<p>ACCRA (Ghana) - DIDIER Drogba was named Africa's footballer of the year for the second time on Thursday, his 32nd birthday. </p> <p>Drogba, the Ivory Coast captain and Chelsea striker, received the 2009 award from the African Football Confederation, topping a vote by Africa's national coaches. </p>

Drogba is Africa footballer '09

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<p>SINGAPORE shares opened higher on Friday, with the benchmark Straits Times Index at 2,880.81 in early trade, up 0.24 per cent, or 6.90 points.</p><p>Around 87.2 million shares exchanged hands.</p>

STI opens 0.24% higher

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<p>MANAMA - MICHAEL Schumacher was mobbed by the media and welcomed back by fellow champions on his return to the Formula One paddock on Thursday in search of an unprecedented eighth title.</p><p>'If you see the world championships that Michael has, its something I think is maybe impossible to repeat and is part of the history of our sport,' said double world champion Fernando Alonso ahead of Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix season-opener.</p>

Schumacher the best: Alonso

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<p>TOKYO - JAPANESE share prices opened higher Friday, with the benchmark Nikkei-225 index rising 97.25 points, or 0.91 per cent, to 10,762.20 in the first minute of trading.

Japanese shares open higher

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<p>NEW YORK - EXXON Mobil Corp will increase capital spending nearly 4 per cent this year to US$28 billion (S$39 billion) in part as the largest US oil company seeks to increase its share of the global market for natural gas. </p> <p>Exxon, with huge liquefied natural gas projects in Qatar and its planned deal to buy US gas producer XTO Energy Inc in a US$28 billion, all-stock deal, has been placing big bets on future demand for natural gas and that spending will continue. </p>

Exxon boosts capital spending

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<p>WASHINGTON - CHANCES of a broad overhaul of US financial regulation dimmed on Thursday after bipartisan Senate talks collapsed, jeopardising a top Obama administration priority and boosting bank share prices. </p> <p>Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd warned that time was running out to pass legislation this year. He said he would unveil his own bill on Monday and aim to get it to the Senate floor by Easter. </p>

US bank reform talks fail

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<p>TV STAR Mark Lee said Jack Neo had intended to apologise to his fans, his family and others but cut the press conference short on Thursday when his wife became too upset.</p> <p>'Jack told me in the car this morning that he was prepared to apologise to his fans, his parents, his siblings, his father-in-law, his church friends, the parents of the women and everyone who has been affected in any way by this,' he told The Straits Times.</p>

Why Neo didn't apologise

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<p>MANAMA - JENSON Button is relishing the prospect of climbing into the Formula One world champion's number one car for the first time this week.</p><p>'Just before I put on my helmet and I look at the car and see the number one it is going to be an emotional moment,' the British driver told reporters ahead of Sunday's season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.</p>

Button will get emotional

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<p>JAPAN - THE Bank of Japan may focus on doubling the lending facility introduced in December, when it begins discussions on additional monetary easing at a two-day policy board meeting starting on Tuesday, the Nikkei reported.</p><p>The central bank had lent close to its target of 10 trillion yen (S$154 billion) through the facility by the end of February.</p>

BoJ may double lending facility

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<p>ZURICH - THE introduction of goal-line technology was rejected because it was too costly and wasn't universally applicable, Fifa president Sepp Blatter said on Thursday. </p> <p>The Fifa-dominated International Football Association Board rejected plans to pursue the use of technology at its annual meeting last weekend. </p>

Goal-line tech too costly: Sepp

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<p>WASHINGTON - US BANKS borrowed less from the Federal Reserve's emergency lending programme over the past week, providing further evidence that the strains caused by the financial crisis are easing. </p> <p>The Fed reported that daily borrowing from its emergency loan programme averaged US$13.73 billion (S$19.19 billion) for the week ended Wednesday. That was down by US$43 million from daily average borrowing of US$13.77 billion in the previous week. </p>

Fed emergency loans decline

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<p>NEW YORK - CITIGROUP Inc is poised to return to 'sustained profitability' as it sheds risky assets and focuses on emerging markets, CEO Vikram Pandit said on Thursday. </p> <p>Investors embraced his bullish view, sending Citigroup shares up 5.6 per cent to US$4.18. </p>

Citi returning to profits: CEO

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<p>TURIN (Italy) - JUVENTUS took a step toward the Europa League quarterfinals with a 3-1 win over Fulham in the first leg of the last 16 on Thursday. </p> <p>Defenders Nicola Legrottaglie and Jonathan Zebina scored in the ninth and 25th minutes at the Stadio Olimpico to put the Italian team in charge before Dickson Etuhu pulled one back for Fulham in the 36th minute. </p>

Juventus beats Fulham 3-1

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<p>WASHINGTON - AMERICAN household wealth jumped in 2009 for the first time since a brutal recession struck the country, underscoring the impact of an economic recovery, data from the central bank showed on Thursday. </p> <p>The net worth of US households - the difference between their assets and liabilities - stood at US$54.18 trillion (S$75.7 trillion) at the end of last year, a 5.4 per cent increase from the previous year, the Federal Reserve said. </p>

US household wealth jumps

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<p>PARIS - LIVERPOOL manager Rafa Benitez remains confident of securing a Europa League quarter-final berth despite watching his side's poor form continue in a 1-0 defeat at Lille on Thursday.</p><p>'I have confidence we can beat anyone on a good day at Anfield. I would be worried today if the players hadn't worked as hard as they have,' he told reporters.</p>

Benitez hopeful despite defeat

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<p>MANCHESTER - MANCHESTER United chief executive David Gill insists the Glazer family will not be forced out of Old Trafford by fan discontent and a potential takeover bid from the Red Knights. </p> <p>United fans have shown their opposition to the Glazers' reign, and the massive debts the American family have loaded onto the club, by wearing green and gold scarves at matches this season. </p>

Glazers will resist takeover bid

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<p>WASHINGTON - US PRESIDENT Barack Obama on Thursday issued a fresh call to China to embrace a 'market oriented' exchange rate for the yuan, saying such a move would help rebalance the global economy. </p> <p>Mr Obama made his latest foray into the delicate US-China relationship in a major speech on trade, saying the world needed to rebalance the mix of exports and imports driving growth in the aftermath of the financial crisis. </p>

Obama issues call over yuan

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<p>WASHINGTON - PRESIDENT Barack Obama put into action on Thursday an ambitious strategy to double US exports by prising open lucrative emerging markets in a bid to ease unemployment amid fragile economic recovery. </p> <p>The leader signed an executive order to 'marshal the full resources of the United States government behind American businesses that sell their goods and services abroad' under his National Export Initiative. </p>

Obama's export-doubling plan

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<p> MANAMA - INDIA will host a Formula One Grand Prix in 2011 despite recent financial differences between race promoters and government officials.</p> <p>'Subject to final approval of the calendar by the World Council, Mr Bernie Ecclestone, the President of Formula One Management (FOM), has informed the FIA (the sport's governing body) that India will host a Formula One event in 2011,' said a FIA source.</p>

India gets F1 go-ahead

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<p>LONDON - WAYNE Rooney says his receding hairline is partly responsible for his improved heading prowess this season.</p> <p>The 24-year-old England international took his goal tally for the season to 30 with two strikes against AC Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday and opened the scoring with his seventh successive headed goal at Old Trafford.</p>

Rooney makes hairline news

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