kueytoc

Back to BASIC INSTINCT...Be SAFE...not SORRY !!!

Waiting to see ya exotic WRASSEYS soon.

Solid TANK !!!

Indeed the exotic GEMs did...COME but 'GONE WITH THE WIND' liao !!!

Pengz Sanz !!!

New rules for fixed line, mobile, broadband contracts from March 2010 Channel NewsAsia - Wednesday, December 16 SINGAPORE: Consumers who apply for or renew contract for fixed line, mobile or broadband service cannot be locked into the contract for more than 24 months. And consumers who sign on to contracts longer than three months and who terminate their contracts before the end of their contract period will no longer have to pay fixed early termination charges. Instead, they will see these charges decrease over time on a month—by—month basis as they serve out their contract. These are part of the new guidelines rolled out by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore, or IDA, which seek to ensure that industry practices will be more reasonable and fair. Under the new guidelines, operators offering telco services must also ensure that early termination charges do not include costs which they can avoid when the consumer terminates his service. Such costs could include back—end administrative and operational costs that the operator would not have to incur once the customer terminates the service. The new guidelines were prompted by consumers’ concerns that contract periods might be becoming unduly long, and early termination charges excessively high, which together hinder them from terminating the service and switching between operators. CNA/ir

Don't Dream It's Over !!! Tiger's wife Elin seeking divorce: reports AFP - Thursday, December 17 NEW YORK (AFP) - – Tiger Woods's wife will divorce the disgraced billionaire golf star and plans to spend Christmas apart after the sex scandal that has halted his career, according to media reports. ABC News, NBC News and People magazine, all citing unnamed sources close to Nordegren, said Elin Nordegren, 29, will split with Woods after he admitted infidelity amid reports that he had affairs with at least 14 women. "Divorce is 100 percent on," ABC News's website reported a source saying. "She's not rushing to divorce, however. She's going to take her sweet time. She wants all the dirty laundry to be out on the table before she signs anything." The former Swedish model and mother of Tiger's children -- two-year-old daughter Sam and 10-month-old son Charlie -- has met lawyers to renegotiate her prenuptial agreement with Woods, People magazine reported. "She plans to leave Tiger," one source was quoted as saying. "She has made up her mind. There's nothing to think about: he's never going to change," another source reportedly said. People also reported on its website that Nordegren was taking the children to Sweden for Christmas without Woods. "Elin is going to Sweden soon," the source said. "Two stewardesses and one pilot are in Sweden with the plane now getting it ready to come pick them up." But the same source cautioned that it was not a permanent move back to her homeland, as she planned to split her time between the two countries. NBC News reported that Nordegren's recent trips to a gas station and Thai restaurant without her wedding ring were meant to signal her future plans. "She and Tiger are living separately now, but she'll be making this split very open and official right after Christmas," NBC reported one source as saying. "Elin is not going to be one of these 'stand by her man' women," another source told NBC. "This is beyond embarrassing, and she has a daughter and son she has to think about, who will know about this one day. "Forgiveness isn't exactly around the corner." Nordegren has bought a beachfront estate on an island near Stockholm and several websites reported she had talked with movers at the mansion she shared with Woods near Orlando. Entertainment gossip website TMZ reported Wednesday that Nordegren is also near a marketing deal with Puma, a rival of Nike, which is the foremost sponsor to announce it will support Woods, after others cut their ties. Woods has put his career on indefinite hold "to focus my attention on being a better husband, father, and person," but US magazine reported he has remained in contact with Rachel Uchitel, whose tabloid-exposed fling three weeks ago began the firestorm. "They are not over," a source told US, adding Woods paid her three million dollars to stay silent about their relationship but continues to send her text messages. Woods and Uchitel are both reportedly in West Palm Beach, Florida, where Uchitel has family and Woods has a 22-million-dollar yacht named "Privacy". Amid the shattering of his squeaky clean reputation, there was some support for Woods on Wednesday. He was named Athlete of the Decade in a vote by member editors of the Associated Press, more than half of his 56 votes returned to the US-based news agency after the November 27 car crash that began his downfall. And National Basketball Association standout Ron Artest sent him an open letter of support, calling the embattled golf star "the perfect role model for me and my sons." The Los Angeles Lakers forward, who once went into the stands after being struck by a cup -- touching off an infamous 2004 NBA brawl -- posted the letter on his website, calling Woods a "stand-up guy." Artest said he had a child with another woman after having two children with the girlfriend he would later marry. "I have made the same mistakes," Artest said. "My wife is a much better wife than I am a husband. We still argue and disagree after being together 16 years." Meanwhile, the construction firm building "Tiger Woods Dubai", a golf course and housing development, said it is committed to finishing the project.

