2nd Night Shift?It's Damn Relaxed!

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

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

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

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

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

Court orders Maharashtra to release Salman Khan's dues

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

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

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

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.