Christine nguyn

SINGAPORE: Reform Party Secretary-General Kenneth Jeyaretnam is proceeding with his legal bid to stop Singapore's US$4-billion pledge to the International Monetary Fund. His case was heard in the High Court chambers in a pre-trial conference on Tuesday morning. In April, Singapore made the pledge to bolster the International Monetary Fund's war chest, as emerging economies responded to a request by IMF chief Christine Lagarde for at least US$400 billion in new money to draw a line under the euro zone debt crisis. The loan will be part of the Official Foreign Reserves (OFR) held by the MAS. Mr Jeyaretnam said he filed an application, in his private capacity as a citizen, for a quashing order on 6 July. He contends that the loan violates the Constitution of Singapore under Article 144, as no prior approval for the pledge was sought in Parliament or from the president. Among other things, Article 144 states that "no guarantee or loan shall be given or raised by the … [Read more...] about Case to stop S’pore’s US$4b pledge to IMF heard in High Court

SINGAPORE: Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) Chairman, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, has given the assurance that if Singapore is needed to commit its pledge of US$4 billion to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the money will not come from the Government Budget. Last month, Singapore made the contribution to bolster the International Monetary Fund's war chest, as emerging economies responded to a request by IMF chief Christine Lagarde for at least US$400 billion in new money to draw a line under the euro zone debt crisis. In Mr Tharman's written reply to parliament on Monday, he said the loan will be part of the Official Foreign Reserves (OFR) held by the MAS. However, there will be no change in OFR if the loan is drawn on by the IMF; what would happen is a conversion from a foreign investment asset to a loan to the IMF, which will still count towards OFR. Loans which are drawn upon by the IMF will also be repaid to contributors … [Read more...] about S’pore’s US$4b pledge to IMF will not come from Govt Budget

The Horowhenua communities of Tokomaru and Ōpiki could be moving closer to Palmerston North. The Local Government Commission has called for public submissions on a proposal to shift the boundary between the city and district so the area’s population of 1400 would become Palmerston North residents. Horowhenua would lose about 14 per cent of its land area, and 4 per cent of its population. One of the proponents, Tokomaru resident Christine Toms, said she was as enthusiastic about leaving the district as she was in 2018 when the request to the commission was first made. READ MORE: Horowhenua communities' desire to join nearby city questioned by mayor Pandemic rules delay Tokomaru and Ōpiki boundary talks Game on for Tokopiki boundary change proposal Toms is persevering with the campaign, which she said would mean lower rates and better service for residents, despite the death of her husband and author of the proposal, Arthur Toms, last year. Figures provided by the … [Read more...] about Extension to Palmerston North city boundary considered

Ben Shephard had to explain himself after bursting out laughing at a Tipping Point player's wrong answer. The ITV show presenter misunderstood player Paul's response when he was asked a question about sunscreen. During the quick fire round, Ben asked the player what the 'P' in SPF stood for and which Paul didn't know the answer. He asked to "Pass" the question and move on to the next, but Ben thought it was his answer. The answer he was looking for was "protection", which would have spelt out: "Sun Protection Factor." Ben, 46, tried to hide his laugh before moving on to the next question. However, the presenter felt the need to explain himself, saying: "I only laughed because you said pass. No, it's not pass. Protection." In the end, Paul didn't earn enough from the drop zones to stay in the contest, with his competitor Jill beating him to the final. Jill got a string of questions right - which meant more counters to put into the machine - and watched as the jackpot … [Read more...] about Ben Shephard defends himself after laughing at Tipping Point player’s ‘wrong’ answer

1. Antonio Fadda Brilliantly imaginative, Fadda turns his profile into a security checkpoint. 2. Joe Paglino Paglino amped up the creativity with this audio design. 3. Pao Abella Playful and colorful, Abella's Timeline encourages Mary Poppins-style fun. 4. Christine Hals Hals demolishes the old Facebook design to make way for her new Timeline. 5. Francis Bea Bea's stellar effort made us smile. 6. David Weir We love this concept from Weir. What a fun way to show what you're all about. 7. Rob Sax Sax adds himself to a rather famous title sequence. 8. Marshal Bhatia Bhatia pays tribute to Steve Jobs on his Apple-themed Timeline. 9. Sune Adler Miltersen One of Miltersen's many ideas , this aquatic joke works well. 10. Ivan Marino We take our hats (not heads) off to E3's Ivan Marino. BONUS: Braden Bickle Bickle has gone the extra mile with a 3D design. Apparently it … [Read more...] about Facebook Timeline: 10 Fresh Designs for Creative Inspiration [PICS]