Aussie scientists find coconut-carrying octopus By KRISTEN GELINEAU, Associated Press Writer - Tuesday, December 15 SYDNEY – Australian scientists have discovered an octopus in Indonesia that collects coconut shells for shelter _ unusually sophisticated behavior that the researchers believe is the first evidence of tool use in an invertebrate animal. The scientists filmed the veined octopus, Amphioctopus marginatus, selecting halved coconut shells from the sea floor, emptying them out, carrying them under their bodies up to 65 feet (20 meters), and assembling two shells together to make a spherical hiding spot. Julian Finn and Mark Norman of Museum Victoria in Melbourne observed the odd activity in four of the creatures during a series of dive trips to North Sulawesi and Bali in Indonesia between 1998 and 2008. Their findings were published Tuesday in the journal Current Biology. "I was gobsmacked," said Finn, a research biologist at the museum who specializes in cephalopods. "I mean, I've seen a lot of octopuses hiding in shells, but I've never seen one that grabs it up and jogs across the sea floor. I was trying hard not to laugh." Octopuses often use foreign objects as shelter. But the scientists found the veined octopus going a step further by preparing the shells, carrying them long distances and reassembling them as shelter elsewhere. That's an example of tool use, which has never been recorded in invertebrates before, Finn said. "What makes it different from a hermit crab is this octopus collects shells for later use, so when it's transporting it, it's not getting any protection from it," Finn said. "It's that collecting it to use it later that is unusual." The findings are significant, in that they reveal just how capable the creatures are of complex behavior, said Simon Robson, associate professor of tropical biology at James Cook University in Townsville. "Octopuses have always stood out as appearing to be particularly intelligent invertebrates," Robson said. "They have a fairly well-developed sense of vision and they have a fairly intelligent brain. So I think it shows the behavioral capabilities that these organisms have."

Plastics component affects intestine: study AFP - Tuesday, December 15 PARIS (AFP) - – The chemical Bisphenol A used in plastic containers and drinks cans has been shown for the first time to affect the functioning of the intestines, according to a French study published Monday. National Institute of Agronomic Research researchers in Toulouse found the digestive tract of rats react negatively to even low doses of the chemical also called BPA, the Proceedings of the National Academy Sciences journal reported. Their research, also conducted on human intestine cells, found that the chemical lowered the permeability of the intestines and the immune system's response to digestive inflammation, it said. BPA is used in the production of polycarbonated plastics and epoxy resins found in baby bottles, plastic containers, the lining of cans used for food and beverages, and in dental sealants. Over 130 studies over the past decade have linked even low levels of BPA, which can leach from plastics, to serious health problems, breast cancer, obesity and the early onset of puberty, among other disorders. The French study focuses on the first organ to come in contact with the substance, the intestine. The researchers orally administered doses of BPA to the rats that were equivalent to about 10 times less than the daily amount considered safe for humans, a statement from the Toulouse institute said. They saw that BPA reduced the permeability of the intestinal lining through which water and essential minerals enter the body, it said. They also found that newborn rats exposed to BPA in the uterus and during feeding have a higher risk of developing severe intestinal inflammation in adulthood. The study "shows the very high sensitivity on the intestine of Bisphenol A and opens news avenues for research" including to define new acceptable thresholds of the substance for humans, the institute said. In May this year, the six major baby bottle makers in the United States agreed to stop using the chemical.

Last US banking giants to repay state bailouts AFP - Tuesday, December 15 NEW YORK (AFP) – Citigroup and Wells Fargo struck deals to repay a total of 45 billion dollars in state aid, winding down a year-long US government effort to save the banking sector from wholesale collapse. The firms were the last banking giants to repay loans from state bailouts that totaled over 300 billion dollars across the sector under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). Facing a global economic meltdown not seen since the Great Depression of the 1930s, the US Treasury at the end of 2008 stepped in with the series of bailouts to stabilize the financial system and keep credit flowing. Citigroup unveiled their plans to repay 20 billion dollars in state aid and outlined plans to emerge from their massive bailout, while Wells Fargo said it would return the 25-billion-dollar TARP loan. "We are pleased to be able to repay the US government's trust preferred securities and to terminate the loss-sharing agreement," said Citigroup chief executive Vikram Pandit. "We owe the American taxpayers a debt of gratitude and recognize our obligation to support the economic recovery through lending and assistance to homeowners and other borrowers in need." The government injected a total of 45 billion dollars in the firm, once the world's biggest banking group. Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf acknowledged that TARP stabilized the US financial system "when confidence in financial markets around the world was being tested unlike any other period in our history." Both companies said their shareholders would be taking losses in the deals, with Citi saying the repayment would result in a loss of some eight billion dollars, but would save the firm 1.7 billion dollars a year in interest. Wells Fargo's repurchase of TARP preferred stock will likely reduce common shareholders' income available by two billion dollars in the forth quarter, because "the book value of the preferred stock is less than the amount paid," the bank said. The announcements came as President Barack Obama warned senior bank executives visiting the White House Monday to prepare for a fight unless they drop objections to plans for the most sweeping regulatory reform. "America's banks received extraordinary assistance from American taxpayers to rebuild their industry and now that they're back on their feet we expect an extraordinary commitment from them to help rebuild our economy," he said. In an interview with CBS television aired Sunday, Obama lashed out at Wall Street bankers saying he did not run for office "to be helping out a bunch of fat cat bankers." The Treasury said after Citigroup's announcement that it was "pleased" by the return of funds. The department said in a statement that it "has repeatedly stated that the United States never intended to be a long-term shareholder in private companies. "As banks replace Treasury investments with private capital, confidence in the financial system increases, government's unprecedented involvement in the private sector diminishes, and taxpayers are made whole." Bank of America said last week it had completed repayment of 45 billion dollars to the Treasury after raising new capital. The largest US bank by assets had received 25 billion dollars under the initial program to shore up capital in the banking system under a plan engineered by the administration of president George W. Bush. It also received an additional 20 billion dollars to help absorb the troubled brokerage giant Merrill Lynch -- a deal that raised hackles among lawmakers and the public because of massive losses and hefty bonuses that were not initially disclosed at the Wall Street firm. Many banks repaid the government earlier this year, escaping tougher scrutiny from regulators that could include limits on executive pay and bonuses at bailed-out firms. Most of the major financial institutions began repaying the government after the "stress tests" that indicated how much capital they would have to raise in private markets.

