07 Mac 2012

Chelsea must pay Mourinho £12m a year and sign Ronaldo for return of Special One

Jose Mourinho will demand £12million-a-year and Chelsea break the bank to sign Ronaldo if asked to return to Stamford Bridge.

Owner Roman Abramovich will also have to let the Portuguese have 'total control' of transfers and the training ground.

True cost: Chelsea will have to pay high price to lure back Jose Mourinho

True cost: Chelsea will have to pay high price to lure back Jose Mourinho

Mourinho is high on Abramovich's wanted list to replace sacked Andre Villas-Boas.

Roberto di Matteo has been placed in temporary charge of the Blues until the end of the season.

Mourinho is expected to leave the La Liga leaders in the summer after falling out with Real president Florentino Perez.

Mourinho was spotted house-hunting in London last week and he has already stated his his intention to return to the Premier League.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Fed up: Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo is also said to have grown disillusioned with life at the Bernabeu after the fans turned on him despite scoring 96 goals in 88 games since his world record £80m move from Manchester United.

Abramovich has also reportedly sounded out Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola, who's contract expires in the summer.

But sources in Spain expect the 41-year-old to stay for at least one more season at the Nou Camp.

Germany coach Joachim Low has also been linked with the Chelsea hot seat, but claims in Switzerland that he met Abramovich at a Geneva hotel were denied. His present contract runs until 2014.

The 200mph new Lamborghini with no roof or windscreen

Bizarre ... the 200mph Aventador J has no roof or windscreen
Bizarre ... the 200mph Aventador J has no roof or windscreen
SWNS

LAMBORGHINI has unveiled the most outrageous model in its history — a 200mph supercar with no WINDSCREEN.

The Lamborghini Aventador J is a roofless, windowless, road-legal race car, boasting a 6.5litre V12 engine and costing £1.75million.

Bosses at the elite Italian car maker have refused to reveal official performance figures but it is expected to accelerate from 0 to 62mph in less than 2.9 seconds and top 200mph.

It comes with a warning from the manufacturer that "drivers of the Aventador J must have the right equipment for driving at top speeds higher than 300Km/h".

The "J", which is named after the international "Appendix J" regulations for race cars, is hailed as a "one-of-a-kind piece of art".

Gleaming ... the concept car comes with a cool £1.75million pricetag
Gleaming ... the concept car comes with a cool £1.75million pricetag

Lamborghini president Stephan Winklemann said: "The new Aventador J is the most radical open supersports car in our history.

"This automobile is as extreme and as uncompromising as only a Lamborghini can be. Its name comes from our tradition and combines an unconventional design with technology innovation.

"Nowadays we are confronted with several regulations that we face in the spirit of challenge. The Aventador J is the proof that, despite the rules, Lamborghini will always make people dream, even in the future."

The Lamborghini Aventador J made its global debut at the opening of today's Geneva Motor Show.

Bentley also unveiled its controversial SUV which targets Russian and Chinese markets while Ferrari debuted its fastest and most powerful road car, the F12 Berlinetta.

06 Mac 2012

Mansory McLaren MP4-12C Revealed

Mansory McLaren MP4 12C 468x351 Mansory McLaren MP4 12C Revealed

Mansory has released the first images and details of their tuning package for the McLaren MP4-12C which will be unveiled tomorrow at the Geneva Motor Show.

Thanks to a new performance exhaust, new air intake system and an engine remap, the 3.8-liter twin-turbo unit makes 670 PS 675 Nm (498 lb-ft) of torque.

As a result of this and the aerodynamic enhancements, the McLaren is supposedly capable of doing 353 km/h (219 mph).

The exterior receives a body kit by Mansory that widens the dimension of the vehicle by 60mm, it includes replacement parts for the roof, the front and rear aprons, the mirror housings and the fenders. The kit is completed with a set of 20 inch wheels.

Mansory has also worked on the interior. It includes a new airbag sports steering wheel, aluminium pedals and real carbon-fibre elements.

The Mansory MP4-12C will be officially unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show that opens to the media on March 6

Source: worldcarfans

Mansory McLaren MP412C 468x263 Mansory McLaren MP4 12C Revealed

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Abramovich cari pengganti selamatkan kempen Chelsea selepas pecat AVB

DALAM diam-diam, pemilik Chelsea Roman Abramovich mungkin sudah berdamai dengan Jose Mourinho dan bekas bos The Blues itu menjadi antara calon untuk mengambil alih tugas pengendali di Stamford Bridge musim depan susulan pemecatan Andre Villas-Boas.
Abramovich memecat Villas-Boas Ahad lalu, kurang 24 jam selepas kekalahan memalukan 1-0 di West Bromwich Albion yang sekali gus terus meletakkan Chelsea di tangga kelima saingan Liga Perdana.
Buat sementara, bekas pemain tengah Roberto Di Matteo yang menjadi pembantu Villas-Boas, dinamakan sebagai pengurus sementara sehingga hujung musim untuk cuba mengelak malapetaka memalukan tersingkir pada pusingan kelima Piala FA apabila menentang kelab Liga Kejuaraan, Birmingham dalam tugasan pertamanya, hari ini.

