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(SpringhillCareGroup) 28March 2012 - People are relying on mortgage in order to buy their own house. Investing in a house is considered to be the biggest financial commitment one can ever make. Therefore, it will be beneficial for the consumer if you could choose your own mortgage term. Before you apply for a mortgage loan make sure that you take help of a loan mortgage calculator to calculate your monthly payment. This will help you determine the mortgage loan that you can afford to take out. When a borrower chooses his own term mortgage then it will be easier for him to pay off the owed amount without a single default. Quicken loan offers "YOURmortgage" where the consumers will determine the length of the mortgage where you can choose the term between 8 to 30 years. Therefore, if you are not keen to apply for a standard 30 or 15-year term then refinancing your mortgage into an 18-year fixed or a 24-year fixed loan can be beneficial for you. If your loan term is short then interest rate will be comparatively lower, thereby you can save considerable amount of money. If you take out 15 years fixed term mortgage then the interest rate will be lower than 30 years fixed term mortgage. So you can save considerable amount of money with a shorter term as less interest will be paid over a shorter amount of time. In shorter term mortgage you pay less as the loan amortizes faster. But remember that the monthly mortgage will be higher if your loan term is shorter. So this is considered to be a drawback of this mortgage program. Reason behind choosing your own mortgage term: You can choose your own mortgage term in accordance with your budget. This will help you avoid burning a hole in your pocket while paying back the owed amount. You can set your mortgage term according to age you plan to retire. Therefore, before your retirement you'll be able to pay back the mortgage loan and avoid default. You can choose a mortgag

SpringhillCareGroup -Seoul (South Korea), Mar.27 (ANI): Visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has asked his Norwegian counterpart Jens Stoltenberg to find an "amicable and good" solution to the NRI kids custody row, especially with a focus on keeping the welfare of the children and the interest of the parents in mind". Singh conveyed this message to Stoltenberg on Monday on the sidelines of the nuclear security summit being held here. Singh reportedly explained to Stoltenberg the importance of family ties in Indian culture, and expressed the hope that the outcome would be positive and within the ambit of the law, besides being in the interest of the parents and their children. Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai told media after the bilateral meeting: "The Norwegian Prime Minister also made a reference to the ongoing case relating to the two Indian children, and explained that this was the matter before the Municipality of Stavanger, as well as the local court, and that the interest of the children, as well as concerns of the parents, would sought to be addressed in whatever solution is found." Abhigyan, three, and Aishwarya, one, were placed in foster care by the Norwegian child welfare authorities in May last year, and ever since, the battle for the release of the two kids has been going on. In fact, External Affairs Minister S.M.Krishna had last month sent Secretary (West) M.Ganapathy to settle the matter. However, the custody row has taken a turn for the worse with the Norwegian authorities saying last week that they were not going to hand over the kids to their uncle in view of the "conflicts" in the family. The statement followed reports of differences between the parents-Anurup and Sagarika Bhhatacharya. The two prime ministers also reportedly discussed the impact of the Indian court verdicts on the 2G scam cases. The future presence of Norwegian telecom giant Telenor, which has multi-billion dollar investments in India, hangs in the balance fo

LOS ANGELES, Iowa - The fearsome guns of the USS Iowa protected FDR from torpedo attacks and helped destroy the Japanese military in World War II. They shelled North Korea in the 1950s and patrolled the Central American coast during the Cold War. On Saturday, with the grand opening of the country's newest battleship museum in the Los Angeles community of San Pedro, the artillery that struck so much fear in America's enemies got a new role: photo op. More than 3,000 people walked up the Iowa's gangplank on its inaugural day and nearly every one seemed to want a photo with its 16-inch guns. "I want them to be part of history," said retired Marine Brian Tisdale of his two children, whom he captured posing at the gun barrels. Whether a snapshot on the Iowa deck will become as mandatory to a southern California vacation as a picture in front of the Hollywood sign remains to be seen. Officials said they were pleased with the museum's first day, especially given the breakneck pace of the project. The opening came just a month after the Iowa, one of the largest battleships ever, arrived in Los Angeles' harbor and just 10 months after the Navy selected San Pedro as the site of the museum. "It's unheard of. It usually takes about three years," said battleship enthusiast Robert Kent, who led the campaign to bring the Iowa to L.A. and now serves as director of the non-profit that runs the museum, Pacific Battleship Center. Built in 1940, the Iowa was an important part of the Navy fleet for five decades. It ferried President Franklin Roosevelt to Casablanca during World War II and later fought in the Pacific, sailing victoriously into Tokyo Harbor. The Iowa served in the Korean conflict and plied the Persian Gulf in the 1980s. Only about 15 percent of the ship is open to the public so far. Visitors are funneled down a single route that passes through a wardroom where officers ate and relaxed, around the vessel's upper decks and thr