ADB urges caution in Asia against withdrawing stimulus Reuters - Wednesday, December 16 By Karen Lema * Raises growth forecasts for region, China view unchanged * Sees quick rebound for Asia, but global recovery fragile * Asia's risk is short-lived recovery in developed economies * Capital flows a risk, urges against capital restrictions MANILA, Dec 15 - The Asian Development Bank raised its growth forecasts for developing economies in Asia on Tuesday, but warned against any hasty withdrawal of stimulus packages, saying they were still needed to ensure a solid recovery. It also cautioned governments that restricting the capital flooding Asia's emerging economies carried risks, suggesting that allowing more flexible exchange rates was one way to control the investment flows into the region. The ADB raised its regional forecast to 4.5 percent on average in 2009 and 6.6 percent in 2010 from expectations in September of 3.9 percent and 6.4 percent, respectively. "Global recovery is still fragile so Asian countries need to maintain current stimulus packages," ADB Chief economist Jong-Wha Lee said. "The Asian countries' monetary and fiscal policies should remain accommodative but they also need to design exit strategies from these stimulus packages." Asian policymakers have put in place massive fiscal incentives and slashed interest rates to record lows to help their economies cope with the global economic crisis. Many have paused to assess the impact of easier policy, while others have either begun or signalled they were ready to hike interest rates to keep a lid on infationary pressures as their economies gradually pick up. Withdrawing stimulus too quickly is a risk, the ADB said. "If done too soon, recovery may be at risk; if too late, fiscal deficits and monetary expansion could become unsustainable and inflationary," ADB said in a separate statement. It said, however, that inflation remained muted for the moment and was likely to remain so, even while the recovery was taking hold. This had allowed authorities to maintain fiscal and monetary stimulus packages. "In the medium-term, inflation could pick up in line with the general economic recovery and higher commodity prices," it said. The report showed that the ADB maintained its growth forecasts for China at 8.2 percent in 2009 and 8.9 percent in 2010. It raised the 2009 growth forecast for India to 7.0 percent from 6.0 percent, but kept 2010 at 7.0 percent. "Recent data reinforces ADB's impression that developing Asia can expect a V-shaped recovery from the global economic downturn," the ADB said. "For many countries in the region, growth in the third quarter of 2009 has been higher than forecast." CAPITAL INFLOWS Risks to Asia's expansion included a short-lived recovery in developed economies and destabilising capital flows, it said. "Faster recovery and higher growth in the region should attract more capital inflows, and limited exchange rate flexibility in the region could also encourage increased capital inflows, speculating on anticipated appreciation," it said. "Yet, capital flows could destabilise the real economy. Changes in risk sentiment might lead to sudden capital flow reversals." Both Brazil and Taiwan have imposed capital controls and other countries have suggested they are studying measures to restrict capital or redirect it to other economic sectors. Lee cautioned against imposing capital controls, saying there were other ways by which policymakers could stem inflows. "If you increase the flexibility of the exchange rate, if you improve the strength of financial market regulation, that will help manage more effectively these capital inflows. "You also need to strengthen other regulatory measures to address possible bubbles in the domestic market. You don't need to necessarily prevent the capital inflows. You can strengthen your domestic capacity to minimise negative impact from hot money capital inflows." Higher capital inflows have resulted in currency appreciation mainly in emerging markets in Asia and Latin America. "If capital inflows become too messy and then the appreciation in asset price become excessive, some countries considering restricting capital inflows need to be very careful and they need to communicate with financial markets, otherwise it might create a negative impact on private sector," Lee said.

WOW !...ya 'quickie' hands certainly did a good job today mate judging by ya grinning looks.

