Thaksin ready to pour more cash into Man City

Thaksin ready to pour more cash into Man City

London (Agencies) - Manchester City manager Sven Goran Eriksson confirmed his club are ready to make a splash in the transfer market after seeing his side lose 1-0 at Everton.

Eriksson was critical of a sub-par showing from his team on Saturday and confirmed that supporters can expect him to invest more of Thai owner Thaksin Shinawatra's millions before the end of the month.

"I really don't want to comment but we are working to try and bring in some other players, yes," said Eriksson.

City's toothless display demonstrated why the former England manager believes fresh talent is necessary to challenge for a Champions League place.

"In the first half, Joe Hart kicked long balls 17 or 18 times and we're not good at that," complained Eriksson. In training that is forbidden yet we played different on a Saturday than we do in the week.

"Credit Everton, they were very aggressive. Our opponents know we want to try to play football and they want to prevent it.

"We want to play football as we can play football but kicking long balls and chasing second balls, we're not good at that.

"If that's how we want to play, we'll have to sell half our team and we're not going to do that."

Everton manager David Moyes admitted that the competition to finish fourth and reach the Champions League will be intense, especially with Yakubu, Steven Pienaar and Joseph Yobo away from Goodison Park for up to six weeks at the African Nations Cup.

07:45 Jan 14, 2008


Bjork repeats Bangkok assault in Auckland

Wellington (dpa) - Iceland singer-songwriter Bjork attacked a photographer, ripping his shirt in half, after he snapped her early- morning arrival at Auckland International Airport, a newspaper reported Monday.

Glenn Jeffrey, a 25-year veteran news cameraman, said that Bjork fell to the ground after attacking him when she flew in Sunday morning for an Auckland music festival, the New Zealand Herald reported.

The Herald said it was the second time the singer had attacked a journalist - the last time in 1996 after a long flight to Thailand. Bjork later apologized for the attack, which is now posted on the YouTube website.

Jeffrey said that Bjork was accompanied by a man who asked him not take photographs.

"I took a couple of pictures, and I got about three or four frames of her, ... and as I turned and walked away she came up behind me, grabbed the back of my black skivvy and tore it down the back," Jeffrey said.

"As she did this she fell over. She fell to the ground. At no stage did I touch her or speak with her."

Jeffrey said Bjork said nothing, but the man with her was saying: "B, don't do this, B, don't do this."

The paper said that Jeffrey spoke to New Zealand police about the incident, saying, "I don't see being assaulted as I'm working as a press photographer as an acceptable thing. If anybody assaults anybody, you have the right to a legal recourse, whoever they are."

05:42 Jan 14, 2008


Lee Kuan Yew defends fellow autocrat Suharto

Singapore (dpa) - Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew said on Sunday that former Indonesian President Suharto is not getting the recognition he deserves.

Lee, Singapore's first prime minister, visited his "old friend" at a hospital in Jakarta. Suharto is in very critical condition after suffering multiple organ failure.

Speaking to Singapore media, Lee praised the former president for bringing progress and development to Indonesia, and stability to the region.

Suharto, 86, has been widely criticised for corruption and human rights abuses during his 32-year rule.

"I feel sad to see a very old friend with whom I had worked closely over the last 30 years, not really getting the honours that he deserves," Channel NewsAsia quoted Lee as saying. "He deserves recognition for what he did."

"The younger generations, both in Indonesia and in the world, do not remember where Indonesia started," Lee said.

Suharto gave Indonesia "progress and development. He educated the population. He built roads and infrastructure," Lee noted.

He also cited Suharto's cooperation in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). "And today, we have a stable Southeast Asia."

"Yes, there was corruption. Yes, he gave favours to his family and his friends. But there was real growth and real progress," Lee said.

Suharto was thrown out in 1998 by a violent popular uprising, triggered in part by resentment at the recession caused by the 1997 Asian financial crisis.

04:23 Jan 14, 2008