Mosley to remain in office...

Max Mosley is to remain in office as FIA president after winning a vote of confidence with a clear majority,officials at an extraordinary meeting in Paris have said.Following a two-hour discussion during which frank views were exchanged regarding the 68-year-old's future,Mosley was said to be delighted when the result was announced at the headquarters of world motorsport's governing body.Mosley secured 103 of 169 votes,which was enough to see him winning the vote of confidence from the FIA.

The extraordinary general assembly was called by Mosley after allegations surrounding his private life surfaced in the News of the World at the end of March.The British posted a video footage of Mosley reveling in what it described as "a chilling Nazi-style sadomasochistic orgy with five hookers." Mosley has maintained a low profile since the scandal broke and avoided the media again on Tuesday morning when he arrived at the FIA's headquarters on the Place de la Concorde using a back route.And with the decision,Mosley,who have been the FIA president since 1991,is now likely to see out his fourth term in office,which expires in October 2009.The decision might be a relieve to Mosley but it might not be to others.He has been snubbed by royalty ahead of the Bahrain,Spanish and Monaco grands prix for the past few months or so and this decision will only make matter worst.

There was also a significant number of automobile clubs - representing 13 percent of the vote - which joined forces late last week and sent Mosley a letter calling for his head.Mosley of course refused to stand down,even ignoring a late plea from Formula One's commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone to quit and things could get even out of hand now.The FIA faces a potential split with a number of high-profile clubs such as ADAC likely to push for a breakaway faction with the American Automobile Association now thinking of whether to withdraw from the FIA having been openly opposed to Mosley staying on since the scandal started.Aside from a potential split within the FIA,Mosley must also contend with legal proceedings he has launched against the Sunday tabloid,in which he is alleging an invasion of privacy.

Well,well what do we have here.When the news of his sex scandal came out,I really thought that would be the end of him because there was so many groups and people who were really unhappy with him and had requested for him to step down instead of having the FIA to make the decision for him.I was slightly surprise with the FIA result,because I also thought that they would be voting him off,but that didnt happen.Mosley argued that his sex life is irrelevant to his public life,and I think this was the main reason why the FIA decided to vote for him instead.In some way,I do agree with that argument because just because he had some sex with 'five hookers' doesnt mean he cant perform his job well,but I think the problem now is that his sex life has been made well known to everyone and that will undoubtedly affect the way he works now,and not to mention how it will affect the FIA.

There is no doubt in my mind that the damage has already been done.People were unhappy with him before the decision was made,but now,I think they will feel even more unhappy and you can see that already with a number of motoring associations threatening to breakaway from the FIA.This is not just about some organisations trying to withdraw away their support,but we are talking about big and influential organisations.The American Automobile Association alone has about 50 million in membership numbers.I cant imagine what would happen to the Formula 1 world if that were to happen,FIA would be greatly affected and it would lost some of its credibility.If Mosley were to step down,it could ease the situation a little bit but the problem now is that he is staying put.I think that he deserve to stay for the great work he has done,which is why the FIA has voted for him.They try not to put his private and public life together but the situation is irreversible now.I dont know why the News of The World would be interested to do such thing in the first place,but like I have said earlier,the damage has been done.

I think Mosley stepping down would be the best option for all parties affected now.As long as he is still the president,there will always be the lingering effect of his sex scandal being connected with how the FIA is being run and that is not a good thing.Anyway,since the decision has been made,it would be better for everyone to work together and sort things out instead of threatening to do this and that which doesnt help at all.

*The report was taken from SkySports.

The day we have all been waiting for has arrived...

"It's a beautiful day',that was the song that was played on the P.A. system when Barack Obama came in to a rally at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota,the same arena which will house the 2008 Republican National Convention in September after he clinched the required number of delegates to be the Democratic presidential nominee.Obama's steady stream of superdelegate endorsements,combined with the delegates he received from Tuesday's primaries,put him past the 2,118 threshold according to the latest estimation,and that is enough for him to clinch the nomination.

