The Sideshow Killer crocodile sets record as world’s largest in captivity

Bunawan Mayor Edwin Cox Elorde stands over Lolong, the giant crocodile.

Lolong, a man-eating beast feared by locals, has set a Guinness Book of World Records mark as the world's largest saltwater crocodile in captivity.

The giant crocodile measures 20.24 feet, weighs more than a ton and was blamed for several deaths before its capture by officials in the southern Philippines town of Bunawan in September, 2011.

And while Lolong has brought some tourist dollars into the small town, its capture has also stirred fears that other giant killer crocs might be lurking in the local waters.

"There were mixed feelings," Bunawan Mayor Edwin Cox Elorde told the Associated Press. "We're really proud because it proves the rich biodiversity of our place but at the same time, there are fears that Lolong may not be alone."

In fact, Elorde says he spotted an even larger crocodile escape when he and about 100 others combined their efforts to capture Lolong. It took a combination of ropes and cranes to bring in the giant crocodile, which was pursued after a child was killed in 2009 and a fisherman went missing. Lolong was named after an official who died of a heart attack after traveling to Bunawan to assist in the capture.

Since its capture, Lolong has become something of a tourist attraction and is the star of a new ecotourism and research center in the town. And while the park has brought in $72,000 in park fees since Lolong's debut, most of that money goes to feeding and taking care of the crocodile.

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Williams' Pastor Maldonado wins Spanish Grand Prix

William's Venezuelan driver Pastor Maldonado drives at the Circuit
de Catalunya on May 13, 2012 in Montmelo on the outskirts of
Barcelona during the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix. 

-- PHOTO: AFP

BARCELONA (AFP) - Venezuela's Pastor Maldonado claimed his maiden Formula One win, and handed Williams their first since 2004, with victory in the Spanish Grand Prix here on Sunday.

Spaniard Fernando Alonso finished second with Finn Kimi Raikkonen in third as Maldonado made the most of inheriting pole position from Lewis Hamilton after the Briton was relegated to the back of the pack on Saturday. McLaren driver Hamilton finished in eighth place at over a minute behind as Maldonado won a thrilling duel with Ferrari's former two-time world champion Alonso.

Alonso's runner-up place gave him 18 points and the championship lead at the expense of defending world champion Sebastian Vettel, who was sixth in a Red Bull having started from seventh on the grid.

Maldonado's maiden win handed Williams their 114th overall, but their first in the series since fellow South American Juan Pablo Montoya won the Brazilian Grand Prix in 2004.

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Rossi: 'I cannot ride this Ducati'

Valentino Rossi

A downbeat Valentino Rossi conceded that at present he simply cannot get to grips with the 2012 Ducati after struggling to 10th place in the Qatar Grand Prix.

The seven-time MotoGP champion was a long way off the pace throughout the Losail weekend, and could not match team-mate Nicky Hayden's pace.

While Rossi said an earlier clash with Hector Barbera was a factor in his Qatar result, he admitted that the biggest problem was that the bike did not suit him at all.

"I had big problems at the beginning of the race: when we are on new tyres I struggle under braking," he told Italian broadcaster Mediaset. "On top of that, I lost four or five seconds after coming together with Barbera. I then managed to improve a bit and on the last lap I even managed to set my quickest lap on worn tyres. But it's useless, we struggle to be competitive.

"I can't ride this bike, I can't make the difference, I can't even keep up with Hayden's pace, who I used to go quick against in comparison. In theory, with new tyres I should go quicker. Nicky managed to do a good race with the other works Ducati, but he still ended up only sixth."

Rossi fears that 2012 could end up being even harder than last year, when he took just one podium finish.

"In Jerez testing it went better, sixth with the quicker tyres," he said. "But that's our pace, it's not an attractive objective to be fighting for sixth place. We are used to better objectives.

"Probably we are going worse than last year because we managed to be seventh back then... What can I say? I want to be frank. I can't ride this bike well, even in comparison with my fellow Ducati riders.

"This Ducati has problems: I gave indications over where to intervene, but we didn't solve our problems. Unfortunately I'm no engineer and can't do anything about it. At least the positive aspect is that I don't crash with this chassis. That's something at least."

The Italian added that he was finding it hard to be optimistic as Ducati had failed to progress from a disappointing start in 2011.

