Giant killer Del Potro believes he is the biggest tennis star on the circuit

New York, Sep.16 (ANI): Argentine tennis player Juan Martin Del Potro still can’t believe he has won this US Open, but now believes he is the biggest new star in tennis.

“It’s my best sensation,” he said. “Since my childhood I have dreamed of this trophy. I have realised my dream. It is an incredible moment. It’s amazing match, amazing people. Everything is perfect. Maybe tomorrow, maybe next week I will be believing in this. Now, I can’t believe it,” The Mirror quoted Del Potro, as saying.

The 6 ft 6in Argentine caused a massive upset by beating a fustered Roger Federer in five thrilling sets in the US Open final.

The world No.1, the reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion, was seeking his sixth successive title after winning 40 consecutive matches at Flushing Meadows.

But he was simply battered into submission by the 20-yearold with a murderous forehand making his first appearance in a Grand Slam final. Despite a horrible start, Del Potro triumphed 3-6 7-6 (7/5) 4-6 7-6 (7/4) 6-2 in four hours and six minutes – the longest US Open final for 20 years. (ANI)

Shoe throwing Iraqi journalist’s release from jail postponed by a day

Baghdad, Sep. 14 (ANI): Iraq has postponed the release of the journalist who threw his shoe at former US President George W Bush in Baghdad last year.raqi television journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi will be released from prison a day later than expected, his brother said.

“He called me from the prison and said ‘they won’t release me today, they will free me tomorrow’,” The Telegraph quoted Durgham al-Zaidi, as saying in tears.

Zaidi, 30, was initially sentenced to three years for assaulting a foreign head of state but had his jail time reduced to one year on appeal. He is being freed early because of good behaviour.

Zaidi shouted “it is the farewell kiss, you dog,” at Bush on December 14 last year, seconds before hurling his size-10 shoes at the man who ordered Iraq be invaded and occupied six-and-a-half years ago.

Although Bush, who successfully ducked to avoid the speeding footwear, laughed off the attack, the incident caused massive embarrassment, to both him and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

Zaidi faces the prospect of a very different life from his previous existence as a journalist for Al-Baghdadia television, a small, privately owned Cairo-based station, which has continued to pay his salary in jail.

Zaidi’s boss has promised the previously little-known reporter a new home as a reward for loyalty and the publicity that his actions, broadcast live across the world, generated for the station.

But there is talk of plum job offers from bigger Arab networks, lavish gifts such as sports cars from businessmen, a celebrity status, and reports that Arab women from Baghdad to the Gaza Strip want his hand in marriage. (ANI)

‘Mysterious messages’ penned by MJ in final hours emerge

London, September 13 (ANI): A string of messages penned by Michael Jackson in his final hours have come to light.

Post-its notes and sheets of paper, scribbled as “wishes for the world” have reportedly been found on the mirror in the late singer’s bathroom.

The notes allegedly show the King of Pop’s bizarre state of mind before he died of drug addiction on June 25, reports the News of the World.

Pals of the singer believe Jackson was using the notes as means to prepare himself for his comeback concerts in London.

Note number one, found on the right of Jackson’s gold-framed mirror, apparently read: “I am so grateful that I am a magnet for miracles.”

Note number two, pinned to the bottom of the mirror, a message in large handwriting said: “Love, no violence ever!” And underneath, in smaller handwriting, he had added: “Remember a beautiful future promise of tomorrow.”

Note number three was a startling reminder to perform the hit charity single he recorded with soul legend Lionel Ritchie in 1985, saying: “Do We Are The World in show”.

Note number four read “Call Temperton”, referring to British songwriter and producer Rod Temperton, who co-wrote several Jackson songs including Thriller and Rock With You.

A source said: “It’s worrying that he had to write reminders about things as obvious as these while he was rehearsing for his tour…But the drugs he was taking obviously had a huge impact on his mind and memory.” (ANI)

Smugglers using kids as ‘carriers’ on Indo-Nepal border

Kolkata, Sep. 11 (ANI): Smugglers active along the porous Indo-Nepal border are now using children, as ‘carriers’ to smuggle goods like sugar and tobacco.