Selepas itu, pengurus Itali itu akan memberi tumpuan untuk mengemudi Chelsea berada dalam kelompok empat teratas liga bagi menjamin tempat dalam saingan Liga Juara-Juara musim depan - atau mungkin cuba bangkit menebus kekalahan 3-1 kepada Napoli dalam perlawanan 16 terakhir Liga Juara-Juara.

Namun spekulasi yang lebih hangat diperkatakan masa kini berkisar terhadap sasaran Abramovich untuk mencari pengurus kelapan dalam tempoh lapan tahun sebagai pemilik kelab London barat itu.

Sejak membeli Chelsea pada 2003, Abramovich menyingkirkan Claudio Ranieri, Mourinho, Avram Grant, Luiz Felipe Scolari, Carlo Ancelotti dan Villas-Boas dan nama yang kian disebut-sebut kini ialah Mourinho, bekas pengurus Liverpool Rafael Benitez dan pengurus Barcelona, Pep Guardiola, selain bekas pengurus England, Fabio Capello. – AFP

Running reptile isn't making a splash

Plumed Crested Basilisk
Water walker ... lizard goes for a run
BRIAN BEVAN / ARDEA / CATERS NEWS

CHECK out this whizz of a lizard — as it darts across a pool.

The sporty Plumed Crested Basilisk — also known as Jesus Christ basilisk — can walk on water.

Its amazing antics were caught by photographer Brian Bevan, who built a pool to capture the reptile's skill.

He used a hi-tech laser-beam system which triggered the camera as the creature was mid-stride.

Brian, from Biggleswade, Beds, said he was surprised at how well the pictures turned out.

He said: "I created a tank with two shelters either side and a little pond in the middle.

"Basilisks are known for their ability to walk on water and I decided to set up the laser system because I noticed how it would dash from one side to the other.

Lizard walks on water
Mid-stride ... lizard halfway though its run
BRIAN BEVAN / ARDEA / CATERS NEWS

"I've seen a few pictures of basilisks walking on water but I was quite surprised when I saw these shots because I hadn't seen anything like this before.

"It looks as though I caught it just at the right moment when it was deciding which direction to run in."

Basilisks are native to South America. They achieve the incredible feat by running very fast, creating enough force with their feet to keep their body above the water.

Harta karun bernilai RM241.8 juta dijual

SEBAHAGIAN daripada harta karun yang ditemui di perairan Indonesia
merupakan barangan kemas.


JAKARTA – Harta karun bernilai AS$80 juta (RM241.8 juta) yang ditemui di dalam sebuah kapal yang karam di perairan Indonesia 1,000 tahun dahulu sekali lagi akan dijual.

Dikenali sebagai Harta Karun Cirebon, ia ditemui di dalam bangkai sebuah kapal dekat Pelabuhan Cirebon di Pulau Jawa dan mengandungi sekitar 250,000 objek berharga termasuk kristal, mutiara dan emas.

“Harta karun ini adalah yang terbesar pernah ditemui di Asia Tenggara berdasarkan kualiti atau kuantiti,” kata Pengarah Cosmix Underwater Research Ltd., Luc Heymans dalam satu e-mel kepada agensi berita Assoicated French Press.

Syarikat berkenaan yang beribu pejabat di Dubai, Emiriyah Arab Bersatu bertanggungjawab mengangkut harta karun itu dari dasar laut.

Harta karun itu ditemui dari bangkai sebuah kapal sedalam 57 meter oleh beberapa nelayan Indonesia.

Kira-kira 22,000 selaman dilakukan di antara April 2004 dan Oktober 2005 yang dibiayai syarikat berkenaan selepas pihak berkuasa Indonesia memberikan kebenaran untuk mengangkut harta karun berkenaan.

Firma berkenaan gagal mencari pembeli apabila harta karun tersebut dijual pada satu lelongan di Indonesia pada tahun 2010.

Ia kemudian dieksport ke Singapura.

“Harta karun itu akan dijual di Singapura,” kata Heymans. – AFP

02 Mac 2012

Elephants get their feathers ruffled by a flock of angry birds

Flock and awe ... birds spook elephants
Flock and awe ... birds spook elephants
Caters News Agency

DETERMINED to keep their favourite roosting spot free from unwanted intruders, this is the incredible moment a giant cloud of tiny birds spook a herd of elephants.

Thousands of starling-sized queleas come together to form an imposing barrier which prevents the thirsty beasts from reaching a watering hole.

The five-ton giants soon concede defeat to the possessive flock of tiny birds — and leave to quench their thirst elsewhere.

Photographer Antero Topp, 60, was at the Satao Camp waterhole in East Tsavo, Kenya, when the mayhem broke out.

Queleas keep control of their territory
Wall of wings ... queleas keep control of their territory
Caters News Agency

He said: "The birds spent most of the time feeding somewhere close to the waterhole but every morning and evening they gathered in huge flocks close to the water.

"There are big trees close to the waterhole where the birds landed and at that time we suddenly heard a strong crack.

