WORLD OF DR.RASH

Salman Khan-Dabangg

2010-08-16T14:08:00.001+08:00

After Shah Rukh Khan, it's Salman Khan who is calling the shots in his home production Dabangg. The actor has spent a great amount of time in editing the movie.

A source working on the film tells Mumbai Mirror, "Salman has taken a great deal of interest in editing. He's been patient and learnt all the technical aspects of being a good editor. In fact, he started editing Dabangg right during the making of the film. He knew at the shooting stage what he wanted to keep in the film, and what needed to be chopped."

According to reports, Salman also wanted to edit out a lot of his last release Veer, but director Anil Sharma hadn't let him interfere.

Salman Khan will play a corrupt and fearless cop from Uttar Pradesh in the upcoming film Dabangg, which will mark Shatrughan Sinha's daughter Sonakshi's debut in Bollywood.

The film, which will have Salman mouthing a lot of UP slang, will also mark the debut of his brother, Arbaaz Khan, as a producer. Arbaaz also acts in the film to be helmed by Anurag Kashyap's brother, Abhinav Kashyap.

Dabangg, which means bold, will feature Salman in a never before seen role and makeover, well outside the mould of the rich and stylish Prem.

Arbaaz says, “Salman Khan's role is terrific. Salman's fans have never seen him like this before. Besides, I haven't cast Salman because he is my brother, but he fits the character perfectly. When Abhinav offered me a role in the film, I immediately wanted to produce it. For long, I had been toying with the idea of turning producer. This was just the excuse I needed to take the plunge.”

Talking about casting debutant Sonakshi, Arbaaz says, “There's no point in casting a heroine who has already been seen four times with Salman. I wanted to cast a stunning new girl and Sonakshi fits the bill. She has lost a lot of weight. She still needs to lose a little more.”

Sonakshi, who turned 22 this month, has studied fashion design at SNDT college, Mumbai and was all set to pursue a career in fashion designing. However, Salman discerned a lot of histrionic potential in her when she walked the ramp at a fashion show that he attended. He convinced Sonakshi and her parents – Shatrughan and Poonam – to give acting a shot but told her she would need to shed 10 kg of weight. Sonakshi had already shed 30 kg before her ramp debut.

So far, Sohail Khan has been the producer in the 'Khan'dan, with Salman featuring in most of his film, typically co-starring with a sibling. Upcoming Sohail Khan films include Wanted Dead Or Alive featuring Salman with Arbaaz; and Main Aur Mrs Khanna featuring Salman with Sohail.

Lerner blasts City over continued Milner chase

2010-08-16T14:07:00.001+08:00

Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner has hit out at Manchester City over their pursuit of midfielder James Milner and also hinted that caretaker boss Kevin MacDonald could be a serious contender to replace Martin O'Neill on a permanent basis.

Lerner claims City have broken rules by continuing their interest in the England international after being told Villa did not want to sell.

"Big, bad Manchester City came along and asked for Milner and we said, 'No, he is not for sale'. And under the rules you have to respect that," Lerner told The Mail on Sunday.

"Manchester City respected that for two whole days. And then they violated the rules and came in for him again."

Milner played a starring role in Villa's 3-0 win over West Ham in their Premier League opener, scoring his side's superb third goal.

"We are not a selling club. A selling club is when you let it be known that you want to sell a player, through an agent or whatever," Lerner said. "That didn't happen with Gareth Barry and it didn't happen with James Milner either. As for Ashley Young, he was never going."

Lerner then turned his attentions to the vacancy left by O'Neill's departure on Monday.

"There are those managers who like the show and the attention - and then there are those such as Kevin," said the American. "I'm not going to say it is in Kevin's hands now and I would be disappointed if it was reported like that. But much will depend on how Kevin feels, whether he thinks this might be right for him, if he is comfortable with the idea of being Villa's manager.

"He is such a cool guy, he is popular with the players - who really played for him - and with the fans and the press. We will see how he feels when he wakes up from this and then we will look at the situation from there."

Gareth Barry: City players must accept new arrivals

2010-08-16T14:06:00.001+08:00

Gareth Barry has urged Manchester City's expensively assembled squad to pull together - and is keen to see further spending before the transfer window closes.

Barry was recruited from Aston Villa last summer and James Milner is set to make the same move after a similarly protracted pursuit this time around.

And Barry is excited about the prospect, telling the Sunday Mirror: "James brings energy and quality to any team.

"You only have to look at the number of goals and chances he has created over the last couple of seasons. He is always in the top two or three in terms of assists. He would be a great addition to any team."

The England midfielder's arrival would add to the already fierce competition for places at Eastlands, and Barry has warned that players must battle for places rather than sulking if they miss out on the matchday squad.

Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given was a notable casualty on the first day of the Barclays Premier League season, sitting on the bench at White Hart Lane as England's Joe Hart almost single-handedly frustrated Tottenham.

"The manager has made it clear he's got some big decisions to make on players leaving because of this new 25-player limit that's come in," Barry said.

"One or two players will be upset because they no longer feature in Roberto Mancini's plans, but that is the way the club is going and it is a feature of how the game as a whole has moved on.

"Even some of the players who are in the 25 will be upset some weeks because they will be left out of the team. Again, that's something you have to come to terms with if you want to play for a club that is aiming as high as we are.

"I have loved seeing new players arrive this summer and if more come in that's even better.

"The competition for places will be tough and the manager has already made it clear to us that he will rotate the squad. I certainly won't spit my dummy out if I find myself being left out of the team. I will just fight even harder."

Bellamy edging closer to Cardiff switch

2010-08-16T14:04:00.001+08:00

Cardiff are close to sealing the capture of Manchester City's out-of-favour striker Craig Bellamy, according to reports.

Bellamy has been told he can leave Eastlands by City manager Roberto Mancini, with Cardiff emerging as a strong contender to sign the 31-year-old. And while Cardiff would not confirm a deal had been agreed with Bellamy, it is thought he could complete a loan move on Monday.

A Cardiff spokesman said: "With the number and the names of the clubs being mentioned in connection to Craig it is flattering that we are an option, but at this stage it is pure speculation. Being connected to a player of this calibre shows how far we have come, to be even considered in a deal like this. We would love it to happen of course, but we are by no means alone in this.''

Bellamy suggested earlier in the week that he would be open to a move to club he supported as a boy. At a press conference in Cardiff prior to Wales' friendly against Luxembourg, he said: "I have always wanted to play for Cardiff. I've never been shy in saying that.

"My wife and kids live here, I've missed them now for the last five or six years, so that would have more of a pull to me than most. I will have to wait and see and see what options are possible but I certainly wouldn't rule it out. Would I love to get Cardiff City to the Premier League? Of course I would. I feel I'd have more of an impact doing that than playing 100 games for Wales. For us to move forward as a nation football-wise, we need a Premier League team.''

Cardiff manager Dave Jones has also spoken of his desire to lure Bellamy to south Wales, but admitted the club were likely to face stiff competition for the player's signature.

Speaking after his side's 2-1 victory at Derby on Saturday, Jones said: "If it happens, it would be fantastic and we would all love him to be here but there are bigger fish for him.''

Tottenham Hotspur 0 - 0 Manchester City

2010-08-16T13:28:00.002+08:00

City indebted to Hart

Manchester City's top-four credentials were no clearer after a Jekyll-and-Hyde performance in a goalless draw in their Barclays Premier League opener at Tottenham.

City somehow survived a first-half Spurs onslaught as Joe Hart fully justified his new status as City and England number one with a succession of world-class saves to deny Jermain Defoe, Tom Huddlestone and Benoit Assou-Ekotto, while Gareth Bale also hit the post.

City's multi-million-pound summer signings went AWOL in the opening 45 minutes but finally turned up after the break, with Shaun Wright-Phillips having their best chance, although Bale missed a golden chance to snatch victory for Spurs.

Hart got the nod of Shay Given in the City goal, while the visitors also handed competitive debuts to Yaya Toure, David Silva and Aleksandar Kolarov.

Mario Balotelli, who only completed his move from Inter Milan on Friday, was not in the squad, with Carlos Tevez captaining the side and starting up front on his own.

In stark contrast to City's summer spending spree, Spurs' only new recruit - Sandro - had yet to arrive from Internacional.

But Harry Redknapp's men had been good enough to deny their opponents a top-four spot in May, winning at the City of Manchester Stadium to qualify for the Champions League for the first time.

Anything less than that for City this term would not be tolerated by their mega-rich owners.

A fast and frenetic opening saw a half-chance on the volley for Wright-Phillips and a Peter Crouch header kept out by Hart.

Crouch was proving a handful, setting up the first clear-cut opportunity in the 11th minute with a header back across goal from Aaron Lennon's cross.

Defoe swivelled to fire goalward at point-blank range but Hart somehow kept the ball out and Ledley King was thwarted on the rebound.

Hart sprang sideways to repel Huddlestone's hooked 25-yard volley moments before producing an even better save to keep out Assou-Ekotto's viciously-deflected piledriver.

Vincent Kompany earned the first yellow card for bringing down Defoe 25 yards from goal and a Michael Dawson slip in the box almost let in Tevez but King snuffed out the danger.

Hart rescued City again seconds later when Kompany was beaten to the ball by Defoe.

The City keeper was finally beaten on the half-hour but the post came to his rescue to keep out Bale's 12-yard drive and Kompany managed to block Lennon's follow-up.

City broke and Yaya Toure drilled wide from 20 yards before a wonderful crossfield ball from Assou-Ekotto sent Defoe clean through.

Hart's legs did enough to keep the ball out and Kolarov just beat Defoe to the rebound.

A peach of a cross from Bale evaded everyone before Yaya Toure's deflected drive forced the first real save from Heurelho Gomes.

Kompany escaped a second yellow card moments before the break despite a cynical foul on Defoe.

Spurs paraded the majority of their 1961 double-winning side at half-time, during which City withdrew the injured Kolarov for Pablo Zabaleta.

The visitors should have taken the lead inside a minute, Yaya Toure brilliantly picking out the diagonal run of Wright-Phillips.

But the winger's first touch let him down and Assou-Ekotto recovered to nick the ball to safety.

Yaya Toure was making inroads and Silva and Tevez both saw shots blocked from another fine ball as light rain began to fall in north London.

Zabaleta was booked for felling Lennon on the right touchline but otherwise City were defending with much greater comfort.

They were also more of a threat, Yaya Toure picking out Micah Richards, whose weak header was caught by Gomes.

City almost came unstuck just past the hour mark but an unmarked Crouch horribly mistimed his header from Lennon's cross.

Both sides made 68th minute changes, Adam Johnson coming on for Wright-Phillips for City, while Spurs replaced their strikeforce as Robbie Keane and Roman Pavlyuchenko both entered the fray.

Johnson made an instant impact, feeding Tevez, whose shot was deflected narrowly wide by the charging King.

Spurs broke from the resulting corner and Pavlyuchenko twice sent shots too close to Hart.

Lennon then cut inside and fired straight at Hart moments before being replaced for the final 13 minutes by Giovani Dos Santos.

The forward just failed to get on the end of Luka Modric's clipped ball.

Tevez saw another shot blocked - this time by the head of King - the striker's last act before being replaced by Emmanuel Adebayor for the final seven minutes.

Bale missed a glorious chance to snatch all three points for Spurs when he sliced horribly wide on his weaker right foot after Pavlyuchenko's cross had broken to him off Nigel de Jong.

The winger made amends with a glorious ball for the Russian, who was thwarted by a brilliant Kompany tackle.

Pavlyuchenko was well wide from distance in the closing moments as the game ended goalless.

Bewafa [Dhol Mix] - Imran Khan - Dj Sukh

2010-05-28T11:09:00.000+08:00

City on the brink of Luiz swoop

2010-05-28T10:54:00.000+08:00

Manchester City are preparing to make their move for Benfica defender David Luiz, and are ready to bid £25 million for the Brazilian defender, who they have been tracking for some time.

But as RashyCruz.Blogspot revealed earlier this month, Benfica want £35 million for highly-rated left-back Luiz, who has a £45 million buy-out clause in his contract, so City will likely be asked to up their offer.

Luiz can also play as a defensive midfielder and is on the wanted list of several top European clubs, but City have set out their willingness to spend big to land him ahead of their rivals.

City manager Roberto Mancini has watched Luiz several times this season and was impressed when the Brazilian's performance against Liverpool in the Europa League quarter-finals.

The 23-year-old has also been watched by Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United, but City are the first to accept Benfica's massive valuation.

Luiz, who joined Benfica from Brazilian club Vitoria three years ago, has formed a strong defensive pairing with compatriot Luisao at the heart of the defence, though his considerable pace allows him to be equally comfortable at left back.

Many of Benfica's players have caught the eye after guiding the club to the Portuguese title - the club's first triumph in five years - and RashyCruz.Blogspot broke the story earlier this month that City were chasing both Luiz and team-mate Angel Di Maria in a sensational double swoop.

Benfica's enormous reported price tag of £75 million for the pair would put many clubs off, but City are in a unique position to afford such princely sums.

Man City player ratings

2010-05-28T10:47:00.002+08:00

With another term coming to end, and a summer holiday dominated by the World Cup fast approaching, it seems an appropriate time to deliver those all-important report cards for the Premier League elite.

So which players excelled themselves, and which were left fearing the hairdryer treatment on a weekly basis? RashyCruz.blogspot deliver their its out of ten.

Carlos Tevez - 9. Had a lot to live up to after a controversial cross-town move from Manchester United and that billboard, but you can't argue with a return of 29 goals. Led the line with his boundless enthusiasm and determination, and deserves to be playing in the Champions League next season. One of few players Sir Alex Ferguson will regret letting go.

Shay Given - 8.5. The Irishman's importance to City was probably best summed up by the farcical goalkeeping crisis that engulfed the club when he dislocated his shoulder with three games to go. Given was almost faultless behind a defence that was anything but, and has been arguably the best signing since the Abu Dhabi takeover.

Adam Johnson - 8. Like Shay Given, a bargain at £7 million and proof that City don't have to buy success. Few people expected Johnson to have such a big impact when he signed in the January window but his ability to excel on either flank has kept Shaun Wright-Phillips out of the team and negated the loss of Robinho. Deserves a shot at the World Cup for England.

Vincent Kompany - 7.5. Might have expected a return to midfield after City spent the best part of £40 million on Joleon Lescott and Kolo Toure in the summer, but Kompany has once again been the club's outstanding centre back despite missing the first two months of the season recovering from toe surgery.

Craig Bellamy - 7. One of the most electrifying wingers in the Premier League on his day, Bellamy is an asset to any team but he lacks consistency and the ability to get on with just about anybody except Mark Hughes. The fiery Welshman's fall-out with Roberto Mancini over training and how best to protect his suspect knees is likely to lead to his departure this summer, probably to Spurs.

Nigel De Jong - 7. Arguably City's most consistent central midfielder. A tough, no-frills character who helps provide a valuable anchor to a team over-laden with attacking talent.

Pablo Zabaleta - 7. Solid performer and a popular player with Roberto Mancini who has made full use of the Argentine's versatility. Mancini has often preferred him to Micah Richards at right back, but Zabaleta has also appeared on the left side of defence and across City's midfield. Never let his manager or teammates down.

Gareth Barry - 6.5. One of those industrious 'unsung heroes' but, even so, it is tempting to wonder what all the fuss was about when City gazumped Liverpool to sign him from Aston Villa. A solid midfield operator who may yet make the World Cup after injury, but are City any weaker with Nigel de Jong, Patrick Vieira or Pablo Zabaleta in his place?

Emmanuel Adebayor - 6. Started the season on fire after a £25 million move from Arsenal but it all began to awry when he came up against his old club, earning a ban for raking his studs down the face of Robin van Persie and widespread criticism for his goal celebration in front of the Gunners fans. His season was turned upside down after the Togo terrorist atrocity in January and, unsurprisingly, will view the season as a disappointment.

Patrick Vieira - 6. Slow start by a 33-year-old who has lost his pace and arrived from Italy in January with a calf injury, but Vieira began to show flashes of the form that made him a dominant midfield force at Arsenal and was imperious against Aston Villa towards the end of the season. Worth keeping around for another year. With a full pre-season under his belt, he could improve even more.

Joleon Lescott - 5.5. Took time to rediscover his form after a fractious £22 million move from Everton, and then suffered knee and hamstring injuries just when things seemed to be looking up. No guarantee Lescott would have gone to the World Cup even if he was fit.

Wayne Bridge - 5. He will be glad to see the back of a season in which he suffered a knee injury, a hernia and a broken heart. John Terry's affair with his ex-partner may have grabbed the headlines and led to the City defender's withdrawal from the World Cup, but Bridge also suffered on the pitch as two prolonged injury absences limited his contribution.

Micah Richards - 5. The youngest defender ever to be capped by England continues to see his stock fall, and it was no surprise to see Richards' name omitted from Fabio Capello's World Cup squad. One of several homegrown City players who may benefit from a fresh start elsewhere.

Shaun Wright-Phillips - 5. His call-up to England's extended World Cup squad should not mask what has been a frustrating season. Another product of City's academy who has struggled to find favour with Roberto Mancini despite a regular run in the side under Mark Hughes, Wright-Phillips admits his form and confidence have suffered. A dispute over his new contract terms has not helped either.

Sylvinho - 4.5. Arrived at Eastlands as a Champions League winner but his lack of pace was exposed, particularly in a 3-0 defeat at Tottenham in December when he was given a real chasing by Aaron Lennon. It wasn't all Sylvinho's fault, but that result signalled the end for manager Mark Hughes and was vital in the final reckoning for Champions League places.

Kolo Toure - 4.5. Signed from Arsenal as a leader who would bring experience and stability to City's defence, but has looked vulnerable on too many occasions. His partnership with Lescott did not live up to expectations, and no one can blame City fans for pining after Richard Dunne.

Stephen Ireland - 4. A key attacking midfielder and City's player of the season under Mark Hughes, Ireland's involvement has dipped alarmingly since Roberto Mancini took over in mid-season. The Italian says Ireland can get back to his best if his attitude changes, but he might well decide his future lies elsewhere.

Martin Petrov - 4. The Bulgarian winger missed the last three months of a frustrating season with the knee injury he aggravated in mid-February and is expected to leave at the end of his contract this summer.

Roque Santa Cruz - 4. Another forward with dodgy knees, Santa Cruz continues to live off that one good season at Blackburn. No other clubs were in the queue when Mark Hughes offered his old club £18 million for the Paraguayan and now we know why. In a season spent on the periphery, it was ironic that two of his three Premier League goals came in Hughes' last stand at home to Sunderland.

Robinho - 2. Well, what can you say? The £32.5 million Brazilian has replaced Juan Sebastian Veron as the most expensive South American flop in the history of the Premier League. Signed as a statement of intent by the new owners, he became a symbol of all that is wrong about the City 'project'. Shipped off to Santos on loan by Roberto Mancini, who made a statement of his own, it was perhaps appropriate that the disappointing Robinho soap opera ended at Scunthorpe in the FA Cup.

Roque hopes for Ireland stay

2010-05-28T10:43:00.001+08:00

Roque Santa Cruz has urged Manchester City team-mate Stephen Ireland not to turn his back on the Eastlands club amid mounting speculation over the midfielder's future.

Ireland has struggled to find his way into the plans of City manager Roberto Martinez following the Italian's arrival midway through last season.

The 23-year-old is just 12 months into a lucrative five-year deal at City but is reportedly eyeing an exit after failing to reproduce the sparkling form he showed during the 2008/09 campaign.

However, Paraguay international Santa Cruz believes Ireland still has much to offer the Premier League club, despite the expected influx of new players this summer.

"He is a very nice guy and a fantastic player also, so I think everybody at the club would be very disappointed to see him leaving. He is a great talent,'' said Santa Cruz.

"This season has been hard for him, not finding a starting place in the team, but it is always going to be hard when you are at a team that is always getting new players who start all the time. It is very hard for everyone.''

Meanwhile, City midfielder Nigel de Jong has urged the club to sign his international team-mate, Ajax's Gregory van der Wiel.

"I know that Greg is on our wanted list at Manchester City," De Jong told the Daily Star. "I have pleaded with them to sign him, as we could use a good right back. The tempo of English football will make him stronger still and I've recommended him to City's management."

Man City and Spurs in race to sign Dzeko

2010-05-28T10:40:00.001+08:00

Edin Dzeko has the choice between playing for Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League or a pot of cash with Manchester City

City and Spurs have both opened talks to land Dzeko, and while new Wolfsburg boss Steve McClaren has stated he wants to keep hold of the striker it seems certain he will move on.

Roberto Mancini has set his sights on Dzeko after it became apparent that Fernando Torres would go to Chelsea, rather than City, if he was sold by Liverpool this summer.

Dzeko has been in prolific form for his club since joining from Czech side Teplice in 2007, and the 24-year-old's record of 54 goals in 94 games for his club has persuaded Mancini to make him his new top target.

The player, though, has the option of going to Spurs with a tantalising place in the Champions League the big carrot that Harry Redknapp can now dangle before his transfer targets.

Bellamy Back in Favour

2010-05-16T12:32:00.002+08:00

Craig Bellamy is back in the good books of Wales manager John Toshack and that's good news for the papers, even if they might be reluctant to admit it.

Bellers gets plenty of stick in the media - Mirror columnist Oliver Holt apart - but he's a proper character they can write about. Even his choice of golf club can be a talking point.

So his recall after a three-match absence for the Welsh squad to tackle Croatia in a friendly this month holds the promise of lively copy from the outspoken patriot of a striker.

The Mail reports it: "Craig Bellamy appears to have patched up his differences with Wales boss John Toshack after being named in the squad to face Croatia a week on Sunday."

Both men can be stubborn and opiniated, and the Mirror calls it "a surprise inclusion" while declaring that Tosh wants Craig "to spearhead Wales' attempt to qualify for Euro 2012".

They explain: "Bellamy’s international future was the subject of speculation after he was axed for the friendly loss to Sweden in March. The 30-year-old had been fit but not recalled after missing the previous two fixtures due to injury.

"Bellamy is due to visit his charitable foundation in Sierra Leone next week, and he was not expected to feature against Croatia on May 23. But a statement from the FAW said Bellamy’s trip to Africa had been delayed “a few days”, allowing him to join up with the squad.

"Bellamy, who has scored 17 goals in 58 appearances for Wales, is vital to the country’s hopes of progressing from a European qualifying group that includes England, Switzerland, Bulgaria and Montenegro."

Elsewhere, with the FA Cup Final almost upon us, the Independent's Brian Viner delivers a fine piece on one of Wembley's greatest heroes. It opens: "Even if Michael Ballack should score a hat-trick tomorrow, his name will never be as synonymous with English football's end-of-season showpiece as that of another German, Bert Trautmann."

His warts-and-all angle on the legendary City keeper, headlined "In a league of his own", has been covered pretty well recently by the Express and the Observer, but Viner is a fine writer and it's a good read.

Mancini closes in on Boateng

2010-05-16T12:30:00.001+08:00

Manchester City are close to completing the £11 million signing of Hamburg defender Jerome Boateng.

The transfer has been mooted from German sources for weeks, but this is the first time anyone from City has confirmed that Boateng will be heading to the Premier League this summer.

Coach Roberto Mancini, who also admitted the club will struggle to attract top names after failing to qualify for the Champions League, is hopeful of sealing a deal for the 21-year-old by the end of the week.