"We ran out of hope last year. More than hope we need a better bike," Rossi said. "But I wouldn't want to expose myself like I did last year, by thinking and hoping that the second chassis development would be an improvement.

"I tried to be a professional. When Barbera pushed me out I even considered returning to the pits, but then I stayed out in order to give our technicians some data to study so as to improve things."

-Eurosport

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Tarikh Akhir Penyertaan Cabaran Ford Ranger Global Malaysia Dilanjutkan kepada 15 April 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, 6 April 2012 - Ford Malaysia hari ini mengumumkan pelanjutan tarikh akhir bagi para peserta untuk mengemukakan idea bagi Cabaran Ford Ranger Global kerana sambutan luar biasa yang diterima. Tarikh tutup baru bagi mencadangkan cabaran lasak dunia sebenar untuk ditempuhi oleh Ranger serba baru ialah 15 April 2012.

Pemandu Malaysia yang ingin menjadi salah seorang daripada lima peserta bertuah yang dipilih untuk memandu dan menguji kesahihan dakwaan “Binaan Teguh Ford” harus mengambil kesempatan daripada tempoh yang dilanjutkan ini dan menghantar idea cabaran mereka dalam talian.

Peserta ini bukan sahaja akan menjadi antara pengguna pertama di Malaysia untuk menguji Ford Ranger serba baru dan menjadikan cabaran lasak mereka satu kenyataan, malah cabaran terbaik berasaskan pilihan umum akan memandu pulang sebuah Ranger XLT 2.2L (transmisi manual) serba baru.

Antara idea cabaran unggul yang telah dikemukakan oleh pemandu Malaysia setakat ini termasuk pemanduan lasak lagi mencabar selama 13 jam dari Kuching ke Long Seridan, memandu ke Tanjung Tualang di Perak untuk menangkap ikan peacock bass dan ekpedisi menjelajah muka bumi Kuala Mu yang sungguh mencabar.

Dibina untuk dibawa ke jalan lasak tanpa sebarang keraguan, Ford Ranger serba baru bukan sahaja telah meredah jalan yang diliputi oleh salji dan ais, tetapi juga merentasi hutan hujan tropika dan sungai pedalaman dalam ujian Cabaran Ford Ranger Global yang ditempuhi di tempat lain dunia. Kenderaan ini juga telah mendaki pergunungan berbatu, mengangkut gajah dan diuji sepenuhnya oleh pemandu yang membawanya ke tempat yang tidak boleh ditempuh oleh trak biasa.

“Di merata dunia, pengguna trak menggunakan trak mereka secara lasak, meyakini kesetiaan trak mereka yang bekerja keras setiap hari,” kata David Westerman, Pengurus Serantau, Asia Pasifik, Operasi Eksport & Pertumbuhan Asia. Kini kami memerlukan bantuan pengguna Malaysia untuk membuktikan bahawa Ford Ranger serba baru ialah trak terbaik dengan keupayaan yang boleh diyakini untuk memberikan prestasi terbaik kepada mereka.”

“Malaysia ialah sebuah pasaran yang sangat penting bagi Ford, sebab itulah ia merupakan salah sebuah negara pertama di Asia untuk melancarkan Cabaran Ford Ranger Global. Kami mengalu-alukan seberapa ramai pengguna Malaysia untuk mengambil bahagian dan membentuk sebahagian daripada masyarakat sedunia yang mencuba sendiri keupayaan Ford Ranger serba baru dengan menguji keupayaan trak sehingga ke hadnya,” tambah Westerman.

Dengan tahap kecekapan prestasi tinggi dan keselesaan dalaman untuk menyokong binaan yang teguh dan tahan lasak, Ford Ranger serba baru ialah pilihan sempurna bagi pemandu bandar dan juga pemandu lasak. Cabaran Global Ford Ranger yang dilancarkan dengan jayanya di Australia tahun lepas baru-baru ini mendapat sambutan hangat di Thailand dan Afrika Selatan. Cabaran tersebut turut menguji pesaing Ranger serba baru di seluruh Eropah dan Amerika Selatan.

