Menara kedua tertinggi dunia siap 2015

Menara Shanghai setinggi 121 tingkat dan berkeluasan 380,000 meter persegi.

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SHANGHAI - Menara Shanghai bakal menjadi bangunan tertinggi di China dan kedua di dunia apabila ia siap dibina dua tahun lagi, lapor sebuah akhbar semalam.

Apabila siap pada 2015, menara tersebut akan menjadikan beberapa bangunan pencakar langit di daerah kewangan Lujiazui di sini kelihatan kerdil.

Bangunan tertinggi di China akan dibuka secara rasmi pada tahun yang sama.
Bangunan yang mempunyai 121 tingkat dengan keluasan 380,000 meter persegi itu akan memiliki ketinggian 632 meter apabila palang bumbungnya dipasang.

Ketinggian itu mengatasi bangunan Pusat Kewangan Dunia Shanghai yang mencatat ketinggian 492 meter dan Menara Jinmao setinggi 421 meter.

Menara tersebut dibina bersebelahan bangunan ikonik Menara Mutiara Oriental dekat Pudong, di sini. - Agensi

The ultimate tree house?

At first glance it looks as though a giant insect has made a nest in these trees.

But this fascinating structure is the result of students challenged to make a shelter using forest  materials.

Budding designers Hugo Urrutia, Abdullah Omar Asghar Khan and Karjvit Rirermvanich spent five weeks planning, building and installing their creation.

Ecofriendly: The cocoon treehouse weaves between trees is an eco-friendly design made from a timber that was felled in the same forrest

The futuristic cocoon weaves between trees in Hooke Park near Beaminster, Dorset, suspended two metres above the forest floor by hemp ropes.

The eco-friendly tree house was milled from a five-metre section of cedar wood that had been felled in park’s 350-acre forest just days before.

The trio, from the Architectural Association School, in London, scoured the forest to find the perfect spot for their treehouse - and settled on an area of woodland in front of a clearing giving perfect views of the setting sun.

They then created a 12-piece skeleton before wrapping it in strands of plywood to create an amazing tunnel effect.

The 900lb cocoon took 20 people to carry it into position before it was hoisted off the ground under the forest canopy.

The unique design is the brainchild of a group of students who set about making a cutting edge shelter from materials found in Hooke Park near Beaminster, Dorse

Suspended and woven between three trees the cocoon took five weeks to plan, build and install

Budding designers Hugo Urrutia, Abdullah Omar Asghar Khan and Karjvit Rirermvanich created a 12-piece skeleton before wrapping it in strands of ply wood to create an amazing tunnel effect

Hugo, 38, from London, said: 'The challenge was to create a shelter of any kind using materials available from the forest.

'We wanted to figure out how to put a shelter in the trees without damaging them in any way.

'Eventually we came up with a way of suspending the shelter like a hammock with hemp rope.

Student designer Hugo, said: 'The best part is that the entrance points to the setting sun so you can sit and watch the sun go down.'

Craftsmanship: The students used cedar felled nearby in the same forest the cocoon was hung

The designers opted for series of rings 'wrapped' in planks of wood giving it a natural cocoon effect

'The Cocoon represents a journey through the forest, inviting and challenging the visitor to anticipate, imagine, explore and discover the natural beauty of the forest from a completely different perspective.

'The Cocoon brings the visitor closer to the canopy of the trees and surrounding environment.

'Being part of the design of the Cocoon was a wonderful experience.
'Everyone loves a tree house - they evoke incredible memories of childhood.

Early stages: two of the designers hard at work with the early stages of the covering the wooden rings

Beginning to take shape: The sheer scale and final appearance of the structure begin to become apparent 

Hanging day: It took the use of an industrial sized fork-lift truck to move the finished piece out from its design studio

'The three of us were very proud to be able to stand back and take in our creation.

'The smell inside is amazing and the untreated wood changes colour and shape as it ages.