"We are quite close to signing him,'' Mancini told the Manchester Evening News. "Boateng is a good player, a young player and strong.

"He plays for the national team and there is a good chance to get him. He can play three different positions; central defence, right full-back or in midfield. If we find a player like that it is better for us.''

But Mancini will hold out much hope of signing players like Fernando Torres.

Torres has been linked with a number of sides in recent weeks but Liverpool insist the striker will not be sold and, with Carlo Ancelotti ruling Chelsea out of the race for his signature, it is believed City are the only side to be showing serious interest at this stage.

Mancini has already confirmed that City plan to bid for Torres but, having missed out on the Champions League, he acknowledges that most of the world's best players will not be eager to move to Eastlands.

"Can we attract the top, top players, like Torres? I don't know, but I don't think so," he said in the Sun. "If we finished in the top four, it would be better and easier to attract them.

"In this situation it is different. There are probably some players who want to play in the Champions League and not in the Europa League, but there are a lot of players in Europe who will want to play for Manchester City next year.

"We won't be playing in the Champions League but we must try to win the other competitions and finish in the top four in the Premier League."

Tevez is committed to Man City, says Mancini

2010-05-16T12:28:00.001+08:00

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini claims Carlos Tevez has committed his future to the club.

Tevez is said to have told Mancini in a midweek meeting that he wanted to stay at City, despite the club missing out on a place in next season's Champions League.

Tevez had been heavily tipped to quit Eastlands this summer after reportedly becoming disenchanted with life under Mancini. But Mancini insists the former West Ham and Manchester United forward is keen to stay and help the Blues become a major top-flight force.

"I have spoken with Carlos and asked him whether he was happy to stay here,'' revealed Mancini. "He said he was very happy, that he wanted to improve and wanted to win with Manchester City. This is important.

"Carlos is a top player. He can set the example for the others.''

Tevez collected City's Player of the Year award on Thursday night, a fitting accolade after his stellar first season following such a controversial move from United.

The pair first clashed over Tevez being back home following the premature birth of his child. And recent complaints about Mancini's preference for double training sessions were the a sign of a rift between manager and player, which the Italian is happy to quash.

"I have told him that in any week where we don't have a midweek match on one day we must have two training sessions,'' he said. "Because we have qualified for the Europa League, the chances are we will be playing nearly every Thursday and Sunday. But if we want to improve we must work harder than this year.''

Ireland admits he could leave Manchester City

2010-05-16T12:14:00.001+08:00

Stephen Ireland has admitted there is a major question mark over his Manchester City future.

Ireland has struggled this year, starting only 16 Premier League games with a further six appearances from the bench.

Injury, illness and loss of form have combined to see a virtual ever-present from last season reduced to spending much of the campaign on the bench.

With a major review of playing staff certain to follow the failure to secure a Champions League berth next season, Ireland knows he could be one of the players who faces the axe.

"There is a question mark over next year for me,'' he told the Manchester Evening News. "I don't know what will happen. I am contracted to City and all I can do is carry on doing my job and performing well when I am called upon.

"If anything changes during the summer it will be down to the club, not me. It has been a difficult year because I care so much about my job.

"I care about my game and about the club but there is a lot of frustration bottled up because I have not played as much as I would have liked.''

Cristiano Ronaldo can’t get Paris Hilton off his mind

2010-05-16T12:10:00.002+08:00

Make no mistake, Paris Hilton still has it and never lost it. So much so, that Cristiano Ronaldo can’t forget about her — well after his link-up with Kim Kardashian.

While Hilton was making a pit stop in Madrid prior to the Cannes Film Festival, Ronaldo was attempting to meet up with her.

The two have previously dated.

“He texted her when he found out she was there, but she only had a few hours because she was in back-to-back meetings,” an insider tells E!, “So they didn’t end up meeting up.”

But apparently the twosome are expected to rendez-vous. One guess is the World Cup in South Africa in June.

Salman genuinely believed I'd achieve success: Katrina Kaif

2010-05-16T12:05:00.001+08:00

Katrina Kaif, who usually remains tight-lipped about her relationship with actor Salman Khan, says the star always guided her and genuinely believed she would join the big league in Bollywood one day.

'Salman had been always there, more than anything to guide because I didn't know anything about the industry. What would remain special in my mind is that from the very beginning Salman told me that I will achieve this success in the industry. And at that point it was too far off,' Katrina told IANS in an interview.

'That time I couldn't see myself one movie ahead, forget 15 movies ahead. I think that he believed it genuinely,' the 25-year-old actor said.

She entered Bollywood in 2003 with the dud 'Boom'. Her first big hit was 2005 romantic comedy 'Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya' in which she teamed up with Salman. After that she gave a string of hits, including 'Namastey London', 'Partner', 'Welcome', 'Singh Is Kinng' and critically acclaimed 'New York'.

But Katrina feels nobody can plan success.

'It's (success) destiny, no one can plan it. There are many people who are connected with the industry because of their father, mother or other family members; still they are not able to achieve what is termed as success in the industry.

'You can come here, make two or three films, your co-stars could be your friends - all this you can plan but you can't plan which film would be successful. The miracle that happened with my life has been the success of my films. Because, had those films not been successful, no one would have done anything for me,' said Katrina.

She is now eager to take more responsibilities and do more diverse roles like the one she is doing in Prakash Jha's 'Raajneeti', where she plays a politician.

'Till now I have done a genre of films. People have accepted me, loved me and have given me so much support. I never imagined getting so much. But I feel that there are other types of films to do. See other contemporary actors, they have done much more diverse roles.

'People can say that the success ratio of my films has been very, very good, but I still feel people should see me on other kinds of films too...

'May be something like a remake of 'Sita Aur Gita'...In 'Raajneeti', I have more responsibility. But you will have to remember that there I am with six very important guys, all have very important roles,' said Katrina.

The actress maintains she always wanted to do something unusual in life.

'I always used to make a world in my head and live in that. I always wanted to be something unusual. Some of the dreams I remember, they may sound stupid - I wanted to be a firefighter, I wanted to be a stunt woman, I wanted to got to NASA. Acting was something to fancy,' said Katrina.

Shahrukh: No, I don't speak with Salman

2010-05-16T12:02:00.001+08:00

For those of you who thought that the animosity between Shahrukh Khan and Salman Khan has cooled off, here's the update for you.

Now, SRK has admitted that he does not speak to Salman and is yet to sort out his differences with the actor. It must be recalled that the friendship between the two went sour after an open brawl that had the whole media its spectator.

Though, SRK feels that Salman's family have been his well wishers all through his career, but his differences with the brawny star continues despite this fact.

The two don't see eye to eye leave talking to each other. Talk about his equation with Sallu at the moment, SRK says, "No, I don't speak with Salman."

Salman Khan, Shoaib Akhtar to play charity T20 match in Dubai

2010-05-16T12:00:00.000+08:00

More than 40 celebrities from India and Pakistan, including actor Salman Khan and fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, are set to play a friendly Twenty20 match in Dubai later this month.

The match to be played at Dubai Sports City's cricket stadium on May 27 will help raise awareness about 'Being Human', a charity organisation run in India by Salman's family.

Besides the Khan troika of Salman, Arbaaz and Sohail, the Indian team will include Sharman Joshi and Sonu Sood.

Pakistani actor Javed Sheikh will lead the team from the neighbouring country, comprising Akhtar, fashion designer Hassan Shehryar and singer Fakhre Alam.

The match will be followed by a gala dinner next day, actors Sohail Khan and Sheikh said at a press conference yesterday.

Toure: City squad is strong enough

2010-05-15T15:27:00.001+08:00

Manchester City captain Kolo Toure has rejected the idea that his club need a major overhaul of players this summer, after missing out on the coveted fourth place.

City were linked with a bid for Fernando Torres last month but, given the clubs' lack of Champions League football next season, they may find it difficult to land the calibre of players they crave.

But Toure believes their squad is strong enough as it is. He said: "We have a good squad," he insisted. "It doesn't matter if we bring players in or not. It's true we made a few mistakes this season. We lost a lot of points, at home especially."

Manchester City drew seven consecutive games in October and November last year, meaning they took only seven points from a possible 21 and Toure said: "We had too many draws and it cost us because we could have been fighting for the Premier League."

"We must not make mistakes like drawing against teams we expect to beat because that can make a big difference. We just need to make a little adjustment and keep our focus the whole season."

Manchester City are expected to offer Brazilian full-back Sylvinho a one-year extension on his current contract. The 36-year-old made 15 appearances for City last season, mainly as cover for Wayne Bridge.

Manager Roberto Mancini said: "Sylvinho is a fantastic man and player who always works very well. He is important for us."

Johnson like Giggs

2010-05-15T15:24:00.001+08:00

Manchester City winger Adam Johnson has been compared to Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs by England's assistant manager Stuart Pearce.

Johnson has been included in Fabio Capello's 30-man World Cup squad, but has not made his senior debut, despite impressing since his £8 million move from Middlesbrough. However, Pearce says the 22-year-old is ready for the big stage and compared his dribbling skills to those of Wales veteran Giggs.

"He [Johnson] is probably a Ryan Giggs of his time. You watch him running at people, jinking in and out,'' Pearce told the Daily Mirror. "I saw some footage of the West Ham game and he was unfortunate not to get a penalty when he went past three players. It reminded me of Ryan Giggs 20 years ago when he first started the game. He has something unique about him. Johnno is not the completed article but he is an improving player and that is a fantastic thing to be.

"Is he ready? If you cast your memory back 20 years to Paul Gascoigne, who knew whether he was ready or not? The one thing Paul had in those days was a manager that believed in him. Now all the players that have got the opportunity know full well that Fabio has done his homework on them and if he believes in you, gives you a shirt and picks you for England, that in itself would be a fantastic lift for any player.

"At the back end of this season Johnson has shown that he has got a maturity in his play. But maybe a year ago in his own mind it was pick the ball up and run directly at opponents, but now I see a more all-round player. I see a more mature player.

"That is maybe down to maturity as an individual, and the coaching he has been getting at Manchester City has helped him as well. I am seeing a more complete player now.

"For what he did for me for two years with the Under-21s and his club form he deserves to be in the 30. It is up to Johnno over the next two weeks to push Fabio in the right direction and make sure he is in the 23.

"Johnno was with me last summer at the European Championship, and the two years prior to that, and I know he is a fantastic lad. He has hit form at the right time. The move to Manchester City has done him the world of good."

Burnley blitzed at Turf Moor

2010-04-07T19:17:00.003+08:00

Burnley 1
(Fletcher 71st)

Man City 6
(Adebayor 4,45,Bellamy 5,Tevez 7,Vieira 20,Kompany 58)

Emmanuel Adebayor scored twice as Manchester City closed in on a Champions League slot with a 6-1 demolition of Burnley.Roberto Mancini's side displayed their credentials in the first half by racing into a 5-0 lead by the break, with three of the goals coming in the first six minutes.
Adebayor started the ball rolling in the fourth minute and added his second on the stroke of half-time.

In between Craig Bellamy, Carlos Tevez and Patrick Vieira, with his first for the club, also found the target.

Vincent Kompany added a sixth in the 58th minute before Steven Fletcher got a goal back for Burnley, who are facing a swift return to the second tier.

City went above Tottenham, who lost to Sunderland, and into that coveted fourth spot with six games remaining.

Adam Johnson saw a shot take a deflection off a defender and rattle the post before the visitors made the breakthrough in the fourth minute.

Burnley were guilty of slack marking when Johnson delivered a corner from the left and Adebayor took advantage to rifle in a shot that seemed to take a deflection on the way in.

A minute later it got even worse for the home side when Bellamy latched on to a through ball from Tevez and guided it past Brian Jensen.

The Burnley goalkeeper conceded a third in the seventh minute after making a basic error.

He spilled Adebayor's weak shot and Tevez was on hand for his 26th goal of the season.

Burnley hit back, however, with Robbie Blake dragging a shot narrowly wide.

City extended their lead in the 20th minute with Vieira's first goal for the club. He powered home a header following a corner from Johnson.

Burnley were refusing to lie down and Graham Alexander whipped in a shot from the edge of the area in the 27th minute that went narrowly over the crossbar.

This was a spirited response by the home side and six minutes later Fletcher dragged a shot wide of the post.

David Nugent then saw a header blocked by City goalkeeper Shay Given before Jensen found himself in difficulty again.

He pushed away a shot from Adebayor but Vieira found himself crowded out as he prepared to latched on to the rebound.

Jensen looked out of his sorts and he was beaten again in the 44th minute only for Tevez's effort to come back off the post after being released by Bellamy.

City did not have long to wait for another goal, however, with Adebayor extending their lead with a clinical finish after being released by Tevez.

Burnley almost pulled a goal back in the 51st minute when Nugent showed a good turn of pace only to find the wrong side of the post with his effort.

However seven minutes later the home side failed to deal with another Johnson corner and Kompany headed home for his first goal of the season.

Tevez hat-trick ignites European hopes

2010-03-30T11:31:00.003+08:00

Manchester City 3
Carlos Tevez (72),(74),(84)

Wigan Athletic 0

Carlos Tevez raised Manchester City's hopes of a Champions League slot with a quick fire hat-trick in a 3-0 victory over 10-man Wigan.
The visitors were reduced to 10 men in the 55th minute of this Premier League match when Gary Caldwell was handed a straight red card for a challenge on Tevez.

The Argentinian striker took advantage to score his treble in the space of 13 minutes to take City above Liverpool and into fifth place.

Emmanuel Adebayor, back in the team after a four-match suspension, got into a good position in the 10th minute, only for Titus Bramble to block his effort.

City kept up the pressure and almost went ahead a minute later when Shaun Wright-Phillips delivered the ball into the path of Tevez.

The Argentinian striker whipped in a shot but Vladimir Stojkovic made a stunning point-blank save and Bramble swept the ball to safety.

Wigan launched a swift counter attack in the 27th minute when Hugo Rodallega skipped past Kolo Toure with ease.

The striker was closed down by Wright-Phillips but rattled in a shot that Given turned around the post.

Back came City and Tevez raced past Mario Melchiot only to see his delicate chip from an acute angle go inches wide.

Wigan, however, continued to look dangerous going forward and Given pushed Paul Scharner's shot to safety after a free-kick from Marcelo Moreno had been deflected off the wall.

Scharner, who was covering a lot of ground, then cleared the bar with his effort in the 41st minute after good link up play between Rodallega and Moreno.

A minute later Tevez made a vain appeal for Caldwell to be punished for a challenge when little contact appeared to be made.

Mancini made one change at half-time in an attempt to break the deadlock, bringing on Craig Bellamy for Wright-Phillips.

Adebayor did find the net in the 47th minute but his effort was ruled out for offside after Stojkovic spilled Tevez's shot.

City had a claim for a penalty dismissed in the 52nd minute when Caldwell appeared to handle under pressure from Bellamy.

Play switched back down the other end and Rodallega squandered a great chance for Wigan.

He dragged a shot wide of the post after the ball had spun off the back of Pablo Zabaleta and Toure found himself out of position.

Wigan were reduced to 10 men in the 55th minute with former Celtic defender Caldwell handed a straight red card as he tried to win the ball off Tevez.

The visitors were furious with referee Stuart Attwell but they pulled themselves together and almost went ahead.

Moreno got the better of Toure and cut inside but his effort went marginally wide.

Tevez then made another unsuccessful appeal for a penalty following a challenge by Scharner.

City made the breakthrough in the 72nd minute after a mix up between Scharner and Stojkovic allowed Adebayor to get the slightest of touches in the penalty area.

That was enough to free Tevez, who made Wigan pay for their error with a clinical finish.

Adebayor should have added a second but Scharner made up ground before Tevez added a second in the 75th minute.

He scored at the back post after Vincent Kompany had flicked on a cross from Adam Johnson and completed his hat-trick in the 85th minute.

He skipped away from a tiring Scharner and Bramble to chip into the corner.

Tevez Fires City to Fifth

2010-03-23T13:09:00.006+08:00

Fulham 1
(Danny Murphy 76 pen)

Man City 2
(Santa Cruz 7,Tevez 36)

Manchester City forward Carlos Tevez earned victory at Craven Cottage to maintain his side's Champions League Hopes and give Fulham a European Hangover.

The host still had their famous victory against Juventus fresh in the mind when they found themselves behind to a Roque Santa Cruz's opening goal in the 7th min, with Tevez then extending the lead before the break in the Premier League Clash.

With Liverpool defeated at Old Trafford,City now move above Rafael Benitez's side and know their destiny is in their own hands-if they win the rest of their games they will be in the Top four.

Vieira charged by FA

2010-02-19T21:40:00.003+08:00

The FA has charged Manchester City midfielder Patrick Vieira with violent conduct.
The charge relates to an incident involving Stoke City player Glenn Whelan during the first half of the match at the Britannia Stadium on Tuesday, February 16.

Vieira has until 6pm on Thursday, February 18 to respond to the charge. A Regulatory Commission will hear the charge on Friday, February 19.

Bellamy in the mix for Sunday,says Boss

2010-02-19T21:35:00.006+08:00

Craig Bellamy will be available for selection for Sunday’s crunch game against Liverpool if his good progress coming back from a knee injury continues.
At his Friday morning press conference, Blues manager Roberto Mancini stated that the striker had been working with physios at Carrington since Wednesday and that if his early Friday morning session was a success he would join the main group for training.

Mancini also moved swiftly to scotch stories in some newspapers of an argument between himself and Bellamy.

“I read that I have a problem with him, that I shouted at him. Craig trained on Wednesday, yesterday and he will train today. I have spoken to him, face to face, but as a manager speaks to a player," he stressed.

"I have not shouted at him, never. I am happy to resolve things, face to face, in a room but I do not have a problem with him. If his knee is OK today and tomorrow, he will be available for Sunday.

“I did not tell him to go away for three months, that is false. He is here training today, he worked with the physio for the first time on Wednesday for the first time in 12 days.

"He worked with the physio on Thursday when the other players were off, he did so again today and if he is alright after he will be with us for training.”

The Manager will be hoping to have Bellamy as an option for the game which pits City against the team immediately below them and vying for that coveted fourth place in the Barclays Premier League table.

The Welshman could prove vital, especially with Mancini revealing that Martin Petrov has a knee injury of his own that will keep him sidelined for three to four weeks.

Also out of contention for Sunday is Patrick Vieira, who starts a three match ban at the weekend.

Mancini confirmed that he had not yet spoken the French legend about the incident and the ban.

Stoke City 1-1 Man City (EPL)

2010-02-19T21:33:00.002+08:00

Gareth Barry’s late equaliser moved City into the coveted fourth Champions League spot on a night that seemed to be turning sour for Roberto Mancini’s men.

With the hosts reduced to ten men for most of the second half, Glenn Whelan agonisingly fired Tony Pulis’ side into an unlikely lead and even after Barry’s leveller, the Potters thought they’d won the game with almost the last kick of the match.

With five changes from the FA Cup line-up at the weekend, there was more height and muscle to the starting XI Mancini selected for the trip to the Britannia Stadium.

Out went Wayne Bridge, Stephen Ireland, Pablo Zabaleta, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Martin Petrov and in came Micah Richards, Adam Johnson, Javier Garrido, Patrick Vieira and Roque Santa Cruz.

Stoke went into the game in fine form having avoided defeat in eight league and cup matches – unbeaten in 2010 no less - and began the game with an expected aerial bombardment into the Blues' box.

In fact, the Potters should have gone ahead with barely four minutes when the unmarked Mamady Sidibe shot straight at Shay Given from six yards out. Two minutes later former City midfielder Whelan also should have done better from close range.

The packed and noisy Britannia Stadium - surely a contender with Oldham's Boundary Park for the title of 'Coldest Ground in England' - made for a hostile atmosphere for the visitors.

Delap's throw-ins were a constant threat, but as City continued to weather the early pressure without conceding, they could at least take comfort from the fact that only Portsmouth and Wolves had scored less Premier League goals this season.

City occasionally broke with purpose but Stoke's attacks carried more menace, though neither keeper was really tested in the first 45 minutes and the hosts' attacks gradually subsided.

Seven minutes after the break, the complexion of the game changed completely. Adebayor chased a long through ball with Abdoulaye Faye. Racing neck-and-neck, the Togolese striker gradually edged ahead of the Stoke skipper and Faye appeared to tug him to the ground.

Initially, referee Alan Wiley saw the challenge to be a fair one, but called a halt to play when his assistant flagged for his attention. Moments later Faye, who had been the last defender, was heading for an early bath with a stright red card shown for his misdemeanour.

Substitutions for both teams immediately followed with Liam Lawrence making way for Salif Diao and Wright-Phillips replacing Garrido as the Blues sniffed the chance of three points.

The dismissal seemed to lift Stoke more than the Blues who, despite camping in the Potters' half for 15 minutes, couldn't find a way through a packed and committed defence.

Then, on 71 minutes, a poor clearance from Johnson found Whelan who took aim and fired a low drive from 25 yards past Given to hand Stoke an unlikely lead on 71 minutes. It was typical that a side who spend so much energy on set-pieces should score with such a sublime strike from open play.

With the home fans in raptures, the Blues looked shaken and bereft of ideas. The thought of another demoralising defeat on the road seemed to consume them for the next 10 minutes or so until - at last - the breakthrough.

With four minutes remaining, substitute Pablo Zabaleta’s lofted cross found Adebayor who in turn flicked it into the path of Barry. The England midfielder's scrambled shot struck the post but he still managed to prod home the rebound to level the score.

The travelling fans now allowed themselves to think of three points rather than none, particularly when 24,000 home fans groaned at the five minutes of added time announcement

Yet there was still time for one more scare. Delap won a throw-in by the corner flag with 95 minutes on the clock. He dried the ball, stepped back and launched the ball into the box for Ryan Shawcross to head home at the far post.

With the home fans going crazy, referee Wiley stood with his arm pointing towards the centre - but not for a goal - for a foul, much to the fury of the home fans and the relief of those travelling from Manchester. Seconds later it was all over.

Man City 1-1 Stoke City (FA CUP)

2010-02-19T21:26:00.002+08:00

Few people embrace a cup competition more warmly than Roberto Mancini and his love affair with England’s most historic version is still aglow.
It is appropriate that the next instalment of his passion should unfold on Valentine’s Day when the sixth round FA Cup draw will take place though his side will need all its heart after conceding home advantage after this less than dynamic draw.

Mancini is an avid devourer of the knockout format of the game having won the Coppa Italia no fewer than six times as a player and four as a manager but his ardour may be tested to the full in the replay.

City are no strangers to the sixth round of the FA Cup having reached the last eight in successive seasons in 2005-06, 2006-07 only to have been sent packing by West Ham United and Blackburn Rovers and they really should have been in the hat alone given the weight of possession they enjoyed.

However, there was a crucial lack of a cutting edge and Stoke were the ones celebrating at the final blast of Mark Clattenburg’s whistle.

It is said that familiarity breeds contempt and if that is the case then disregard could be the theme of the night at the Britannia Stadium in the next couple of weeks.

Tuesday will see the third meeting since Boxing Day for the two sides with the plot of this particular tale of two Cities still open to twists and turns.

Stoke were the first team to face the Mancini led Blues back at Christmas time when after just a week of working with his side, goals from Martin Petrov and Carlos Tevez gave the stylish Italian the best possible start to his reign as manager.

The home line up for this FA Cup tie was, however, quite dissimilar to the one that did duty that December day. With several injured and rested stars due back for the Premier League clash in three days time the cast list is likely to change markedly yet again.