Hundreds of children, in the age group of six to years, are being hired by the mafia of smugglers to carry out this illegal trade along the Sunauli check point of Uttar Pradesh.

Reportedly, the reliance on children has been so successful in smuggling that the influence of such a modus operandi is even witnessed in West Bengal.

The chosen children are paid around rupees 200 per day for running the errands.

“I travel at least 10 times in a day. I carry five kilograms of sugar in one visit and I get 200 rupees. I also study. I live in Jogiabadi,” said Akhil.

Shree Chand Gupta, President, Indo-Nepal Friendship Organisation contended that it is the poverty stricken parents who are persuading their children.

He added that this trends can turn out to be heinous in the long run if not checked at the right time.

“Today they are carrying sugar but tomorrow they can also smuggle arms and ammunitions on the other side and can work as traitors. Hence officers of both the countries should take a note of this crime as it can also cause a serious threat to the society,” said Gupta.

Physically challenged persons and aged women are also becoming soft targets for smugglers, as they don’t have any regular source of income.

Awareness campaigns in the border villages and schools can put a stop to the malpractice.

“Above all, the customs and the security personnel manning the transit points along the India-Nepal border need to pull up their socks,” Gupta points out. (ANI)

Bopara, Shah accused of playing to keep their England places

London, Sep 11 (ANI): Indian origin England Batsman Ravi Bopara and his teammate Owais Shah have been accused of playing for their places rather than for the team, as the team trails Australia 0-3 in the seven match ODI series.

Gloucestershire coach John Bracewell, who is the game’s most sought-after one-day theorists, questioned the tactics applied by Bopara and Shah.

“I don’t think that either Bopara or Shah are playing to the talent that got them selected,” The Telegraph quoted Bracewell, as saying.

“They’re playing for their places. And I think they’re playing with too much responsibility on batting for too long. They should be getting as many as they can as quickly as they can for as long as they can. It’s as simple as that.

“They look as though they’re trying to build an innings and through that they’re missing opportunities and applying pressure to their own team,” he said.

“When you analyse their individual skills they’re a pretty good team. But I don’t think they play to a selfless pattern. I think they play to a reselection pattern. If I do all right today I’ll get picked tomorrow,” Bracewell added.

Bracewell believes that England’s conservative batting has allowed Australia to seize the initiative in this series.

If it is to be wrested back, he argues, Andrew Strauss and his men need to “take a punt” whether that means using their power play earlier in the innings or rethinking their whole approach to batting. (ANI)

Oz bosses bringing back 1950s style of management

Melbourne, Sep 10 (ANI): A survey has shown that bosses are cutting costs and dropping the collaborative management style of the early 2000s in favour of the 1950s-style.

Social researcher and leadership expert Avril Henry said that employers are doing everything from cutting out biscuits to banning hot food from the office.

They are also telling employees to snack on fruit outside in a bid to cut cleaning costs and cope with strained budgets, and are also micromanaging and bossing their staff around, rather than engaging with them.

“It sends a signal to employees that ‘I don’t trust you can do the job without being closely supervised’, it equates not seeking input from anybody below senior executive level,” News.com.au quoted Henry as saying.

The South African-born public speaker and author of Inspiring Tomorrow’s Leaders Today says examples of tight, bossy behaviour began emerging at the end of last year amid the deepening financial crisis.

“In the process of cutting costs we often do things that alienate the employees,” she said.

“You can cut the biscuits and you can tell people ‘we’re not providing tea and coffee, bring in your own’, but we still pay senior executives and CEOs huge bonuses,” she stated.

Henry says the leadership style is putting bosses on a direct collision course with Generation Y.

“Gen Y just go ‘I’m not working for a boss like that’,” she said of the generation born between 1980 and 1995.

