIADA bukti menunjukkan ikan duyung pernah ditemui.

LOS ANGELES: Persoalan sama ada ikan duyung wujud atau tidak ditamatkan baru-baru ini apabila sebuah agensi saintifik Amerika Syarikat mengesahkan makhluk laut itu tidak wujud.

Pentadbiran Lautan dan Atmosferik Kebangsaan Amerika mengesahkan tidak ada bukti menunjukkan makhluk separuh manusia separuh ikan itu wujud.

Agensi berkenaan mengeluarkan kenyataan minggu lalu untuk menjelaskan bahawa spesies laut itu tidak wujud selepas menerima beberapa panggilan berikutan tayangan oleh saluran Animal Planet berjudul: Mermaid: The Body Found yang mengelirukan beberapa penonton. Selepas siaran rancangan fiksyen itu, yang direka untuk mempunyai format sama dengan sebuah dokumentari, beberapa penonton menelefon agensi berkenaan untuk mengetahui lebih banyak mengenai makhluk itu.

Agensi itu mengeluarkan kenyataan menerusi bahagian Fakta Lautan, mengakhiri teori kewujudan ikan duyung.

Kenyataan itu berbunyi: “Adakah ikan duyung wujud? Tidak ada bukti menunjukkan ia pernah ditemui.” Kenyataan itu seterusnya menerangkan bagaimana makhluk feminin itu ditemui pertama kali pada lukisan di gua kira-kira 30,000 tahun lalu.

Agensi terbabit menggabungkan kenyataan itu menerusi maklumat yang sudah sedia diperoleh untuk orang awam kerana ia tidak mempunyai program yang khusus untuk mengkaji ikan duyung, kata jurucakapnya, Carol Kavanagh kepada Perbadanan Penyiaran Britain (BBC).

Kenyataan itu dikeluarkan selepas Pusat Kawalan dan Pencegahan Wabak mengeluarkan kenyataan bulan lalu bahawa zombi tidak wujud.

Pusat berkenaan membuat kenyataan itu berikutan tersebar khabar angin kononnya seorang lelaki, Rudy Eugene, 31, ditembak mati oleh polis ketika mukanya berubah seperti zombi.

Buang badi Chelsea

FERNANDO Torres

FERNANDO Torres mengakui tahun penuh igauan di Chelsea kini berakhir sebaik menjulang anugerah Kasut Emas Euro 2012.

Torres yang juga penyerang Sepanyol yang dibeli dari Liverpool pada harga 50 juta (RM246 juta) kurang mendapat perhatian ketika skuad Blues melengkapkan musim lalu dengan gelaran berganda iaitu Piala FA dan Liga Juara-Juara, Mei lalu.

Pemain itu juga yang berkongsi kedudukan sebagai penjaring terbanyak di Euro tetapi memenanginya menerusi penentuan bantuan jaringan dan tempoh permainan, membantu negaranya untuk meraih tiga kejohanan berturut-turut dalam tempoh empat tahun dan pencapaian itu memberi sinar baru kepadanya.

“Saya akan melupakan pengalaman saya di Chelsea musim ini,” katanya. “Saya akan mengingati tiga gelaran dan final ini, yang begitu bermakna buat pasukan ini, negara dan sesiapa saja yang mengikuti Sepanyol dan saya pasti penyokong Chelsea akan gembira.

“Kini saya mahu berehat dan menikmati kejayaan ini, selain bersedia untuk musim depan yang pastinya penuh dengan detik indah, sekurang-kurangnya saya berfikir seperti itu.

“Bagi saya, ia satu musim yang sukar dijelaskan. Ia tidak bermakna ia sesuatu yang buruk tetapi ia sukar dijelaskan dan saya mengalami detik yang sukar.

“Menyaksikan kegembiraan keluarga saya selepas perlawanan itu, apa saja yang berlaku sepanjang musim tampak berbaloi.”

Selain memenangi tiga gelaran berturut-turut, Torres dan rakan sepasukannya juga menjadi pasukan pertama mempertahankan trofi Kejuaraan Eropah.

Begitupun Torres yang menjaringkan gol kemenangan pada final Euro 2008 dan turut menyumbang dalam kejayaan final Piala Dunia dua tahun lalu berkata banyak yang akan ditunjukkan oleh pasukan itu.

“Banyak lagi yang ingin kami buktikan. Kebanyakan pemain masih muda dan saya boleh katakan banyak yang ingin kami capai nanti.

“Kami mempunyai banyak cita-cita dan matlamat selepas ini. Kami menikmati pencapaian setakat ini dan turut meraikan kemenangan ini tetapi kami sudah pun mengalih perhatian terhadap Piala Konfederasi (di Brazil tahun depan di mana mereka akan berdepan dengan juara setiap zon Fifa) dan Piala Dunia (di Brazil dalam tempoh dua tahun lagi).

“Saya berharap majoriti skuad ini akan berada di sana. Ia bukan sesuatu yang mudah. Memenangi tiga kejohanan berturut-turut tidak pernah berlaku dalam sejarah bola sepak jadi kami perlu menilainya.

“Mujur perjuangan kami masih belum berakhir tetapi sudah tentu saya mahukan lebih lagi, Bila anda menang, sudah tentu anda mahukan lebih lagi.”

Torres memenangi anugerah Kasut Emas menerusi pemutus seri tetapi mungkin menakluki gelaran itu lebih awal jika menjaringkannya sendiri, tanpa melakukan hantaran kepada rakan sepasukannya di Chelsea, Juan Mata untuk menjaringkan gol terakhir Sepanyol.

Torres mendedahkan, dia melakukan hantaran kepada Mata kerana tidak mempunnyai peluang untuk bermain sepanjang Euro sebelum diturunkan pada tiga minit terakhir perlawanan itu.

“Kerja berpasukan membawa kami ke sini dan sebab itulah saya menghantar bola kepadanya. Juan berdepan Euro yang sukar. Dia tidak dapat bermain walaupun seminit. Saya bertuah mendapat bola itu untuk melakukan hantaran kepadanya untuk meledakkan jaringan.

“Dia berhak menikmatinya seperti pemain lain dan ini adalah satu daripada perkara paling indah bagi saya iaitu melihatnya ketawa dan gembira selepas melalui detik yang sukar.”