Connect to share and comment

Singapore cost of living sees pawnshops thrive

Agence France-PresseMay 17, 2013 23:30
Singaporean housewife Siti Khadijah Abdul Rahman accumulated a few thousand dollars' worth of gold accessories over the past two decades, but now a rising cost of living is forcing her to pawn them. With a stretched household budget that must also cater to school expenses for her two teenage children, the 49 year-old is pawning her gold to relieve pressure on her security guard husband, who earns Sg$1,500 ($1,211) a month. "Pawning is better than going to friends or family when you have budget problems," said Abdul Rahman. "When I have money, I will claim it back."

AFP 1900 GMT news advisory

Agence France-PresseMay 17, 2013 21:01
Duty editor: Dave Clark Tel: +1 202 414 0541 -- TOP STORIES -- + Bomb attacks kill 67 in Iraq + Nigeria military strikes Islamist bases + Million-dollar jewelry heist ahead of Cannes film fest   + Argentina's former Dirty War junta leader dies Iraq-politics-unrest,WRAP BAQUBA, Iraq Bombs targeting Sunnis, including two near a mosque and one at a funeral procession, kill 67 people in Iraq, officials say, after dozens died in two days of attacks on Shiites.

Sen. Pamela Wallin, target of expense audit, latest to leave Conservative caucus

The Canadian PressMay 17, 2013 19:02
OTTAWA - Sen. Pamela Wallin is leaving the Conservative caucus, the second senator in as many days to do so amid a storm of allegations of dubious expense claims. Wallin's travel expenses, which total more than $321,000 since September 2010, have been the subject of an external audit by Deloitte since December. "I have been co-operating fully and willingly with the auditors," Wallin, a former CTV broadcaster, said in a brief written statement Friday evening.

Obama meets with new acting IRS head Daniel Werfel, expects report back in 30 days

The Canadian PressMay 17, 2013 19:01
WASHINGTON - The White House says President Barack Obama has met with Daniel Werfel, the new acting commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service. The Treasury Department says Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew told Werfel to take steps immediately to ensure the IRS is acting in an unbiased way. Werfel was previously the controller of the Office of Management and Budget, a job akin to a chief financial officer. He's replacing Steven Miller, who was ousted Wednesday amid revelations that the IRS improperly singled out conservative groups for special scrutiny.

Bill clears House to put stricter requirements on SEC for cost vs benefit analyses of rules

The Canadian PressMay 17, 2013 16:48
WASHINGTON - Legislation cleared the House on Friday that would place stricter requirements on the federal agency overseeing Wall Street to assess the costs and benefits of its regulations before they are issued.

Congressional budget analysts say Obama budget pares deficits by $1.1 trillion over decade

The Canadian PressMay 17, 2013 16:47
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama's budget would trim projected federal deficits by $1.1 trillion over the coming decade, using nearly $6 in higher revenues for every $1 in reduced spending to achieve it, Congress' nonpartisan budget analyst said Friday. After four straight years of annual shortfalls exceeding $1 trillion, the Congressional Budget Office report said Obama's budget would push this year's deficit down to $669 billion. Annual shortfalls would shrink slowly to $399 billion in 2017 before rising again, the report said.

Bright future ahead for wearable fitness devices: report

Agence France-PresseMay 17, 2013 15:45
If you're a fan of wearable sport and fitness sensor devices, you'll be glad to know the trend is only getting hotter. According to a report from research firm IMS Research, fitness sensors, running and cycling computers, and other sport trackers will hit 56.2 million global shipments in four years.

US lawmakers lay into IRS as tax boss apologizes

Agence France-PresseMay 17, 2013 15:31
The head of the scandal-plagued IRS apologized to Congress Friday for "foolish mistakes" made by the federal tax agency in targeting conservative groups but insisted the action was not politically motivated. Amid swirling controversy buffeting the US capital, lawmakers hammered Steven Miller, who offered his resignation as demanded by President Barack Obama, over abuse at the agency that Democrats and Republicans alike criticized as outrageous and unacceptable.

US Treasury: no impact from debt cap before Sept

Agence France-PresseMay 17, 2013 14:01
US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said on Friday that the government would not feel the pinch from a cap on debt before September, as net new borrowings were to halt this weekend. "Extraordinary measures" to sustain the government without being forced to slash spending or default on the debt due to the borrowing limit "will not be exhausted until after Labor Day," or September 2, Lew told Congress.
Syndicate content