“Gen Y will leave a job without another job to go to even in the current environment.

“They will do a job with less money, not necessarily in the same industry they were in, or equating to what they’re qualified to do, to work in environment where they are happy and they feel valued, not only as employees but as human beings,” she said.

Many generation X-ers (born 1965 to 1979), now in management roles, see this as “entitlement mentality”, but Henry thinks it’s a positive backlash to “toxic” workplace conditions.

“I think that (attitude is) what’s going to change workplace culture,” Henry, who is also a trained accountant, said.

“We have too many workplaces which are toxic, by toxic I mean people aren’t valued.

“Every organisation says ‘people are our greatest asset’ – my immediate response to that is then why do most organisations treat their employees like liabilities?” she stated.

“Bosses who cop a pay cut or ask their staff for thrifty suggestions show they’re ‘willing to share the pain’,” she added. (ANI)

Polish vodka, Cuban cigars and Uma Thurman for Warne’s 40th birthday

Melbourne, Sep 10 (ANI): Australian spin legend Shane Warne will celebrate his 40th birthday with 200 mates, a bottle of Polish vodka, a Cuban cigar – and possibly Hollywood actress Uma Thurman.

Warne turns 40 on Sunday.

Speculation mounted on Wednesday that the Hollywood superstar of Kill Bill fame will join the 200-strong invitation list including Sam Newman, Garry Lyon, Eddie McGuire, Jeff Fenech, poker ace Jo Hachem and a host of business leaders and media chiefs.

Ex-wife Simone Callahan will also be there in the latest sign their roller coaster romance is back on track.

Cricket legends Allan Border and Ian Chappell have been invited, but Steve Waugh and Adam Gilchrist are not on the list.

Best mate Aaron Hamill, who played for Warne’s beloved Saints, will lead the AFL contingent.

Warne has booked a ritzy Chapel St cocktail lounge for tomorrow night’s bumper bash. And the party is tipped to extend well into the early hours of Saturday morning thanks to a 7 a.m. liquor licence, the Daily Telegraph reports.

It is believed Warne’s only request to venue management was for a regular flow of his preferred drink of choice – “Belevedere vodka and Red Bull”-and somewhere to enjoy a celebratory smoke.

On offer are 1500 dollars bottles of French champagne and a range of pricey seafood and Asian dishes, but no baked beans or pizza. (ANI)

Pammie’s Peta advert ‘too racy’ for US airports

New York, Sep 10 (ANI): The new campaign by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), which starred Pamela Anderson, has run into trouble after it was considered too racy for CNN Airport Network.

The anti-fur, anti-leather commercial shows the former ‘Baywatch’ babe as a scantily clad airport security guard who strips passengers of animal products.

The ad also features Steve-O, Andy Dick, comic Carol Leifer and punk icon Nina Hagen, reports The New York Post.

PETA planned to debut the spot tomorrow at all three Gotham-area airports, and later this fall in the other 45 major airports serviced by CNN.

However, the network wrote to PETA that it’s “particularly sensitive because children make up part of the demographic in airports.”

And now the animal rights group is thinking of running the ad on in-flight entertainment. (ANI)

Curfew relaxed in communal-hit Maharashtra towns

Sangli (Maharashtra), Sep 9(ANI): Curfew in the riot-hit towns of Sangli, Miraj and Ichalkaranji in Maharashtra was relaxed on Wednesday, as the situation was gradually improving.

Communal clashes had broken out at in Miraj town and Sangli city last week.

Trouble started on September 3 (Anant Chaturdashi Day), when some pro-Hindutva organisations tried to raise an arch on the immersion procession route, depicting the killing of the Mughal warrior Afzal Khan by Maratha King Shivaji. This led to group clashes.

An all party meeting was held in Mumbai on Tuesday during which a peace formula was worked out.