Woods in marriage therapy after admitting 'sins' AFP - Friday, December 4 LOS ANGELES (AFP) - – Tigers Woods was reportedly undergoing intense marriage counseling on Thursday, a day after the golf superstar admitted "transgressions" in his private life. The Chicago Sun-Times reported Woods was holed up at the family home in Florida with his wife Elin as the steady stream of tabloid revelations concerning his alleged affairs showed no sign of abating. A lawyer for the first woman linked to Woods -- Rachel Uchitel -- canceled a Los Angeles press conference citing "unforeseen circumstances" as fresh allegations about the woman and the world number one emerged. The TMZ.com entertainment news website reported that Uchitel, who has denied an affair, did have a fling with Woods and that the couple exchanged text messages shortly before his car accident last week. Woods has yet to be seen in public since he crashed his car in strange circumstances in the early morning hours on Friday outside the mansion where he lives with his wife and their two children. He apologized Wednesday for "transgressions" as a magazine posted what it said was evidence of an extra-marital affair between him and a second woman, cocktail waitress Jaimee Grubbs. A third alleged mistress, Las Vegas night club manager Kalika Moquin, told celebrity magazine Us Weekly on Thursday that rumors of an affair between her and Woods were "completely untrue." Uchitel was first linked to Woods in a National Enquirer article two days before the golf star's crash. She initially dismissed reports of an affair, telling the New York Post: "It's the most ridiculous story. It's like they are asking me to comment if there are aliens on earth." She also rubbished suggestions she had a secret rendezvous with Woods at a recent tournament in Australia, saying their presence in the country at the same time was a coincidence. But TMZ.com reported late Thursday that a close business associate of Woods had paid for Uchitel's trip to Australia and had traveled to Melbourne with her for the tournament. Woods ended five days of silence on Wednesday after Us Weekly quoted Grubbs as saying she had secretly dated him for 31 months and met him for sexxx 20 times. The magazine posted an online recording purported to be Woods leaving a voicemail for Grubbs urging her not to identify herself when calling him because he worried his wife was becoming suspicious. "I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart," Woods said on his website, but added he did not want to elaborate on his shortcomings in public. "Personal sins should not require press releases and problems within a family shouldn't have to mean public confessions," he said, attempting to draw a line under a scandal that has dented his squeaky clean image. Meanwhile, the golfer's neighbors told police in subsequent interviews that Woods was "unconscious and snoring" immediately after last week's accident. The neighbor, Jarius Lavar Adams, said he found Woods's wife standing over her husband outside begging for help. "She said, 'Can you please help me? Can you please help me?'" Adams said, according to a transcript of the interview published by the Orlando Sentinel. The interview revealed that Woods's mother and his mother-in-law were on the scene soon after the accident. Woods has pulled out of the Chevron World Challenge outside Los Angeles, an 18-star golf event to benefit his charity foundation. Fans at the tournament voiced support for Woods on Thursday as the tournament teed off. "I'm sorry it's so public," Cynthia Camp said. "Everyone's talking about it of course, but all of my friends are very supportive of Tiger... All around the world there's chaos going on, and all we hear about is poor Tiger." Yet the golfing legend's personal transgressions were too much to take for one of his most devout followers. John Ziegler, pastor of the "First Church of Tiger Woods," announced in a statement on the blog tigerwoodsisgod.com that the organization is being dissolved because of the golfer's "personal sins." "Tiger is clearly no longer deserving of being seen as a role model or a hero and he has needlessly squandered his unique potential to be a positive force in our country and the world," Ziegler opined.

Howwwwl...!!!

SIGH !...yeah moi think so too. Wat a bummer. Heh Heh

Tiger’s imperfect world By Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports In a perfect world, the public wouldn’t be obsessed with celebrity gossip. In a perfect world, a golfer wouldn’t make a billion dollars. Tiger Woods’ Cocktail Waitresses Across America tour took a new turn Wednesday with the release of voicemails, emails, text messages and the like from women claiming affairs with him. It got to be so much, Woods released another statement. He started strong by acknowledging his failures. “I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart,†he wrote. “I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves.†He should’ve quit right there. With Woods, however, he can’t. He never can. It’s why all those boiler plate crisis management solutions were laughable when applied to Tiger. “Hold a press conference� Please, feeding him to the media would’ve been the dumbest move possible. This guy can’t stay on message in a statement on his own website. He immediately launched into a four-paragraph lecture about the horrors of celebrity news coverage, the invasiveness of a media free-for-all and how unfair it is that the public has an unquenchable thirst for dirt on the people they’ve made rich and famous. “Although I am a well-known person and have made my career as a professional athlete, I have been dismayed to realize the full extent of what tabloid scrutiny really means,†Tiger wrote. “For the last week, my family and I have been hounded to expose intimate details of our personal lives.†This rules out that Tiger was innocently going to 7-Eleven when he wrecked his Escalade at 2:23 a.m. last week. If tabloid scrutiny surprised him, he obviously hasn’t seen a checkout stand magazine rack in years. His basic point is correct, of course. This is none of anyone’s business. He cheated on his wife, not on the golf course, not on his taxes, not while committing some other crime. The public is owed nothing. In a perfect world, though, teachers and cops and construction workers wouldn’t have to pony up extra money to buy a shirt for their kid just because Tiger Woods’ name is on it. In a perfect world, they wouldn’t have to break the bank for overpriced Nike shoes, with a hunk of it going to pay for Tiger Woods’ private plane. In a perfect world, women in Asia wouldn’t be paid pennies an hour to stitch up his product. In a perfect world, we wouldn’t be overwhelmed by rampant consumerism, false idol worship and mesmerizing advertisements – a trio of circumstances that Tiger Woods has played and profited from better than just about anyone. So in a perfect world, yes, Tiger Woods cheating on his family would be a private issue. For many people, it still is. He’s a golfer and as long as he keeps entertaining them on Sunday afternoons in red, that’s enough. As it should be. Which is different than how it is. Celebrity gossip isn’t a new phenomenon. You might as well complain about death and taxes. Tiger had the closest thing to a dream life anyone could imagine: untold wealth, a beautiful, healthy family, professional satisfaction and so on. He got some of it from portraying himself as a model of clean-cut morality. Perfect shirt. Perfect smile. Perfect wife. Perfect life. He was the family man, the teacher, the leader, the inspirer. “I am Tiger Woods,†children across the world repeated in one advertisement. In another, he starred with a talking stuffed animal/driver cover. He coveted the opportunity to be everyone’s role model, to speak to young people. He wasn’t Charles Barkley, smartly arguing against allowing kids to look up to him. He wasn’t Derek Jeter, happily living the bachelor life with every Hollywood starlet he could find. The public applauds those guys. Tiger took every bit of the money his image delivered. And with great rewards come great responsibility. That’s the deal. You can’t have one without the other. You can’t have your image beamed relentlessly into everyone’s living room and then expect people not to be intrigued with your life. You can’t release glowing pictures of your family and think the public isn’t going to seek information when it comes crumbling down. It’s fine that he’s not perfect. It’s just that he had IMG sell him as such. Tiger should’ve stopped after the contrite first paragraph. He should’ve hunkered down and tried to salvage what he can of his marriage. Maybe he still will. The rest speaks to an athlete detached from reality, myopic in his view of the world which has surrounded him by yes men willing to do anything to keep Tiger the Brand believable. The New York Post reported Wednesday that in 2007, the National Enquirer had a story of Woods straying from his marriage. According to a former executive at the magazine’s parent company, Woods’ marketing team worked a deal out that the Enquirer would squash the story in exchange for Tiger posing for the cover of sister-publication Men’s Fitness. He did and they did. In Tiger Woods’ perfect world, that’s how tabloids were dealt with, how trouble was escaped, how his privacy and marriage were saved. His fame and earning potential were always enough to bail him out. Spare us the complaining, Tiger, now that it can’t.

