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July 31, 2009 NEW YORK: Things that grew rapidly in 2008 included home foreclosures, government deficits and the ranks of the jobless. More encouragingly, remittances to developing countries also expanded. The World Bank reckons that migrant workers sent $328 billion home to their families last year, 15% more than in 2007.This continued growth is particularly striking because it came in a year when other private financial flows into the developing world declined dramatically. The net inflows of private capital to these economies dropped by nearly two-fifths, from $1.16 trillion in 2007 to $707 billion, as panicky rich-world investors turned inward and foreign banks became increasingly reluctant to lend across borders. Dilip Ratha of the World Bank wryly remarks that migrants are being “thrust into the role of a sort of lender of last resort.”However, the chances that remittances will continue to hold up this year are slim. Some argue that these payments are less affected by downturns ...

Friday, July 31, 2009 HOUSTON: The multinational crew of the space shuttle Endeavour prepared to return to Earth on Friday, wrapping up a marathon mission to the International Space Station. There was only a slight chance that rain showers near NASA's Kennedy Space Center runway in Florida might force the seven-member crew to spend an extra day in orbit, according to forecasters. "It's time to come back," said Endeavour commander Mark Polanski, as the astronauts prepared the ship for its high speed descent. "We have accomplished our primary objectives successfully." Endeavour has two opportunities to touchdown Friday, at 10:48am (1448 GMT) and 12:22 pm (1622 GMT). NASA said the shuttle crew was awakened at 2:03 am eastern daylight time (0603 GMT) by the song "Beautiful Day" performed by the band U2, ahead of the planned trip home. Touchdown would end a long sojourn, during which the astronauts installed the final piece of Japan's Kibo science ...

Friday, July 31, 2009 MUMBAI: Being an A-lister in Bollywood can't get one past religious profiling and discrimination in Mumbai's Beverly Hills. Bollywood actor Emran Hashmi has just learned this. Out to buy an apartment in an area close to where his parents live, the actor was politely told by Pali Hill's Nibbana Cooperative Society to go and look elsewhere. The actor believes the housing society is discriminating against him because he is a Muslim. He has filed a complaint with the State Minorities' Commission, demanding action against society members. Commission vice-chairman Abraham Mathai told media that Hashmi had filed a complaint, saying the society had refused to give him a no-objection certificate even after he had paid the token amount of Rs 1 lakh. "We are sending summons to the society, asking for an explanation," Mathai said. "My parents went to meet society members last week for the NoC along with the seller and the broker. Society member...

Friday, July 31, 2009::NEW DELHI: A trainer aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed in Andhra Pradesh on Friday, killing two pilots onboard. The HPT-32 trainer aircraft plane crashed near an Air Force academy at Medak, during a training flight. The aircraft crashed apparently due to an engine problem, an Air Force spokesman said, adding an investigation will be carried out.

Friday, July 31, 2009 CHICAGO: A fire at a chemical plant has forced the evacuation of a Texas town of 72,000 people after it released a massive plume of toxic orange smoke that could be seen for miles Thursday, officials said.No serious injuries were reported as a result of the fire, but officials called for the mass evacuation after the smoke blanketed much of Bryan, Texas, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) northwest of Houston. Ten people were hospitalized with respiratory problems, local media reported. "The fire department has not been able to put it out for the safety of the firefighters," city spokesman Kendall Kessel told foreign news agency. "They're just letting it burn so it could take hours to completely burn out."

Friday, July 31, 2009 LAS VEGAS,: Investigators who raided the Las Vegas home and office of Michael Jackson's doctor Conrad Murray were seeking evidence of manslaughter, an unsealed search warrant revealed Thursday.Federal agents and police were also hunting for possible evidence of unprofessional conduct, "prescribing or treating an addict", excessive prescribing and evidence of prescriptions of propofol, the warrant showed.The 13-page document shed more light on the direction of the probe by referencing manslaughter charges and allowing for a search for records related to "shipping orders, distribution lists, use records relating to the purchase, transfer, receiving, ordering, delivery and storage of propofol."It also made public 19 possible aliases used by Jackson and his doctors, one of which was Prince Jackson, the name of the pop star's two sons.The documents show Clark County District Judge Timothy Williams authorized the searches, in which officers ...