The two primaries that were contested today took place in both South Dakota and Montana with Sen. Hillary Clinton winning the former contest while Obama wins in Montana.But the results was meaningless for Sen. Clinton because even if she had won both states,Obama would have still manage to clinch the nomination due to the way the number of delegates are being given away to both candidates which is enough to see Obama getting the nomination.In his rally,Obama praised Clinton's campaign.He has been speaking favorably of the New York senator as his focus has turned toward the general election and his battle against John McCain,the presumptive GOP presidential nominee.Meanwhile in her rally speech in New York,Sen. Clinton praised Obama warmly,although she neither acknowledged his victory in their grueling marathon nor offered a concession of any sort.Instead,she said she was committed to a unified party,and said she would spend the next few days determining "how to move forward with the best interests of our country and our party guiding my way."

So what's next for Hillary? Well she didnt said that she would be quitting the race,she only said she will not make any decision for now but there are sources that is telling that she might be looking to be Obama's running mate.It is being reported that in an interview recently,she said she would be interested to be the VP if Obama asked her to and one of the lawmakers said Clinton's husband,former President Bill Clinton,has been pushing the idea privately for several weeks.Whether it is true or not,I have no idea but that is what the reports in the country are saying.Clinton said she would meet with supporters and party leaders in the coming days to determine her next steps.She also asked people to go to her Web site to "share your thoughts with me and help in any way that you can."

Well today's result is more than just a victory for Obama.It is also an history making one because it also mean that he is the first ever black candidate to be nominated as a presidential nominee and I think this is a great thing to happen because it shows you that America has realise that they need some changes in their country and they are not afraid to choose someone who probably would not have any chance at all if it was 10 or 15 years ago.I as an Obama fan is really please with today's development.When I heard he speak earlier,it was just inspiring to hear and I think he is the better choice to run for president than Hillary Clinton.Nevertheless,I have to congratulate her for the great campaign that she has run.She gave us a good fight but unfortunately,there can only be one winner.

I have no idea what she is planning to do next to be honest because I was expecting her to concede earlier,but she didn't.I think it has something to do with the VP post as well.Some people think she and Obama would make a great team because of the great support both of them has received throughout the entire contest and it would only make sense that both of them should work together if they want to have a better chances of beating John McCain in November.But I would personally like to see John Edwards becoming the VP because both him and Obama will complement each other very well and would make a great team,but you never know what could happen in the next 6 months or so.It has been a long journey,I cant believe how long has it been for us to finally arrive to today's event and it is certainly one to be remember for a very long time.

As for now,it's time for the Obama's campaign to focus more on the general election and how to beat John McCain later in November.In fact,I think he has been doing that since a few weeks ago,but now that he is officially the party's nominee,he will have more time to spend doing that and if you think the past few months or so have been tough,well it can only get tougher I can assure you but whatever it is,when it's all done and dusted,I believe Barack Obama will be the next president,and he will bring the change we can believe in.

The report was taken from CNN.

'A Conversation With The Blogging God'

In today's edition of 'A Conversation With The Blogging God',I caught with someone who doesn't talk much in the class,but she is friendly and she has seem to be very happy and comfortable with anyone she is around with.The person I am talking about is none other than Shafinaz.


Hi Syafinaz.Tell us where are you schooling now and what course you are taking?

Yeah sure! I'm currently in Temasek Poly taking Diploma in IT (smiles) .

Cool.So,have you been enjoying your new school so far?

Yes i have.I met some new friends whom I think I can get along with pretty well.The school is freaking big too and most importantly theres a wide variety of food around (smiles) .

Looking back at the past,what do u miss aboutt BNSS?

Of course I miss my friends there and few of the teachers.That's it i guess? (laughs)

At the start of the year,you was one of the few who has just join the class.Do you feel welcome by the rest?

Hm I think so? You guys are quite friendly anyway so yeah,I think I do feel welcome by the rest.