Tiger Watch: Who's Who? by Mike Krumboltz Call it the crash heard 'round the world. Tiger Woods' car accident has led to many stunning revelations and a lot of rumors that won't go away. The golf legend has made his mea culpa — for the rest of the story and gossip tidbits, people are looking online. Below, we take a look at some of the drama's key players in Yahoo! Search and their rumored roles. Elin Nordegren The wife of Tiger Woods has been thrust into the Search spotlight over the past week. While no stranger to gawkers (she was once a model, after all), this level of Search attention has elevated Ms. Nordegren to a whole new level of public scrutiny. Over the past week, Web lookups have soared an astounding 2,832%. Additionally, related Searches on "elin nordegren pictures" spiked to new heights. She has yet to release an official statement on the sordid affair. Jaimee Grubbs In Tiger's boilerplate apology statement, he mentions "transgressions" that have let his family down. Though Tiger hasn't named names, Jaimee Grubbs has more than volunteered to explain her part in the troublesome situation. A Los Angeles cocktail waitress and former participant on the VH1 reality show "Tool Academy," Ms. Grubbs claims to have had a lengthy affair with Woods. Additionally, she has gone on record as saying she has pictures, hundreds of risqué text messages, and even a "frantic voicemail" from the married golfer. Searches on "jaimee grubbs" and "jaimee grubbs photos" have both shot up from zip into the tens of thousands overnight. Last word: Claims to have had affair. Rachel Uchitel In contrast to Ms. Grubbs, Rachel Uchitel has strenuously denied the allegations that she and the world's best golfer have hooked up. Still, that hasn't stopped the Searches. Lookups on "rachel uchitel" and "who is rachel uchitel" have both rocked the Search box, as curious searchers seem unwilling to take her at her word. Time magazine has an interesting article on Ms. Uchitel. The 34-year-old nightclub promoter is reportedly "aggressive" when it comes to meeting celebrities (her mom claims she once dated Derek Jeter and A-Rod). However, in an exclusive interview with the New York Post, Uchitel has denied the allegations of a romance with Woods, even going so far as to offer to take a lie detector test. Last word: Denies affair. Kalika Moquin Lastly (or not?), there's Kalika Moquin. A relative newcomer to the Tiger watch, Ms. Moquin was named in Life & Style magazine as having romantic links to Tiger. As soon as that possible connection hit the Web, searches on Moquin roared into breakout status. Though her connection to Tiger is still just a rumor, folks clearly want to know more about her. Life & Style explains that she works as a marketing manager at a Las Vegas nightclub. According to the magazine, when Moquin was asked about an alleged affair, she neither confirmed not denied it, saying, "It's not appropriate for me to comment one way or the other." Last word: No comment.

S’pore may have most modern sanitation, but toilets not clean enough Channel NewsAsia - Thursday, December 3 SINGAPORE : Singapore may have the most modern sanitation system, but its public toilets are not clean enough, says Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Lim Swee Say. He called on Singaporeans to get their act together to make the toilets among the cleanest in the world. Mr Lim was speaking at the World Toilet Summit and Expo on Wednesday. The summit is back in Singapore for the second time in nine years. Providing countries with basic toilet solutions is big business amounting to US$1 trillion, said participants at the World Toilet Summit. But industry players said more needs to be done to reach out to the nearly 2.5 billion people who still do not have access to modern sanitation. Dr Ke Seetharaman, director, Institute of Water Policy, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, said: "Unlike water which is needed for basic living and survival — people demand that — but in the case of sanitation, people just go and defecate in the open, they do not demand it from their policy makers to give them good sanitation." So what is needed immediately is — sanitation facilities for 500 million households. Mr Lim said: "This global sanitation challenge can only be overcome if the global community learns to put every dollar, every idea and every drop of water to good use. It will take a long time but it can be done if there is enough attention, effort and determination put into this. "Here in Singapore, in the area of water management and sanitation development, we did put every dollar, every idea and every drop of water to good use over the years. Today, we are proud to have one of the most modern sanitation in the world, with 100 per cent coverage of households and public places." But Singapore faces a different challenge. Jack Sim, founder, World Toilet Organisation, said: "People have been asking me how come Singapore can host Formula One but can’t keep the coffee shop toilet clean. Once we have the focus on enforcement and encouragement and whatever policy that is needed, it will happen." The World Toilet Summit and Expo is not just about the challenges that are being faced by the sanitation industry in countries. It is also about a clean environment and keeping cities clean. That is where the whole range of cleaning industry products at the expo provides business opportunities for this sector — especially when the industry is a growing S$600 million sector — through best practices and automation. CNA/ms