"A huge branch had been broken by the weight of these tiny birds despite them only weighing about ten grams each.

"All the birds took off and you could hear an unbelievable whoosh and after that birds' ear breaking calls.

Queleas are the world's most abundant bird species
Spooky ... queleas are the world's most abundant bird species
Caters News Agency

"Despite their size faced with the huge flocks of birds I was surprised to see the elephants actually back away maybe 50 metres, and some even ran.

"I think the elephants were afraid of the size and shape of the flocks and the almost supernatural whoosh noise made as they all took to the air."

Red-billed queleas are the world's most abundant wild bird species, with an estimated breeding population of 1.5billion pairs.

On top of the world – the climber who felt like he was walking on clouds

Remi McMurtry at the peak a 4,744-foot high volcano in Iceland
Climber ... Remi looks like he's on top of the world

THIS is the moment a climber felt truly on top of the world as he scaled a 4,744-foot volcano.

Surrounded by clouds Remi McMurtry is photographed by his climbing partner from another part of the Snffellsjvkull glacier.

Remi and pal Will Copestake ventured to the Icelandic peak after craving an adventure and pulling the name out of a hat of destinations.

The climb was part of a 27-day hike across Iceland and the pair had to endure the coldest June in Iceland for 59 years.

Will said: "We set off around midday, in summer in Iceland the sun shines 24 hours, so you're not really constrained by light.

"We spent the entire climb in the clouds, not really able to see what we were doing, once we got to the top we had to wait 20 minutes before the clouds cleared enough.

"We both love climbing and the local people said it was a nice mountain to climb as it was quite rounded and not very steep.

"When I looked at the photograph of Remi I thought 'that looks like a stairway to heaven', with the rock pointing out of the clouds he could have been at the pearly gates."

Snffellsjvkull is Icelandic for "snow-fells glacier" or "snow-mountains glacier" and is 700,000 year old stratovolcano with a glacier covering its summit It's a famous location in Iceland, primarily due to the novel 'A Journey to the Centre of the Earth' by Jules Verne, in which the characters find the entrance to a passage leading to the centre of the earth on Snffellsjvkull.

Both of the 21-year-old fearless hikers, who are based in Stirling, were told about the mountain by locals in the nearby city of Reykjavmk The climb was a break from the duo's country crossing fundraising attempts for little known charity, Made in Ullapool, a small social enterprise aimed at providing for vulnerable adults.

Ferrari F12 Berlinetta

Ferrari F12berlinetta 468x330 Ferrari F12 Berlinetta

Ferrari has unveiled the fastest road-car it has ever produced, ahead of the vehicle’s debut at the Geneva Motor Show (March 8-18)

The F12 Berlinetta can streak from 0-100km/h in 3.1 seconds and continue up to 200km/h in just 8.5 seconds, thanks to a host of powertrain and design changes.

Ferrari F12 Berlinetta supercar 468x350 Ferrari F12 Berlinetta

A futuristic bodyframe made out of new alloys has helped bring weight down to 1,525kg, less than the previous V12 Fiorano model, as well as increasing the structural integrity of the vehicle.

Ferrari F12 Berlinetta photo 468x350 Ferrari F12 Berlinetta

Underneath the hood is a 6.3-liter V12 that generates about 740 horsepower, Ferrari confirmed, more than its serious rival the Lamborghini Aventador.

Ferrari F12 Berlinetta interior 468x350 Ferrari F12 Berlinetta

Extensive time in the wind tunnel has helped Ferrari boost downforce by 76 percent and significantly reduce drag, thanks to a hood design to channel air away from the top of the car and ‘Active Brake Cooling’, which only opens the guide vanes to the brake cooling ducts at high operating temperatures, reducing drag.

Ferrari F12 Berlinetta inside 468x350 Ferrari F12 Berlinetta

The automaker’s attempt to jump on the environmental bandwagon has resulted in a reduction in fuel consumption of 30 percent and carbon dioxide emissions of 350 g/km — not bad for a high-performance sports car, but unlikely to win any green prizes anytime soon.

Ferrari F12 Berlinetta back 468x350 Ferrari F12 Berlinetta

Surat Khalifah Abu Hafs kepada Pope dipamerkan


SEPUCUK surat daripada Khalifah Abu Hafs dipamerkan di Capitol Hill, Rom kelmarin.

ROM, Itali - Sepucuk surat daripada Khalifah Abu Hafs Umar al-Murtada dari Maghribi kepada Ketua Gereja Roman Katolik, Pope Innocent IV dipamerkan di sini kelmarin.

Surat itu bertarikh 10 Jun 1250 dari Marrakesh, Maghribi. Abu Hafs memerintah sebahagian kawasan di Maghribi dari tahun 1248 sehingga 1266 Masihi.

Surat tersebut merupakan sebahagian dokumen yang dipamerkan pada pameran Arkib Rahsia Vatican yang diadakan di Capitol Hill, Rom.

Pameran itu dibuka kepada orang awam bermula semalam dan akan berakhir pada September depan.

- Agensi

DUIT