Tallest tower plan in Jeddah on track

• An artist's impression of the mile-high Kingdom Tower in Jeddah. Kingdom Holding said yesterday that the project, announced in early 2008, is still on track.
• Image Credit: Supplied picture

Riyadh : Saudi Arabia-based Kingdom Holding Company, headed by Prince Al Waleed Bin Talal, is going ahead with its plan to build a 1.6-kilometre-high tower in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, an official source has said.

The tallest tower in the world when completed, already informally dubbed the mile-high tower, will be double the height of Dubai's Burj Khalifa, which is currently the world's tallest man-made structure.

"The Kingdom Tower in Jeddah is one of the many huge real estate projects Kingdom Holding plans to develop," a source told Gulf News yesterday on condition of anonymity.

Bidding for contract

"Jeddah Al Eqtisadiah, a subsidiary of Kingdom Holding, has signed an agreement with the Emaar Group of the UAE to develop a city and the huge tower in Jeddah.

"Emaar was selected from five multinational companies that competed for the contract.

The firm Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture has been appointed to design the tower. Architect Smith was also involved in the design of Burj Khalifa when he was a member of the firm Skidmore Owings & Merrill.

The mile-high tower overlooking the Red Sea will be built on an area of 3.5 million square metres in the Obhur Gulf, 20 kilometres north of the Jeddah city centre and not far away from Jeddah's King Abdulaziz International Airport.

Area

According to official information issued by the company, a city to be constructed around the tower will sprawl over an area of 23 million square metres at a total investment of SR100 billion ($26.6 billion). The city will have the capacity to accommodate 80,000 people in addition to shopping and entertainment facilities. It will have hospitality facilities catering for up to a million visitors.

Kingdom Tower Jeddah will have retail facilities and conference halls at the top besides a five-star hotel, offices and deluxe residential units. It was first announced by Kingdom Holding in February 2008.

Last year, reports had suggested the project was either on hold or scaled back. Kingdom was quick to refute these reports.

Wanita muda jadi ketua polis di wilayah penyeludup dadah

Marison Valles garcia sedang bercakap melalui telefon semasa bertugas di balai polis di bandar Praxedis G. Guerrero di utara sempadan mexico, kelmarin. – AFP

PRAXEDIS G. GUERRERO, Mexico 21 Okt. - Seorang wanita yang belum menghabiskan pengajiannya dalam bidang jenayah dilantik sebagai ketua polis baru di wilayah di sempadan Amerika Syarikat (AS), kawasan tumpuan penyeludup dadah yang telah membunuh beberapa pegawai awam dan mengancam keselamatan penduduk setempat.

Marison Valles Garcia, 20, mengangkat sumpah jawatan semalam bagi menguatkuasa undang-undang dan ketenteraman awam di bandar yang mempunyai penduduk kira-kira 8,500 orang yang telah bertukar daripada kawasan pertanian yang tenang kepada negeri tanpa undang-undang dan tidak bertuan.

Penyandang jawatan tersebut sebelum ini telah ditembak mati pada Julai 2009 dan jawatan tersebut sukar diisi dan tiada pengganti yang kekal lebih dari setahun.

Dua kumpulan penyeludup dadah yang bersaing, Juarez dan Sinaloa telah bertempur untuk mengawal sebatang lebuh raya utama di wilayah ini, sebuah laluan perdagangan dadah yang menguntungkan di sempadan Texas.

Valles Garcia yang bertubuh kecil itu hanya mempunyai pengalaman dalam bidang polis ketika bertugas sebagai setiausaha jabatan.

Beliau mahu 13 orang pegawainya dilatih sebagai polis khas.

Valles Garcia turut merancang untuk mengupah lebih ramai wanita dan menghantar mereka ke kawasan penduduk untuk bercakap dengan penduduk, menyemai nilai-nilai sivik dan mengesan jenayah sebelum ia berlaku.

"Orang saya akan pergi dari rumah ke rumah bagi mengesan penjenayah dan jika tidak ada, pihak kami cuba mengajar nilai-nilai murni di kalangan keluarga terlibat.

"Projek ini ... mudah, berdasarkan nilai-nilai, prinsip-prinsip dan pencegahan jenayah dari rumah ke rumah," katanya ketika mula menjalankan tugas secara rasmi semalam. - AP

Komputer riba Apple paling nipis

GAMBAR menunjukkan satu model komputer MacBook Air.

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CUPERTINO, California - Syarikat komputer Apple Inc. memperkenalkan dua komputer riba MacBook Air yang nipis kelmarin.

Salah satu komputer riba itu mempunyai skrin seluas 33.8 sentimeter (sm) manakala yang kedua mempunyai skrin 29.4sm.

Komputer MacBook yang lebih besar itu senipis 1.73 sentimeter dan seberat 1.3 kilogram (kg) manakala baterinya tahan selama tujuh jam.

Satu lagi model komputer riba itu seberat 2.2kg dan baterinya tahan selama lima jam.

Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Apple, Steve Jobs berkata semasa melancarkan: "Kami bertanya kepada diri sendiri, apa akan berlaku jika MacBook dan iPad digabungkan? Maka inilah hasilnya."

iPad ialah komputer tablet keluaran Apple.

GAMBAR menunjukkan dua model komputer MacBook Air yang nipis di Cupertino, California kelmarin.

Komputer MacBook Air tidak boleh membaca cakera padat (CD) atau cakera padat digital (DVD).

Ia hanya menggunakan memori flash seperti iPhone.

Komputer Macbook Air dijual pada harga bermula AS$999 (RM3,103) dengan storan memori 64 gigabit.

Pada harga AS$1,199 (RM3,725) ia dilengkapi dengan memori 128 gigabit.

Komputer Macbook yang lebih besar ditawarkan pada harga AS$1,299 (RM4,035) dengan kapasiti 128 gigabit atau $1,599 (RM4,968) bersama storan 256 gigabit. - Agensi

Cimpanzi 136kg serang kereta polis

CIMPANZI menolak tong sampah di depan kereta polis.

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BANDAR RAYA KANSAS - Seekor cimpanzi betina seberat 136 kilogram (kg) yang merayau-rayau di sekitar bandar raya ini dan merempuh sebuah kereta polis berjaya dipujuk masuk semula ke dalam sebuah kurungan oleh tuannya.

Seorang pegawai polis, Kapten Rich Lockhart memberitahu akhbar The Kansas City Star bahawa pihaknya menerima panggilan telefon pada tengah hari Selasa lalu bahawa seekor haiwan berkeliaran beberapa kilometer dari Zoo Kansas.

Menurutnya, haiwan peliharaan itu berkeliaran selepas ia berjaya memutuskan rantai kakinya.

Pegawai polis itu menyatakan, usaha untuk menembak haiwan itu dengan ubat pelali menemui kegagalan.

CIMPANZI cuba naik ke atas bonet kereta polis.

Haiwan itu memanjat bonet sebuah kenderaan polis dan menumbuk cermin penumpang sebelum ia melarikan diri.

Pemilik haiwan tersebut berjaya memujuk cimpanzi yang bernama Sueko itu ke dalam sebuah kurungan.

Pegawai polis itu menyatakan pemilik haiwan tersebut disaman kerana menyimpan cimpanzi dalam kawasan bandar raya. - AP

Lamborghini Murcielago "Bat" by JB Car Design

The Lamborghini Murcielago may be on its way out, an all-new model coming in to replace it shortly. But before it does, JB Car Design has released a series of modifications to set it apart from every other.

Most obvious is the body kit, which includes a new bumpers and spoilers front and rear and side skirts in between, giving the Murcielago an appearance closer to that of the million-dollar Reventon. Power upgrades are available in the form of 710 or 750 horsepower (up from the stock 640), and the interior has been refitted with special leather, Alcantara and carbon fiber trim. Only 75 sets of the body kit will be made, and the rest can be ordered individually.

Golden future for self-driving cars

SCIENTISTS in Germany, unveiling the latest self-driven car last week, said the days of humans behind the wheel are numbered and that their technology can slash accidents and help the environment.

"In the future, it will be forbidden for safety reasons for people to drive cars," predicted Raul Rojas, professor at Berlin’s Free University (FU). "The cars of today are the horses of yesterday."

The car, dubbed Made in Germany (MIG) by the FU, uses cameras, laser scanners, heat sensors and satellite navigation – even in tunnels – to "see" other vehicles and pedestrians and respond to traffic lights.

The technology will sharply reduce the number of cars on the road because people will no longer need their own vehicle so much, using instead driverless cars pooled in car-share schemes, the MIG’s developers believe.

"Autonomous cars are the real ‘green’ cars," Mexican-born Rojas said. "We could use a fraction of the cars that we now have. ... The only real solution when it comes to sustainability and preserving resources is car-sharing."

Proponents also say that driverless vehicles can slash the number of deaths and injuries on the road.

"Cars that use sensors to recognise other vehicles, pedestrians and bikes will in future drive more safely than people who lose concentration and get tired," the FU said.

"The car has more information at its disposal than a human does now. A person can only see in front. This car can see in all directions at a range of 70 metres," said Rojas.

Auto industry analyst Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer agreed that the technology could help reduce accidents if it comes to fruition but he is sceptical about the benefits for the environment.

"The various pilot projects around the world look interesting but it remains to be seen whether they will really turn out to be reliable," Dudenhoeffer told AFP, adding: "Climate protection is secondary."

The MIG (above), which from the outside looks like a regular Volkswagen Passat with a camera on top, was put through its paces at Berlin’s disused Tempelhof airport last week but it has already been tested on public roads.

A human was inside – but only for if things went wrong. Nothing did, with the car stopping while a couple with a pram crossed the road, or steering around a parked car – all without human intervention.

