THE record for the world's tallest tower is set to be broken yet again... this time by the Bin Laden family. The new skyscraper will measure one kilometre high and will be located in Saudi Arabia. The tower will outdo Gulf neighbour Dubai, which inaugurated its own record-breaking skyscraper the 828m Burj Khalifa less than two years ago.

The Saudis awarded a more than $1 billion contract for a spire, to be named the Kingdom Tower. It will have a Four Seasons hotel, serviced apartments, luxury condominiums and offices, encompassing, in all, about half a million square metres.

Kingdom Holding Co, the investment firm headed by billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, said it signed a $1 billion deal with the Saudi Binladen Group to build Kingdom Tower on the outskirts of the Red Sea city of Jeddah.

The Saudi construction giant is owned by the family of Osama bin Laden. The family disavowed the slain al-Qaeda terror group leader years ago.

"We intend Kingdom Tower to become both an economic engine and a proud symbol of the Kingdom's economic and cultural stature in the world community,'' Talal Al Maiman, a board member of KHC and the Jeddah Economic Co, a KHC-affiliate that signed the deal with the Binladen Group, said.

"We envision Kingdom Tower as a new iconic marker of Jeddah's historic importance as the traditional gateway to the holy city of Mecca.''

The tower, designed by Chicago-based Adrian Smith & Gordon Gill Architecture, is the first phase of the planned Kingdom City, a sprawling, $20 billion, two-square mile urban development project first announced in 2008 as the global financial crisis was squeezing world markets.

It is one of several ambitious mega-ventures in the kingdom.

In June 2009, KHC signed a deal with Dubai-based Emaar Properties to develop and oversee the construction of Kingdom City and Kingdom Tower. Emaar, which is partly owned by Dubai's government, is the developer of the tallest building in the world Burj Khalifa.

Alwaleed's proposed skyscraper would shatter the record for Burj Khalifa, which has 160 livable floors and includes a boutique Armani hotel.

At 828 metres, Burj Khalifa is not only the tallest building but also the tallest free-standing structure in the world. By comparison, the tallest building in the US, the Willis Tower in Chicago, stands at 442 metres, although counting its antenna towers it rises to 527 metres. The One World Trade Centre tower being built in New York will measure 541 metres with its antenna spire (417m without). It's due for completion in 2013.

The Binladen company is developing a seven-tower complex in the holy city of Mecca that includes what is billed as the world's largest clock, set on a four-faced tower.

KEEN to go on holiday, but not looking to break the piggy bank? Then steer clear of Paris, London and New York.

Bangkok or Beijing might be more within your budget. 

A new survey from the travel website TripAdvisor has rated the world's top 50 international tourist cities in terms of best bang for buck. 

The 'Trip Index' compared everyday travel expenses like the cost of a short taxi ride, a night's accommodation in a four-star hotel, the price of a cheese pizza (and, of course, a dry martini to wash it down with) to determine which cities were most economical. 

So how did they all stack up?

Paris claimed the prize of priciest city, with daily expenses in the city of love likely to set you back $398 ($US429). Zurich was in second position costing $285, followed by London ($277), Tokyo ($253) and New York ($300).

At the other end of the spectrum Bangkok was listed as the cheapest city to visit, leaving you just $104 out of pocket each day. Beijing ($111), Sharm El Sheikh ($118), Kuala Lumpur ($124) and Sofia ($126) were the other destinations rounding out the top five most reasonable destinations. 

Zurich is where you'll find the most expensive taxi ride, with an eight kilometre journey costing a whopping $39. Meanwhile, if you're looking to knock a few back, Cape Town in South Africa is the place to be with dry martinis costing just $4 each. 

Sydney was the only Australian city to make the list, placed in 24th position with an average daily cost of $176. It comes behind cities like Beirut, Singapore and Rio de Janeiro.

WITH the prospect of duty-free shopping, casino gambling and upscale restaurants, Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport has always had plenty to offer the weary traveller.

However, a new pleasure is on offer to those waiting to board flights, according to De Telegraaf, which reported  that a fleet of prostitutes had touched down.

The paper says enterprising hookers are taking advantage of cheap air travel to jet into the bustling Dutch airport from Eastern Europe.

Having arrived, they pick up male travellers and typically take them to a handful of budget hotels set up to allow passengers to rest and wash.

As soon as they're finished, the women simply hop back on a plane and fly home.

They "can earn lots of money, much more than in their own countries," the Amsterdam Prostitution Association told Radio Netherlands.

IT smells like rotten eggs, attacks the respiratory system and can kill in minutes.

This silent killer is rotting seaweed lurking off beaches in Europe and has officials scared.

The culprit can be found at some beaches in Brittany, western France, which is popular with locals and tourists and well-known for its seafood.

The discovery this month of dozens of dead wild boars, suspected victims of poisonous blue-green algae, prompted concerned officials to issue a health warning.

Three dead boars were found at the mouth of the Gouessant estuary in Brittany, bringing to 31 the number found this month, floating in the water or washed up in the area.

The nearby beach has been closed for safety, its cove stinking with algae which give off a poisonous gas when they rot.

 “This is a very toxic gas, which smells like rotten eggs,” Brittany marine biologist Alain Menesguen said. “It attacks the respiratory system and can kill a man or an animal in minutes.”Morieux mayor Jean-Pierre Briens said travellers should use caution when going near the beaches.

“We are very worried for the health of visitors to beaches around here,” he said.

While seaweed, which is a form of algae, is common on French beaches, it releases hydrogen sulphide when it comes into contact with nitrogen waste that flows into the sea from pig farms.