How does it feel like being one of the only few malay girls in the class? Was it lonely for you?

Well,you might put it that way but fortunately,Amrita and Salbiah are around (laughs) and since they are fun to be with,I dont really feel lonely unless they were not around.

Now if i remember,Syairazi used to tease u always.Were you angry?

Yes,I was partly angry,but it's okay because I dont take such things seriously as I know he was just joking.However after a few times,it became quite annoying because he disturbed me with the same thing most of the time (laughs) .

What was your most happiest moment with the class if you can remember of any?

Hm,I think it was during the fiesta thingy? Im not sure actually as I cant really recall what happened.

Moving on to a personal side of you,what do you like to do in your free time?

During my free time,I like to go shopping,hang out with my friends,listen to music and hm,surfing around that's about it.

What are your plans after Poly?

After poly? I think I will be out working and that's it.I dont think I'm going to study anymore (laughs) .

I see.Lastly,is there anything you might want to say to our ex classmate who might be reading this?

I just would like to wish them all the best in whatever they do and I want to say that I miss some of them! (laughs) Take Care!

Well,we've been missing you too.Enjoy your Poly life and hopefully,we shall meet again one day down the road.For more interviews,keep coming to my blog but for now,goodbye!

It's finally confirm...

That the 'Special One' is the new manager of Inter Milan! The hugely successful Portuguese tactician was the red hot favourite to succeed Mancini after he was sacked by the club last week.And on Monday,Mourinho became the 13th coach in the Moratti (club president) era at Inter,signing a three-year contract with the Serie A champions to replace Roberto Mancini.

Mourinho's predecessor was the most successful Inter coach in the 14 years of Moratti's reign,winning no fewer than seven titles in four years,including three consecutive Serie A titles.But he was unable to provide the one trophy Moratti craves more than anything - the Champions League - and that will be the number one priority for Mourinho next season.Mourinho of course,has been out of work since September after being sacked by Chelsea following a bust-up too many with owner Roman Abramovich and a slow start to the Premier League season.The 45-year-old enjoyed a successful three-year spell in English football,helping Chelsea to win the Premier League and League Cup twice,the FA Cup and the Community Shield.He fail to win to the Champions League though with Chelsea but he did won it before with Porto.The former Porto boss has signed a three-year deal with the Serie A champions.

So the rumours were true after all.The Special One to be the new manager of Inter.I can't say how pleased and happy I am when I first heard this news yesterday.I first became his fan after he won the Champions League with Porto because he is a great manager.His CVs speak for itself,he is truly the Special One.I think everything is there for him at the club to take it to the next level,which is of course to win the Champions League.As much as I think Mancini has done a fantastic job since taking over,I dont think he was the right man to take us to the next level.But I still have some doubts about whether the decision to leave the club was his or Moratti's decision.Inter cited Mancini's announcement in the wake of their Champions League defeat to Liverpool on March 11 that he would step down at the end of the season had been a crucial factor.If you remember then,Mancini reversed his decision 24 hours later and went on to lead Inter to their third straight Serie A title

Nevertheless,after much speculation,his departure was confirmed on Thursday evening.Mancini's agent claimed after Tuesday's 25-minute meeting between the pair that his client had left the club and would be replaced by Mourinho.Now whether the club has decided to get Mourinho to replace Mancini before the season has ended,that we will never know.It seems like Mancini actually wanted to stay but maybe because the deal has been done a long time ago and the club has no other choice but to let Mancini go.It's all over now as far as I am concern and I am not just looking forward to what the future might bring.We already have a world class squad and now,a world class manager,so I expect great things to happen soon.

But for now,let us all enjoy the news and give a big welcome to the Special One at the club.Here wishing for a great future ahead with Mourinho's guidance and hopefully,he will win that elusive Champions League trophy just like he did with Porto before.

The report was taken from SkySports and TeamTalk.

Cannavaro to miss Euro 08!