Bagaimana Cabaran Ranger Global Dilaksanakan

Mulai hari ini, peserta boleh menghantar permohonan di laman web rasmi Cabaran Ford Ranger Global Malaysia – www.fordrangerchallenge.com.my atau www.ford.net.my – menjelaskan mengapa cabaran unik mereka ialah cara terbaik untuk menguji keupayaan Ford Ranger serba baru.

Cabaran ini juga boleh disertai melalui laman Facebook Ford Malaysia – www.facebook.com/FordRangerMY.

Penyertaan akan diterima sehingga tengah malam pada 15 April 2012.

Daripada penyertaan yang diterima, lima peserta pertandingan akhir akan dipilih oleh panel hakim. Pemilihan adalah berasaskan kualiti dan kreativiti penyertaan, dan peserta akhir akan diumumkan oleh Ford pada 1 Mei 2012.

Sebuah Ford Ranger serba baru akan dipinjamkan kepada setiap satu daripada lima peserta pertandingan akhir untuk menjalani cabaran yang terpilih dengan bantuan kakitangan filem profesional yang disediakan oleh Ford.

Sedutan cabaran yang dilalui oleh setiap peserta akan dimuat masuk ke laman web Cabaran Global Ford Ranger untuk membolehkan orang ramai melihat dan mengundi cabaran kegemaran mereka.

Pemenang akan dipilih berasaskan undian yang diterima dan keputusan akhir pengadil, dan akan diumumkan di majlis pelancaran Ranger serba baru di Malaysia. Pemenang bertuah ini akan memandu pulang hadiah tiada tandingan iaitu sebuah Ford Ranger XLT 2.2L (transmisi manual) serba baru.

Di samping itu, mereka yang mengundi di dalam talian akan dimasukkan di dalam cabutan bertuah untuk memenangi pelbagai hadiah.

Untuk maklumat lanjut, sila kunjungi laman web rasmi Cabaran Ford Ranger Global Malaysia www.fordrangerchallenge.com.my

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MOTOGP » 'Realist' Rossi 'a long way off' heading to Qatar

“I'm a realist, and I know well that our times are still a long way off and 

that there are still some things to fix” – Valentino Rossi.

A lot has changed in the year since Valentino Rossi made his Ducati debut at Qatar in 2011.

But despite multiple frame incarnations - leading up to the full twin-spar chassis on the final version of this year's GP12 - and MotoGP's switch from 800 to 1000cc engines, the Italian finds himself in a similar position to last year heading into Sunday's season-opening night race.

A strong debut test at Sepang with the GP12 was followed by a wrong turn with set-up at the second Malaysian visit, which took until the final day of the Jerez test to correct. 

Rossi, seventh in the championship with one podium last year, concluded the pre-season with the sixth fastest lap time, 0.953sec behind Casey Stoner (Honda) in Spain.

At Qatar 2011, Rossi took the chequered flag in seventh place, 16 seconds from winner Stoner after 22 laps. 

Although optimistic that he and Ducati are back on track in terms of set-up, The Doctor doesn't expect any miracles when it comes to taking on the pace-setting factory Hondas and Yamahas this weekend.

“We worked hard over the winter, and although we went the wrong direction at one point, we once again managed to find the good feeling with the GP12 that we'd had in the first test,” said Rossi.

“With those settings, which we'll start with in Qatar, I was able to get good feedback from the bike. 

“At Losail it will be very important to work well during the sessions leading up to qualifying so that we can increase our confidence step by step as we approach Saturday, always trying to maximize our potential. 

“I'm a realist, and I know well that our times are still a long way off and that there are still some things to fix. 

“We won't be able to address some of them right away, but it's also true that both we at the track and the guys back home now have a direction to work in, and we must try to do as well as we can. 

“We won't completely redo the bike during the season, but we'll try to progress little by little,” concluded the 79-time 500cc/MotoGP race winner.

Upgrades for the GP12 are already in the pipeline, but are not expected to be race ready for at least several rounds.

“We know that other steps await and we've planned for them, and as always, the races will give us more accurate answers than the tests,” said team manager Vittoriano Guareschi. 

“Although our priority will be to work toward putting Vale and Nicky [Hayden] in the best conditions possible for Sunday, I'm sure that we'll also gather important information to help us continue improving our bike.”

Opening practice at Losail takes place on Thursday evening.

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