Bank of America to repay $45 billion to US AFP - Thursday, December 3 WASHINGTON (AFP) - – Bank of America said Wednesday it had reached an agreement to repay the US government the entire 45 billion dollar investment it provided the bank under a program to stabilize the financial system. The largest US bank by assets will be making the largest single payback under the Troubled Asset Relief Program, a program approved by Congress last year at the height of the financial crisis. "We appreciate the critical role that the US government played last fall in helping to stabilize financial markets, and we are pleased to be able to fully repay the investment, with interest," said Bank of America chief executive Kenneth Lewis. "As America's largest bank, we have a responsibility to make good on the taxpayers' investment, and our record shows that we have been able to fulfill that commitment while continuing to lend. "We believe that this is good news, not only for the US taxpayer and our company, but for the country as it is a milestone indicating that public policy has succeeded in helping our industry and the economy begin to recover." Many banks repaid the government earlier this year, escaping tougher scrutiny from regulators that could include limits on executive pay and bonuses at bailed-out firms. "We are pleased that Bank of America is moving ahead with plans to pay the taxpayers back in full," a Treasury official said in an email to AFP. "As banks replace Treasury investments with private capital, confidence in the financial system increases, taxpayers are made whole, and government's unprecedented involvement in the private sector lessens." The bank based in North Carolina said it would repurchase the preferred shares issued to the US Treasury as part of TARP, but would not immediately buy back the warrants, or options to buy additional shares. "This is good news that the bank can get out of the TARP and can stop having to answer to public and government criticism," said Jon Ogg at 24/7 Wall Street. "But this is going to be dilutive (to shareholders) at a minimum." Shares, which had shed 1.51 percent in New York, soared three percent to 16.12 dollars in post-session electronic trading. Bank of America said it would use 26.2 billion dollars in "excess liquidity" and 18.8 billion dollars from the sale of "common equivalent securities," subject to shareholder approval of the sale. This will increase the bank's capital ratios seen as an important indicator of financial health. In addition, Bank of America agreed to increase equity by four billion dollars through asset sales to be approved by banking regulators. If not approved, the company agreed it would raise a commensurate amount of common equity. Bank of America said it would raise up to 1.7 billion dollars through the issuance of restricted stock in lieu of a portion of incentive cash compensation to executives as part of their normal year-end incentive payments. "Year-end incentive payments are dependent on the performance of the company, business units and individuals and have not yet been determined," the company said. Bank of America had received 25 billion dollars under the initial program to shore up capital in the banking system under a plan engineered by the administration of president George W. Bush. It also received an additional 20 billion dollars to help absorb the troubled brokerage giant Merrill Lynch -- a deal that has raised hackles among lawmakers and the public because of massive losses and hefty bonuses that were not initially disclosed at the Wall Street firm. Amid the uproar, Lewis announced he would give up his title as chairman and later announced he would step down as CEO on December 31. In September, Bank of America agreed to pay 425 million dollars to the US government to exit a guarantee program put in place to cover potential losses in its takeover of Merrill Lynch. Many major banks began repaying the government after the "stress tests" that indicated how much capital they would have to raise in private markets. Citigroup, which also received 45 billion dollars, still has its TARP funds outstanding but has converted a portion of that to common shares, giving the government a major ownership stake.