'You can still feel a gentle breeze through the wood, and you really appreciate how light falls on it.

'The best part is that the entrance points to the setting sun so you can sit and watch the sun go down.'

But the last stretch of the journey had to be done using good old-fashioned manpower

Resting place: Ropes and pulleys were used to position the wooden cocoon suspended among three trees

Fancy a taste of the life of the mega-rich?

• Billionaire Chelsea boss has decided to use luxury yachts as a cash cow
• Eclipse, a 557ft floating palace, is available for £1.6m a week
• Features 18 cabins, two helipads, a missile defence system and submarine
• Superyacht is armour-plated and boasts swimming pool and nightclub
• 380ft Luna also available for hire for £1m a week

Keen sailors with a healthy bank balance could find themselves in the same boat as Roman Abramovich - literally - because the mega-rich Chelsea boss has decided to hire out his luxury yachts for a staggering total of £2.6million a week.

The Russian business tycoon, who is known for his love of fast cars and private jets, also has a penchant for collecting superyachts.

But as he can only use one at a time, Abramovich has decided to use the vessels as a cash cow and charter them out for an eye-watering figure - plus running costs.

Very Nice: The luxury yacht Eclipse, seen in the bay of Villefranche sur Mer, southern France, can be hired for £1.6m a week

His 557ft Eclipse yacht is available for a rumoured £1.65 million ($2.5m) a week.

Until earlier this year Eclipse was the world's largest private yacht, but has now been pipped to the top spot by Azzam, a 590ft floating palace built by German firm Lurssen and owned by a Middle East businessman.

Nevertheless, there are plenty of luxurious features that Eclipse has to offer.

 

Completed in 2010, the yacht has 18 cabins sleeping 34 guests, two helipads, a missile defence system and an accompanying submarine.

It also features a 16-metre swimming pool, theatre and nightclub and is reputedly armour-plated with bulletproof windows.

Eclipse is so large that many marinas can't contain it. In New York, the captain had to dock it in the same place where cruise ships normally anchor.

Abramovich's 557-foot yacht Eclipse, which has lost the title of the world's largest private yacht to the newly-launched Azzam measuring 590-foot, had to be anchored where cruise ships normally anchor in New York

Luxury on the water: Eclipse was until recently the world's largest private yacht

Abramovich's other yacht is the Luna, a 380ft vessel which is available for charter at a weekly price of around £1m ($1.5m).
It also has two helipads and a nightclub and was bought by the privacy-loving Russian in 2010.

With both boats in use, Abramovich could be looking at earning £2.5 million a week - enough to cover 75 per cent of Chelsea FC's weekly wage bill.

And despite these whopping costs, the price does not include running costs or staff. 

Eclipse has a 1m litre tank and a range of around 8,000 nautical miles.
The dreamboats are being advertised for charter through SuperYachts Monaco.

Super yacht: Luna measures 115 metres (377 ft) - and could be yours for £1m a week

Fit for the fleet: Pelorus, which measures 115 metres (377 ft) and was built in 2003, was given to his second wife Irina as part of their divorce settlement in 2009

In his navy: Ecstasea, measuring 85 metres (279 ft) had a high cruising speed and was one of the first luxury yachts bought by Abramovich. He sold the boat to an unnamed buyer in 2009

Smooth sailing: Abromavich's yacht Sussaro

Lendir siput untuk awet muda

IMEJ menunjukkan tiga ekor siput sedang mengesot di muka seorang pelanggan di Jepun.- AFP

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TOKYO - Pengalaman merasai beberapa ekor siput hidup mengesot di muka bukan sesuatu yang menyeronokkan, namun sebuah syarikat di Jepun telah menyediakan perkhidmatan itu untuk rawatan kecantikan muka terkini.

Rawatan yang pertama kali dicipta itu diharapkan mendapat sambutan dan orang ramai sanggup membayar untuk merasai pengalaman tersebut.