Meanwhile, Sarvajanik Ganesh mandal representatives in Miraj have decided to immerse the idols tomorrow. (ANI)

Beckham opens door for Premier League return

London, Sep.8 (ANI): England football star David Beckham will win his 114th England cap tomorrow night if introduced during the World Cup qualifier with Croatia at Wembley, but is looking forward to his short sting with A C Milan and is also open to a Premier League offer to remain at the forefront of Fabio Capello’s plans for South Africa 2010.

“I have got plans. I will finish the MLS season. After that, everybody knows that I’ll be coming back to play somewhere. LA Galaxy know that. If it upsets a few people, I can’t do anything about it,” The Independent quoted Beckham, as saying.

“Milan have made me aware that they want me to go back there and I’m more than happy with that. But I have also had another three or four offers, so when the time is right, I will decide,” he added.

The prospect of Beckham being back in the Premier League, even if he will have turned 35 by that point, is an appealing one, especially as for all his platitudes for LA Galaxy, a section of the club’s support have turned against him.

By then he could have become the first England player to have appeared at four World Cup finals. (ANI)

Fascist rocker whips up racist football fans in Croatia

London, Sep.8 (ANI): Croatian football chiefs are using a sick fascist hatemonger to whip up a vile racist frenzy among fans ahead of the national team’s match against England at the Wembley stadium on Wednesday.

A Sun investigation today reveals the Croatian FA is behind a cynical campaign encouraging thugs – who will be at Wembley for tomorrow’s match against England – to worship the right-wing nut spreading hatred and Sieg Heil chants on the terraces.

Shocking songs by fascist rocker Marko Perkovic that glorify genocide and Hitler’s death camps are played at Croatia’s home matches. nd his sick slogans are chanted by thousands of fans.

Croatian fans love Perkovic, nicknamed Thompson after the machinegun he used in the Balkans war.

They are notorious for wearing the uniform of the Nazis’ puppet Ustashe regime that ran Croatia during World War II.

The songs are blasted out to crank up intimidation levels inside Zagreb’s Maksimir Stadium. It instantly provokes a fascist fervour as fans – who once formed a human swastika on the terraces – launch into the Sieg Heil salutes popular at Thompson’s concerts. (ANI)

Britain is culturally sexist, says equality watchdog

London, Sep. 6 (ANI): The Chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Trevor Phillips, has declared that Britain is ‘culturally sexist,’ and yet to reach a consensus about whether women are equal to men.

According to Phillips, most bosses still operate on the pretext that their workers are male, and even organisations with vast resources into countering discrimination remain biased.

“There is still a huge argument to settle. As a nation, we haven’t quite got a consensus about whether women really are equal or not,” The Times quoted him, as saying.

“We have a culture which produces bias, even when people don’t mean it to, even when they are doing their damnedest to make things change,” he added.hillips said “serious culture change and institutional reform” was needed to put women on an equal footing with men.

His comments coincide with a time when the latest government-commissioned investigation is expected to show pay gaps of up to 60 percent for some women doing the same jobs as men.

Tomorrow’s report is expected to reveal that women are “locked out” of top jobs in the City because employers “massively and preferentially” hire and promote staff between the ages of 25 and 40.

“It’s like Hollywood. There’s no role for women over 40,” Phillips said.

“The fact is, most offices, no matter how enlightened the bosses are, still operate on the premise that the average ‘normal’ worker is male, that someone will look after his children if he has them, that he will be able to work 9am-5pm most days – that’s how we organise things. Doesn’t work for most women,” he added.

He named the BBC and the Metropolitan police as two institutions that had failed to eradicate sexism despite ploughing resources into the problem.

“These organisations have tried very hard. But at some point we are going to need radical cultural change and institutional reform if we’re not going to get stuck at a place where in 20 years’ time we’ll still be saying, ‘why haven’t we got any women on boards?’ (ANI)

Thousands pay respects to former Andhra CM Reddy

Hyderabad, Sep.3 (ANI): Tens of thousands of people, from all walks of life, came out on the streets of Hyderabad on Thursday evening to mourn and pay their last respects to former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajsekhara Reddy, who died in a helicopter crash on Wednesday morning.