Tsk Tsk !...the Big Fall from Grace...from 'TIGER' to 'LEOPARD' Wood. Woods apologizes, says he let his family down By DOUG FERGUSON, AP Golf Writer - Thursday, December 3 THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Tiger Woods said he let his family down with "transgressions" he regrets "with all of my heart," and that he will deal with his personal life behind closed doors. His statement Wednesday follows a cover story in Us Weekly magazine that reports a Los Angeles cocktail waitress claims she had a 31-month affair with the world's No. 1 golfer. "I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves," Woods said on his Web site. "I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect. I am dealing with my behavior and personal failings behind closed doors with my family. Those feelings should be shared by us alone." Woods did not offer details of any alleged relationship. "I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart," he said. "I will strive to be a better person and the husband and father that my family deserves," Woods said. "For all of those who have supported me over the years, I offer my profound apology." The cocktail waitress, Jaimee Grubbs, told the magazine she met Woods at a Las Vegas nightclub the week after the 2007 Masters _ two months before Woods' wife, Elin, gave birth to their first child. Grubbs claims to have proof in 300 text messages. About three hours before Woods' statement, the magazine published what it said was a voicemail _ provided by Grubbs _ that Woods left on her phone on Nov. 24, three days before his middle-of-the-night car crash outside his home in Florida. Woods has been subjected to more media headlines during the last week than when he first won the Masters in 1997 and set off the first wave of Tigermania. He has spoken only three times through his Web site, although this was his longest posting. "Although I am a well-known person and have made my career as a professional athlete, I have been dismayed to realize the full extent of what tabloid scrutiny really means," Woods said. "For the last week, my family and I have been hounded to expose intimate details of our personal lives." And he continued to say accounts that physical violence played a role in his Friday morning car crash were "utterly false and malicious." "Elin has always done more to support our family and shown more grace than anyone could possibly expect," he wrote. His statement came one day after the Florida Highway Patrol closed its investigation into the accident _ without Woods ever speaking to state troopers. He was charged with careless driving, which carries a $164 fine and four points on his driving record. The story soon shifted from a patrol investigation to sordid allegations into his personal life. In the voicemail released by the magazine, a man says to Grubbs: "Hey, it's, uh, it's Tiger. I need you to do me a huge favor. Um, can you please, uh, take your name off your phone. My wife went through my phone. And, uh, may be calling you. If you can, please take your name off that and, um, and what do you call it just have it as a number on the voicemail, just have it as your telephone number. That's it, OK. You gotta do this for me. Huge. Quickly. All right. Bye." The Associated Press could not confirm Woods was the caller. Stricker urges Woods to air more of his private turmoil Reuters - 2 hours 10 minutes ago By Mark Lamport-Stokes THOUSAND OAKS, California - Steve Stricker expressed sympathy for fellow American and good friend Tiger Woods on Wednesday and hoped the game's leading player would share a little more of his private turmoil with the public. Woods has been engulfed in speculation over his private life since mysteriously crashing his car and earlier on Wednesday he apologized for "transgressions" that apparently addressed allegations he had extra-marital relationships. "I'd like to see him come on TV and just pour it out a little bit, show what's happened a little bit," world number three Stricker told reporters while preparing for this week's Chevron World Challenge. "I don't know if that'll ever happen. But people forget and if he just does the right things from here on out, people will forgive him and move on. "I think his image is going to take a little bit of a shot. I don't think there's any question that he will bounce back but it's going to be hard on him for a while." Woods, who is renowned for carefully guarding his privacy, suffered ###### cuts and bruises after his car struck a fire hydrant and a neighbor's tree outside the driveway of his home last Friday. His Swedish wife, Elin Nordegren, used a golf club to smash a window of his car to get him out but Woods' refusal to meet with police to answer questions about the accident triggered a storm of speculation. EXTRA-MARITAL RELATIONSHIPS Media outlets have reported that the 14-times major champion has had extra-marital relationships with at least three women. "It's been hard just to see what's been going on to him the last few days," said Stricker. "It was a shock to see that, first of all, he was in a car accident, and then all the developments after that obviously is a shock, too. "We all want him here," Stricker added, referring to the elite charity event at Sherwood Country Club that has been hosted by Woods for the past nine years. "We all look up to the guy. "I'm in no category like a Tiger Woods. I can't imagine what kind of microscope Tiger and other famous celebrities go under on a day-to-day basis. I don't think it's really any of our business to get inside his private life. "I don't really want to know. But I respect what he's doing. You know, he's trying to make it as private as he can."

WAH !...when is the 'MERMAID' super shipment ???

Its neighboring mate looked 'guilty'...

WOW !...super-duper AT. When & Where did U buy the gemster mate ?