Friday, July 31, 2009 FLORIDA:: NASA said the space shuttle Endeavour will still be able to land despite the failure of a forward thruster that controls speed and altitude. NASA today discovered that a forward thruster that controls the space shuttle Endeavour's speed and altitude is not working properly. The finding comes just a day before the shuttle is due to land at Kennedy Space Center.NASA discovered the issue today during a pre-landing test of Endeavour's Reaction Control System steering thrusters. The problematic front thrusters, which help control Endeavour after the deorbit burn, failed during testing, NASA said.Bill Jeffs, a NASA spokesman, said the failed thruster simply won't be used during Friday's scheduled re-entry and landing. "They'll be able to land without it," he said. "The flight control system is in great shape."According to NASA, the shuttle crew today also tested Endeavour's aerodynamic control surfaces that will be ...

Friday, July 31, 2009 WASHINGTON: US health sheriffs want to ride the sugary drinks that are helping to make Americans fat out of town, or at least off Americans' menu of choice, and one way they suggest going about it is by taxing sodapop."The average American consumes roughly 250 calories more today than they did two or three decades ago, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Thomas Frieden, said at the "Weight of the Nation" conference on obesity held in Washington this week."And of that, about 120 calories is in the form of sodas and other sugared food and beverages," he said.The average daily-recommended caloric intake for adults is about 2,000 calories per day, a number that varies depending on a person's sex, height, weight and rate of activity.Two-thirds of American adults are obese or overweight -- or shaped more like the bulbous Orangina bottle than the hourglass classic Coca-Cola bottle -- and obesity-related illn...

Friday, July 31, 2009 WASHINGTON: The US military plans to use more drone aircraft to target Taliban militants in Afghanistan while focusing less on hunting down Al-Qaeda figures, report said on Thursday.Although defeating the Al-Qaeda terror network remains an overriding goal for Washington, officials now believe the best way to pursue that objective is to ensure stability in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan instead of Al-Qaeda manhunts, the paper said, citing US government and Defense Department officials.It was more important to prevent a slide towards violence and anarchy that could be exploited by Al-Qaeda, which used Afghanistan to stage its attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, the officials said."We might still be too focused on Bin Laden," an official said. "We should probably reassess our priorities."The shift in priorities for the drone fleet comes despite President Barack Obama's declaration that defeating and dismantling Al-Qaeda ...

Friday, July 31, 2009:: HONG KONG: Three more Chinese-language films have been pulled from an Australian film festival to protest the planned appearance of an exiled Uighur activist Beijing blames for inciting recent ethnic violence, organizers said Thursday. Rebiya Kadeer's scheduled visit to the Melbourne International Film Festival on Aug. 8 has already prompted Venice Film Festival winner Jia Zhangke and Hong Kong director Emily Tang to withdraw their movies. The makers of the short Chinese documentary "YB Box," the Hong Kong-Taiwan romance "Miao Miao," and the Hong Kong black comedy "The Moss" have also withdrawn their films, festival spokeswoman Louise Heseltine told The Associated Press in a phone interview. The boycotting filmmakers are upset by Kadeer's visit and the screening of a documentary about her, Heseltine said. The 62-year-old U.S.-based activist is scheduled to attend a question-and-answer session after a screening of "10 C...

Friday, July 31, 2009 LAHORE: A court here today has adjourned hearing until September 3 in the case of shifting of the secretariat of the Cricket World Cup 2011 to India.PCB legal adviser Tafazzul Rizvi requested to the court of civil judge Khizr Hayat Minhas to postpone the hearing on which the court adjourned the hearing of the case until September 3 and also extended the stay order in this regard. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had launched a legal fight against the re-location and won a stay order against moving the World Cup secretariat from Lahore to arch rival India's Mumbai.