Shouting slogans in support of Reddy such as YSR Zindabad and Long Live YSR, the general public and Congress party supporters lined the roads of Hyderabad as the flower-decked army truck and a convoy of cars drove from the airport to his official residence – The Camp Office at Begumpet.

Many of the supporters carried placards, flags and masks of YSR, signifying the high level of grief and shock over the unexpected tragedy.

Traffic was brought to a virtual standstill in the city as mourners and supporters desperately sought to pay their last respects to the departed leader.

Political leaders, cutting across party lines, are making a beeline for the chief minister’s residence to pay their last respects to Reddy and condole with his family members.

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, and the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, are expected in the city tomorrow morning to pay their last respects to the departed leader.

Earlier, the highly charred and decomposed bodies of Reddy and four others were shifted to an Indian Air Force helicopter in Kurnool and airlifted to Hyderabad.

A post mortem of the bodies is to take place in Hyderabad this evening.

The dead chief minister’s body will lie in state at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium from Friday morning till about 1 p.m. to allow the general public and the political leadership to pay their last respects. It will then be flown to his native village in Cuddapah District for final rites. (ANI)

President greets nation ahead of Onam

New Delhi, Sep 1 (ANI): President Pratibha Patil today greeted the nation ahead of Onam, which is being celebrated tomorrow.

In her message, she said, “On the joyous occasion of Onam, I extend my warmest greetings to everyone especially to all my brothers and sisters in Kerala.”

“May this auspicious harvest festival, which underlines the importance of agriculture in our country, inspire us to work for the progress and prosperity of our nation and to promote harmony and compassion in our country,” she added.

Onam, a harvest festival, is celebrated in Kerala when young girls and women make flower patterns called “Pookalam” in local parlance to welcome the mythical King Mahabali.

Onam recalls the story of mythical demon king Mahabali who created a kingdom in what is now Kerala.

The festival falls during the month of Chingam (August-September as per the Gregorian calendar), the first month of the Malayalam calendar and lasts for ten days.

Traditionally celebrated as a harvest festival, mythologically it is linked to Malayalee-Hindu folktales. (ANI)

US footballer claims being Farrah Fawcett’s first and last love

Melbourne, Aug 31 (ANI): A former US footballer claims that he was the first and last love of late actress Farrah Fawcett.

Greg Lott, who says he first met Fawcett in the 60s, also claims that actor Ryan O’Neal’s heart-wrenching return to her side and his support during her dying days was nothing more than an act for the camera.

According to The Mail, Lott dismissed the image of Fawcett and O’Neal’s tragic rapprochement as nothing but Hollywood fantasy, and says that for the last 11 years of her life, she was involved in a very private romance with him.

“We were blind, crazy, in love,” the Daily Telegraph quoted him as saying.

“Farrah was my best friend and my inspiration.

“We fell in love with each other all those years ago and we never really stopped loving each other. Our lives took us in very different directions but, in the end, her heart always came home to me and Texas,” he said.

Lott also claimed that O’Neal froze him out of Fawcett’s life against her will, and that she referred to O’Neal as the “Fat F*** from the beach”.

O’Neal’s spokesman has dismissed Lott’s claims as “categorically false”, but the actor’s son Griffin has stated otherwise.

“I have to thank Greg Lott for one thing: For loving Farrah the way she deserved to be loved. Ryan was just there for the acclaim,” he said.

Lott revealed the last time he spoke to Fawcett was a couple of months before she passed away.

“I last spoke to Farrah late on the night of April 9 – two-and-a-half months before she died. She was preparing to come home from a bout of treatment at St John’s Hospital in Santa Monica,” he said.

“She told me: ‘I’m coming home tomorrow. I love you and I will call you’,” he revealed.

When he did not hear from her, Lott flew to California in desperation, to her home in LA, but he claims O’Neal refused him entry.