The Italian team today suffered a huge setback in their preparations for the upcoming Euro 2008.Their captain,Fabio Cannavaro has been ruled out of UEFA Euro 2008 after rupturing ligaments in his left ankle during the Azzurri's first training session at their base in Modling,Austria yesterday.Coach Roberto Donadoni reacted by calling in the ACF Fiorentina defender Alessandro Gamberini.

The 34-year-old Real Madrid centre-back,capped 116 times,sustained the knock following a tackle by fellow defender Giorgio Chiellini and was carried off the field on a stretcher.Italy doctor Paolo Zeppilli said he feared that the injury was "not minor" and so it proved as hospital tests confirmed the extent of the damage.Gamberini joins up with the squad having won two previous caps.

It is only 3 more days left before the start of the tournament and this has to happen.I,as an Italia fan is very disappointed with this news and even more because I am a huge fan of Cannavaro after his fantastic performance in the 2006 World Cup.He is one of Italy's important player,and to get injured before the tournament has even started is definitely a big blow to the team,but what can I do.I don't know much about Gamberini but I hope he can do a good job.Nevertheless,I think we have enough quality in the squad to make it to the next round and hopefully make it to the finals as well.

UEFA Euro 2008 will run from this Saturday,7 June to 29 June.Forza Italia!

'Bring Your Own Bag Day' to be weekly affair from June 4

I'm sure most of you know that in Singapore,there is a campaign going on which aims at encouraging more people to bring their own bags when they are going shopping at a supermarket.In some ways,it has work.Retailers said they have sold 510,000 reusable bags since the campaign started last April and saved up to 20 per cent in plastic bags but there is still room for improvement and that is why it is going to be a weekly affair instead of a montly one starting from tomorrow.

Come June 4 which is tomorrow of course,the popular 'Bring Your Own Bag Day' (BYOBD) will become a weekly affair.Every Wednesday will be designated 'Bring Your Own Bag Day' at participating retailers,which include major supermarket chains.In consumer surveys by the National Environment Agency (NEA),60 per cent of the 1,000 respondents said they support the campaign.However,only up to 20 per cent brought their own bags.This was because the majority were confused as to which Wednesday of the month was 'Bring Your Own Bag Day'.So the Singapore Environment Council and NEA have now decided that the BYOBD movement will be put in place on all Wednesdays.If you still are unsure of the participating retailers,it does include Carrefour,Cold Storage,Giant,NTUC Fairprice,Prime Supermarket,Sheng Siong,Shop N Save,Autobacs,Rehab Mart,Stamford Tyres and more recently Home-Fix.

As much as I support the campaign,I dont really own a green bag because my mum refuse to buy it despite it only cost only a few dollars or so,but I hope she will do it one day.I think it is a good thing to do,as you know,plastics is not easy to decompose has other harmful effects,but if we can reduce the number of plastic bag used,we can make a slight difference in making the world a greener and cleaner place.My mum always argue that changing to green bag is not a good idea as she need the plastic bag to bag household refuse but if we can use the green bag for at least one day,I think that is good enough.My family is not use to go shopping on Wednesday so this decision will not affect me that much but that doesnt mean you cannot use the green bag on other days,so dont try to give that excuse.

I went to an environmental website recently and it was found that in Singapore,of the 5.6 million tonnes of rubbish generated last year,54 % or over three million tonnes was recycled and that an estimate of 2.5 billion plastic bags are used in Singapore a year.Now that is a shocking statistics as far as Im concern but I think more and more Singaporeans are realising that if the trend continues,it will spell disaster for everyone.Therefore,it was good to see that the 'BYOBD' campaign is producing positive results,and I think it will only get better with it being a weekly affair now,who knows if might be introduce to two days weekly instead of just one day.I know some of you might be wondering,what if you forgot to bring your own bag on Wednesday.Don't worry as they will still provide you with the normal plastic bags but you will have to pay 10 cents if Im not mistaken.Still,there are people who are complaining about having to pay for their plastic bag,but we must stop thinking in terms of the price of a plastic bag.Think instead of how much you value the earth that your children and grandchildren must live in.