Tevez was absent on compassionate leave for family matters in Argentina, there was no Craig Bellamy on view, Adam Johnson, the instantly successful January recruit from Middlesbrough was cup tied and with Vincent Kompany and Patrick Vieira afforded the luxury of a rest after a heavy workload a chance to grab the limelight was handed to Joleon Lescott, Martin Petrov, Stephen Ireland and Shaun Wright-Phillips.

It was a timely return for Wright-Phillips as England boss Fabio Capello turned up to see the four men in Blue who may yet make his World Cup squad.

Gareth Barry and Wayne Bridge were both busy and impressive enough but it was SWP who caught the eye in the 11th minute scoring what it in the end turned out to be one of the simplest goals of his career.

Ireland’s through ball from the half way line sent Wright-Phillips hurtling towards the penalty area where he chipped over the advancing Thomas Sorensen. Ryan Shawcross was odds on to clear the danger in a little versus large foot race but the defender slipped under the ball then inexplicably nodded it back into the path of the City man who said thank you very much and rolled it home from a yard.

Thereafter his confidence high, Wright-Phillips gave Andy Wilkinson a torrid time to the point where the full back was booked for one bad tackle too many.

Bridge then showed his worth to the England coach blocking superbly from substitute Liam Lawrence who looked poised to score at the far post just before the half hour mark.

Five previous FA Cup ties between these two sides have been settled by a one goal margin and without recourse to a replay but this was not destined to be another.

The home side dominated possession but were hit with a sucker punch in 56th minute when football’s worst kept secret, a Rory Delap throw in, came hurtling into the box and Ricardo Fuller nodded in a simple equaliser.

It was nip and tuck thereafter with Mancini’s men coming closest to a winner when Barry’s 78th minute header brought a fine save from Sorensen.

Toure expected to make Cup match

2010-02-13T19:12:00.003+08:00

Manchester City v Stoke City (Preview)

Roberto Mancini expects to have skipper Kolo Toure available for Manchester City's FA Cup fifth round tie against Stoke.
Toure limped out of Tuesday's win over Bolton with a knee injury but has now recovered and is expected to partner £22million summer arrival Joleon Lescott in central defence because Vincent Kompany (groin) is out.

Craig Bellamy (knee) is also sidelined, while new signing Adam Johnson is cup-tied, having played against City for Middlesbrough earlier in the competition.

City swooped to land Johnson in an £8million deal with Middlesbrough on deadline day and already the 22-year-old has made a massive impression at Eastlands.

The England Under-21 star followed up his eye-catching debut at Hull by collecting man-of-the-match honours in the midweek win over Bolton.

"Johnson is a great player,'' Mancini said.

"If he continues like he is at the moment he could get into the national team.

"I remember Ryan Giggs when he was young and the way he moved. Johnson is the same player.

"If he keeps working hard he has a good chance for the future.''

"Maybe the FA Cup is more important to me than it is for Arsene Wenger.''

Given how close City got to reaching the Carling Cup final before they eventually succumbed to neighbours Manchester United, there is almost a desperation about the Blue camp to reach a Wembley showpiece for the first time since 1981.

And, although he qualified his comment, the City boss is more keen to beat Stoke this weekend than when the pair do battle again with points at stake.

"The FA Cup match against them is the most important one because it is the next one,'' stated Mancini.

"We want to get to Wembley and to achieve this we need to win, but it would also help put us in a good mood for next week.''

City are aiming to reach the last eight for the third time in recent years and will start heavy favourites to overcome a Stoke outfit they defeated easily as recently as Boxing Day in what was Mancini's first game in charge.

However, the Italian's knowledge extends beyond the result to the searching examination Stoke provided before Petrov opened the scoring.

"I remember the game,'' he said.

"It started off being very difficult and Shay Given made a good save after about 10 minutes, otherwise the result might have been different.''

Stoke manager Tony Pulis has a few late decisions to make regarding the fitness of a number of players.

Captain Abdoulaye Faye has missed the last two matches with a back problem but may be ready to return.

Pulis said one or two other unnamed players had minor knocks which would all need to be assessed prior to the evening kick-off at Eastlands.

Ricardo Fuller, a second-half substitute in the 1-1 midweek Barclays Premier League draw at Wigan after being arrested over allegations of a nightclub assault, could return to the starting line-up at the expense of Tuncay Sanli.

Pulis will tell his players they cannot afford to be intimidated by Manchester City and must take the game to their opponents.

The Potters boss believes some of his squad still have something of an inferiority complex when it comes to tackling the bigger teams of the Barclays Premier League.

But in a cup competition all that matters is winning and Pulis intends to attack Roberto Mancini's side from the off.

"I am looking to pick a positive team and go there to have a right go,'' he said.

"It is very important we go there and be positive and the team I pick is not overawed by the occasion or the players they are playing against.

"I think we have gone to one or two grounds and been a little bit in awe still this year.

"But our away performances have been a lot better than last year and the only way to break the taboo is by winning.

"I'm sure the last thing Roberto Mancini wants - and we all want - is a draw so it's 'gloves off' because I think both sides will want a result one way or the other.''

Despite having beaten Arsenal in the last round Pulis said his side are still second favourites against City.

He feels Mancini's players will be under some pressure to win a trophy this season, having already missed out on the Carling Cup final, because of the huge financial investment made by their Abu Dhabi-based owners.

"It's going to be very difficult for us in a game against one of the richest clubs in the world,'' he said.

"But Manchester City have spent an absolute fortune on players and they will be expecting a return for that investment.

"They've got two chances to do that by winning the cup or qualifying for the Champions League so there is that pressure on them, whereas we're the underdogs and we're looking forward to it.''

LIVERPOOL NEWS

2010-02-13T19:06:00.001+08:00

Benayoun returns to training

Rafael Benitez has revealed that Yossi Benayoun has return to first-team training with Liverpool after his broken rib.

Benayoun has not featured since the FA Cup defeat to Reading on January 13 and was ruled out for around a month, suggesting his comeback is not far behind schedule.

"Yossi was training with the team," Benitez told the club's official website. "Still we have to be careful with his rib but he was training."

Benayoun is not expected to feature in Thursday's Europa League tie at home to Unirea Urziceni but could be in the squad for their crucial Premier League match at Manchester City.

Meanwhile, Benitez hopes 19-year-old former Barcelona attacker Dani Pacheco can establish himself in the first-team in the near future.

"Dani is continuing to train with the first team," he said. "When we let (Andriy) Voronin go (to Dynamo Moscow), we immediately brought Dani into the group and every day you can see that he is progressing. His training is good.

"Every day you are thinking about when you can play, he has been on the bench a lot and sometimes you are thinking when it might be right to put him on, but you also have to think about senior players and giving time to others who need it.

"The one thing we know, though, is Dani is a player with quality. He has game intelligence and we know that he can make a difference. He is still very young but we are pleased with him and he is doing well."

He added: "Dani has no problems when he is in possession. He is clever and he always wants to try difficult things but that shows the quality that he has.

"The fact he is training with us shows what we think of him. He is with us all the time and that means he can play at any time. It depends on the game but, clearly, if he continues to keep working as he has been doing, he will definitely get his chance."

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE NEWS

2010-02-13T19:04:00.001+08:00

Leonardo hails 'perfect' Beckham ahead of United

AC Milan boss Leonardo has praised David Beckham as being "tactically perfect" ahead of the visit of Manchester United on Tuesday, but he refused to guarantee the midfielder will start against his old club.

After starting Milan's first five league games of 2010, Beckham has been a substitute in their last two, although he did play the final 15 minutes of the 3-2 win over Udinese on Friday night.

But Leonardo discarded the notion that former United midfielder Beckham was being saved for his "special match'' next week, insisting he had and will continue to pick the team he believes is best suited for each individual game.

"We know it's a very special match for him,'' said Leonardo. "It's very special to play in the Champions League against his own team, let's say it like that. But we have got to analyse everything and we have a lot of players in good condition. We'll see how everybody is to choose the best team.''

Against Udinese, Amantino Mancini took the role Beckham has occupied since arriving at the Rossoneri in December, but he is ineligible to face the Red Devils having already appeared in the competition for his former club Inter Milan. His position will therefore be up for grabs.

Mancini was replaced by Alexandre Pato while Beckham had to wait until late on before taking the place of Ronaldinho, whose place in the team on Tuesday does not appear to be in any doubt after another inspirational performance against Udinese. But Leonardo's praise of Beckham's adaptability means the former England captain has a good chance of featuring against his former employers.

"I think he can play anywhere,'' added Leonardo. "He's smart and intelligent and tactically he's perfect. There are no problems choosing a system or a position for him. He's been doing very well this year. He arrived in December and he knows the team and how we play. I think David has nothing to prove to anybody. His career speaks for itself because what he did in football is something very big.''

Milan's game against Udinese set a precedent with the Italian Football League agreeing to bring the fixture forward 24 hours to grant the Rossoneri an extra day to prepare for Tuesday's encounter. However, United's elimination from the FA Cup means they have a free weekend and this could favour them, according to Leonardo.

"Fortunately we have played on Friday so we can rest a bit more, but Manchester played the other day so they have six days, which is two days more than us,'' he said. "The more you rest, the better and the more players you get back. Manchester also had some players out injured who may benefit from these extra days, but at least we played today and this gives us two days more (than usual), which is an advantage.''

Leonardo will be looking to establish an advantage for his side on Tuesday night and not leave them a mountain to climb in the second leg at Old Trafford.

"I think it is in our DNA that we always try to win,'' he said. "We always start the game only with the thought of victory.''

Hollywood News: Tila Tequila Pregnant with Brothers Baby the Ultrasound Picture

2010-02-10T14:59:00.002+08:00

Tila Tequila, aka Thien Thanh Thi Nguyen, is in fact pregnant with her brother’s baby. This is not technically incest since it is her brother’s sperm and his wife’s egg, so Tila is just a surrogate.

Surrogate mothers are supposed to turn the child over to the biological parents once they give birth, but Tila says she is going to keep the baby because she has no friends. I don’t believe Tila since she is a habitual liar, and because Tila has no legal right to keep the baby if she is not the biological parent. Tila would make the worst parent imaginable. This is all for publicity, and then to garner more interest in her train wreck of a life she posted this statement:

" I feel stronger than ever, more confident than ever, and most importantly, I know now what really matters in life. LOVE, and this baby saved Mommy’s life, because many times before, Mommy has wanted to kill herself, but now with my baby, Mommy is going to live a long happy life now and be with my child. Everything from this moment on, will ONLY be about my child. Every penny I make, will go into my child’s savings.”

“So goodbye Hollywood. It’s been a fun ride being here with you all. I have had a lot of great memories of ‘LIVING IN THE LIMELIGHT’ however, at this point. I have seen how vicious living in the limelight can be and it is not something I want anymore.”

One thing will never change for Tila, she will always be a whore, and whore’s always whore themselves out to make money. I have no doubt Tila will be back after this commercial break. Stay tuned to see Tila on the cover of some magazine with her brother’s baby to collect another paycheck.

Hollywood News: Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor Kissing Picture

2010-02-10T14:51:00.002+08:00

Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor star in a movie called I Love You Phillip Morris.

The movie is described as such:

The story begins with Russell, played by Jim Carrey, on his deathbed recalling the events of his life that led him there. He begins with his life in Texas as a happily married police officer who plays the organ at church, prays every night with his wife (Leslie Mann) and spends his off hours searching for the biological mother who gave him up as a child. That, and hes gay. But after finding and being handily rejected by the mother who gave him up as a baby, Steven leaves his life and family behind to go out into the world and be his true, flamboyantly gay self. He moves to Miami, finds a boyfriend (Rodrigo Santoro) and begins living the high life. He realizes quickly though, that a life of luxury is expensive, leading this resourceful former cop to turn to a life as a conman. But when his con work finally catches up with him, Steven is sent to prison where he meets, and almost instantly falls in love with Phillip Morris, played by Ewan McGregor. From there the story becomes a Don Quixote-esque story of a forlorn lover who cannot bear to be separated from his soul-mate. He will go to any lengths to be with Phillip, including but not limited to breaking out of jail on multiple occasions, impersonating Phillips lawyer and fraudulently becoming the CFO of a major corporation.

Hollywood News: Conrad Murray Charged with Involuntary Manslaughter in Michael Jackson Death

2010-02-10T14:50:00.001+08:00

Doctor Conrad Murray pled not guilty today when he was charged with Involuntary Manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson at his arraignment hearing. Involuntary manslaughter carries a maximum of 4 years in prison.

Dr. Murray will be booked into jail today, and bail was set by judge at $75,000, which is three times the normal bail schedule, but much less than the $300,000 the district attorney requested. The judge ordered Dr. Murray must surrender his passport to the court, restricted Murray’s medical license whereas he cannot use anesthetic agents such as propofol or heavy sedatives that would be given by an anesthesiologist to put a patient to sleep.

Murray appear again before the court on April 5, 2010.

City boss Mancini still confident of top four finish

2010-02-10T14:43:00.003+08:00

Roberto Mancini insists he is more confident than ever that Manchester City can finish fourth in the Premier League this season, despite suffering two defeats in his first six league games in charge.

Mancini watched his team go down 2-1 at Hull on Saturday to equal the number of league defeats suffered this season by his predecessor Mark Hughes.

But with Tottenham and Aston Villa sharing the points from their weekend clash, City remain three points off Liverpool in fourth with two games in hand on the teams around them going into tomorrow's clash with Bolton and Mancini believes his side have what it takes to break up the established 'big four'.

"I'm even more confident,'' Mancini said. "Because in the first three or four games we have played very well after we've lost players [to injury]. I'm confident when I recover all the players we can win this week at home and then win away [at Stoke on Tuesday].

"We must remember we have two games in hand and if we win them we go fourth. We have a good chance if we win this game. When we recover all our players I don't think it's a problem.''

Despite City's vast wealth, Mancini spent modestly in the January transfer window, signing Patrick Vieira on loan from Inter Milan and then adding young winger Adam Johnson from Middlesbrough on deadline day.

However, he inherited a large and talented squad following Hughes' spending spree last summer, and that has meant he has received little sympathy while continually referring to the injury problems he has encountered since taking over. But that does not mean Mancini is about to change his tune.

"I think this is a good squad but we have had more players injured and this is difficult,'' he said. "In midfield, we have had only three midfielders, Gareth (Barry), Nigel (de Jong) and Stephen (Ireland), and it's impossible that you can play a season with only three midfielders.''

The midfield engine room has been a particular problem for City of late, with Gareth Barry underperforming. Vieira made his debut in the second half of the Hull defeat, but despite impressing, he arrived too late to turn the result around.

The first half was arguably City's worst display under Mancini, and the usually cool Italian admitted he had let his players know about it at half-time.

"Yes, I was angry,'' he said. "This is normal. I was angry after the first half, but I told them if they had a good second half they could recover.''

City improved after the break, but could not find an equaliser as Hull lifted themselves out of the drop zone, leaving Mancini in need of three points tomorrow to quickly restore his side's momentum.

"I watch the players every day and when they work they work well and they want to arrive at our targets,'' he said. "On this I'm very confident. I think that Tottenham, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Arsenal are five teams playing for two places and we have a good chance.''

Manchester City 2 - 0 Bolton Wanderers

2010-02-10T14:36:00.003+08:00

Man City close gap on top four

A new Manchester City star was born in winger Adam Johnson as the Blues nudged up towards the top four with victory over Bolton Wanderers.

Strike duo Carlos Tevez and Emmanuel Adebayor might have scored the goals that leave City trailing fourth-placed Liverpool on goal difference, but there was no doubt Johnson was the real star.
Signed for £8million from Middlesbrough on deadline day, the 22-year-old left to a standing ovation six minutes from time after providing most of the thrills on a chilly evening.

It was Johnson who won the penalty that Tevez converted to put City ahead. And although fellow new-boy Patrick Vieira set up Adebayor to seal victory, it was Johnson who kept Bolton on the back foot and ensured there was no second away point of the season for Owen Coyle, whose only other one came on this ground in November when he was still at Burnley.

It is a run that must end quickly given Bolton could easily find themselves in the drop zone after tomorrow night's games, and facing Coyle with a massive job to prove it was not a mistake to bring him in to replace Gary Megson.

While Vieira required no introduction on his home debut, Johnson remained a bit of an unknown in these parts.

Not in his native north-east though, where he was rated good enough to merit a place in the Middlesbrough line-up, aged just 20, even though Stewart Downing occupied his favoured left-sided midfield berth.
Those days on the right flank have served the England Under-21 star well by the ease with which he swapped wings to unsettle the Bolton defence.

City were probably glad they made their deadline-day purchase too.
Without Johnson's swift movement and nimble feet, Roberto Mancini's men might have been in trouble against a Bolton side, trying to metamorphosise into a passing team under Coyle while at the same time desperately attempting to stave off relegation. The arrival of Jack Wilshere should help.

Arsene Wenger clearly approves of Coyle's approach to the beautiful game and Wilshere brings an element of silk to go with the steel Bolton will also need if they are going to survive.
What the Trotters can certainly do without is the kind of rash tackle Paul Robinson made to chop down Johnson, when the only place he seemed to be heading was over the goal-line.
Referee Mike Jones had no doubt it was a penalty despite Robinson's protests, TV replays indicating the Bolton full-back was engaging in a cover-up exercise given the ridiculous nature of his challenge.
Not that Kolo Toure did any better when he scrambled across Johan Elmander, sending the Swede tumbling to the deck as he was about to reach a loose ball with his back to Shay Given's goal.

The protests were just as fierce but this time Jones said no, denying Bolton a chance to level Carlos Tevez's 19th goal of the campaign after Jussi Jaaskelainen had failed to keep the South American's poor effort out.
Bolton could have done with getting Wilshere into more central positions because with a bit more guile they could easily have levelled, such was the impetus they gained at the start of the second period.
As has been pointed out to Wenger repeatedly over the past few days, possession and passes are all very well, but football's hard currency will always remain goals and points.

Mancini was sufficiently disturbed to abandon his solid three-man midfield line by bringing on Shaun Wright-Phillips for Wayne Bridge, a move that involved a significant reshuffle given one is a right-winger, the other a left-back; Gareth Barry's adaptability allowing him to fill the latter role.
The move was unorthodox. But it worked a treat, unlike Bolton's offside trap as the visitors failed to keep tabs on Adebayor as he ran onto Vieira's elegant chipped through ball.

A chest control and crisp, volleyed finish came straight out of the textbook and Adebayor raced away to celebrate.

Bolton continued to huff and puff until the final whistle, by which time Johnson had departed to a standing ovation he is set to receive plenty of on this evidence.

Roque Santa Cruz Bio

2010-02-09T12:03:00.002+08:00

Roque Santa Cruz made a name for himself rapidly. He started at Olimpia at the age of nine, and his goalscoring made him the club's most promising young gun. Luis Cubilla called him up to the first team at the age of 15, and he made his debut a year later.
In the 1998 and 1999 seasons, Santa Cruz won two titles with Olimpia and was chosen as Paraguayan player of the year. As expected, many offers arrived from abroad, and Bayern Munich signed him in 1999. But despite his talent and a rapport with fans, he never reached his true potential with the team.

Injuries and bad relationships with his coaches were to blame for his lack of a regular spot in Munich. At Bayern he played 146 games and scored 31 goals before England's Blackburn Rovers signed him in 2007. He was a key player at Ewood Park: in 54 games, he scored 23 goals. Finally, after a long courtship, in the summer of 2009 he was purchased by Manchester City. With the Paraguayan national team he has played in two World Cups, and is the second-most prolific scorer in their history.

Strengths: His height means the aerial game is his main weapon though he is also two-footed and not lacking in composure on the ball.

Weaknesses: The long list of injuries he has suffered during his career.

Career high: During 2007-8, his first year at Blackburn Rovers, he revived his career and was top scorer.

Career low: One of the many knee injuries that he suffered towards the end of 2005 kept him for six months meaning he would later struggle to regain his previous form.

Style: A constant presence in the box, his physical strength is the basis of his game.

Trivia: A German band composed a song honoring Santa Cruz, entitled "Ich Roque". In the video, Santa Cruz appears singing the chorus.

Quotes: "He has been fantastic since he's come through the door. Not only have we been impressed by his technical ability and the pace and power that he has, but by his demeanour as well around the place." Mark Hughes.

Rashy Cruz says: His injuries are a problem and have kept him from performing at his best. His great challenge will be to find first-team place in the next few months and arrive at the World Cup in his best possible shape

Beckham: I won't celebrate scoring against United

2010-02-09T11:56:00.003+08:00

AC Milan midfielder David Beckham has promised he will not celebrate if he scores against former club Manchester United in next week's Champions League last-16 clash.

United face Milan in the Champions League at the San Siro next Tuesday, with the return leg on March 10 at Old Trafford. And after 394 appearances for Sir Alex Ferguson's side, the England midfielder believes it would be inappropriate behaviour should he find the net for the Rossoneri.

It is the first time Beckham has faced his former club and he remains grateful to the fans who backed him after he was sent off against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup.

"Sometimes emotion can get the better of you when you score but I do not think I would celebrate," Beckham told Inside United magazine. "I respect the supporters and the club. The relationship I have with the fans is still important to me.

"I went through some difficult times but they never stopped supporting me. I would not have got through everything without them. To me they are the best fans in the world and the support they gave me week in, week out was incredible. Nothing will ever better that.''

Beckham started his career at United after moving up from London to sign schoolboy forms with the club and made his league debut in 1995, going on to play for eight more years at Old Trafford before moving to Real Madrid.

A high-profile transfer to LA Galaxy followed and the former England captain is currently on loan at Milan in a bid to retain his form and fitness and earn a place in Fabio Capello's World Cup squad. But Beckham admitted that after playing for three of the world's bioggest teams, it is his first club who remain his first love.

"I always wish I was part of Manchester United, it is just in me. Even though I am not there any more, I am still a huge fan. Coming to terms with not being a United player was certainly the toughest thing I've ever had to deal with. When you are a Manchester United player and a Manchester United fan you never want to play for any other club.

"I always want them to do well and be successful because the club still means so much to me. I've still got season tickets and I will always keep them because I love to watch every game where possible. I would love to take my sons one day. United will always be such a special place to me, so we will just have to see what the future holds.''

"United was the club I always wanted to play for and I loved every minute of my time there. The first few years (after leaving) were hard and there were a lot of things I missed. When I was at Real Madrid it just never felt right to come back to Old Trafford.

"The thought of playing against United always gave me that sick feeling because I missed the club so much. But when the draw was made this time it felt as though it was the right time to go back. I felt really emotional. It will also be extremely emotional for myself and my family on the night.

"I met so many amazing people during my time there, on and off the pitch, that I am looking forward to seeing everyone again. It is the biggest club in the world and it is one you always want to be a part of.''

Salman Khan 'the Patriot' to join Republic Day parade in Delhi

2010-02-08T15:26:00.004+08:00

In his endeavour to promote his new film Veer, Salman Khan is going all-out to prove he's the new-age Manoj Kumar of our cinema

Suddenly, as it were, Salman has transformed into the perennial patriot promoting nationalism and brotherhood at any given cause.

According to sources close to the Khan, Salman will now be a part of the Republic Day parade on 26 January to not only participate in the event but also to comment on the whole concept of freedom and independence in the contemporary context.

According to a source, "This is Salman's golden opportunity to clean up his image. He wants to wipe out his anti-establishment image. He has made up with the media. Now he wants to project himself as someone who cares deeply for his country."