“One of the theories we have is that the animals could have drunk water that could contain algae,'' said Gilles Buet, a Brittany water official.




“They were not sick and they did not drown,'' said local police official Philippe De Gestas.

Local authorities said in a statement that tests on the water revealed a level of blue-green algae “above the alert level but below the danger level''.




Officials and environmentalists say the spread of algae is driven by nitrates used in fertiliser. The proliferation of the minute organisms was speeded by unusually hot weather early this summer.

In 2009 a person in France died after working to clear algae, as well as a horse.

Officials were testing for hydrogen sulphide, a poisonous gas given off by the blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, when they decompose.

Gestas said they were also carrying out autopsies on some of the boars.

The seaweed has been a problem for over ten years, with local councils demanding the French Government controls how animal farms dispose of waste. Currently the seaweed is simply taken away from the site, and returns again the following year.

AN invasion of Aussie jellyfish has forced Spain to close six beaches at popular holiday resort areas after more than 100 swimmers were treated for stings.

Normally seen in the southern Atlantic or Pacific, scores of phyllorhiza punctata, otherwise known as Australian spotted jellyfish, have converged on waters off Orihuela, south of Alicante on the Costa Blanca, reported The Times today.

While not overly dangerous to humans, the jellyfish - which is native to the southwestern Pacific but has been found in the Gulf of Mexico and off North Carolina - holds a mild venom that can cause discomfort.

The Spanish beaches that closed were Punta Prima, La Mosca, Playa Flamenca, Cala Cerrada, La Zenia and Cala Capitan.

The report followed warnings from biologists that British seas could be turned into a "jellyfish soup" this summer, according to Sky News.

Biologists from the Marine Conservation Society (MCS), based in Ross-on-Wye, southern England, said yesterday that pollution and overfishing might be behind the rise in the number of jellyfish living in the UK's coastal waters.

"There is strong evidence that jellyfish numbers are increasing around the world, including UK seas, and these increases have been linked to factors such as pollution, overfishing and possibly climate change," the MCS' Peter Richardson said.

Amy Winehouse dead at the age of 27, what a waste of such a talented singer.  Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison all died at age 27. Cobain committed suicide at age 27. And the bluesman Robert Johnson also passed away at that age.

Sydney is getting the worse days of rain for July since 1959! 

THIS 5.5m saltwater croc has given a boatload of tourists a moment they'll never forget.

And yes, it’s real, says photographer Katrina Bridgeford who took the picture on board Adelaide River Jumping Croc Cruises, the Northern Territory News reports.

Ms Bridgeford was on the cruise with her family when they came face to face with Brutus.

The huge saltwater crocodile, missing its right front leg after a run-in with a shark, is a favourite with tourists on the on the Adelaide River, just over 100km south of Darwin.

“I wasn't expecting anything like this. I couldn't believe how close it got to us. If you put your hand out, you would've touched it,” Ms Bridgeford told the Northern Territory News.

Jumping crocodile cruises are a major tourist attraction in the Territory with several operators providing their services along the croc-infested Adelaide River.

A LUGGAGE screener has allegedly been caught stealing from passengers.

Nelson Santiago, from the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA), has been arrested for allegedly stealing around $50,000 worth of electronics this year, MSNBC reports.

Police claim that Santiago stole computers, cameras and other electronics from luggage he was screening.

He would use his phone to upload a picture of the stolen item online and sell it by the end of his shift.

A Continental Airlines employee even reported seeing Santiago stuff an iPad down his pants.

Santiago is no longer working for the TSA 

Police say that there could be many more victims.

AUSTRALIAN activists have expressed outrage at today's government decision to allow energy giant Shell to drill for gas at a pristine reef that was listed as a World Heritage site just two weeks ago.

Western Australia's Reef is considered a natural wonder, sprawling some 260km along Australia's west coast and teeming with hundreds of tropical fish and coral species.

The UN's cultural body UNESCO listed the remote Ningaloo coast as a World Heritage site late last month due to its reef, sea turtles and white whales.

It's a huge tourist attraction that generates over $1 billion in profit each year, but environmentalists say it could be under threat after the Australian government green-lighted a proposal from Shell to explore for gas nearby.

"We are very concerned that the Australian government is even allowing the oil and gas sector to operate so close to the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef," WWF's Paul Gamblin told ABC Radio.

"It really beggars belief that they aren't requiring a full environmental estimate of Shell's latest drilling proposal."

Gamblin said the Shell operations would run along the side of the reef itself, a "new frontier" for drilling, which has previously been confined to its northern corner.

Shell issued a statement saying it was "mindful of the significant biodiversity and heritage values of the Ningaloo region and we continue to plan our operations accordingly," noting its long safety record in the region.

"The proposed exploration well is targeting gas and would be around 70km from the Ningaloo Reef and 50km from the boundary of the Ningaloo Marine Park and World Heritage Area," the energy firm said.

Environment Minister Tony Burke said Australia had beefed up its regulatory processes since the Montara oil spill in the Timor Sea two years ago, which saw thousands of barrels of crude spew into west coast waters over 10 weeks.

"Since the Montara incident, the department has adopted a more rigorous process for the assessment of offshore petroleum activities and the approval conditions," Mr Burke said in a statement.

"Shell's proposal to undertake exploration drilling west of Ningaloo Reef was considered on its merits in accordance with national environment law," he added.

Mr Burke said Australia was "committed to protecting Australia's unique environment including our oceans" and the Shell approval was consistent with similar projects.