Bermula hari ini, wanita yang mahu membuang sel kulit mati, membersihkan pori-pori muka dan meremajakan muka boleh mendapatkan terapi siput selama lima minit.

"Lendir daripada siput itu membantu menanggalkan sel-sel mati, menyembuhkan kulit selepas terkena sinaran matahari dan melembabkan semula kulit.

"Dengan cara ini anda akan menikmati intipati siput tulen 100 peratus secara langsung pada kulit," kata seorang jurucakap sebuah salon kecantikan, Ci:z.Labo di Tokyo, Manami Takamura.

Lendir siput itu dipercayai mempunyai kesan antipenuaan ke atas kulit manusia.
Selain itu, beberapa jenis kosmetik telah dijual dengan kandungan intipati siput escargot tersebut.

Kos untuk siput itu sahaja bernilai 10,500 yen (RM336), tidak termasuk caj rawatan. - AFP

Fosil cicak dalam batu ambar

SEEKOR cicak purba ditemui di dalam ketulan batu ambar di Mexico semalam.- Agensi

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SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, Mexico - Sepasukan saintis di Mexico sedang mengkaji fosil lengkap seekor cicak purba yang pernah hidup sekitar 23 juta tahun dahulu yang terpelihara di dalam seketul batu ambar, lapor sebuah akhbar kelmarin.

Fosil ambar yang berbentuk trapezoid dengan bangkai cicak di dalamnya ditemui beberapa bulan lalu di pusat cari gali ambar di Simojovel, Chiapas di sini.

Kebiasaannya, batu ambar akan mengandungi tumbuhan-tumbuhan dan haiwan kecil di dalamnya, namun untuk menemui haiwan yang sempurna seperti cicak tersebut, ia jarang berlaku.

Kajian awal mendapati cicak itu merupakan seekor spesies baharu cicak daripada keluarga Anolis.

Penemuan itu kini dipamerkan di Muzium Ambar di sini.

Saintis Universiti Autonomi Kebangsaan Mexico, Francisco Riquelme berkata, spesimen itu berukuran 4.5 sentimeter panjang dengan 1.3 sentimeter lebar.

Spesimen cicak itu masih lengkap mempunyai tisu kulit dan tisu badan yang lembut. - Agensi

Roman’s soldiers

The foreign owners in English top flight

KHAN OPENER ... new Fulham owner chats with fellow NFL boss Bob Kraft ahead of American football clash in Florida

GRIDIRON boss Shahid Khan last night became the latest foreign owner in the Premier League Billionaires’ Row.

Khan wrapped up a £150million buy-out of former Harrods chief Mohamed Fayed to take control at Craven Cottage.

The Pakistan-born car-parts tycoon, who is also top man at NFL franchise Jacksonville Jaguars, joins NINE other non-British owners in the top flight.

And to help Khan, 62, settle in, we have put together a guide to his fellow foreign supremos.

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Arsenal — Stan Kroenke, USA

WARM WELCOME ... but Stan has not received blanket support

SILENT Stan owns 67 per cent of Arsenal — but is locked in a multi-national power battle with Uzbek billionaire Alisher Usmanov, who wants a greater say in club affairs.

They both could be on the way out though with a mega-money Arab consortium thought to be weighing up a £1.5bn takeover bid.

Like Khan, Kroenke is a big noise in US sport and also owns NFL side St Louis Rams.

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Aston Villa — Randy Lerner, USA

LERNING CURVE ... owner, far right, checks in on Villa training

LERNER has seen Villa slip from top-four contenders to relegation fodder since Martin O’Neill walked out in protest in 2010.

The New York-born former Cleveland Browns owner has shelled out nearly £300MILLION in his Villa stay.

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Cardiff City — Vincent Tan, Malaysia

VIN BONUS ... it's a red-letter day for Tan as Cardiff seal promotion

TAN sparked fan fury when he switched City’s traditional blue kit in 2012 — due to a superstition in his native Malaysia.