Producer Vijay Galani confirms Salman's presence and participation at the Republic Day parade in Delhi on January 26. Says Galani, "Salman will be seen live on a Hindi channel at the Republic Day parade talking about what freedom and independence mean to Indians."

Salman has been preparing extensively to hold forth in Delhi on 26 January. Says a close friend of the actor, "Salman is tired of being portrayed as the enfant-terrible. He wants a clean image. He's told his family and friends he'd like to set the right example for his younger fans."

The theme of Salman's Republic Day comments in Delhi would be, 'Do Not Misuse Your Freedom.' And a very close friend of Salman says, "When he'll talk about not misusing freedom Salman would be talking about himself as well."

Movie Review-My Name Is Khan

2010-02-08T15:18:00.002+08:00

Shahrukh Khan: Rizvan Khan
My name is Rizvan Khan.
I might seem a little different to you. That is because I have Aspergers Syndrome. It is named after Dr Hans Aspersers who first noticed the traits in children. Having Aspergers does not mean I am stupid. I am very intelligent, but I don't understand people. I don't know why people say things they don't mean. For example, they say come to my house any time, and when I go to their house they say why have you come at this time? Sometimes people think I am rude. I don't mean to be rude, being rude is not good. My mother said there are only good people and bad people in the world and I am a good person...

Synopsis

Rizvan Khan, a Muslim man from India, moves to San Francisco and lives with his brother and sister-in-law. Rizvan, who has Aspergers, falls in love with Mandira. Despite protests from his family they get married and start a small business together. They are happy until September 11, 2001 when attitudes towards Muslims undergo a sea-change. When tragedy strikes, Mandira is devastated and they split. Rizvan is confused and very upset that the love of his life has left him. To win her back, he embarks on a touching and inspiring journey across America.

'My Name is Khan' is the triumphant story of an unconventional hero overcoming obstacles to regain the love of his life.

Five-star Man United go top of the pile

2010-02-08T13:20:00.001+08:00

Manchester United crushed Portsmouth 5-0, with a hat-trick of Pompey own goals helping Sir Alex Ferguson's side climb to the top of the Premier League and piling more woe on the struggling south coast club.

Wayne Rooney, in irrepressible form of late, headed United in front with his seventh goal in the past four league games and when Anthony Vanden Borre put through his own net in first-half stoppage time, the game was over as a contest.

Two more own goals, first from Richard Hughes and then Marc Wilson, sandwiched an increasingly rare Dimitar Berbatov strike, as United turned up the heat on their title rivals with a ruthless display.

In Saturday's early kick-off Liverpool got the better of city rivals Everton, with a Dirk Kuyt goal giving Rafel Benitez's side a 1-0 victory in a feisty Merseyside derby.

When Sotirios Kyrgiakos was sent-off for the Reds after 34 minutes, it appeared Everton had a great opportunity to record their first win at Anfield since Kevin Campbell netted the winner in 1999. Marouane Fellaini went off injured after the two-footed challenge from Kyrgiakos, but was lucky not to have been sent from the pitch himself after replays revealed he stamped on the Greek defender.

Tim Cahill had a great chance just before half-time but his header was well over and in the second-half, Kuyt nodded home from Steven Gerrard's corner to send the Kop into raptures. Steven Pienaar was given his marching orders in injury time for a second booking - having been lucky to be on the pitch after a poor challenge in the first-half - and Liverpool held on to temporarily up to fourth in the league.

Tottenham Hotspur could not find a way past Aston Villa goalkeeper Brad Friedel as two of this season's top-four hopefuls in the Premier League cancelled each other out in a 0-0 draw at White Hart Lane.

Spurs thought they could have had a last-gasp penalty when Jermain Defoe was challenged by Stiliyan Petrov - but it remained goalless.

Brian Laws claimed his first win as Burnley manager as goals from David Nugent and debutant Danny Fox earned a 2-1 win that fired the Clarets out of the relegation zone and plunged West Ham into the bottom three.

The Hammers signed three strikers in the transfer window and Gianfranco Zola handed Benni McCarthy his first start at Turf Moor, but it was Burnley's January recruits who shone the brightest, with David Nugent - fresh from having his loan from Portsmouth extended - opening the scoring after being put through by new boy Fox.

And the left-back was not content with creating goals, getting on the scoresheet himself with a left foot thunderbolt to give the Clarets a two-goal cushion. Zola threw on Mido and Ilan in the second-half and it was the latter who took his chance, scoring with nine minutes left on the clock, but it was Laws who was celebrating holding out for a win as the Hammers slipped into 18th place.

Stoke City produced a dominant display to down ten-man Blackburn Rovers 3-0 and continue their excellent form at the Britannia Stadium. It was a disappointing performance from Sam Allardyce's side who certainly weren't helped by Christopher Samba's second-half dismissal.

With two games in hand on Fulham - ahead of them in tenth - the Potters could potentially climb into the top half of the table with a couple of positive results. But boss Tony Pulis will have been content enough to see his side perform like a true Premier League outfit. Danny Higginbotham scored the first with a left-foot volley, before strikes from Mamady Sidibe and Matthe Etherington wrapped up the points.

Hull City beat moneybags Manchester City 2-1 to put a dent in Roberto Mancini's Champions League ambitions. Jozy Altidore broke the deadlock after half an hour, slotting home his first Premier League goal followingsome excellent work by Jan Venegoor of Hesselink, before George Boateng fired home a sensational second-half strike to double the lead.

Emmanuel Adebayor grabbed one back for City to make it a nervy end at the KC Stadium and Patrick Vieira came on for his second Premier League debut but the Tigers survived to climb out of the relegation zone.

Sunderland and Wigan shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw, as Steve Bruce failed to get one over on his old club. Mohamed Diame netted his first goal for the Latics to give Roberto Martinez's side a 20th minute lead but Kenwyne Jones salvaged a draw for the Wearsiders, heading home a Jordan Henderson cross.

Bolton Wanderers and Fulham played out a goalless draw in a dire encounter at the Reebok stadium. Mark Clattenburg disallowed a Kevin Davies goal late on, penalising the striker for a challenge on Cottagers defender Brede Hangeland to keep the score at 0-0.

Hull City 2 - 1 Manchester City

2010-02-08T13:10:00.002+08:00

City fall to Hull defeat

Hull followed up Tuesday's draw with Premier League leaders Chelsea by defeating Manchester City at the KC Stadium to climb out of the relegation zone.

Phil Brown's side had not won since November but were buoyed by their performance against the Blues and deservedly took a 31st-minute lead through the impressive Jozy Altidore.

City then found themselves two down nine minutes after the break thanks to a rocket from George Boateng and, although Emmanuel Adebayor quickly pulled one back, they rarely threatened to equalise.

The talking point before the game was the inclusion in the City side of Wayne Bridge after two months out with a knee injury and amid the fall-out from John Terry's alleged affair with his former partner.

Craig Bellamy and youngster Dedryk Boyata also returned to the City starting XI while January signings Adam Johnson and Patrick Vieira were among the substitutes.

Hull boss Phil Brown named an unchanged XI from the side that drew with Chelsea.

Having booed Terry relentlessly when Chelsea visited the KC Stadium in midweek, the Hull fans also subjected Bridge to some taunts.

It was the hosts, clearly buoyed by their performance against the league leaders, who began the brighter and Altidore won a free-kick 20 yards out when he was felled by Kolo Toure, who picked up a yellow card.

The USA striker had looked lively from the start but his set-piece was deflected behind by the visitors' wall.

Boyata looked nervy and he became the second City defender to be booked inside 20 minutes when he pulled back Altidore after the striker had out-muscled him.

Stephen Hunt's free-kick from the left was headed away but, when it was launched back in, Steven Mouyokolo headed on for Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, who fired wide of the far post from 10 yards.

City simply could not get into their rhythm and it was Hull who deservedly took the lead in the 31st minute.

Boateng played the ball into Vennegoor of Hesselink just inside the area and his lay-off was expertly curled round Shay Given by Altidore for his first Premier League goal.

The visitors finally threatened in the final moments of the half but Mouyokolo did well to block Carlos Tevez's close-range effort and Bridge then saw his shot saved by Boaz Myhill after a neat move down the left.

Hull again came out of the blocks the faster at the start of the second half and Altidore felt he should have had a penalty for a challenge by Nigel de Jong but referee Phil Dowd waved play on.

But the home fans did not have long to wait for a second, and there cannot have been many better goals scored at the KC Stadium.

Hunt's corner, which came after Bridge was beaten for pace by Craig Fagan, was cleared but only as far as Boateng 25 yards out and his beautifully-struck volley flew past Given.

That gave Hull breathing space after only nine minutes of the half but five minutes later City were back in it.

Johnson came on for his debut in place of Stephen Ireland and it was his corner, after Myhill had pushed Tevez's shot round the past, that eventually resulted in Adebayor netting from inside the six-yard box.

City boss Roberto Mancini chose that moment to reintroduce former Arsenal midfielder Vieira to English football in place of Bellamy.

The momentum was now with the visitors and Myhill had to be alert to tip Johnson's free-kick behind while Amr Zaki replaced Altidore for Hull.

The home side were mostly playing on the break and Zaki got away down the left but his shot was easily saved by Given.

Bridge's afternoon ended five minutes early as Mancini sent on Martin Petrov as a final throw of the dice and Johnson then almost caught out Myhill with a cross from the right that the keeper was grateful to see drop behind for a corner.

Tevez's snapshot drew another stop from Myhill while a late barrage ended with Adebayor poking a tame shot at the keeper as Hull celebrated a priceless win.

Singapore News: Skeletal remains still a mystery

2010-02-04T15:28:00.001+08:00

A man's skeletal remains were found amid burnt residue in a fourth floor flat at Block 148, Woodlands Street 13, on May 7 last year.

A fire investigation report by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) revealed that flammable liquid was detected on a metal container found near the body and on the dead man's trousers - suggesting the likelihood of the fire having been deliberately set using thinner as an accelerant.

The SCDF also said a lighter recovered near the man's remains could have been used to spark off the blaze.

State Coroner Victor Yeo, however, on Wednesday recorded an open verdict as the man's identity could not be determined - the body was already severely decomposed by the time the authorities found it.

The Coroner's Court heard that the flat belonged to a man identified as Wong Kok Cheong, 48, who is currently still untraceable. Station Inspector (SI) Teo Teck Heng, the investigation officer handling the case, said the police had searched Mr Wong's letterbox and found it filled with unopened letters addressed to him.

Two shavers, a tongue scraper and a comb taken from the flat were sent to the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) for DNA profiling.

The HSA also conducted DNA tests on the dead man's tooth and bone marrow but the profile obtained from the bone marrow did not match the ones taken from the seized items. The DNA profile was also not traced to any known person.

The body was discovered after a Housing Board contract supervisor, Mr Tan Soon Wan, entered the flat with two of his workers to conduct a check on the unit. He entered a bedroom and spotted the body lying outside an attached bathroom.

SI Teo told the court that police did not suspect foul play and that an autopsy report said the man possibly died from inhaling fumes from the fire.

Man City slammed over botched bid for Real's Gago

2010-02-04T15:19:00.003+08:00

Fernando Gago's agent has hit out at Manchester City over their handling of their bid for the player, with Real Madrid's sporting director Jorge Valdano echoing his displeasure.

City reportedly made a bid for Gago last week before turning their attentions to Kenyan star McDonald Mariga; but when Mariga was refused a work permit, City tried to salvage a deal late on Monday for the Argentine midfielder, which smacked of desperation.

"City used us," Gago's agent Marcello Lombilla told radio station Onda Cero. "This has never happened to me before.

"I don't want to talk about the figures that City were offering because they approached Madrid without even knowing there wasn't physically enough time to put something together."

Real's sporting director Jorge Valdano was equally unimpressed with City's attempts, claiming that their lack of preparation hindered any hope of reaching a deal.

"They had nothing prepared, not even one document signed," Valdano told El Pais. "They had not reached an agreement with the player and they would have had to have done everything in 40 minutes."

Meanwhile, Patrick Vieira has shaken off the ankle injury that has prevented him from making his City debut and could feature in Saturday's game against Hull City.

"It has been a frustrating spell with the injury. Thank God it is over and I am ready to start, '' Vieira told the club's official website. "I suffered it in the last game for Inter and did not realise it was that bad. City have been right behind me and I have to thank them for that.

"I am looking forward to playing in the Premier League again and getting a run of games. When I was in Italy I followed the matches. They have been exciting and I really believe it is one of the best in the world.''

Man City beat deadline to sign Adam Johnson

2010-02-04T15:14:00.003+08:00

Manchester City have completed the last-minute transfer of Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson.

The former England Under-21 winger, who had been the subject of a previous bid from City, passed a medical this afternoon and has signed a contract until June 2014.

No fee has been announced but it has been reported Middlesbrough will get around £7million. "We are delighted that Adam has chosen to come here," City manager Roberto Mancini told the club's website. "He is a very good player with fantastic potential, and as a club we are always keen to sign British talent."

The Middlesbrough winger had been the subject of several bids from the Premier League club and Boro thought they had managed to hold on to a player regarded by many to be the best outside the top flight.

At the end of last week boss Gordon Strachan moved to assure fans that the 22-year-old would remain at the Riverside until the summer as Boro look to get back into the Championship play-off picture. Strachan comforted himself with the signings of Celtic striker Scott McDonald and Aberdeen Lee Miller.

After Boro chiefs held talks on Monday lunchtime, Johnson was told he could speak to the Eastlands club, and he is now in Manchester to thrash out the finer details of his move.

Reports suggest the fee for Johnson could be in the region of £8 million.

Johnson has scored 11 goals in 25 starts in the Championship this season after previously struggling to get into the Boro team when they were in the top flight. He has also spent time on loan with Watford and Leeds.

Confusion reigns over Benjani's Sunderland move

2010-02-04T15:12:00.002+08:00

Steve Bruce is hopeful Benjani will be joining the club after Sunderland's last-gasp move for the Manchester City striker.

Speaking before Monday night's ESPN game with Stoke Bruce said his club had got all the paperwork off on time and were awaiting confirmation.

The 31-year-old Zimbabwean had been in talks with Blackburn but now his fate rests with the Premier League.

When asked if Benjani would be heading to the Stadium of Light Bruce said: "We hope so, we have done everything properly. It was very, very late but we hope it's been accepted by the FA.

"It was pretty hectic at five to five when everything was going in there. At this moment in time I'm not so sure but Niall Quinn the chairman is very, very confident that it has been completed."

Bruce also said he hoped Kenwyne Jones would hit top form again after his proposed move to Liverpool failed to materialise.

He said: "I think it's been unfortunate. there's been no offer from anyone for Kenwyne Jones. I think I've made it public about the Liverpool thing with a loan deal being bridged and obviously it's turned the boy's head a bit.

"My big aim is to get him turned round a bit and to be the Sunderland centre forward like we know he can be. He's a fantastic player and a good boy."

Bruce, after his team's dour 0-0 draw with Stoke City, blamed technical difficulties for any hold-up in the registration but remains hopeful.

"I think we've lodged everything in time, we've done everything we possibly can and I'm convinced we had everything in in time.

"The paperwork was lodged but we had some huge, huge difficulties and we informed both the Premier League and the FA at the time of those.

"It was well in front of the deadline when we got the green light to get Benjani in on loan but we had huge, huge difficulties with email and faxes so we hope a little common sense prevails.

"We wait to find out but I hope we are granted the player, who would be a huge boost to us."

Man City's move for Mariga collapses over permit

2010-02-04T15:11:00.000+08:00

Mcdonald Mariga's move from Parma to the Premier League is off.

The Kenyan international midfielder was a target of Manchester City, but work permit issues have prevented a deal from being completed.

Parma's general manager Pietro Leonardi had told the Italian media on Monday: "We hope that this case will be resolved. We should have some update from England briefly.''

Mariga joined Parma on a permanent basis in the summer of 2008, after initially moving on loan from Helsingborgs, and the 20-year-old has made nine league appearances for the club this season.

He is under contract with the Serie A outfit until June 2012.

Man City table improved bid for Adam Johnson

2010-02-04T15:02:00.001+08:00

Manchester City are believed to have made an increased bid for Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson.

City had a £5 million offer for Johnson, 22, rejected last week but are now thought to have contacted Middlesbrough once more with a substantially improved bid.

Boro boss Gordon Strachan has stated he expects Johnson to still to be at the Riverside after Monday's 1700 GMT transfer deadline. However, chairman Steve Gibson might be reluctant to turn down increased terms for a player who will be out of contract at the end of the season.

Johnson was part of the Middlesbrough side that was held to a goalless draw by Bristol City yesterday. A product of Boro's highly-rated academy, despite being born in Sunderland, Johnson remained with the club following their relegation from the Premier League last term and it was anticipated he would be part of the club's push for promotion.

Instead, as results have proved difficult for Strachan to come by, Johnson has found himself linked with several top-flight clubs.

However, he is said to have informed Boro officials last week of his desire to hear what City are offering and that is only likely to intensify as Monday's deadline draws near.

The exit of record signing Robinho for Santos has created a space on the left of City's midfield, although it would put him in competition with Craig Bellamy and Martin Petrov.

Johnson's ability to play on the right, as he did so often for Boro before Stewart Downing's summer move to Aston Villa, would be an asset for manager Roberto Mancini.

And, after moving to within a point of a top-four place by beating Portsmouth at Eastlands this afternoon, City are keen to maintain their momentum and are determined not to miss out on their stated aim by not having enough depth in their squad.

City players were wearing "Team Bridge" t-shirts

2010-02-04T15:00:00.002+08:00

Roberto Mancini revealed some of Manchester City's players wore shirts bearing the words "Team Bridge'' in support of team-mate Wayne Bridge during Sunday's Premier League win over Portsmouth.

Bridge is still missing with a knee injury but the City stars felt it was important to show their backing for the England full-back, who has found himself at the centre of a media storm following allegations England captain John Terry had an affair with the 29-year-old's former girlfriend.

And the City players showed whose side they are on with their statement, which Roberto Mancini recognised.

"The players are very close to Wayne,'' Mancini said. "He is a fantastic player and a good guy. It was a nice gesture.''

In a statement released yesterday, Bridge outlined his intention not to speak about Terry's relationship with Vanessa Perroncel and was interested only in the welfare of their three-year-old son.

But Bridge is known to be deeply distressed about the situation, not least because he regarded Terry as his friend, even to the extent of quitting the England team.

City captain Kolo Toure preferred to focus on football matters after the game, insisting that City can break into the top four this season.

"We have good players and the determination," Toure said. "We are now working very hard and we have a chance to be in the top four, so why not? Yes, we can, definitely.''

And Mancini also hailed his team's efforts, picking out the returning Emmanuel Adebayor for particular praise. The Togo striker scored in his first appearance since the horrific experience at the African Nations Cup when three of his country's backroom staff, including their driver, were killed in a gun attack on their team bus.

"I am very happy for Emmanuel to score this goal,'' Mancini said. "It was an incredible situation he has been involved in. For his sake I hope he can forget it but I think both he, and his family, know he has been very lucky.''

Vincent Kompany added another with a powerful header in first half stoppage time that ensured City gained maximum points against a limited Portsmouth outfit without ever getting near to their best.

"Physically we were probably a bit tired after the Manchester United game last Wednesday,'' Mancini said. "There are three or four teams who are pushing for fourth spot and we will keep fighting until the end of the season to get it.''

It was also confirmed Argentina defender Pablo Zabaleta broke his nose in a first half collision with Kevin-Prince Boateng, while a deadline-day move for Parma's Kenyan midfielder McDonald Mariga is anticipated.

Portsmouth boss Avram Grant declined to speak with the written press after the game, preferring to wait until the transfer window has passed before offering his opinions on the crisis at Fratton Park.

It was however confirmed the player's wages are expected to be paid tomorrow - financed through the sale of Younes Kaboul to Tottenham - just one day late.

Coach Paul Groves claimed Portsmouth's performance said a lot about the players' character, although he admitted he had no idea how many more players would be sold before tomorrow's 5pm GMT deadline.

"It is not a question I can answer,'' he said. "Obviously once 5pm comes around then we can start moving forward again.''

However, Groves said he expected goalkeeping duo David James - who featured this afternoon - and Asmir Begovic - whose move to Tottenham has collapsed - to still be at the club tomorrow evening, in addition to Grant.

"Avram has already shown his commitment to the club,'' said Groves. "He is being positive and working very hard to try and get some results. We are not in this for professional pride. We are in this to win matches.''

Manchester City 2 - 0 Portsmouth

2010-02-04T14:59:00.002+08:00

Scoring return for Adebayor

Emmanuel Adebayor acknowledged the heavens in remembrance after scoring for the first time since the gun attack in Angola that left him fearing for his life.

Three members of the Togo backroom staff were killed in the terrorist atrocity that resulted in Adebayor and his team-mates pulling out of the African Nations Cup.

There was no joyous celebration as Adebayor rattled his 40th-minute effort past David James to open the scoring in a 2-0 victory over crisis club Portsmouth. But as City returned for the second half, the former Arsenal star looked quietly but pointedly to the sky in honour of his fallen colleagues.

By then, Vincent Kompany had powered home a header from Martin Petrov's corner to ensure the Blues moved to within a point of fourth spot despite a less than convincing performance that was still enough to overcome Pompey, who tried hard enough but were too limited to have any impact.

Although Grant has pledged to remain as manager, there is little to be gained from his job at present other that personal pride. The sale of Younes Kaboul without his knowledge was a lamentable indictment on the state of a club desperately trying to raise money just to pay the wages this month.

Grant was only able to name a full set of substitutes because Quincy Owusu-Abeye signed on loan and the loss of skipper Hermann Hreidarsson to injury during the first half could cause a problem if reinforcements are not brought in before Monday's 5pm GMT transfer deadline.

It was to Grant's credit that Pompey were the better side for 39 minutes. Taking advantage of City's unusual lethargy, the visitors carved out two fine chances.

John Utaka, one of the few survivors from that 2008 FA Cup final win, was presented with the first but leaned back too far when he got on the end of Danny Webber's cross and scooped his shot over.

Webber and Utaka were also heavily involved in the move that ended with Kompany deflecting Anthony Vanden Borre's shot onto his own bar.

Stephen Ireland may only be a slight figure. But he had the strength to hold off Webber and stop the former Watford man tapping Portsmouth in front.

Problems are all relative of course. Yes, it is not nice to see such a proud old club suffering an implosion that seems destined to end in administration. But, compared to what Adebayor has been through, it really is irrelevant.

The last act of Togo's African Nations Cup was to be banned for two tournaments. Given their recent experience, they are probably quite glad even if the decision itself is almost impossible to comprehend.

Anyone with an ounce of compassion could have understood what was going through Adebayor's mind after he crashed his 40th-minute shot past David James.

Latching onto Ireland's lofted pass, his marker Mark Wilson appealing in vain for offside, Adebayor acted as though he no longer knew how to celebrate, an acknowledgement to the heavens at the start of the second half told its own story.

Kompany effectively wrapped up victory in stoppage time. At City's previous corner, the Belgian had complained of being impeded by Tal Ben Haim. Having gained no response from referee Martin Atkinson, Kompany took matters into his own hands, simply shrugging the Israeli aside as they ran to meet Martin Petrov's corner, before powering home his first goal of the season.