Friday, July 31, 2009 MADRID: World number two Rafael Nadal said on Tuesday he was unsure if he would return to competition at the Montreal Masters next month."I don't know. I would like to be in Montreal in a week and a half. I will have to push it in the next few days and see," the Spaniard told Spanish state television in an interviewconducted at his home in Mallorca.Nadal has been suffering from tendinitis in both knees aggravated by a gruelling schedule of clay court matches. He has not played a competitive match since being knocked out in the fourth round of the French Open by Robin Soderling on May 31 and did not defend his Wimbledon title.Nadal, who resumed training last week, had earmarked the Montreal Masters, which starts on Aug.8, as a likely return date."My main objective is for my knees to be perfect," he said. "It seems like I'm well but I want to be sure before I go out on to a court."Nadal, who has lost his French Open and Wimbled...

Friday, July 31, 2009 MADRID: Liverpool's Spanish international Alvaro Arbeloa said Tuesday that a deal which would see him return to Real Madrid could be completed by the end of the week."At present I am only focused on Liverpool but it is true that the transfer deal is nearly completed," the 26-year-old full-back said in an interview published in sports daily Marca."We will see what will happen in the next few days, if we can all make an effort so that the operation takes place and be something good for everyone, which is what we all want. It could all be sorted out this week."Rival sports daily AS said the transfer deal will be worth four million euros (5.7 million dollars).Last week Real's managing director said the club's lavish recruitment drive, which has seen over 200 million euros spent on big-names such as Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo, would stop until players departed to create vacancies.Arbeloa, part of the Spain squad which won Euro 2008, joi...

Thursday, July 30, 2009 ROME: Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher is making a sensational return to Formula One, Ferrari announced on Wednesday.The German motor racing legend, who retired in 2006, will replace injured Felipe Massa in the European Grand Prix in Valencia on August 23, and possibly for the remainder of the season.Schumacher, 40, commented: "Ultimately I like challenges and this is a great challenge.""The important thing is that Massa gets better," he continued, adding that he "just wanted to help the firm (Ferrari) when they needed it".Schumacher, who last test drove for Ferrari in April last year, was pleased, though, that the most recent update on the unlucky Brazilian was encouraging."The most important thing first thank God, all news concerning Felipe (Massa) is positive," he was quoted as saying on the official Formula One website."I wish him all the best again. I was meeting this afternoon with (Ferrari team chie...

Thursday, July 30, 2009 LAHORE: The blind cricket teams of Pakistan and England will play a one-day series in August while both teams will also face each other in a Twenty20 match.The series between the two teams will comprise three one-day matches the first of which will be played on August 11 at Soli Hill, second on August 13 at Edgbaston and the third will be held on Ausgust 15 at New Road England. The T20 match will be played after the one-day series and this will be the first Twenty20 International in the history of blind cricket.

Thursday, July 30, 2009 ROME: Michael Phelps regained his golden touch here on Wednesday with a record-setting triumph in the men's 200m butterfly at the swimming World Championships.Phelps finally caught the wave of world records washing over these worlds with a time of 1min 51.51sec to break his own record of 1min 52sec.Phelps's world record was one of seven on the day, taking the tally at the halfway point of the eight-day competition to 22.Zhang Lin became the first Chinese man to capture World Championship swimming gold, destroying Aussie distance great Grant Hackett's 800m freestyle world record.Italy's Federica Pellegrini thrilled her legion of fans at Rome's Foro Italico with a victory in the 200m free, lowering the world record for the second time in two days with a swim of 1:52.93.South Africa's Cameron Van Der Burgh also notched his second world record in as many days with his triumph in the 50m breaststroke in 26.67.America's Mary Descenza threw...