He also changed the club’s nickname from Bluebirds to Red Dragons. But the gamble paid off and the Welsh side stormed to the Championship title last term.

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Chelsea — Roman Abramovich, Russia

FAN-KS A MILLION ... supporters greet Rom following 2003 takeover

OLIGARCH was the original overseas sugar daddy when he bought out Ken Bates ten years ago,

Red Rom transformed Chelski into Premier League title winners but has come under fire for revolving-door managerial policy.

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Hull City — Assem Allam, Egypt

HULL OF A GUY ... Allam, left, is presented with chairman Russell Bartlett and son Ehab after buying City

ALLAM took the reigns at Hull in 2010 with the club leaking money following relegation from the Premier League.

The manufacturing magnate, who fled his native Egypt in 1968, pumped £36million into the Tigers to stave off administration — and last year got his reward as the club sealed a return to the top flight.

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Liverpool — John W Henry, USA

TOP OF THE KOPS ... Henry, right, watches on with wife Linda Pizzuti

YANK Henry, head of the Fenway Sports Group, is another mogul with teams both sides of the pond.

The Liverpool owner is also in charge of the Boston Red Sox and took control from Anfield’s hated Americans Tom Hicks and George Gillett in 2010.

Split fan opinion when he pushed legend Kenny Dalglish towards the Kop exit door in May 2012.

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Manchester City — Sheikh Mansour, Abu Dhabi

MIDDLE EASTLANDS ... Sheikh Mansour greets City fans on his first trip to the Etihad

ARAB Royal changed Premier League forever when he bought City from ex-Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. 

Mansour’s family is thought to be SIXTY times more wealthy than Roman Abramovich.
And he flexed that financial muscle to deliver a first Premier League crown to City in 2012 — and transform the Etihad side into permanent title contenders.

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Manchester United — Malcolm Glazer, USA

SIGN OF THE TIMES ... United faithful protest against Glazer regime in 2010

AMERICAN’S debt-laden 2005 takeover has left Glazer one of the most hated owners in English football history.

Yet vicious fan protests were toned down last season as United cantered to a 20th Premier League title

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Sunderland — Ellis Short, USA

SHORT PHEWS ... Ellis partied with fans after relief of Prem survival

POPULAR American owner Short downed drinks with fans after Sunderland beat the drop earlier this year.

Greeted the President of Tanzania last month wearing a badge with the acronym FTM — an anti-Newcastle jibe standing for ‘F*** the Mags’.

Teenager transforms bugs

A teenager has found photographic success using the most unlikely of models - bugs he found lying around his parents’ house.

Francis Prior makes humble house insects look more like cartoon drawings after mastering the art of the extreme close-up.

The 19-year-old amateur photographer uses a special macro lens to capture the tiniest of details, many invisible to the human eye.

Francis Prior makes humble house insects, like this ant (pictured) look more like cartoon drawings after mastering the art of the extreme close-up

The 19-year-old amateur photographer uses a macro lens to capture the smallest of details invisible to the human eye, like the mesmerising eyes of this jumping spider

After rounding up dead insects such as this moths from every corner of his parents' home in Halewood, Liverpool, Francis sets them up in his insect studio

 
After rounding up dead spiders, flies and beetles from every corner of his parents’ home in Halewood, Liverpool, Mr Prior sets them up in his insect studio.

He takes the detailed shots of the insects using his Canon 550D digital SLR camera.

Using homemade photographic equipment he created from household objects, he sets about painstakingly capturing every micrometre of the insects on camera.

 

Mr Prior has devised a way of fixing the insect just 0.1 milimetre from his camera lens.

The incredible images can feature up to 100 shots layered on top of one another, and each one takes up to six hours to produce.
They can be magnified 40 times before losing any picture quality.