Portsmouth continued to work hard after the break, which, like Grant, is a testament to their professionalism. Webber might have breathed fresh life into the contest when he tried to turn home the loose ball after Shay Given had saved from Angelos Basinas. Unfortunately, the striker missed his kick and fell over.

Now Grant lurches on towards deadline day, six points adrift of the survival waterline, having no real idea what players he is going to be left with at 5pm.

Wayne Bridge will get England call-up if fit

2010-02-04T14:52:00.001+08:00

Wayne Bridge will be selected by Fabio Capello for the England squad for the friendly with Egypt on March 3 if he is fit.
Bridge's last appearance for Manchester City came on December 5 and his international selection depends purely on his fitness, rather than concerns over the scandal that has erupted around England captain John Terry in recent days.

Bridge has not notified the England management or the FA that he has de-listed himself for selection, despite intense speculation that he would refuse to "be in the same room" as the current captain following allegations about Terry's private life over the weekend.

Capello has dealt with high profile players in clubs like Real Madrid and had to manage delicate situations. The Italian has always made a very strict distinction about players' private lives and their professional lives, but in the case of Terry, the problem is that it overlaps into the England squad, which makes his decision a tough one.

But there is no decision for Capello to make over Bridge.Capello will judge Bridge purely on his ability to be fit for selection. It will be for the left back to decide whether he still wishes to be a possible member of Capello's 23-man squad to travel to the World Cup finals in South Africa.

Clearly Capello also intends to select Terry for the World Cup finals, whether or not he remains as captain, and for the time being no decision has been made to strip the Chelsea captain of the England honour.

A source revealed: "The only problem concerning the England manager about Wayne Bridge is his fitness, his ability to recover in time to be considered for selection for the England squad for the friendly with Egypt.

"Wayne Bridge is clearly one of the options available to Fabio to name in his 23-man squad for the finals. The England manager is considering him as a player, not as an ex-friend of any other players."

At 45, Salman still amongst Bollywood's hottest bachelors

2010-01-26T16:38:00.003+08:00

He set pulse racing with his suave and charismatic approach as Prem in “Maine Pyar Kiya”. Two decades and more than 70 films later, Salman Khan, who turns 43 Saturday, is still among Bollywood's most sought after stars and hottest bachelors.At a time when fresh faces are entering the film industry, Salman, who is considered a part of the formidable Khan trio - Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan - still makes girls go weak in the knees not only because of his body which is close to absolute perfection, but also because of his alluring charm.
Miss World first runner-up and a Salman fan Parvathy Omanakuttan has said: “I would love to do a movie opposite Salman Khan, as I have a big time crush on him.”

He might be infamous for his line of controversies, but industry insiders say that the actor is boyishly likeable.

"I must say that Salman has a heart of gold,” filmmaker Subhash Ghai, who directed Salman in recently released film “Yuvvraaj”, told IANS.

“When I was working with him on my film, not even once did I feel that I'm working with a star. I felt I'm working with a family member, a younger brother," he added.

Echoing the same, Priyanka Chopra, who played his leading lady in "Mujhse Shaadi Karogi" and God Tussi Great Ho, had said: “Salman is always fun on the sets”.

Born to renowned scriptwriter Salim, Salman made his acting debut as a supporting actor with the film “Biwi Ho To Aisi” in 1988. He had his first commercial success as the lead with the blockbuster “Maine Pyar Kiya”.

After this he went on to do commercially and critically rewarding films such as “Saajan”, “Hum Aapke Hain Kaun”, “Biwi No.1”, “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai”, “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam”, “Tere Naam” and “Partner”, among others.

The actor has also won two Filmfare Awards including Best Debut for “Maine Pyar Kiya” and Best Supporting Actor for “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai”

Salman's penchant for a fit body is no secret. He was one of the first actors to take a plunge into bodybuilding and since then has given tips for that fab look to many including Hritik Roshan.

Singer Sonu Nigam, who took initial exercising lessons from the actor, has said: “We are familiar with his perfect six-pack abs and the upper body muscles, but fans have yet to see his muscular legs, which are so perfect. I think he should expose his legs too.”

Salman's talent is not just confined to the film domain. The multifaceted star often indulges actively in his by-now-famous passion for painting.

Recently, Salman painted two portraits of his contemporary Aamir Khan on black canvasses, showing his interpretations of the character Aamir plays in his new film.

The small screen too got a taste of the six-pack hunk when he agreed to host Synergy Adlabs' reality show “Dus Ka Dum” on Sony channel.

“Salman was most cooperative and an exceptionally generous and hospitable host, which I believe came through in the show,” said Siddhartha Basu, head of Synergy Adlabs.

“He seemed to enjoy the experience and along with his very personal style and star charisma, his genuine generosity, warmth and connect with ordinary people was evident on the show, together with explosive bursts of energy and a gut feel for entertainment,” he added.

Salman is the fourth Indian actor to have been a wax statue in the Madame Tussauds museum in London.

Though box office success eluded the actor this year with duds like “God Tussi Great Ho”, “Hello”, “Heroes”, and “Yuvvraaj”, he can keep his hopes up, as he has a new release on the horizon, “London Dream”.

Movie Review: Veer

2010-01-26T15:32:00.003+08:00

Everyone's awaiting VEER with bated breath. The film industry will get another breather if VEER goes the 3 IDIOTS way at the box-office. The junta will have one more fascinating genre to look forward to, if VEER appeals to them. But your hopes go crashing as reel after reel of VEER unfurl.

Salman Khan [who has been credited as the story writer of VEER] takes TARAS BULBA, adds GLADIATOR, CONAN THE BARBARIAN, TROY, TITANIC and even KRANTI [the end is a straight lift of Manoj Kumar's Dilip Kumar starrer] and comes up with this khichdi which gets unpalatable after a point.

VEER is about a warrior and at the same time, it's a love story too. Sadly, neither does it evoke any patriotism, nor does the love story make your heart go dhak-dhak.

The writing [screenplay: Shaktimaan Talwar, Shailesh Verma] is so fragile that one is mentally exhausted by the time this marathon movie finally reaches its finale. Of course, Salman's star power tries hard to salvage the situation, but window dressing doesn't help if the store has nothing to offer.

Final word? You have to be a veer to sit through VEER. Colossal disappointment!

As the British enslave India with their devious Divide and Rule policy, kings and nawabs fall to their guile and cunning schemes and entrust their precious kingdom to the foreigners. Except for the brave Pindaris, who prefer death to dishonour and will fight to their last breath to save their land.

The bravest, the toughest, the strongest of the Pindaris is Veer [Salman Khan]. As Veer takes on the might of the British Empire, he also has to fight the conniving King of Madavgarh [Jackie Shroff] as well his own jealous tribesmen. At stake is his love for princess Yashodhara [Zarine Khan], daughter of his sworn enemy. At stake is his thirst to avenge his father's dishonour.

VEER has it all - great stars, opulent and majestic sets, adrenaline pumping action scenes, but no soul [read script]. The movie begins with a bang, but the moment the story shifts to London, it crashes!

Frankly, it's a screenplay of convenience. Salman meets the woman of his dreams within minutes of reaching London and that looks so unreal. You try to digest it and move on to the next scene and lo! The damsel studies in the same college that our hero has enrolled in. Now that looks fake!

The sequence at the interval is interesting, although it remains a mystery how Puru Raaj Kumar gets to know of Salman's identity. At this point, Salman becomes a killing machine, slaughters more than a dozen people in the hostel campus [including a few gora soldiers] and conveniently escapes from London with a badly injured brother [played by Sohail]. Now that is taking it too far.

The second hour goes on and on and on, emphasising on unfulfilled promises, seething anger and revenge, love and freedom and frankly, you are least bothered by now. In fact, you lose interest in the proceedings. Period. The climax is so long drawn and more of an anti-climax, while the ending is bizarre and unintentionally funny.

Director Anil Sharma fails to deliver. That's the bitter truth. The project had everything going in its favour, but alas, Sharma and his writers make a complete mess of the story. Sajid-Wajid's music is melodious, but why repeat one song ['Surili Ankhiyon Wali'] again and again? The background score [Monty] is top notch. Gopal Shah's cinematography is splendid. Tinu Verma's action scenes are dynamic and in fact, the saving grace of VEER. The production design [art: Sanjay Dhabade] give an authentic feel of the bygone era.

VEER rides on Salman's star power, but even his hardcore fans will be disappointed by this movie. Zarine Khan resembles Katrina Kaif, but wears one expression all through. Mithun is okay, while Jackie does his bit well. Sohail Khan irritates. Puru Raaj Kumar and Aryan Vaid get no scope. Neena Gupta is as usual. The English actors are stereotype.

On the whole, VEER proves the age-old adage true: All that glitters is not gold. The film may open very well at single screens thanks to Salman's popularity and the hype surrounding the film and may also enjoy a healthy extended weekend [Tuesday, 26th January is a holiday], but given its exorbitant costs and poor merits, VEER will face an uphill task to recover its costs. This one's a monumental disappointment!

Dr M: My 9/11 comment won't affect investment

2010-01-26T15:26:00.001+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad believes that his statement that the 9/11 incident in the United States was staged would not hamper Malaysia's move to attract foreign direct investment.

"I have said this many times even when I was the prime minister. I was very nasty about America and Jews. But we still have the foreign direct investment.

"However, we cannot rely on foreign direct investments alone. We must build on our own system," said Dr Mahathir after launching a book Civilisations, Nomadic Migrations, Empires and The Trail of Islam, at the Islamic Arts Museum, here.

The book which entails the history of mankind, origin and commonality of major religions, is written by Syed Salem Albukhary.

Dr Mahathir was asked to elaborate on his statement on Wednesday and in his blog where he claimed the 9/11 attacks were staged as an excuse to mount attacks on the Muslim world.

Dr Mahathir said his statement was based on what he heard and saw on television.

"It sounds logical to me. Until today, you cannot even find scraps of the plane that crashed into the World Trade Centre and there is no picture of the other plane which was supposed to crash.

"The way the tower came crashing down was also funny. People who saw it were also not ordinary people. They were professional engineers and what they say is quite credible.

"I wish some television stations would consent to show the video as it is not long and only three hours. You can then see what I saw."

Dr Mahathir said there was fear among some people to say anything critical as they would be seen as accusing government of powerful countries of doing something wrong.

"But the government of powerful countries said lies to go to war.

"I have great respect for the Arabs but for them to hijack four planes is not very Arab. Just imagine the amount of planning that would be involved.

"They are not good at planning. They tie bomb to their body and crash."

To a question on whether his statement was a publicity stunt, Dr Mahathir said: "What do I gain? I am not going to be the prime minister anymore unless you want me to be ... you propose lah."

On the sand smuggling activities, Dr Mahathir said he was stressing on the issue previously so people could take action.

"Some people are selling a little bit of Malaysia at a time. If you cannot give away one territory then you go ahead giving sand."

Earlier in his speech, Dr Mahathir said that Islam was the most misunderstood religion in the world.

"Often it is misunderstood as a religion of the terrorists but the fact is Islam is a very peace and loving religion."

An inconvienent fee

2010-01-26T15:13:00.002+08:00

Budget airline call it a convenient fee. But frequent travellers argue it's an unfair fee.Airasia has since November been charging $5 for every one-way flight paid for online. This fee is added on to the ticket price.

Late last year, budget airlines Tiger Airways and Jetstar Asia also increased their convenience fee from $5 to $6 for every one-way flight booked online. So, if you buy a pair of return tickets from either of these two airlines online, you have to fork out $24 in convenience fees instead of $20 previously.

For a pair of AirAsia return tickets, you have to pay $20 in convenience fees. All three carriers said they have no plans to increase the convenient fee in the near future.

170 people arrested in multi—agency operation at Geylang

2010-01-26T15:10:00.001+08:00

SINGAPORE : Some 170 people were arrested in a multi—agency operation at Geylang on Friday night,The operation involved Home Team officers from the Singapore Police Force, the Central Narcotics Bureau and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority.

They also joined hands with officers from Singapore Customs and the SAF Military Police Command to conduct the raids.The 14—hour operation was led by the Criminal Investigation Department and it deployed more than 200 officers.

The raids were conducted on Friday afternoon and ended early Saturday morning,The people were arrested for a host of criminal offences including illegal gambling activities, secret society involvement as well as peddling of contraband cigarettes.

Officers said the operation on Friday also uncovered persons who were wanted for other offences.
Investigations against those arrested are ongoing

Paraguay striker Cabanas shot in bar attack

2010-01-26T15:07:00.002+08:00

Paraguay striker Salvador Cabanas is in serious condition after being shot in the head during an attack in a bar, Mexico City's attorney general has confirmed.

The 29-year-old striker, who was visiting the establishment with friends and relatives, was attacked early in the morning at the bar in the south of Mexico City.

"He was shot in the head," prosecutor Miguel Angel Mancera, told the news channel Televisa. "According to an initial report it [the bullet] was a shot from a firearm with a frontal entry point and without exit."

"We don't clearly know the motive behind the injury ... The player is conscious but he has a heart problem which they're trying to stabilise.

"We're waiting to see what those arrested have to say. It seems that the attack happened in the bathroom of the bar.''

Cabanas is a prolific goalscorer for Primera División de México side Club America - scoring 18 goals in 24 matches this season - and he is an integral part of Paraguay's national side.

Doctor Ernesto Martinez Duhart, who operated on Cabanas, said: "Salvador Cabanas is in a serious condition but stable.''

A statement on Club America's official website added: "The bullet has not yet been removed from his head, because it is in the back of the head and to remove it could cause more damage than leaving it there for now.

"Cabanas is suffering from a severe head injury. The situation remains serious, it was decided to remove clots and other debris. For now he is under sedation and in the coming days we will monitor developments surrounding our player.''

Club president Michel Bauer said he believed the attack to have been unprovoked, having spoken to Cabanas' wife who was present with the striker at the time of the attack.

"He arrived conscious and responded well to the questions they asked him as he was going into hospital,'' Bauer told Televisa. "It's a key point that can be encouraging, but until further notice we cannot speculate on anything at all.

"They wanted to assault him. I can confirm that that is what his wife has said, that it was an assault. There was no shoot-out nor any quarrel.''

The former Paraguayan Footballer of the Year was expected to feature in the World Cup in South Africa where La Albirroja are in Group F with Italy, Slovakia and New Zealand.

Bauer added that he believed the attack to have been unprovoked, having spoken to Cabanas' wife who was present with the striker at the time of the attack.

"He arrived conscious and responded well to the questions they asked him as he was going into hospital. It's a key point that can be encouraging, but until further notice we cannot speculate on anything at all.

"They wanted to assault him. I can confirm that that is what his wife has said, that it was an assault. There was no shoot-out nor any quarrel.''

The club also released an official statment thanking all those who have sent messages of support.

"Club America appreciates all the support, solidarity and expressions of affection for Salvador Cabanas. So far there are no medical reports, but we are awaiting to keep the public informed in a timely way and be the first to announce any progress.

"We deeply regret what happened to our beloved player Salvador Cabanas and express our full support and solidarity with his families and loved ones.

"The directors, coaching staff and players are very attentive to his progress...and will keep the public and our fans informed with the latest developments.

"Beyond being a great player, Salvador, you are a great companion and in these difficult times we are on your side in body and soul.''

Scunthorpe United 2 - 4 Manchester City

2010-01-26T14:59:00.002+08:00

Robinho's last hurrah?

Robinho signed off with a flourish at Glanford Park with an 84th minute goal to seal victory for Manchester City in what will probably prove his last game for the club.

The £32 million Brazilian started the day by telling a radio station in his home country he was leaving Eastlands and ended it with the goal to secure a place in the FA Cup fifth round.

Robinho had made little impact on a fiercely-fought cup tie in which Nigel Adkins' Coca-Cola Championship strugglers refused to give in to Roberto Mancini's millionaires.

Despite Martin Petrov's third minute opener the home side hit back to equalise through Paul Hayes - then Cliff Byrne created more anxious moments to reduce deficit after goals from Nedum Onuoha and Sylvinho.

Until his almost inevitable parting shot, Robinho's likely exit had been an inauspicious one under a barrage of pressure from the Championship side.

His only other mark on the game came in the third minute when he followed a flurry of step-overs by feeding Petrov on the left to crash the opener past Joe Murphy.

That apart Robinho was relegated to the role of a virtual passenger as his side struggled to shrug off their persistent opponents amid a white-hot atmosphere.

If City's megastars thought Petrov's goal would take the sting out of their opponents they were sadly mistaken as Scunthorpe pressed in search of an equaliser.

Martyn Woolford cut inside before firing a long-range effort across Stuart Taylor's goal in the 10th minute, and five minutes later the home side came even closer.

Paul Hayes played Marcus Williams into the left side of the box and only a saving challenge by Abdi Ibrahim helped City shepherd the ball out for a corner.

Cliff Byrne got his head to McCann's corner only to see it hammer the underside of the bar then bounce down for Vincent Kompany to boot clear. Hayes then screwed a shot on the rebound wide.

With chants of ''what a waste of money'' greeting Robinho on the rare occasion he touched the ball, the home fans were revelling in a hard-fought tie.

Petrov came close to a second in the 26th minute when he curled a shot from the opposite flank which was held well by the diving Murphy.

But he home side grabbed their richly deserved equaliser in the 29th minute when McCann's short corner led to confusion in the City box and Hayes found space to volley into the top corner.

As confidence continued to flood through the home side Gary Hooper blazed over the bar while Robinho's similar attempt at the other end almost cleared the stand and drew more jeers.

But City nudged back ahead in the final minute of a busy half when Stephen Ireland threaded a neat ball into the Scunthorpe box and Onuoha shot home from a tight angle.

Sam Togwell had the first chance of the second half in the 54th minute when he was cued up by Hooper to hit a long-range shot which Taylor did superbly to tip over the bar.

The ever-dangerous Petrov lashed another left-foot effort just wide after a neat lay-off from Robinho before Sylvinho effectively wrapped the tie up in the 57th minute.

The Brazilian was fed the ball 35 yards from goal and unleashed a stunning left-foot strike which beat the helpless Murphy and crashed into the top corner of the net.

City almost grabbed a fourth in the 64th minute when Petrov's fierce shot was deflected out for a corner, from which keeper Murphy twice blocked shots on the line.

But Scunthorpe found renewed hope in the 69th minute when McCann floated in a corner from the right which dropped for captain Byrne to stab home from close range, although the goal was given to City defender Dedryck Boyata.

The home side pushed for an equaliser but the final say just had to fall to Robinho, who was fed by Petrov before lifting the ball into the roof of the net.

The Brazilian was substituted almost immediately and made a point of shaking hands with each member of the City bench with his brief career at Eastlands seemingly over.

Police alert ahead of Manchester derby return leg

2010-01-26T14:57:00.001+08:00

Police are planning to step up security amid fears that the spat between Carlos Tevez and Gary Neville would linger into Wednesday's Carling Cup semi-final second leg between Manchester United and Manchester City.

An extra 75 police than normal will be on duty on Wednesday and spot checks will be made at pubs around the ground in what is described as "the highest risk" game at Old Trafford this season.

The first leg, which City won 2-1, saw Tevez and United substitute Neville exchange gestures and later Tevez called his former team-mate "a moron" and "a bootlicker".

Tevez's agent Kia Joorabchian admitted the frosty relations between the two, sparked when Neville insisted United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was right not to keep Tevez at Old Trafford, could spill over into Wednesday's encounter.

Joorabchian, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Sportsweek programme, said: "Carlos played two years at Manchester United and he has very good relationships with a lot of the players. He admires and likes Wayne Rooney and Patrice Evra and Ryan Giggs and he considers a lot of them friends of his.

"I don't think he will expect to have any atmosphere in relation to the players. But I guess he and Gary Neville are not going to be very good friends any time shortly."

Police made 18 arrests at last week's match and expect to make more before Wednesday's return after viewing video cameras.

And Ian Hopkins, assistant chief constable of Greater Manchester police, revealed talks would take place tomorrow with United and City officials and the Football Association in a bid to prevent any trouble.

Hopkins admitted he would also be reminding the players they had a responsibility not to provoke trouble.

He told Sportsweek: "I will be meeting with both the clubs again along with the FA tomorrow to discuss the general crowd behaviour and making sure that they understand their responsibility not to do anything that's likely to incite the crowd.

"We will be making the points very strongly that the players are professionals, they need to recognise the impact they can have on the crowd and it's going to be really passionate again on Wednesday. There's a lot at stake for both teams and for the fans."

Joorabchian, meanwhile, insisted that Tevez is not bitter at leaving Manchester United and his dispute is with Neville alone.

Joorabchian said: "If you don't have respect and class you have to accept that they are entitled to say something back. Gary Neville stepped into something that maybe he shouldn't have done and since he didn't have that respect Carlos felt he he had to answer.

"I don't think he (Tevez) has ever been bitter to Manchester United. I don't think Carlos came anywhere near hitting his peak at Manchester United. In the next three or four years he has a lot more to offer."

The player's advisor also believes the spat with Neville has only increased the anticipation around the match

He said: "When I went to the City match I saw an atmosphere which was absolutely unbelievable, a great vibe, so much passion in it. This little bitter matter has done nothing but improve this passion and it will give us an even greater build-up and a greater excitement."

Ferguson: Tevez deserved red card in derby clash

2010-01-26T14:56:00.001+08:00

Sir Alex Ferguson has stirred the pot once more by saying he believes Carlos Tevez should have been shown a red card in Tuesday's heated Manchester derby at Eastlands.

Tevez returned to haunt his former employers with two goals as Manchester City defeated United 2-1 in the first leg of their Carling Cup semi-final encounter, but the Argentinian frontman has been accused of making a reckless challenge on Wes Brown.

Tevez's high boot caught the thigh of the United defender in a 50-50 tackle, and Ferguson believes the challenge was severe enough to warrant a dismissal.

"Tevez should have been sent off really," said Ferguson. "Have you seen the tackle? He went over the top of the ball. He didn't even get booked."

Ferguson's views have emerged ahead of the return leg at Old Trafford on Wednesday, when emotions are expected to be running high amid the fallout from Tevez's clash with United stalwart Gary Neville.

In celebrating his first goal against United last week, Tevez made a "shut it" gesture in response to pre-match comments from Neville that the Argentina star was not worth the money it would have cost United to keep him at Old Trafford last summer.

Neville responded with a one-fingered gesture, which prompted further reaction from Tevez, who followed up by winning the game with a second-half header and then aimed fierce criticism at the Red Devils skipper.

In a wide-ranging attack, Tevez labelled Neville "a moron" and "a boot-licker".

Santos confirm Robinho talks

2010-01-26T14:52:00.001+08:00

Brazilian club Santos have confirmed that they have sent representatives to England for talks with Manchester City over a loan move for Robinho. City boss Roberto Mancini had expressed his desire to keep the forward but Santos have said a six-month loan deal is likely.

Santos press officer Arnaldo Hase said two representatives have flown into London for talks with City bosses on Monday and Tuesday.

"They are in London now and I think they are conducting the negotiations now,'' hase told BBC Radio Five Live. "We are respecting Manchester's directors, they have to be respected.

"We are optimistic without being too optimistic. The negotiations began last week, there were some mails between the Manchester directors and Santos directors.

"The Manchester directors agreed to the possibility of discussing the negotiation. Our marketing directors travelled to England on Saturday and arrived on Sunday.

Hase revealed that Santos will attempt to bring Robinho in on an initial six-month loan, but admitted they would prefer a longer deal.