It is by no means the first self-driving car, however.

Scientists at Germany’s Braunschweig recently demonstrated a driverless car called "Leonie" in real traffic conditions, while other road tests have been conducted in Italy and elsewhere. – AFP-Relaxnews

Roo can be true Blue

KIT PARADE ... how he'd be in Chelsea strip

WAYNE ROONEY last night dramatically opened the door on a move to Chelsea.

In a stunning public declaration, Manchester United striker Rooney confirmed he is quitting Old Trafford.

United last night accepted the statement effectively spelt the end. The England superstar claims he made his decision after failing to get any assurances about United's future from Old Trafford chief executive David Gill.

The Sun revealed on Monday that Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti is desperate to sign Rooney - but the Blues will not go beyond £160,000 a week for the hitman. However, Rooney's statement insists money is not the issue.

He said: "I met with David Gill last week and he did not give me any of the assurances I was seeking about the future squad. I then told him that I would not be signing a new contract.

"For me it's all about winning trophies."

That brings Chelsea firmly into the equation and last night skipper John Terry urged Rooney to join, saying: "We've got a great squad of players and he would add to that and strengthen the squad.

"He is the best player in the world for me."

And even Blues striker Nicolas Anelka, who could lose his place to Rooney, said: "If he wants to come to Chelsea he would be very welcome. Would I buy him? Of course I would, he's a good player."

Rooney's statement came 24 hours after United boss Alex Ferguson's emotional version of events.

He lamented the role of Rooney's agent, and clearly suggested money was being put ahead of loyalty and trust.

Rooney, out with an ankle injury, said: "I was interested to hear what Sir Alex had to say and was surprised by some of it.

"It is absolutely true, as he said, that my agent and I have had a number of meetings with the club about a new contract.

"During those meetings in August I asked for assurances about the continued ability of the club to attract the top players in the world."

Rooney claimed he was not disrespecting the club or the fans but simply believes it is no longer the place to land the biggest trophies in the game.

He said: "For me it's all about winning trophies - as the club has always done under Sir Alex. Because of that I think the questions I was asking were justified."

Peugeot RCZ Asphalt Edition

Few things are as hot right now in the European car market as the Peugeot RCZ and matte-black special editions. So guess what we have for you today! You guessed it – a matte black Peugeot RCZ.

Called the Asphalt edition, the slinky coupe from the brand of the rearing lion comes in a limited edition of just 500 examples. Each is decked out in Noir Telluric on the outside, with blacked-out 19" alloys and a black leather interior to match. And in case you thought it was all show, the special RCZ packs the top-of-the-line 200-horsepower turbocharged engine to ensure it goes as good as it looks.

Lamborghini Miura II by Joan Ferci

It may look far off from the real thing, but this could be the next Lamborghini. But not the one made in Italy. This one's slated for production in Mexico.

Now Volkswagen, which owns Lamborghini, builds a lot of cars in Mexico, but this won't be one of them. It's the brainchild of one Joan Ferci, an Argentine entrepreneur who acquired the rights to use the Lamborghini name from the Indonesian investment firm that owned it back in 1995. Since then he's been making, on and off, his own line of super cars for the Latin American market based on the old Lamborghini Diablo.

Now Ferci is planning a new factory, where he hopes to built a new generation of Latino Lamborghinis, including the Miura II you see here and a sport-utility called the Gran Toro. All the while the Volkswagen Group – by now one of the largest automakers in the world – denies Ferci's rights to the name, and may have a thing or two to say about this latest re-boot...if it ever gets off the ground.

Robot bedah pesakit prostat

DR. A APRIKAN menggunakan robot DaVinci bagi melakukan pembedahan di Hospital Besar Montreal, Kanada.

MONTREAL - Seorang lelaki Kanada yang menghidap kanser prostat dibedah dengan menggunakan robot di Hospital Besar Montreal baru-baru ini, lapor sebuah akhbar semalam.

Sebuah robot yang diberi nama jolokan McSleepy diberi tugas membius pesakit itu manakala robot DaVinci melakukan pembedahan.

Seorang pakar Pusat Kesihatan Universiti McGill di hospital itu, Dr. A. Aprikan berkata, doktor-doktor bekerja dari sebuah pusat operasi peralatan bagi menggerakkan robot DaVinci.

Menurutnya, robot itu boleh menggerakkan jari dengan tepat yang tidak boleh dilakukan oleh manusia bersendirian.

Dia dan pasukan pembedahannya mengendalikan robot itu dengan menggunakan alat kawalan video mengandungi imej tiga dimensi yang berkualiti tinggi.

Pasukan itu memindahkan sebahagian daripada kelenjar prostat pesakit tersebut dengan menggunakan robot DaVinci.

Seorang anggota pasukan itu, Dr. Thomas Hemmerling berkata, robot tidak akan menggantikan doktor tetapi ia membantu doktor melakukan pembedahan dengan standard tinggi. - Agensi