Dubai says not responsible for Dubai World debt Reuters - Tuesday, December 1 By Rania Oteify and Tamara Walid DUBAI - The Dubai government said on Monday it was not responsible for the debts of Dubai World, dealing a blow to creditors' assumptions that the Arab emirate would guarantee the conglomerate's liabilities. "Creditors need to take part of the responsibility for their decision to lend to the companies," said Abdulrahman al-Saleh, director general of Dubai's Department of Finance. "They think Dubai World is part of the government, which is not correct." In its first statement since the crisis began, Dubai World, the government-controlled holding company at the heart of the storm, said a restructuring would involve $26 billion in debt and mostly affect its property firms, Nakheel and Limitless. Other firms, such as DP World, Jebel Ali Free Zone and Istithmar World would not be included in the restructuring because they were financially stable, it said in a statement released by e-mail late on Monday night. The previously unreleased figure of $26 billion may help markets to grapple with the scope of the crisis following estimates that the restructuring could affect $59 billion or more in liabilities. United Arab Emirates stocks plunged on Monday as investors waited for clarity on Dubai's request for a delay until May 2010 on repaying billions of dollars in debt issued by Dubai World and its Nakheel unit, developer of three distinctive palm-shaped islands in the emirate. European shares fell as investors worried about sovereign financial crises, with the FTSEurofirst 300 off 1.4 percent. But the U.S. dollar fell against the euro after the United Arab Emirates promised liquidity, easing worries about default. Saleh's remarks in an interview to Dubai TV, a station owned by the ruler of Dubai, came after UAE markets closed. "They have confirmed there is going to be a restructuring and are doing what they can to differentiate between the government and companies," said Mohieddine Kronfol, managing director at Algebra Capital. "It doesn't take away from the fact that you have a major potential event that is unraveling. People's expectations aren't going to be met with this announcement." The UAE's central bank pledged financial support, helping to steady global markets. The central bank promised additional liquidity to local banks and an official in Dubai's oil-exporting neighbor, Abu Dhabi, said on Sunday it would offer selective support to Dubai firms. Without referring directly to the Dubai World debt problems, the UAE's central bank governor said on Monday there was no cause for concern about local banks, which he said had proven themselves able to weather the global crisis. "I have advice for foreign investors. They should study available investment opportunities and conduct realistic feasibility studies to make sure they are real opportunities with no risk," the state news agency WAM quoted Sultan Nasser al-Suweidi as saying. Michael Ganske, head of emerging market research at Commerzbank in London, said a default, which could ultimately benefit the region, "is becoming more likely. "At the end of the day it should be positive for Dubai, Dubai's sovereign risk should go down," he said. Dubai World -- which had $59 billion of liabilities as of August -- shocked investors last week with news of the standstill request while it restructures, along with its property developer Nakheel. The agreement would affect about $5.7 billion of debt due to mature before the end of May. Nakheel earlier on Monday asked for three of its Islamic bonds, worth a total of $5.25 billion, to be suspended on Nasdaq Dubai until it was in a position to "fully inform the market. STANDALONE ENTITY Saleh made clear on Monday that while the government owned Dubai World, the conglomerate had long operated as a stand-alone entity and was never guaranteed by the emirate's government. "It deals with all parties on this basis and it borrows based on ... its projects and not the guarantee of the government," Saleh said. When contacted by Reuters and asked whether Dubai could still repay its Nakheel bond, Saleh declined to comment. The head of a Dubai budget committee said the government's own debt was $10 billion. "Dubai government's debts have been declared. They are only 10 billions. There should be no confusion between and any company," Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, also Dubai's police chief, told Al Arabiya television. Dubai World Chairman Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem also declined to comment on Monday. Other Dubai World officials could not immediately be reached. John Sfakianakis, chief economist at Banque Saudi Fransi-Credit Agricole Group, said the distinction between the Dubai government and the flagship company appeared minimal. "What role does the sovereign play? This continues to create uncertainty," he said from Riyadh. "Their motivation is to make a distinction between the two, but the difference ... is nebulous." Saleh said he believed the market reaction to last Wednesday's announcement by Dubai World, which initially shook global financial confidence, was exaggerated. "The restructuring is a wise decision that is in the interest of all parties in the long-term but might bother creditors in the short term," he declared.

Huh-ohhh !!! Singapore's DBS says has $1.28 bln Dubai exposure Reuters - Tuesday, December 1 By Kevin Lim and Neil Chatterjee * DBS believes Dubai exposure is manageable * Only credit under standstill notice is $400 mln loan * DBS shares closed 3 pct lower on uncertainty over exposure * Singapore c.bank says bank sector exposure under 1 pct SINGAPORE, Nov 30 - DBS Group <DBSM.SI>, Southeast Asia's top lender, said on Monday its total exposure to Dubai is about S$1.8 billion , after worries about Middle Eastern debt drove its stock down 3 percent. DBS, seen by analysts as the most exposed among Singapore lenders to Dubai's debt troubles, said its exposure to the whole Middle East accounted for around two percent of its balance sheet, including its 50 percent-owned Islamic Bank of Asia. "The bank believes that the situation is manageable as a substantial portion of this is to Dubai-owned companies operating in Asia that are sound, such as Labroy and South Beach, which is collateralised," the bank said in a statement late on Monday. Investors are waiting for clarity from Dubai on billions in debt repayments after it raised fears of a second bout of financial turmoil last week when it asked for a six-month freeze on debt issued by Dubai World [DBWLD.UL] and Nakheel [NAKHD.UL]. DBS said the only credit captured under the standstill notice is a S$558 million bilateral loan to Dubai World Finance, representing 0.2 percent of its total balance sheet. It said it has no exposure to property developer Nakheel. DBS shares closed 2.98 percent down on Monday, after a Singapore market holiday on Friday, underperforming a 1.1 percent drop in the broader index <.FTSTI>. DBS told Reuters the $1.28 billion included exposure from the Islamic Bank of Asia, which focuses on banking in the Middle East and Asia from its offices in Singapore and Bahrain. DBS owns about 50 percent of Islamic Bank of Asia. DBS, 28 percent owned by state investor Temasek [TEM.UL], derives the bulk of its revenue from Singapore and Hong Kong. But in its earnings statement for the second quarter ended June 2009, it blamed an increase in non-performing loans to "exposures to shipping and Middle East corporates and institutions". "The exposures to Dubai World debt are relatively limited, and are less of a concern compared to the spillover effects for related entities, corporates in the UAE region and potential refinancing issues," said JPMorgan in a report on global banks. DBS has partly financed, together with UOB, OCBC, HSBC and Sumitomo Mitsui, an S$800 million loan for the South Beach property development project in Singapore, a JV between City Developments <CTDL.SI>, Dubai World and developer El-Ad. Singapore's second biggest lender Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp <OCBC.SI> said earlier on Monday it has no exposure to Dubai World while United Overseas Bank <UOBH.SI> said its exposure to Dubai was insignificant. OCBC shares eased 0.36 percent while UOB fell 0.95 percent. Singapore's central bank said on Monday the total gross exposure of the country's banking sector to the United Arab Emirates was well below 1 percent of total banking assets. The Monetary Authority of Singapore also said in a statement that it does not expect the developments in Dubai to adversely affect the financial stability of Singapore, a growing wealth management centre and currency trading hub.