"City would accept a six-month loan," Hase told Reuters. "Santos want to negotiate for six months or longer, but we will be happy if the deal is closed for six months."

"Under our proposal, Santos would pay Robinho´s wages. The player already said to us he is open to earn less here than in Manchester."

"If everything works out well, Robinho could be a really cheap signing for Santos because we have a lot of partners interested in financially supporting Robinho´s return to Santos."

Regarding the length of the possible loan deal, Hase said: "The first thought of the Manchester directors, it was about six months. Of course Santos would like it to be more - one year, one year and a half if possible.''

Mancini had said he would like the Brazil international to stay after watching him score in City's 4-2 FA Cup victory over Scunthorpe.

"Hopefully in the end Robinho will stay here. In the next day the situation can change but at the moment he stays here and I am very happy for him," the City boss said.

Rahman concert aims to heal Aust-Indian relations

2010-01-15T21:21:00.004+08:00

Indian musician AR Rahman hopes his free Sydney concert on Saturday will build bridges between Australia and India.

The Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire composer says he never considered cancelling his trip Down Under in the wake of recent violence against Indian students in Melbourne.

"No. I felt the urge even more to do that [perform] because of all the stuff [that has been happening]. I thought it was very important to do that," he told the ABC.
"I want to have a great concert for people to enjoy, and also to spread the message of togetherness and peace; build a bridge for people who are trying to break it."

Rahman also rejected widely reported accusations in India that the killing of one student and attacks on others were racist, instead blaming the attacks on drugs.
"I think the media should be responsible and not attribute them to racist killings," he said.

He advised young Indians to avoid walking at night in areas frequented by drug addicts and alcoholics.
"Because that's the main reason for the killing. It doesn't matter what race they are, they just want to kill because they're not in their own senses."

The Australian and NSW governments have seized on Rahman's visit as a way of mending relations between the two countries.
Welcoming Rahman at today's news conference, Acting NSW Premier Carmel Tebbutt said Saturday's concert at Parramatta Park is an opportunity for Sydneysiders to get a taste of Bollywood while acknowledging "the amazing contribution Indians have made to our city and country".

"We're very much committed to community harmony. We're very much committed to continuing strengthening our relationship with India," she said.
"We recognise that music and creative activities is a way to strengthen our cultural bonds."

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade have paid for a group of Indian journalists to visit Australia to coincide with the concert.
Requests to interview the journalists have been denied by department officials, who said they will talk at the end of the visit.

Individual Indian journalists also declined to be interviewed because they said they would need the permission of their news organisations.

More than 100,000 people are expected to attend Saturday's concert, where Rahman and a troupe of 40 musicians and dancers will perform music he has written over the past 18 years, including his international hit Jai Ho!

More treats for football fans

2010-01-15T21:18:00.003+08:00

A daily feast of football, that’s what fans can expect when the new season of the English Premier League kicks off in August.

SingTel, which won the broadcast rights for the lucrative content for three years starting with the 2010 season, is rolling out a line—up of programmes to cater to all tastes and ages.

For the first time ever, fans in Singapore will be able to catch ’live’ all 380 matches of the Barclays Premier League.

There will be nine shows throughout the week, meaning BPL fans can tune in to a fresh programme every day of the week.

A Sunday morning highlights show will offer comprehensive analysis, full highlights and full studio presentation.

This is something that has not been seen in Singapore in the last three years.

Another offering will be the fans feedback show, which will feature a full review of the weekend action and allow interaction via a combination of video, email and SMS.

Well—respected hosts and pundits will feature in the "live" football coverage for next season, and fans can also expect several famous ex—BPL stars to make appearances in Singapore.

Another bonus — Mio TV customers will win trips to UK to watch the actual matches, and there will also be monthly on—the—ground events across Singapore to engage fans.

SingTel CEO, Allen Lew, thinks the new offering is not an overdose of football.

He said: "The next phase for us between now and August, when we really have to deliver this, is to work to see who is the best partner to be our production agency and who is the best partner that can deliver this to us."

Pricing for the package has been announced and the latest move, SingTel feels, will woo more customers, ahead of the August kick—off of the 2010 EPL season.

Already, the telco says that it has seen a 70 percent increase in Mio TV subscribers after it announced the "early bird offer" in late 2009.

Singapore firm bids for $3 bln India defence deals

2010-01-15T21:18:00.001+08:00

* Plans local manufacturing base; open to JV, acquisitions

* Sees $1 bln revenues from India non-defence business

* To begin India trials of Towed Howitzer in February

NEW DELHI, Jan 15 - ST Kinetics, part of Singapore Technologies Engineering , said it bid for five Indian defence contracts worth $3 billion and is keen to set up a manufacturing base in the country.

The tenders comprise two artillery gun projects and a light strike vehicle for the army and two carbine rifle projects for internal security.

ST Engineering, majority-owned by Singapore state investment agency Temasek [TEM.UL], is the city-state's biggest arms manufacturer and the world's largest aircraft repair firm.

India is upgrading its largely Soviet-era arsenal to counter potential threats from Pakistan and China. The Indian army needs new weapons urgently as its last major acquisition, of Bofors Howitzers, was in 1986.

"If all five tenders we have bid for come through, we will have revenue of $3 billion over five years," Patrick Choy, chief marketing officer of ST Kinetics, told reporters.

Choy said the company hopes to earn $1 billion from non-defence business in India over 3-5 years, mainly through selling speciality vehicles used in mining, excavation and road construction. The firm is keen to set up a base in India to manufacture speciality vehicles and is looking for a local partner.

"We are prepared to form a company here, or do a joint venture or buy out a local firm to start manufacturing in India."

ST Kinetics is also talking to local companies to help set up an MRO business in India, Choy added. The company already has a strategic pact with Punj Lloyd for defence production.

The Singapore firm will begin India trials next month of its 155 mm Towed Howitzer for the army, where it will compete against the Bofors guns, Choy said.

As part of its broad military upgrade, India is seeking millions of dollars worth of heavy-lift helicopters, submarines, ships and artillery for its army, a KPMG report has said.

Only 15 percent of India's equipment is "state of the art", according to the first comprehensive report on the country's defence sector prepared by KPMG and the Confederation of Indian Industry. (Writing by Bappa Majumdar; Editing by Malini Menon and Ian Geoghegan)

Chicago businessman charged over Mumbai attacks

2010-01-15T21:17:00.001+08:00

A Chicago businessman was charged with helping an old friend from military school in Pakistan plot the deadly 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people, officials said.

Tahawwur Hussain Rana, 49, has been held in jail since his October arrest on charges of helping plot an attack on the Danish newspaper that published incendiary cartoons of the prophet Mohammed in 2005.

Prosecutors allege that Rana helped his friend David Coleman Headley, a key suspect in the Mumbai attacks, by allowing him to use his immigration company as a cover for surveillance trips to India and Denmark.

Rana was charged Thursday with three separate counts of providing material support for terrorism in the Mumbai attacks, the Denmark terror plot, and to the banned Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Also indicted on conspiracy charges related to the Denmark plot were Ilyas Kashmiri, an alleged terror kingpin in Pakistan who prosecutors accuse of being in regular contact with Al-Qaeda leaders, and Abdur Rehman Hashim Syed, a retired major in the Pakistani military. Neither man is in US custody.

Headley, 49, has pleaded not guilty to 12 terrorism related charges and remains in custody where he is cooperating with prosecutors.

The Washington-born son of a former Pakistani diplomat and American mother, Headley reportedly befriended Bollywood stars and even dated an actress during his lengthy surveillance trips to Mumbai.

The indictment alleges that Rana acted as a messenger while Headley scoped out the Mumbai terror targets, taking photos and video and entering their positions on a GPS device.

Nearly a year after the bloody 60-hour siege which began November 26, 2008, Headley was allegedly recorded discussing five future targets with Rana.

Prosecutors said the targets included Bollywood, the Indian temple Somnath, the National Defense College in Delhi, Shiv Sena, a political party in India with roots in Hindu nationalism and the Danish newspaper.

Headley had already begun the planning for a second Indian attack during a March 2009 surveillance trip whose targets included the National Defense College and Chabad Houses in "several cities" in India, the indictment alleges.

He was also working on the Danish newspaper plot weeks before the Mumbai attack was carried out, the indictment alleges.

Headley is accused of once again using Rana's immigration business as a cover in order to arrange a visit to the Copenhagen and Aarhus offices of Jyllands-Posten, Denmark's highest circulating daily.

During a February meeting in Pakistan, Kashmiri allegedly told Headley that they should use a truck bomb to attack the newspaper and directed him to meet with European contacts who could provide the money, weapons and manpower for the attack.

Headley and Rana were arrested in October on terror charges related to the plot to attack Jyllands-Posten and kill an editor and the cartoonist.

Headley was charged last month with spending two years casing Mumbai, even taking boat tours around the city's harbor to scope out landing sites for the attackers.

Rana, a Pakistani-born Canadian citizen who owns the Chicago-based First World Immigration Services that Headley allegedly used as a cover, insists that he is a pacifist who was "duped" by his friend.

A date has not yet been set for Rana's arraignment on the new charges.

3 fires at Woodlands St 81; SCDF says arson a possibility

2010-01-15T21:14:00.001+08:00

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it has not ruled out arson as the cause of three fires at Woodlands Street 81 early Thursday morning.

SCDF was alerted to the first fire at 3.52am.

Discarded items, including a sofa, were set alight at the ground floor of Block 810.

Several minutes later, two more fires were reported at Block 802 and an open carpark nearby.

A container outside the rubbish collection centre at the block was ablaze, together with two motorbikes at the carpark.

Both fires were quickly put out.

SCDF investigations are in progress.

Micah Richards denies exit talk

2010-01-15T21:11:00.002+08:00

Micah Richards has revealed manager Roberto Mancini told him he has the potential to become a great player, and the Manchester City defender is not interested in reports linking him with other clubs.

Richards, 21, is enjoying a run of games in the side under the former Italian international and scored a fine goal in the 4-1 defeat of Blackburn.

His good form could force England manager Fabio Capello to hand him a recall in World Cup year. Richards' priority, though, is to continue to improve after a pat on the back from Mancini.

"He told me that I was a good player but that if I listened and learned he would turn me into a great player,'' Richards said on the club's official website. "Those words were really encouraging but I know that it is down to me to work hard.

"I keep saying it but I am still young. There are aspects of the game that only come with experience and I am gaining that all the time whether I am in or out of the side. I know I had a dip in form last season but I believe that I have been better this time around and in recent weeks I have done okay.

"All I am concentrating on at the moment is playing well, winning games and staying in the side when the injured players come back.''

Richards has come through the ranks at City and is in no hurry to go anywhere else. He said: "Everyone seems to get linked with someone at various stages of the season and me more than most. I have always said that I wanted to stay here so I don't know why these rumours keep appearing.

"I have not expressed any wish to leave and yet some people are reporting things as if they are done deals. Why would I want to leave a club that is so obviously on the up and up?

"There is still so much for me to learn and my best is to come, and this will be great place to be in coming seasons, I am sure of that.''

Preview: Everton v Manchester City

2010-01-15T21:05:00.005+08:00

>

While last month the critics were railing against the poorly handled dismissal of Mark Hughes and the appointment of Roberto Mancini, now the talk is that the Italian could be the man to lead Manchester City to a genuine title challenge.

The Manchester Evening News said this week that "everything he has done at City has turned to gold so far"; the Daily Telegraph added that "after just four games, he has revitalised the club and banished any discord among the supporters over the dismissal of his predecessor". Yet four wins out of four does not tell the full story: Saturday's trip to Everton is, by some distance, the biggest test of Mancini's reign.

They beat out-of-form Stoke 2-0 in his first match, won 3-0 against relegation-battlers Wolves in the next, knocked mid-table Championship side Middlesbrough out of the FA Cup by a solitary goal and then thrashed a woeful Blackburn side 4-1. So far, so good, of course, but they must now overcome an Everton team that look to be slowly recovering their form.

Leaving aside the defeat to BATE Borisov in the UEFA Cup - David Moyes selected a severely weakened side for that game - Everton have not lost since the 2-0 defeat to Liverpool at the end of November, and they have gone on to secure draws with Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal. They are still contending with a number of injuries, but they look increasingly like the side that finished in the top six three seasons in a row and, on Saturday, they will be out for revenge against the club that prised Joleon Lescott away in the summer.

Everton player in focus: Steven Pienaar. David Moyes was full of praise for Pienaar's goal at Arsenal that nearly saw Everton leave the Emirates Stadium with all three points, and he has been a key figure in most of Everton's better performances. He has more talent than many realise and is a hard worker, so City will need to ensure they do not allow him the space to cause problems.

Manchester City player in focus: Carlos Tevez. While Craig Bellamy had been the club's star man earlier in the season, Tevez is taking all the headlines at the moment. Having scored a hat-trick against Blackburn on Monday, he has 11 goals in nine appearances and is now showing what he is capable of once he is made the focal point of the team.

Key battle: Marouane Fellaini v Nigel De Jong. Known as a defensive midfielder during his time at Standard Liege, Fellaini showed last season that he could score goals and he has now returned to his favourite position behind the strikers. Whether Roberto Mancini will throw new signing Patrick Vieira into the match at Goodison Park remains to be seen - he has become an increasingly defensive player in recent years and could be responsible for using his intelligence, experience and power to screen Fellaini and disrupt his goal threat - but Nigel De Jong has enjoyed an excellent season and there is little reason to think he will be dropped against such tricky opponents.

Tactics: Everton have become draw specialists in recent weeks, but that has owed more to conceding late and unnecessary goals than a defensive mindset. Nonetheless, Everton are a hard-working team and showed last week against Arsenal that they can stifle teams in the midfield and provide a threat of their own on the counter. City, meanwhile, have adopted a 4-4-2 under Roberto Mancini, with left-footed Martin Petrov on the right and right-footed Craig Bellamy on the left.

Quotes: Everton manager David Moyes suggests Manchester City should be looking at younger targets: "Patrick Vieira has been a magnificent player and I have a great deal of respect for him as a footballer, but is that what City need? I don't know. They'll know what they need. It's not our business. We would try to bring in young, up-and-coming players who we think we can have here."

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini on his success so far: "I have given City more balance and a greater sense of conviction. The potential is incredible, but you need to draw it out. And the road ahead is long."

In the news: Lucas Neill is joining Turkish side Galatasaray just four months after signing for Everton on a free transfer. At City, Emmanuel Adebayor is still recovering from the gun attack on the Togo team bus on Friday. "My head is not on football now," he said. "We are talking about lives - life is more important than football."

Probable Manchester City line-up (4-4-2): Given, Zabaleta, Richards, Kompany, Garrido, Petrov, De Jong, Barry, Bellamy, Tevez, Santa Cruz.

Rashy Cruz's prediction: Everton will be desperate for all three points after a number of draws in recent weeks and City face a big task at Goodison but, given the quality available to Roberto Mancini and the current form of Carlos Tevez, the visitors should be able to take at least a point.

De Jong: Manchester City are targeting the title

2010-01-15T21:02:00.003+08:00

Manchester City midfielder Nigel De Jong says that the club are not just pushing for the top four, but are targeting a challenge for the Premier League title as well.

City have been in good form of late and are unbeaten under new manager Roberto Mancini. De Jong has played a key role in the club's charge up the table and now says that a title tilt will not be beyond them.

"Of course the title is a possibility. Nothing is impossible," said De Jong. "Though nothing is impossible, you have to work for it. You have to be realistic as well and remember this is only season No.1 for us after the big spending and we have to take it step by step.

"That's what it's all about at City at the moment, to try and make a difference between the past and the future. Right now you can see what's happening. Everyone is excited. It was a good performance against Blackburn and we've got to keep that going.

"Of course we can stay in the top four. You see how big the squad is. It's not only the first 11 but the 22 players in the squad. The important thing is the Champions League place and trying to continue in that position. Then, we will see in March and April where we are standing."

De Jong has also paid tribute to Carlos Tevez, with the diminutive Argentine having already struck as many goals for his new club as he did for United in the whole of last season.

"Carlos is on fire at the moment - I hope it will continue for the rest of the season" De Jong continued. "Some people have a different view of Carlos but if they look at him now then they will change their mind.

"He had a hat-trick against Blackburn but he's unbelievable in every game. He makes players around him better as well.

"Look at the impact he's had in the last few weeks - he's not Player of the Month for December without good reason. At the moment he's maybe the best striker in the Premier League."

Man City tell Adebayor to play when he's ready

2010-01-15T21:01:00.001+08:00

Togo captain Emmanuel Adebayor can have as much time off as he needs following the attack on his team in Angola and will not be asked to play for Manchester City until he is ready, his club manager Roberto Mancini said.

Adebayor is spending time in Lome, the capital of Togo, for three days of official mourning following last Friday's attack in Angola which left two Togo delegation members dead and prompted the team to withdraw from the African Nations Cup.

Adebayor is expected back in England after that but is unlikely to play for City against Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday.

Mancini, speaking after City's 4-1 win over Blackburn Rovers on Monday, told reporters: "We will speak to him when he returns.

"Then we will decide. Whenever he wants to play, whenever he feels ready, that is OK. At the moment, we are just very sorry for him. The situation is incredible."

Adebayor has yet to feature for City since Mancini took over as manager from Mark Hughes in mid-December since when City have won all four games they have played.

Roberto Mancini hails Carlos Tevez following masterclass

2010-01-15T20:59:00.001+08:00

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini paid tribute to Carlos Tevez after the Argentina striker scored his first hat-trick for the club in the 4-1 win over Blackburn at Eastlands.

The former Manchester United forward opened the scoring for the home side side before curling home two superb efforts to complete his treble. Mancini was pleased to get another win under his belt but was "angry'' at seeing his side concede the first goal under his management.

"It was a good night for us. The players played very well in this match. I thought this match was very hard,'' he told ESPN.

"Carlos Tevez played very, very well. All the team concentrated for 90 minutes but I'm angry because we conceded a goal. Our gift. I think it's most important we stay concentrated for all the time. For me we were playing very, very well. We must continue to play well and not concede one goal.''

The win took City up to fourth in the Premier League - just seven points behind leaders Chelsea - but Mancini is not getting carried away just yet.

He added: "We don't watch the table. We watch the table (in) two months. Now it is not important. There are 17 games to the end. Now it's important that we continue this way, we continue to play well and we continue to improve.''

Holland international Nigel de Jong added: "He [Tevez] was fantastic and he keeps scoring. He is very important to us and he is on fire as they say. It was an excellent performance and you have to give it to him, but he also has a good team behind him.''

De Jong also saluted new boss Mancini, who has now won four out of four after taking over from Mark Hughes.

"If you win four games after each other it is a great impact,'' he said. "He has put pressure on our defence and we were good at the back. He has changed a lot of technical stuff. We have the same players but he has brought in some players who were written off. You have to give credit to him that he is putting out a good XI every game. We just need to keep the momentum going."

Micah Richards, who scored City's other goal, told ESPN: "Since the boss has come in he has brought a confidence and we are showing it on the pitch. I am back at centre half. I feel I am at my best there and I am taking every game as it comes and hopefully I can take this form into the weekend game at Everton."

Man City 4-1 Blackburn Rovers (Match Report)

2010-01-13T02:03:00.004+08:00

Manchester City 4
Tevez(7,49,90) Richards(39)

Blackburn Rovers
Pedersen(71)

Carlos Tevez scored his first Manchester City hat-trick to send Roberto Mancini's men soaring into the top four. It may have been snowing in these parts recently but Tevez is on a real hot streak.

His seventh-minute opener put City in charge,and then, after Micah Richards had added a brilliant second, he scored twice more after the interval to take his goals tally for the campaignto 15 as Blackburn were outclassed.

Man City Vs Blackburn Rovers (Match Preview)

2010-01-12T02:44:00.005+08:00

The signs have been good since Roberto Mancini took over from Mark Hughes at Eastlands, as his side have not conceded a goal and have won three of their games since he took charge. City has certainly turned a corner after conceding 9 goals in their last three matches under Hughes and the Italian will hope to keep the run going against Blackburn side who will be glad of some addedd rest following the cancellation of their Carling Cup game in midweek.

In contrast to City's recent success, Rovers have failed to win any of their last eight away matches since beating Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok stadium in November and are in prospect of a relegation battle, as they sit just three points away from the drop zone.

City will certainly be favourites, but have a few squad issues- including the departure of Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure to the African Nations Cup- and numerous injury concerns. The absentess may give Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce cause for optimism, but City cruised to a 3-1 win at Eastlands last season, so he won't be too confident of pulling a shock result.

Prediction
Rashy Cruz-Man City 3-1 Blacckburn Rovers
Brian Miller-Man City 3-0 Blackburn Rovers

Mancini assures that Micah Richards and Roque Santa Cruz are not for sale

2010-01-10T21:10:00.003+08:00

Roberto Mancini has assured City fans that England defender Micah Richards & Paraguayan Hit-man Roque Santa Cruz won't be off during this transfer window and has indicated that he doesn't wish to sell the highly-rated defender who made a second-half entrance during the FA Cup 1-0 win over Middlesborough. Mancini said"Micah & Santa Cruz will be with us and will play an important part in this team and the goals that we've set for the club,Both players do feature in my future plans and therefore there isn't any truth behind the rumours that both players are going out of this club, They're 2 of the most important players in this team and i won't make any mistake to sell off such world-class players."

It was reported that Roque Santa Cruz was linked with a move to Spanish outfit Espanyol. Thanks to Mancini it look like it's not going to happen afterall.

Reported by : Rashy Cruz

2nd Night Shift?It's Damn Relaxed!

2010-01-07T02:11:00.007+08:00

It's the 2nd night shift of the week,and it's kinda relaxing,suprisingly!!hahaha..not that much flights today compared to last week.it was hell!everyone was going back to their hometown for the new year and there were last minute insertions of flights that weren't supposed to be departing at all on that day..finally found the time to write abit of my day today and was wondering if it could be as relaxed as this everyday but NAH! i'm juz dreaming though:)

Fellow colleagues seem happy today but well it'll go back to worst come saturday,1st morning!i really hate morning shifts as it's always the busiest.Sometimes or should i say most of the time you'll be running from gate to gate,due to the shortage of manpower at the company due to the shortages of salary,most workers tend to resign and that causes us the problems.You don't even get to have a proper meal,it's always rushing!

It can get frustrating at times that u juz feel that NAH!take ur uniform and keep it,i'm outta here!hahaha anywayz i'm waiting for my morning flight at 0400 hrs,it's a Northwest Airlines flight,the security is 100% and that means APD will be around watching from the Cctvs making sure we do our job properly.

Can't wait for the sun to rise as that would mean it's my first off day!time to relax and go for my facial and massage at yishun.god i really need those!haha i'm also disappointed with the Carling cup cancellation as i was hoping and looking forward to the man city Vs man utd game,and was predicting man city to woop man utd out of the Semi-final!!!but well like they always say,be patient and you'll be rewarded so hope i to get rewarded on the 19th of Jan when the fixture is gonna take place :)

love,
Rashy Cruz

Veron rejects offer from Manchester City

2010-01-06T23:57:00.003+08:00

Argentina's Juan Sebastian Veron turned down a personal offer from new Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini to join the premier league team. He played two seasons under Mancini at Inter-Milan and left the club in 2007 to returned back to his childhood and family club Estudiantes.The two were also former team-mates at Sampdoria and Lazio.