Using homemade photographic equipment he created from household objects, he sets about painstakingly capturing every micrometre of the insects on camera - like this black ant's antennas

The incredible images can feature up to 100 shots layered on top of one another. A Horsefly is pictured

The photographs, such as this one of a moth, can take six hours to produce

Mr Prior, a biology student at Aberystwyth University in Wales, said: 'Two years ago I bought a digital SLR camera and was keen to learn how to use it properly.

'I came across other people doing macro photography and I was just blown away.

'I spent months researching the technique but because I was on such a tight budget I decided to build my own equipment.'

Francis Prior is fascinated by tony details of insects. Right is a photo of  midgy flies wings at twenty times magnification and left, a drone fly's eye at the same magnification

Details of a dance fly (left) and green speckled bush cricket (right) in all their technicolour glory

His decision to photograph insects is born from his love of nature as a child.

He said: 'Sometimes I go looking outside for insects to be models but often I just look around the house for spiders and flies.
'I have always appreciated nature and when I was younger I wanted to be a vet.

'Nature is beautiful but there are so many amazing things that you can’t see with your own eyes.

'By taking time to come face to face with a spider as it gazes up at you with its eight wondrous eyes, you can only wonder what else there is to see past our limit of vision.

These macro images unlock a whole new world that you wouldn't otherwise be able to see, said Francis Prior. Pictured is a millipede 

Macro camera lenses allow photographers to capture every tiny hair, as seen on this hoverfly 

The best bit is sitting back and appreciating the image and studying the detail.' Pictured is a wasp

'These macro images unlock a whole new world that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to see.

'Each photo can take around six hours to set up and shoot but the end result makes it all worthwhile.

'The best bit is sitting back and appreciating the image and studying the detail.

'I don’t do this for money - I just do it to show people how amazing nature can be.'

This is the head of an shield bug. Mr prior takes his photos to show how amazing nature is 

The Macro lens captures every part of a horse fly's eye at ten times magnification 

Even the ugly mealworm looks incredible up close thanks to Mr Prior's meticulous approach to photography

Shahid Khan... the prospective new Fulham owner

Shahid Khan’s first attempt to break into sport was thwarted by Stan Kroenke, but he has not been deterred and he certainly eclipses Arsenal’s American owner when it comes to charisma and facial hair.
 
Khan’s plans to buy St Louis Rams were dashed by Kroenke in 2010 but he satisfied the urge to own an NFL gridiron team when he bought the Jacksonville Jaguars for around £500million nearly two years later.

It was a swift and clean takeover, which bodes well for his effort to track Kroenke across the Atlantic to London and the Barclays Premier League with an attempt to buy Fulham from Mohamed Al Fayed.

Charismatic: Shahid Khan could be a suitable successor to Mohamed Al Fayed

If he succeeds, English football can welcome a colourful billionaire. He was born in Lahore in Pakistan and educated in the USA and made his fortune in car parts before the man known as ‘Shad’ and his handlebar moustache stormed into sport to complete the ‘American Dream’ storyline.
 
When buying the Jaguars he made a verbal commitment to fans to keep the team in Florida, but was not afraid to act when his first year at the helm produced only two wins from 16 games. Khan dismissed both the general manager and head coach. Beware manager Martin Jol and chief executive Alistair Mackintosh.

His son Tony has since joined the operations team, responsible for a data-led team-building process although at pains to stress it is not a ‘Moneyball’ system.

Under threat? Martin Jol's and Alistair Mackintosh's positions could become uncertain

Despite poor displays on the pitch, Khan has proved a popular owner fully aware he is the face of one of the sport’s weaker franchises. He is determined to lead an unashamed brand expansion which includes stadium improvements and a deal to play games in London at Wembley.
 
‘We want to be part of the fabric of sport in London,’ said Khan, keen to tap into the English connection to the Sunshine State. ‘The English love an underdog and we will definitely be playing that role.’
Fulham, too, may find it has a part in this plan.