Just imagine.If each of us reduces our plastic bag consumption by half,this will reduce the number of bags by 1.25 billion each year.A small effort on our part can certainly contribute to conserving our precious resources.So please,let us make a concerted effort to bring our own shopping bags,not only on BYOB Days,but as often as we can.It is a lifestyle habit that needs to be cultivated and practiced daily.Otherwise,the 'BYOBD' campaign,beyond good intentions,will have no impact on the environment that we are trying to save.As for me,I think I am going to buy a green bag the next time I go shopping whether my mother likes it or not.

The article was taken from ChannelNewsAsia.

Obama quits church after controversies...

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate,Sen. Barack Obama said on Saturday that he has resigned from the church where controversial sermons by his former pastor and other ministers created political headaches for his campaign.He said that he don't want to have to answer for everything that's stated in the church and that he was resigning "with some sadness."

The resignation comes days after the Rev. Michael Pfleger,a visiting Catholic priest,mocked Obama's Democratic rival during a sermon at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago,Illinois.In the sermon,Pfleger wipes his eyes with a handkerchief and suggests that Sen. Hillary Clinton wept because she thought that as a white person and the wife of a former president,she was entitled to the presidency.He has apologised since then but Obama said the Pfleger controversy made it clear that,as long as he remained a member of the Trinity congregation,remarks from the pulpit would be "imputed" to him,even if they conflicted with his personal views.Then of course if you remember in the earlier parts of his campaign,there was also the Jeremiah Wright controversy.Obama said he and his wife,Michelle,began discussing a departure from the church after Wright spoke at the National Press Club on April 28.

During the appearance,Wright said that Obama had "distanced" himself the fiery pastor for political reasons.Wright,who has been Obama's minister for about 20 years,drew unwanted attention for the campaign when videos of his fiery sermons surfaced.In the speeches,Wright suggested that the U.S. government may be responsible for the spread of AIDS in the black community and equated some American wartime activities to terrorism.Obama has said he was not present for the controversial sermons by Wright or Pfleger and that with this decision,he hope that it would withdraw Trinity from the spotlight.A spokesman for the Church said that it is disappointed with the decision but will continue to pray for him and his family.

When I heard this news today,there was nothing surprising for me because I can see it coming long before he announced his decision to quit yesterday.I think it was important for him to distance away himself from the Church and what both Wright and Pfleger has said because I think it doesnt mean if you go to a particular church,you actually support everything that is being said there and it is important to remember that both Wright and Pfleger are not running in Obama's campaign and hence,they doesnt speak for him.When they said all those things,I dont think it actually help Obama chances of winning the nomination but instead cause more damage to it.Nevertheless,I think Obama did well in dealing with the problem,denouncing the statements made by both of them as soon as possible and told everyone that he doesnt share the same views as them,even though he goes to the same church.

I find it funny that in America,they actually talk about their political scenes in the church and in Obama case.it actually acted as some kind of a campaign movement for him which I dont think is what any church for the matter should be doing.I think people go to church because they want to get closer to God and listen to the sermons.Forgive me if Im wrong,but that is what I think should be the right thing to do.I think Pfleger knew that he was wrong to do what he did and therefore he has apologised,but as for Wright,he has yet to apologise but I hope someday he will do so and he can get back to good terms with Obama.They have known each other for so long and it would be sad to see their relationship to break away just like that.Anyway,I think Obama did the right thing by qutting the church,because I think if the same incident will happen again,he will have to answer for it even though he shouldnt because he clearly dont represent what the pastor are saying,but because of his link with the church,everyone will try to link him with what the church are saying.

I know it was a difficult decision by Obama.He didnt want to do it,but he had no other choice if he wants to achieve further success in his campaign.The Trinity Church is the thing of the past as far as Obama and I am concern and its time to look forward and focus more on the important issues.Till next time,see you at the next primary.

The article was taken from CNN.