The 34-year-old told radio station La Red that he was phoned by Mancini to make the offer. Veron's agent Miguel Pires went into detail about City's offer. "Veron said to me that he received a phone call from Manciniand that he had offered him 7 million pounds and the same to Estudiantes for a one-year contract," he revealed."In addition that amount would have been duplicated if he would have continued at Manchester City during 2011."

Rashy Cruz: I just don't understand what's wrong with Mancini,Veron has been a great performer for Argentina and a delight to watch when he plays.But Veron is also known as a player who couldn't adjust to the Premier League during his Big-Money move to Manchester United in 2001 and then to Chelsea where he still couldn't live up to the price tag and expectations of a player of his calibre. Luckily he had some sense and rejected the offer plus he's ageing,he's already 34!!,Gd on him and for heaven's sake Mancini, there are other players available,Open the Cheque book and start searching for them.

Australia condemns murder of Indian student

2010-01-05T14:34:00.003+08:00

Tuesday,Jan 5
Nitin Garg(left, in Picture)

MELBOURNE (AFP) - – Australia on Monday "unreservedly" condemned the murder of an Indian national as New Delhi angrily slammed the attack and warned it could hurt bilateral ties.

Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard stressed that Australia welcomed foreign students after accounting graduate Nitin Garg, 21, was stabbed by unknown attackers Saturday night before collapsing in the Melbourne burger restaurant where he worked.

Indian students have been hit by hundreds of alleged race attacks, prompting street protests last year and damaging Australia's lucrative international education industry.

"I obviously unreservedly condemn this attack," Gillard said. "People in Melbourne's west, people around the nation, I think they will be joining together to say we unreservedly condemn this violence."

She was speaking after India decried the murder as a "crime on humanity" and said it would "certainly" affect ties between the two countries.

"This heinous crime on humanity, this is an uncivilised brutal attack on innocent Indians," Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna told reporters.

"It certainly will have some bearing on the bilateral ties between our two countries," he added.

Police have said there is no evidence the murder was racially motivated, but also told AFP that 1,447 people of Indian descent were crime victims in Victoria state in the 12 months to July 2008.

Gautam Gupta, president of the Federation of Indian Students of Australia, said many more attacks went unreported and questioned why police were playing down race as a factor.

"If they have not caught the criminal, how can they eliminate racism as being behind this attack," Gupta told AFP. "What were they expecting to find on the scene? A business card saying: 'I am a racist'?"

According to his housemate Parminder Singh, Garg, understood to be from Punjab in northern India, had been targeted by drunken louts at a train station in an earlier incident.

"They were just drunk and they wanted to find anyone to beat," Singh said.

"If they find someone alone they just beat (them) because they know nothing is going to happen after that. What will happen? Police will not do anything."

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Gillard and Victoria Premier John Brumby have all visited India recently to ease frictions and promote the 15.4 billion US dollar foreign education export industry, Australia's fourth largest export earner.

Australia has forecast a 20 percent drop in students from India next year after earlier attacks prompted a barrage of negative publicity in the country.

Each allegedly racial attack sparks outrage on India's passionate TV news channels, amid rising concern from families and friends of students studying in the country that was previously seen as a safe and even glamorous destination.

Following Garg's death, India's Mail Today tabloid splashed the headline "Racist Aussie gang knifes Indian to death" across its front page as it slammed Australian police for failing to protect Indian students from "hate gangs".

But deputy police commissioner Kieran Walshe said Victoria had a large Indian population and he did not believe the community was being singled out.

"I don't believe that there has been any really detailed rascist motives around assaults on Indian people in the past," he told reporters.

"In some cases there may well be. But in the general sense of it, a lot it we've seen has been around opportunistic theft."

Australia attracted some 117,000 Indian students in the year to October, about 19 percent of foreign enrolments as universities and colleges actively target the country's growing middle class.

Australia's education sector has also been tarnished by a series of visa scams involving agents who exploit foreign students.

Rashy Cruz: It saddens me as a singaporean indian to know that my fellow countrymen from india who go overseas for studies and to build a better future for themselves and their families are being treated like that. The indians in australia or should i say the immigrants regardless of nationalty who slog everyday and do the jobs that the own australian people shun do pay high taxes abt 30-40% and that money goes to the goverment of australia and then it goes back to those australians who aint working but are getting the taxpayers money every fortnight,its not that the immigrants are there to enjoy life.i seriously condemn this vicious stabbing by all means and hope justice is served to the bastards who stabbed the indian student.it'll help in a way But not a big one though to bring a closure to the family of the victim.

My heartfelt condolences are with the family of the victim.

George Yeo stresses due process in resolving hit—and—run case

2010-01-05T14:31:00.002+08:00

Tuesday, January 5

SINGAPORE: Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo has stressed the need for due process in resolving the hit—and—run accident at Bukit Panjang last year, where Romanian diplomat Dr Silviu Ionescu remains a suspect.

Mr Yeo is the first Singapore minister to speak on the issue.

He said the Romanian embassy is helping the police, and investigations are ongoing.

Meanwhile, police said Wednesday it has established the identities of relevant parties, including witnesses.

Responding to media queries, the police said it is currently ascertaining the accuracy of all information given.

It said investigations must always be conducted with professional thoroughness and meticulous care to ensure the collection of all pertinent evidence.

While it understands the natural interest the public may have on this case, it stressed against making any premature or inappropriate comments or disclosures when a case is under active investigation.

It added that results of the investigation will be forwarded to the Attorney General’s Chambers for consultation on the appropriate course of action to be taken.

On December 15, the embassy’s car — a black Audi A6 — hit three pedestrians at about 3.10am.

One of the victims, 30—year—old Tong Kok Wai, suffered brain damage and died on Christmas day, while the other two suffered injuries.

Dr Ionescu had reported to the police that his vehicle was stolen.

The diplomat is currently in Romania.

"What happened was very bad, a man was killed, people were injured," said Mr Yeo. "The police are pursuing the matter very thoroughly but investigations are still ongoing and I should not be commenting on them. Let’s take this one step at a time, there must be due process in such matters."

Benjani told to stay as Mancini eyes United

2010-01-05T14:14:00.001+08:00

Sunday, January 3

MIDDLESBROUGH, England (AFP) - – Benjani Mwaruwari has been told he still has a future at Manchester City after scoring for the first time in more than a year during the 1-0 FA Cup third round win away to Middlesbrough.

Victory extended new manager Roberto Mancini's 100 percent unbeaten record since the Italian replaced the sacked Mark Hughes as City geared up for next week's eagerly-awaited League Cup semi-final against Manchester United in impressive style at the Riverside here on Saturday.

Zimbabwe international Benjani made the most of a rare start with the only goal to see-off Championship side Middlesbrough as Mancini displayed the strength in depth at his disposal by making five changes and leaving more than 30 million pounds of talent on the bench to keep his side fresh for Wednesday's first leg of the League Cup semi-final.

Asked immediately after the game if he was close to signing Inter Milan defender Ivan Cordoba, Mancini replied: "No, not for now.

"At the moment, what is important is this game and Manchester United."

Benjani has been linked with a move away in the January transfer window after falling down the pecking order at Eastlands, especiallly as Mancini is expected to bolster his squad with at least two new signings this month.

But the 31-year-old provided a timely reminder of his predatory goal-scoring instincts with a first strike since he appeared on the scoresheet in the 1-1 draw against Fulham in the Premier League in December 2008.

The goal, carved out by midfielder Martin Petrov in first-half stoppage time, settled a contest fought-out in near blizzard conditions.

Mancini insisted the African could play a significant role in the second half of the season, with City aiming to make it to Wembley on two fronts.

The former Inter boss, whose job prospects beyond this season may hinge on ending the club's 34-year wait for a major trophy, said: "Benjani came in and took his goal really well.

"He looked good throughout the game and I was pleased with his display. He's shown me what he can do and that can only be good for the club and log may it continue."

Mancini intends to watch Manchester United when City's local rivals face Leeds United in the third round of the FA Cup at Old Trafford on Sunday.

City's latest manager has won his three games in charge without conceding a goal, but knows he faces by far the sternest test of his short reign in the first-leg at Eastlands as injuries begin to hurt even a squad with his club's strength in depth City.

After introducing Gareth Barry, Carlos Tevez and Craig Bellamy from the bench in the second-half against Middlesbrough, Mancini said: "We've got a big problem at the moment because we have a lot of players injured so I made changes today because I can't play my players all the time.

"We're pleased to get through this test because the FA Cup is an important competition for us and it's something we want to pay our full attention to."

Salman Khan's Best performance in Wanted

2010-01-05T13:00:00.000+08:00

Court orders Maharashtra to release Salman Khan's dues

2010-01-05T12:25:00.001+08:00

Mumbai,Jan 3 (IANS) A Mumbai court Wednesday ordered the Maharashtra government to clear Bollywood actor Salman Khan's dues of Rs. 2.50 million that have been outstanding for long.Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) judge Y.D. Shinde gave his ruling on an application filed by Salman to clear his dues for acting in the movie "Chori Chori, Chupke Chupke" that shortly before its release had became controversial with several government departments investigating the sources of its finances from questionable quarters and the suspected mafia links of the people associated with it.
As per Salman's agreement, he was entitled to a payment of Rs.15 million from the movie's producers Bharat Shah.

While Shah and filmmaker Nazim Rizvi were among those arrested, the court appointed a receiver to handle all the financial aspects of the movie post-release, Special Public Prosecutor Rohini Salian told reporters this evening.

Later, the court receiver deposited the income generated by the movie and the payment due to be made to Salman in the state government treasury, she added.

Shinde has ordered that Salman's dues must be cleared by the state government, but the judge did not indicate any time-frame.

Meanwhile, Shah was convicted under sections of the Indian Penal Code but not under MCOCA, while Rizvi is out on bail.

The film, a musical family drama that did above-average business, featured Salman, Preity Zinta and Rani Mukherjee.

Sanjay Dutt, Salman Khan patch up

2010-01-05T12:21:00.003+08:00

Mumbai, Dec 27 (IANS) Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt, who were not on talking terms for quite sometime, met up on the sets of "Veer" and poured their hearts out to each other.A few days earlier when Salman heard Sanjay was shooting on an adjoining set at Film City, he decided to pay his estranged friend a visit.
"It's true Salman came all the way to Sanju's set. But when he realised Sanjay was shooting for Bunty Walia he quickly beat a retreat," said a source.

Walia, it must be remembered, was a Salman groupie until a few years ago when things soured between them. And now Salman doesn't want to see Bunty's face.

"So he (Salman) turned back from his meeting with Sanjay. When Sanjay heard about this, he took charge of the situation. On Thursday afternoon, he walked up to Salman's set and spent a good 45 minutes with his old friend.

"The ice between them broke the minute they hugged each other. They spoke about everything under the sun, except films," the source said.

At the end of the reunion, Sanjay and Salman, who teamed up in hit movie "Sajan", decided to do a film together. The two will be coming together in a film to be produced by Sanjay.

So what had gone wrong between Salman and his erstwhile mentor and role model?

The two were thick as thieves until a world tour where Salman apparently cut his hand to impress Sanjay, but it didn't go down well with the senior actor.

Soon after this incident in the US, Sanjay had said: "I wish he would model himself on my better qualities. I do have many good qualities. Salman should keep a low profile and work hard and get serious in life. All the playing around isn't finally worth it. Ultimately all of us want to be remembered as good hardworking human beings. The hit-and-run incident wouldn't have made such a media splash if it wasn't Salman Khan. But because he has been constantly in the news he went to jail and had to suffer. Being rash and brash in life is finally self-defeating."

Having come to terms with his own rashness and brashness Salman seems to be mending the bridges with old friends. Sanjay was on top of his list.

"They met like nothing had gone wrong between them and have promised to meet up regularly," the source said.

Benjani on target for visitors

2010-01-05T12:06:00.004+08:00

January 2, 2010

MANCHESTER CITY 1
MIDDLESBROUGH 0

Striker Benjani Mwaruwari edged Manchester City into the draw for the FA Cup fourth round with a narrow victory at Middlesbrough.

The former Portsmouth frontman scored the game's only goal on the stroke of half-time to ease the Premier League side through against a spirited Boro on a bitterly cold winter's afternoon in the north-east.
Gordon Strachan's men more than made a game of it against a City team featuring five changes from their league trip to Wolves, and after substitute Carlos Tevez had passed up a glorious opportunity to double their lead, might have snatched an equaliser in front of a crowd of just 12,474.

Ultimately though it was Roberto Mancini who left Teesside with a third successive victory under his belt and looking forward to Wednesday's Carling Cup semi-final first-leg clash with arch-rivals Manchester United.
Strachan had insisted in the run-up to the game that it was one he was looking to win in an effort to restore some of his team's battered confidence after a run of just two victories in the ten matches since he replaced Gareth Southgate, and he was as good as his word as he fielded his strongest available side.
By contrast, opposite number Mancini was afforded the luxury of being able to leave influential midfielder Gareth Barry and in-form strikers Craig Bellamy and Tevez sitting on the bench, while the absence of Stephen Ireland through injury and Kolo Toure because of the African Nations Cup forced him to make further changes.

For the best part of 45 minutes, the Italian saw his reshuffled team enjoy the greater share of the possession, although they rarely looked like making it count.
They went close with seven minutes gone in the unlikely shape of full-back Pablo Zabaleta, who saw his initial shot blocked by a combination of David Wheater and Rhys Williams, and was then denied by Julio Arca when his follow-up struck his fellow Argentinian's back and dropped wide.
But despite dominating play in the middle of the field, where Vincent Kompany and Nigel de Jong were seeing plenty of the ball, they were rarely able to stretch the Teessiders, who grew in confidence as a result.
That said, Boro were no more effective in putting any great pressure on Mancini's centre-half pairing of Micah Richards and 18-year-old Belgian Dedryck Boyata, although the teenager had to make one vital interception to deny substitute Marvin Emnes a clear run on goal.

The Dutchman had arrived as a 32nd-minute replacement for leading scorer Adam Johnson after he once again limped off with a hamstring injury amid ongoing speculation that he could be sold during the transfer window.
Strachan's men survived a 39th-minute scare when Martin Petrov and Benjani combined to carve them open, although the Bulgarian midfielder shot wildly past the post. However, Petrov returned the favour in the final minute of the half to slide the frontman in, and his right-foot shot past goalkeeper Danny Coyne was unerring.
Despite his side's lead, Mancini introduced two of his big guns at the break when he replaced Richards and De Jong with Barry and Tevez, a move which saw Kompany drop into the back four.
But City's advantage might have evaporated within two minutes when Gary O'Neil went down under Sylvinho's challenge inside the box. The Boro captain was convinced he had been tripped, but referee Stuart Attwell rewarded his protests with a yellow card.
Strachan's cause was not helped when Emnes limped off gingerly after landing awkwardly following an aerial challenge and was replaced by Mark Yeates.
Tevez served notice of his intent within seconds of Yeates' arrival when he fired in a firm right-foot shot which Coyne claimed gratefully, and he passed up an opportunity to double his side's lead when he rounded the goalkeeper with 68 minutes gone, but shot wide of the empty net.
In the meantime, Williams had looped a header just over the crossbar with the Teessiders refusing to throw in the towel, and Kompany had to head a Wheater effort out for a corner after he had met O'Neil's 72nd-minute corner with the home side pushing for an equaliser.
It was then that Mancini introduced Bellamy as a replacement for 20-year-old Slovakian Vladimir Weiss, although it was Tevez who went close again with nine minutes remaining when he curled a free-kick just wide.
Coyne kept out Bellamy's injury-time effort with a fine low save and Tevez and Petrov went close with follow-ups, but the job was already done.

Man City boss Mancini wants to cool transfer talk

2010-01-05T12:01:00.003+08:00

January 4, 2010

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini says that he wants all transfer talk put on ice until after Wednesday's Carling Cup semi-final showdown with Manchester Utd.

Mancini has been linked with a number of former Inter Milan stars this week, including Ivan Cordoba and Cristian Chivu and, most recently, is reported to be keen on a loan deal for Patrick Vieira.
The Italian boss, however, wants to cool any potential rumours until he can focus on them properly.
"All the players want to join Manchester City. That is normal with a big club who is going to have a big future,'' he said. "People are not only talking about Patrick Vieira, they are also saying Ivan Cordoba and Cristian Chivu.

"They are all good players but the most important thing for me is the match against Manchester United. The other things we can talk about with the club after the derby. We will see then."
Mancini has confirmed record signing Robinho and defender Micah Richards should be available for the midweek encounter, but Shaun Wright-Phillips, Nedum Onuoha and Roque Santa Cruz are major doubts through injury.

Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Manchester City

2009-12-30T20:55:00.005+08:00

Manchester City 3
Carlos Tevez (33), Javier Garrido (69), Carlos Tevez (86)

Wolverhampton Wanderers 0

Two goals from Carlos Tevez and a Javier Garrido free-kick earned Manchester City their first away win in four months - and their second victory in three days under new boss Roberto Mancini - against Wolves at Molineux. Tevez continued his hot scoring streak with his seventh and eighth goals in his last seven appearances and his 11th of the campaign. Substitute Garrido, frozen out of the first team picture by previous City boss Mark Hughes, netted the decisive second midway through the second period.

It was the first away win in eight league games for City since the 1-0 success at Portsmouth in late August and moved them level on points with fifth-placed Aston Villa. City always looked the more threatening once Mancini had reverted to a 4-4-2 formation midway through the opening period. Craig Bellamy was a constant menace to the Wolves rearguard alongside Tevez and, with more clinical finishing, City could have doubled their final tally. Wolves showed plenty of endeavour and rattled the visitors in the opening quarter of the game but they lacked quality in the final third despite the physical threat of Chris Iwelumo.

Wolves leading scorer Kevin Doyle had the first effort on goal but the club's record signing dragged his 20-yard shot well wide of Shay Given's goal. The first semblance of a chance fell to Wolves with Iwelumo the creator. The Scottish international headed a cross from Michael Mancienne into the path of Andrew Surman 15 yards out but he failed to keep his shot down. Mancini looked concerned at his side's lack of cohesion and reverted to a 4-4-2 formation with Bellamy playing down the middle alongside Tevez. It appeared to reap its rewards with City immediately looking more comfortable when going forward.

But Bellamy was guilty of a dreadful miss just after the half hour mark. Stephen Ireland's first time centre was picked up by Tevez who did well to get to the byline and turn the ball back across the box. Bellamy was the first to react and the goal was gaping but from eight yards out he shot over the bar. But the Wales forward made amends by creating the opening goal for Tevez after 33 minutes. He cut in from the left and picked out Tevez whose first-time shot took a deflection off Christophe Berra on its way past Marcus Hahnemann. Wolves tried to retaliate and Pablo Zabaleta became the first player to be yellow carded for a foul on Ronald Zubar. Tevez then showed his worth in a defensive capacity when deflecting George Elokobi's header wide from a Kevin Foley corner.

Berra did not return after the interval after landing on his head following a clash with with Bellamy and was replaced by Richard Stearman. Bellamy should have doubled City's lead after he beat the offside trap to race onto a pass from Martin Petrov but his shot flew wide of the far post. Wolves responded and Iwelumo shot over when well placed after taking a pass from Surman in his stride. Mancini made his first change with Garrido replacing Stephen Ireland who appeared to have taken a knock and went straight down the players' tunnel. Shay Given was finally called into action just after the hour mark when blocking a shot from Doyle with his legs after the striker had robbed Toure, and shortly after Foley was booked after bringing down City midfielder Gareth Barry. Mancienne was also booked for a foul on the England player and it led to Garrido doubling their lead. He curled his free-kick around the defensive wall and past a flat-footed Hahnemann.

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy was incensed because he felt Bellamy should have been given offside in the move immediately before the free-kick awarded against Mancienne. Hahnemann's frustration boiled over and he was also booked after hurling the ball in the direction of a referee's assistant. The bookings were coming thick and fast with Tevez cautioned after not retreating at a free-kick. Tevez should have made it 3-0 but chipped his shot wide after good play by Bellamy created the opening, but City substitute Robinho, who replaced Petrov, teed up Tevez to score his second goal of the game with three minutes remaining. Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini praised the performance of his players after successive wins over Stoke and Wolves. "I thought that the players were fantastic," Mancini told Sky Sports. "After Saturday's match we've had only two days but the players were fantastic.

I am very happy for them because we played very well.'' Mancini praised his whole team but was particularly impressed by Bellamy and Tevez. "All the players (impressed me). I think that today Craig, Carlos and the whole team played very well," he said. "It's important the team must concentrate during the game. For me it is fantastic, English football. In Italy it is impossible to play two games in three days.''

Roque Santa Cruz ( 14 )

2009-12-26T03:22:00.008+08:00

The Best Striker Manchester City Has right now.IT's one of the Buys Of the Season By Mark Hughes,It was simply a Master-Stroke by Mark Hughes in Getting Roque Santa Cruz to play for Manchester City FC

Brittany Murphy's Private Christmas Eve Funeral

2009-12-26T02:30:00.005+08:00

Brittany Murphy's family says words can't express the devastation they felt as they laid the 32-year-old actress to rest at a private Christmas Eve funeral.

The service began Thursday afternoon and Stretched into the evening as a christian minister and rabbi presided and guest sand "Amazing Grace" at the grave site at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills.

Her Husband Simon Monjack, talked about their relationship and called her his best friend and soul mate. Her closest friends and her cousin also recalled their favourite memories of her.

Murphy died Sunday after collapsing at her Hollywood Hills home. Authorities continue to investigate the death but do not suspect foul play.

An Autopsy performed Monday was inconclusive and the Coroner's office is awaiting results of toxicology and tissue test before determining an Offical cause of Death.

My blog has gone through a revamp

2009-12-22T12:44:00.002+08:00

hi mates, here you have it, my blog! it's been through a revamp and its finally up and running now..there'll be issues about soccer,celebrities,bollywood and hollywood,latest singapore news and the happenings in my life,the ups and downs.it'll be all here.Keep enjoying reading the post and do share your views with me.

take care mates,

Love,

Rashy Cruz

Roque Santa Cruz's double

2009-12-20T04:06:00.009+08:00

Manchester City 4
Santa Cruz(4,69), Tevez(12,pen), Bellamy(35)

Sunderland 3
Mensah(16), Henderson(24), Jones(62)

MANCHESTER CITY came out on top in a seven-goal thriller with Sunderland for what seems certain to be the epitaph to Mark Hughes' time in charge. Roque Santa Cruz scored twice for the host, with Carlos Tevez and Craig Bellamy also on target.

But Hughes now looks set to be sacked, paving the way for Roberto Mancini to revive the fortunes of a club who have spent $398million on new players since their Abu Dhabi owners took control 18 months ago. City could not have made a better start as Tevez delayed his pass to Bellamy just long enough to send the Welshman racing into the box.

INNOCUOUS

Bellamy quickly squared to Santa Cruz, who gleefully tapped in from close range, at a stroke justifying the decision to axe Robinho and Emmanuel Adebayor. And there was even better to follow after 11 minutes when Bellamy galloped into a very similiar position, checked inside and was bundled over by Nyron Nosworthy.

It was an innocuous challenge but a foul nonetheless and referee Andre Marriner immediately pointed to the spot. Tevez had to wait an interminable length of time before he could take the spot-kick as George McCartney got into a tugging match with Santa Cruz. But the Argentina International kept his cool and drilled home the second.