“I never got to say goodbye to Farrah. Ryan shut me out of her life,” he said.

Lott, who dated Fawcett from when they were students at Texas University until 1970, got his second chance when her romance with O’Neal came unstuck in 1996 thanks to his volatile temper and infidelity.

“She called and we arranged to meet in Texas,” Lott said.

“She was doing a fundraiser for battered women and invited me to the event at a hotel. She walked into the room and the electricity was there between us,” he recalled.

Fawcett then invited him to visit her at her home in Bel Air, Los Angeles.

“She flew me out to Los Angeles and we fell into each other’s arms,” he said.

“Farrah was always a very sensual woman. She never wore make-up at home and would shop at cheap stores like Walmart for her sweatpants. She had no airs and graces. That’s what I loved about her. She looked a million dollars without doing anything.

“I would look at her sleeping in the early morning and she looked like an angel. I thought I was the luckiest man in the world. She told me, ‘I’ve had the Hollywood men but you’re a real man. You get me.

“She loved to cook and would make me Texan dishes like fried chicken. We didn’t go out much. We’d stay home and watch movies and make love,” he added. (ANI)

BJP will solve its problems, soon, says key RSS leader

New Delhi, Aug. 30 (ANI): Senior Rashtriya Swayam Sewak (RSS) leader Madan Das Devi on Sunday said he was confident about the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) taking appropriate steps to resolve all of its problems, including the issue of the party succession plan.

Addressing a press conference in the capital this morning after between RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and LK Advani, Devi said: “We (RSS) are hopeful that the crisis in the BJP will be resolved. The RSS is assured that the BJP will overcome all problems.”

“We all think that a large party such as the BJP has the capability of being given new direction and end its problems. Important BJP leaders met leaders of the RSS. Shri L.K.Advani and other senior BJP leaders met us. We discussed issues of national importance, party issues etc. They have assured us that the problems of the party will be resolved,” he added.

Efforts to resolve the growing crisis within the BJP continued on Sunday, with Bhagwat travelling to Advani’s residence here to hold a breakfast meeting.

Bhagwat, who was accompanied by senior RSS leader Madandas Devi, is expected to continue discussions on a new roadmap for the BJP, including a possible change of leadership.

Sources said the BJP will most likely announce a succession plan on Sunday. It is indicated that individual responsibilities in the party would be finalised in the coming weeks.

On Saturday, Bhagwat stepped up efforts to mediate an end to the BJP crisis. He held hectic parleys with L K Advani and top leaders including Murli Manohar Joshi.

There were indications that BJP could come out with some statement tomorrow but Sangh Parivar sources said nothing spectacular could be expected.

Advani is reportedly under pressure from rebels to step down as Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha.

Various names are under consideration, including Arun Jaitely, Sushma Swaraj and Bal Apte. However, both the RSS and the BJP have maintained that they were not discussing any succession plan. (ANI)

Force India, Fisichella on pole position for Belgian Grand Prix

Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium), Aug 29(ANI): Formula One Racing team Force India, which is backed by liquor baron Vijay Mallya, on Saturday claimed the pole position in qualifying session for Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix, as Giancarlo Fisichella exhibited an incredible performance to come on top.

It was Force India team’s first-ever pole and the fourth for Fisichella, as he recorded a remarkable qualifying time with a lap of 1 minute, 46.308 seconds to start the Belgian Grand Prix at the front of the grid.

“It’s unbelievable. I didn’t expect to be on pole. It’s amazing. It’s fantastic. I’m so happy. Pole position! Is it true?,” Fisichella said.

“I need to thank the team because they did a fantastic job. I’m really, really happy – and really confident for tomorrow!,” he added.

Meanwhile, Toyota driver Jarno Trulli will start second and BMW Sauber’s Nick Heidfeld will start third following a qualifying session that produced many surprises.