However, City being the club they are, there was a self-inflicted blow to come. Micah Richards had just tumbled to the ground clutching an injury that required extensive treatment when Andy reid curled over a cross from the right. Kolo Toure completely lost John Mensah, who rose unchallenged on the edge of the six-yard area and steered his header into the far corner. Although he tried, it soon became apparent Richards could not continue so Zabaleta was introduced. It was not long before the Argentina star conceded a corner which almost resuted in a Sunderland equaliser as Jordan Henderson found himself on his own at the far post and turned an effort towards goal that Shay Given did brilliantly to keep out.

Again Henderson caused problems and after some shoddy defending, in which Kolo Toure completely missed the ball as he was attempting to clear, the Sunderland man drove home the equaliser.

EXPERTLY

The next time City pushed forward, they regained the lead as Zabaleta found Shaun Wright-Phillips with a quickly taken throw-in. Santa Cruz allowed Wright-Phillips' low cross to run on to Bellamy, who expertly curled a shot into the far corner. Bellamy played a one-two with Barry and hared off down the left wing before crossing for Tevez, whose shot brought an excellent save our of Marton Fulop. He was the man who made the clearance as Reid again caused the City defence some anxiety with a curling free-kick into the box. It was not long before City's defensive frailities came to the fore again as Henderson charged into the box, completely unmarked to collect Nosworthy's pass. Kenwyne Jones got in front of Kompany at the near post and turn Henderson's cross home from close range. But City were not finished. And when Zabaleta cross to the far post, the visitors were appealing in vain for offside as Barry squared for Santa Cruz to tap the Blues in front for a third time.

Nosworthy was booked for an awful challenge on Kompany and Henderson got sent off in stoppage time for an elbow on Barry.

Indian rojak and malaysia trip:)

2009-12-19T05:50:00.006+08:00

Today my day started out well though,firstly had breakfast with the most important people in my life,My elder brother & sis in law, who are here from perth for the christmas and new year period..its been after very long that i'm actually sitting down with my brother and having breakfast.after which we had some discussion abt my trip to perth next year and abt their malaysia trip later in the day to see my cousins who are living there.

@ ard 11.30am,my sis in law needed to meet a girl by the name of amrath,who's sister is based in perth with her hubby,to pass her some gifts that was sent through my sis in law,and me being me i simply had to follow cos my elder bro didnt feel like taking the trip down to the train station due to his laziness:)haha,god!she was ok looking actually,but kinda tall lol!:) sat at macdonalds and the ladies had their usual chats..but that was a hush hush thingy cos sis in law,elder bro and me had to head down to toa payoh central to get some stuff and also have our lunch before they depart from home ard 2pm for their malaysia trip. Elder bro's ankle was hurting,so we headed down to guardian to get some salonpas and an ankle brace for him,i too had gotten a pair of warm hazel contact lenses with my sis in law who got a pair for herself too:) we then had indian rojak,sis in law's and elder bro's fav dish!they really enjoyed it by the look of their faces haha:) i had my norm nasi goreng without veggies!!

we then headed back home and it was time for them to get ready to leave..i couldn't join them cos i didn't want to apply for no pay leave plus my workplace are having shortages of man during this holiday period so yup,wish i could have joined them..it'll be worth alot of fun though!!anywayz it was time to say gdbye to them @2.15 and i'll see them back in singapore on the 22nd,which is 4 days away!!can't wait to spend more quality time with them in the next two weeks:)

Manchester City Vs Bolton Wanderers

2009-12-13T04:56:00.008+08:00

Bolton Wanderers 3
(Ivan Klasnic 11, Gary Cahill 43, Ivan Klasnic 53)

Manchester City 3
(Tevez 28, Micah Richards 45, Tevez 77)

Tevez double rescues point

Carlos Tevez came to ten-man Manchester City's rescue at the Reebok stadium by securing a point with 13 minutes remaining of a rousing encounter.

It was his second goal of the game and his eighth of the Season after Craig Bellamy had been sent off for two yellow cards. Tevez is now on a roll but the disappointing fact for City was that they fail to build on the splendid victory against Chelsea last weekend.

It was their eight draw in nine league games- yet it could have been worse. The match took a dramtic turn in the 77th minute when ten-man City again pegged back Bolton's lead. Ireland won the ball 20 yards out and released Tevez, who fired a shot into the corner for his Second goal of the game. Subsitute Robinho then went close for City in the 88th minute, his effort going the wrong side of Jaaskelainen's post as a thrilling match finished all squared.

More Epl Results:Chelsea 3- Everton 3,Stoke 2- Wigan 2,Totthenam 0- Wolves 1,Man Utd 0- Aston Villa 1, Birmingham 1- West Ham 0, Burnley 1-Fulham 1, Hull City 0- Blackburn 0, Sunderland 1- Portsmouth 1

Premier League News

2009-12-09T19:43:00.003+08:00

Man City lose Bellamy and Weiss to swine flu

Manchester City face an anxious wait to discover the extent of a swine flu scare that threatens to spread through the squad. Striker Craig Bellamy has already been diagnosed with the virus but seems to be over the worst of it. And now Vladimir Weiss, who came off the bench to score against Arsenal in the Carling Cup last week, was sent home before reporting for last weekend's game with Chelsea after being contracting H1N1.

It is the second time this season that Chelsea have played a club enveloped by swine flu concerns following their game against Blackburn Rovers in October. Despite fears the virus could spread to their squad, Chelsea so far have no concerns. Several staff members at Eastlands have also been showing symptoms while other members of the playing squad have reported similar complaints.

Manchester City assistant boss Mark Bowen told the Manchester Evening News: "There is a little bit of it creeping into the camp. Players come in every day with sniffles, coughs and colds and the doctor has to determine whether it is the onset of something more serious.

"It is his decision whether they have to be sent home.''

Bellamy is a major a doubt for Saturday's local clash with Bolton Wanderers, and City boss Mark Hughes will be hoping he does not lose any more high profile players.

Wayne Bridge is already out for four to six weeks after he suffered medial ligament against Chelsea. Hughes has the option of using either Joleon Lescott at full-back and pairing Kolo Toure with Nedum Onuoha, or veteran Brazilian Sylvinho could come in for his first Premier League start after leaving Barcelona in the summer.

Fav Bollywood Actors/Actress

2009-12-09T19:00:00.007+08:00

Rashy Cruz Fav Bollywood Actors & Actress

Karisma Kapoor

Karisma kapoor has been my fav actress for a very long time,13 years to be exact. she's gorgeous,knows how to act,chooses the right movies and never fails to entertain the audience.Really her departure from tinseltown due to her marriage is a big loss. Younger sister Kareena is step to take over her shoes,but by the way it looks Karisma will always be the Queen of Bollywood and of cos my Heart")

Manisha Lamba

Manisha is a new actress who's winning my support over.she's gd-looking and has a body to die for.she's choosing gd movies and her acting skills are there but she needs to polish it a bit more.For now my eyes are on this Beauty")

Salman Khan

Salman has been and will always be my fav actor. His acting is superb but only for roles he chooses and thinks that will be gd. He hasn't won any award except for the "Best supporting actor" for his role in the Mega-hit movie Kuch kuch hota hai, starring opp Shahrukh Khan and Kajol.

Salman is often label as the Bad boy of Bollywood and Often describe as a violent natured person, but in fact he's the most charitable person in India.Supoorting the cancer stricken children and also has his own foundation call"Being Human" where proceeds of shows and performance done by him goes to this foundation to help children that have cancer. He's an avid painter too and his paintings have been bought by fellow actors. The proceeds of these painting go to "Being Human" his charity foundation.

Currently the 45 year-old is dating Fellow actress Katrina Kaif even though both have denied it only saying that they're gd friends. His Best Pal is none other than the Original bad boy Sanjay Dutt. Being in the industrty for 25 years now, salman is often known as the Heart-throb of bollywood where girls scream upon hearing his name. Working hard and being India's no 2 actor, salman has never worked with any big name director nor producer.
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To survive for 25 years is really a remarkable thing considered the only star name not to have worked with any big director. Salman was also voted by people's magazine as the World's 7th most gd-looking people in 1999

Movie Reviews

2009-12-09T18:26:00.005+08:00

Main Aur Mrs Khanna

We love drama. That's the staple diet of Bollywood films. Even television shows, till a few months ago, relied too heavily on dramatic moments and twists-n-turns, especially the saas-bahu shows. Of late, the reality shows rely on drama to boost the TRPs.

MAIN AURR MRS. KHANNA, directed by debutante Prem Soni, could've been an interesting story had the drama quotient been a bit stronger. What comes across is too simple and ordinary.

Actually, the problem lies in its writing. It wouldn't be erroneous to say that Prem Soni, the director is letdown by Prem Soni, the writer. The writing gyrates from interesting to ordinary to unconvincing and that bogs the film down. The inconsistency is evident all through. Final words? This Mr. and Mrs. Khanna won't live happily ever after!

Raina [Kareena Kapoor], Samir [Salman Khan] and Akash [Sohail Khan] are three people whose lives get entwined at an international airport. Samir has to decide whether he wants to stay in the same city [Melbourne] that gave him so much and then took away everything or fly away to a new city [Singapore], to a new life.

Raina has to decide whether her love and loyalty for her husband Samir, who left her to pursue success, is more justified than her faith and trust in her new-found friend, while Akash has to decide whether what he feels for a married woman is lust or true love and whether he's justified in trying to win her at all costs, even at the cost of her marriage.

Now let's analyse…
MAIN AURR MRS. KHANNA makes a promising start. The cracks in the relationship are evident when the husband starts facing problems on the professional front. He tries to re-locate to Singapore, but decides to send his wife to Delhi, to his parents' home. Convincing!

The wife decides to stay back in Melbourne and suddenly meets an 'angel' [Sohail Khan] and a friend's friend [Mahek Chahal], who gets her a job at the airport [within hours of meeting her] and a few scenes later, Mrs. Khanna shifts into a palatial mansion. Wowwwww! How can she afford a palace-like home in Melbourne from the salary that she gets, while working in a shop at the airport? Not convincing! he wife and angel become friends. The angel is well aware of her marital status, yet loves her dearly. The woman trusts him as a friend. Convincing! The husband re-surfaces [very quickly]. He's now settled in Singapore, has even bought a house there, he returns to Melbourne to fetch his wife back. Complications arise when the marriage registration letter surfaces. Not convincing!

The question is, why didn't the wife confide in her husband about it? That she had to do it for the work permit? Of course, she states subsequently that she didn't want to complicate things further, but didn't she ever realise that the truth would be out sooner or later?

Also, when the husband is in Singapore, there's scant or zilch communication between the couple, which looks so unreal. There's just one sequence of the wife calling her husband, but the husband isn't responding to the call. Again, not convincing!

The ending is interesting, but the surprise appearance of Deepika Padukone looks forced in the script. Perhaps, it was incorporated so that Sohail doesn't come across as a loser. Strangely, Deepika's name is also Raina [also Kareena's name in the film] and she too was in a relationship with a Samir [also Salman's name], which looks fake.

Prem Soni has handled a few scenes well, but the writing is ineffectual. Dialogue, also by Prem, are wonderful at places. Sajid-Wajid's music is tuneful. 'Don't Say Alvida' and 'Rabba' are melodious compositions. The cinematography is striking. The locales of Melbourne give the film a perfect romantic setting. Salman handles his part with maturity, but it's a Kareena show all the way. She is remarkable and delivers a winning performance yet again. Sohail contributes to some light moments. Yash Tonk is alright. Mahek Chahal is perfect. Nauheed Cyrusi doesn't get any scope.

The film has several star appearances: Deepika Padukone, Preity Zinta [okay], Dino Morea [hardly there for a few minutes] and Bappil Lahiri [yes, the veteran music composer has a proper role in the film].

On the whole, MAIN AURR MRS. KHANNA is weak in merits. At the box-office, the BLUE wave, followed by another strong opposition in ALL THE BEST will sideline MAIN AURR MRS. KHANNA completely. It's a non-starter!

As much as i love salman khan,but after watching this movie i can't help it but give it a bad rating.

Rashy Cruz movie rating: 1 star

Movie Reviews

2009-12-09T18:08:00.009+08:00

WANTED This is for fans and foes of Salman Khan... Fans, rejoice, Salman is back with a vengeance with WANTED. This is his deadliest performance to date. Yes, you read it right! Foes, sorry, you won't be able to lash out at him or pick on him or launch a vicious tirade this time. The spate of flops should come to a grinding halt with WANTED. Let's get this straight. WANTED rides on Salman Khan's star power. He may not be the best actor in town, but in a film like WANTED, in a role that seems like an extension of his personality, you can't think of anyone else enacting this role with flourish. A remake of POKIRI [made in Telugu and Tamil versions], WANTED is a full on masala film. Recall the successful potboilers of yore. Recall how the good guy would reduce 10 hoodlums to pulp in a fraction of seconds. Recall how heroism prevailed in the end, no matter how adverse the circumstances were or how powerful the villains would be. Recall those movies in which logic took a backseat since the focus was on entertainment... You relive those moments as reel after reel of WANTED unfolds. A departure from candyfloss movies and diabetic-sweet characters that most Hindi movies boast of, WANTED takes you back to those days when popular cinema reigned supreme, when the sole motive of the film-maker was to entertain. The daring hero and his herogiri, the naïve girlfriend, the corrupt cop, the dreaded don, the don's moll, the fist-clinching henchmen... WANTED is for those who seek unabashed entertainment and relish masala films. Damn the indomitable critics, pseudo intellectuals and connoisseurs of parallel cinema, this one's not for them. WANTED is for the aam junta.Radhe [Salman Khan] is a hardcore gangster. A sharpshooter with a sharp brain, he works for Gani Bhai [Prakash Raj], the dreaded Mafioso, but on his own terms. Totally fearless, Radhe single-handedly eliminates Gani Bhai's enemies one by one; making more enemies in the process. He's astounded when the young and pretty Jahnvi [Ayesha Takia Azmi] professes her liking for him. Inspector Talpade's [Mahesh Manjrekar] lustful eyes fall on Jahnvi. He doesn't know that Jahnvi has developed a soft corner for Radhe.Whether it's the Golden Gang or Data Pawle's Gang, everybody wants the biggest piece of the lucrative cake that is Mumbai and the only way to get it is to eliminate whoever gets in the way. As Mumbai reels under bloody gang wars, Commissioner Ashraf Khan [Govind Namdeo] vows to make the city crime free. Director Prabhu Dheva serves a hardcore masala fare that's not inventive or path-breaking by any standard, but the execution of several scenes as also of stunts takes the graph of the film Northward. In fact, if at all there's any film that competes with GHAJINI as far as raw appeal goes, it's WANTED. Every action/stunt/chase here is choreographed with aplomb. Watch out for the action sequence at the interval point or the penultimate half-an-hour. The climax is sure to send scores of action lovers in frenzy, as Salman bashes the evil forces black and blue. It wouldn't be erroneous to state that the climax is worth the price of the ticket, samosa, sandwich, popcorn, nachos and cola put together. Not that this 18 reeler abounds in mindless action. As mentioned earlier, this one's a hardcore masala film and the narrative has its share of light moments and romantic sequences. Even the bad man here makes you laugh intermittently [when he's not spewing venom], especially in the sequence when the Commissioner of Police holds him captive in the middle of the sea. Even the romance between Salman and Ayesha charms its way into your heart. It's very likable. But WANTED is not without its share of flaws. The film stands on a thin storyline and the viewer can guess what's in store next, which means that there's not much novelty in the plot. Besides, WANTED could've done without a song or two, thereby keeping its length in check. Director Prabhu Dheva has presented Salman like never before. Most actors have drifted away from roles that hold tremendous mass appeal, that cater to the desi audience, like they did in the 1980s. SRK did it in OM SHANTI OM, Aamir Khan did it in GHAJINI and Salman does it so effortlessly in WANTED. The screenplay [Shiraz Ahmed] may not be foolproof, but it has its share of shining moments. Dialogues are clapworthy, especially those delivered by Salman. Sajid-Wajid's music is of a mixed variety. 'Jalwa' is the best of the lot and the star presence of Anil Kapoor, Govinda and also Prabhu Dheva in this track will send the viewers into raptures. The remaining tracks oscillate between good and strictly okay. This review would be incomplete without the invaluable contribution by the action director. It deserves brownie points. Cinematography too is top notch. Salman is like a ferocious lion who roars with all his might. The show belongs to the actor, who scorches the screen every time he displays the manic anger. Without doubt, Salman gives the power to WANTED. It's his best work to date. Ayesha Takia Azmi is very good and the pairing with Salman looks wonderful. Vinod Khanna is sidelined. He deserved more footage. Mahesh Manjrekar is excellent. He's only getting better with every film. Prakash Raj is first-rate. The accomplished actor adds yet another feather to his cap. Govind Namdeo is perfect. Mahek Chahal radiates oomph. Aseem Merchant is alright. Raju Mavani is effective. Inder Kumar and Sajid are okay. Manoj Pahwa tries hard to make you laugh. Prateeksha Lonkar is as usual. On the whole, WANTED rides on Salman, Salman and only Salman Khan's star power. A masala film that's aimed at the masses, WANTED is backed by tremendous hype and hoopla, which will result in the film taking an earth-shattering start at the ticket window. The Idd celebrations in the coming days will only enhance the business of the film, which means that the film will have a solid Week 1. The holidays in Week 2 should also be bountiful, thereby ensuring a strong place in the 'Hit' category.

Rashy Cruz Movie Rating: 5 Stars

Manchester City FC

2009-12-07T04:28:00.005+08:00

I'm having lotsa faith in Man City breaking into the top 4 this season.firstly of their never say die attitude which can be seen whenever they are a goal down,they'll be attacking from wherever they can to win the game. Secondly Shay Given has shown why he's the Premiership best goalkeeper with his excellents skills of ball stopping.The former Newcastle custodian seems to be enjoying a new lease of life at Eastlands, and insisted that he wants to end his career at the city of manchester.

Kolo Toure is in fine form performing just the way he used to at Arsenal,Bridge is doing well and Micah richards seems to have found the confidence back in him.Stephen Ireland is joy to watch together with Shaun wright-phillips at the flanks,Tevez shows the world what Man Utd missed out with his goal scoring abilities,Adebayor being regarded the best buy of this season for Man City.Roque Santa Cruz doesn't get much playing time but when he goes on the pitch he does wonder just the way he did in Bayern Munich and Blackburn. Once again people don't be surprise if Manchester City break into the top 4.that's my call.

Rashy Cruz

Given saves the day for Manchester City

2009-12-07T00:59:00.006+08:00

Manchester City 2
(Adebayor 37,Tevez 56)

Chelsea 1
(Adebayor 7 (og)

Manchester City goalkeeper Shay given saved a late penalty from Frank lampard as Manchester City beat Premier League leaders Chelsea 2-1 at Eastlands.

Chelsea took an early lead after Adebayor put through his own net but the City striker made amends with a 37th min strike to make it 1-1. A Carlos Tevez freekick gave City the lead after the break, but when nedum onuoha hacked down Didier Drogba in the penalty area it looked like Chelsea would take a share of the spoils. However Given saved lampard's 83rd minute spot kick as City ended a run of seven consecutive draws.

--Rashy Cruz

Carling Cup Review

2009-12-04T23:12:00.004+08:00

Who won the game for City?

Pretty much everyone else. Carlos Tevez was absolutely immense. This was a real return to form for the Argentine striker. He chased every ball, ran at defenders and his goal juz after the break was superb. Shaun wright-phillips scored the second, but his greatest contribution came from the flanks, where he repeatedly roasted Troare and fought for every inch of the right flank.

Craig Bellamy's tricks caused all kinds of problems on the left and Stephen Ireland showed some of the form that won him the club's Player of the Year award last season.

More of these and City might finally pick up a win in the Premeirship.

--Rashy Cruz

This is a bad week to be an arsenal fan

2009-12-04T18:18:00.012+08:00

Manchester City 3
(Tevez 50,Wright-Phillips 69,Weiss 89)
Arsenal 0

WELL,it was a bad week to be an Arsenal fan.In the great scheme of things,defeat in the Carling Cup was no disaster for a team which wasn't at its strongest.
Had it not been for Arsene Wenger's poor sportmanship at the final whistle,we'd probably think nothing of it.this is very much a second string side made up of fringe players and rookies and they were soundly bbeaten by an expensively assembled team of internationals.Where's the surprise?
There were many similarities between Sunday's defeat to Chelsea and this emphatic reverse.Arsenal's reserves are no bigger than their first team and the lack of physical strength is still very apparent.

Aggressive

Manchester City were aggressive,adventurous and eager to push forward. Young Craig Eastmond, deployed in the defensive midfield role, had a torrid time trying to the stem the blue flow.

When the likes of Carlos Tevez, Adebayor, Bellamy and Wright-Phillips are charging in on your penalty area, you want better defenders than Armand Traore and Mikael Silvestre to save you.
City were excellent, especially in the second half, and they fully deserved to go through to the semi-finals.
Some of the home supporters have been critical of Mark Hughes, patience being a commodity in short supply to the former United hero. But you can see the direction in which he is trying to take City. You can see the passion and the spirit. You can see the shape and the ideas.
Most of all, you can see the pairing of pace and power in full effect, a combination that neither Arsenal's first team nor their reserve team seems to enjoy these days.

--Rashy Cruz

Singapore News: Officer Wanted Sexual Favours

2009-12-02T03:24:00.003+08:00

A National Environtment Support Officer persistently wanted to meet the mother of an underaged smoker in private and even texted her for sex,a district court heard. The complainant,a woman in her 40s,reported Koh Hui Chong to the authority and a trap was laid when he turned up at her flat on May 6 last year.

The 43-year-old admitted to the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau Officers he had contacted the woman with the intention if having sex with her.He even brought along three condoms.He had hoped that if the complainant had sex with him,he would then not take any form of action against her teenage son for smoking and littering.

Koh,who pleaded guilty to trying to get Sexual favours from the boy's mother is expected to be sentenced soon.He faces a fine of up to $100,000 and/or a jail term of up to five years.

*rashy cruz*-this is one of the cases that caught my attention as i was going through the news.there are more and more officers regardless of the organization they work in asking for sexual favours.some are high ranking officers who are married for years and have a stable and happy life.its really sad to know that such ****ed up officers do exist.i really hope this idiot mentioned-above gets a heavy sentence and hope others who are doing it will see this as an example and stop before its too late.

Tevez Assured Not To Be Used As Super-Sub

2009-12-02T02:41:00.006+08:00

Carlos Tevez has been assured he will not be used as an impact player at Manchester City. Tevez put in an impressive performance when he stepped off the bench in the 2-2 draw against Liverpool at the weekend and was involved in Stephen Ireland's goal at Anfield,but he has struggled to find the target himself.

However first team coach Eddie Niedzwiecki has dismissed the notion of the former Manchester United forward spending too much time on the bench and insisted he should not be considered a super-sub."To label him in that way is completely wrong",he told the club's official website. We had a specific game-plan and Carlos made such an impression when he came on."Because of the players we have and the size of the squad,there will be times when the boss has to leave out certain individuals or play a different system".That's the flexibility we want.

"Carlos had just been away with Argentina,where there was a lot of emotion surronding the national team,but he showed real desire when he came on and changed what had gone on."He gave the team the trigger,and it was carlos closing down the full-back that led to the second goal.He chased a lost cause and won the ball back in the corner"."Carlos is playing with a smile on his face and loves to express himself on the pitch.

I'm sure we'll soon see him knocking the goals in like the talent we know he is.