Force India has recently introduced a series of updates to Fisichella and Adrian Sutil’s cars, which showed signs of improvement at last weekend’s European Grand Prix, where both drivers ran well. (ANI)

Premiere of Bollywood film ‘Kisaan’ held in Mumbai

Mumbai, Aug 27 (ANI): Premiere of Bollywood flick, ‘Kisaan’, a film dedicated to the country’s farmers, took place here last evening.

While speaking to the media, the director of the film Puneet Israar appealed to the media for its support so that the film does well at box office.

“I am hoping that the film does well. It’s a film that needs a platform and I hope that with the support of the media, we get that platform,” said Israar.

‘Kisaan’, a joint effort of Sohail Khan and UTV Spot Boys Productions, set in the Punjab heartland deals with how successive generations of farmers have farmed, toilled, bled and perspired for their precious land and how conflicts between the members of the family split the social fabric.

As a treat for the music lovers, the film also has one of the most popular patriotic songs of Bollywood from the 1967 movie of Manoj Kumar, ‘Upkaar’, ‘Mere Desh Ki Dharti’, that has been remixed with a modern day club beat.

Sohail Khan, director and actor of the movie said that he enjoyed making the film.

“The film is primarily a Hindi film, but we have tried our best to come closer to the Punjabi dialect. We chose the actual locations. The costumes were almost similar to what the actual farmers and villagers wear. So I enjoyed making the film,” said Sohail.

The star cast includes Arbaaz Khan, Jackie Shroff, Diya Mirza, Nauheed Cyrus, Dalip Tahil, and Sarfaraz Khan.

Kisaan is slated to hit the theatres tomorrow. (ANI)

Wenger dubs game against Celtic more ‘massive’ than fixture against Man U

London, Aug 26 (ANI):Arsene Wenger has called Arsenal’s upcoming European battle against Celtic a bigger game than the upcoming match with Manchester United.

Although, Arsenal hold a 2-0 aggregate lead in their Champions League play-off, the Frenchman has no plans to take it easy.

The Sun quoted Wenger as saying: “This game is a more important one than Saturday for the club, by far. We have to give absolutely everything be- cause tomorrow you cannot come back.

“Saturday, even if we drop points against Manchester United, we can always catch them up – you have 35 games still to go.

“If we lose the game against Celtic, we have zero. It is a massive game.”

Arsenal could bag around 25- million pounds even they only play the Champions League group stages.

But Boss said it was not just about money.

Wenger said: “It’s not the huge amount money that makes it such a huge fixture for us.

“It’s not the financial blow that matters, it’s that we want to be in the Champions League and this is a much bigger game for us than Saturday.”

After romping home in their first-leg victory in Glasgow, Arsenal are huge favourites to make it through.

However, Wenger believes there is not time to rest.

He insisted: “It is not job done, it is job to do. That is how I approach it.

“Celtic have no choice, they have to come out and have a go at us. We will be faithful to our tactical approach.” (ANI)

Stuart Broad can fill my boots, says Freddie Flintoff

London, Aug.24 (ANI): Andrew Flintoff signed off from Test cricket with Ashes glory and declared that Stuart Broad would adequately make up for his absence.

The 31-year-old said: “What a Test for Stuart Broad – I think once I’ve gone, they’re not going to be missing me. They seem to have found someone far better. It’s been a real team effort and I’m just happy to be a part of it.”

Flintoff will now undergo surgery on Tuesday on his injured right knee, having suffered a gruelling run of knocks since the 2005 Ashes.

But after his run-out of Ricky Ponting sparked the Aussie collapse, the all-rounder claims it has all be worthwhile.

He added: “All the injuries and operations, It’s for moments like this. What a way to go. My contribution may only have been a run-out but there’s been a few question marks over my fielding so I think I’ve put them to bed.”

“I’m sure I’ll celebrate tonight but at the moment I don’t know what to do with myself.

“I’m going to celebrate, probably not in the same style as 2005, I’ll take the missus out for dinner and then spend the day with my family tomorrow,” The Sun quoted him, as saying. (ANI)