LOS ANGELES, Iowa - The fearsome guns of the USS Iowa protected FDR from torpedo attacks and helped destroy the Japanese military in World War II. They shelled North Korea in the 1950s and patrolled the Central American coast during the Cold War. On Saturday, with the grand opening of the country's newest battleship museum in the Los Angeles community of San Pedro, the artillery that struck so much fear in America's enemies got a new role: photo op. More than 3,000 people walked up the Iowa's gangplank on its inaugural day and nearly every one seemed to want a photo with its 16-inch guns. "I want them to be part of history," said retired Marine Brian Tisdale of his two children, whom he captured posing at the gun barrels. Whether a snapshot on the Iowa deck will become as mandatory to a southern California vacation as a picture in front of the Hollywood sign remains to be seen. Officials said they were pleased with the museum's first day, especially given the breakneck pace of the project. The opening came just a month after the Iowa, one of the largest battleships ever, arrived in Los Angeles' harbor and just 10 months after the Navy selected San Pedro as the site of the museum. "It's unheard of. It usually takes about three years," said battleship enthusiast Robert Kent, who led the campaign to bring the Iowa to L.A. and now serves as director of the non-profit that runs the museum, Pacific Battleship Center. Built in 1940, the Iowa was an important part of the Navy fleet for five decades. It ferried President Franklin Roosevelt to Casablanca during World War II and later fought in the Pacific, sailing victoriously into Tokyo Harbor. The Iowa served in the Korean conflict and plied the Persian Gulf in the 1980s. Only about 15 percent of the ship is open to the public so far. Visitors are funneled down a single route that passes through a wardroom where officers ate and relaxed, around the vessel's upper decks and thr

LOS ANGELES, Iowa - The fearsome guns of the USS Iowa protected FDR from torpedo attacks and helped destroy the Japanese military in World War II. They shelled North Korea in the 1950s and patrolled the Central American coast during the Cold War. On Saturday, with the grand opening of the country's newest battleship museum in the Los Angeles community of San Pedro, the artillery that struck so much fear in America's enemies got a new role: photo op. More than 3,000 people walked up the Iowa's gangplank on its inaugural day and nearly every one seemed to want a photo with its 16-inch guns. "I want them to be part of history," said retired Marine Brian Tisdale of his two children, whom he captured posing at the gun barrels. Whether a snapshot on the Iowa deck will become as mandatory to a southern California vacation as a picture in front of the Hollywood sign remains to be seen. Officials said they were pleased with the museum's first day, especially given the breakneck pace of the project. The opening came just a month after the Iowa, one of the largest battleships ever, arrived in Los Angeles' harbor and just 10 months after the Navy selected San Pedro as the site of the museum. "It's unheard of. It usually takes about three years," said battleship enthusiast Robert Kent, who led the campaign to bring the Iowa to L.A. and now serves as director of the non-profit that runs the museum, Pacific Battleship Center. Built in 1940, the Iowa was an important part of the Navy fleet for five decades. It ferried President Franklin Roosevelt to Casablanca during World War II and later fought in the Pacific, sailing victoriously into Tokyo Harbor. The Iowa served in the Korean conflict and plied the Persian Gulf in the 1980s. Only about 15 percent of the ship is open to the public so far. Visitors are funneled down a single route that passes through a wardroom where officers ate and relaxed, around the vessel's upper decks and thr

LOS ANGELES, Iowa - The fearsome guns of the USS Iowa protected FDR from torpedo attacks and helped destroy the Japanese military in World War II. They shelled North Korea in the 1950s and patrolled the Central American coast during the Cold War. On Saturday, with the grand opening of the country's newest battleship museum in the Los Angeles community of San Pedro, the artillery that struck so much fear in America's enemies got a new role: photo op. More than 3,000 people walked up the Iowa's gangplank on its inaugural day and nearly every one seemed to want a photo with its 16-inch guns. "I want them to be part of history," said retired Marine Brian Tisdale of his two children, whom he captured posing at the gun barrels. Whether a snapshot on the Iowa deck will become as mandatory to a southern California vacation as a picture in front of the Hollywood sign remains to be seen. Officials said they were pleased with the museum's first day, especially given the breakneck pace of the project. The opening came just a month after the Iowa, one of the largest battleships ever, arrived in Los Angeles' harbor and just 10 months after the Navy selected San Pedro as the site of the museum. "It's unheard of. It usually takes about three years," said battleship enthusiast Robert Kent, who led the campaign to bring the Iowa to L.A. and now serves as director of the non-profit that runs the museum, Pacific Battleship Center. Built in 1940, the Iowa was an important part of the Navy fleet for five decades. It ferried President Franklin Roosevelt to Casablanca during World War II and later fought in the Pacific, sailing victoriously into Tokyo Harbor. The Iowa served in the Korean conflict and plied the Persian Gulf in the 1980s. Only about 15 percent of the ship is open to the public so far. Visitors are funneled down a single route that passes through a wardroom where officers ate and relaxed, around the vessel's upper decks and thr

India's Competition Commission confirmed that Google is undergoing an antitrust investigation after a match-making website filed a complaint against its "alleged discriminatory practices" in AdWords. An Indian dating website has filed the complaint against the search engine giant, alleging that it has breached the country's antitrust laws for its advertising unit, AdWords. The complaint accused Google of luring 2 Indian dating sites into a bidding war over its ad keywords in online search. Consim Info, the company operating BharatMatrimony.com has filed the antitrust suit with the Competition Commission of India in February against Google, which, according to CCI, could last from 2-12 months. The probe aims appears to be aimed at determining if there is any merit on the complaint filed against Google after the discovery of "prima facie evidence" showing how it had allegedly abused its market position by selling adwords to the complainant's rival. "We have asked the Director General (Investigations) to complete the probe and give a report on it within 60 days. Prima facie, we found evidence that suggests that Google did abuse its dominant market position," said a senior official of CCI. Like what had happened in other markets, Google has become a target by competitors who wish to crack its prominent ranking. On the other hand, Google defended itself by saying that it has always cooperated with investigators. It has given a statement to Springhill Group Counselling: "Though competition is always a click away, we understand that with success comes scrutiny. We have not received any communication from the CCI, but we're always happy to answer questions about our business, and we're confident that our products are compliant with competition law in India." Google seems to be getting used in being the subject of regulatory scrutiny worldwide as more companies become irked by its business in online advertisement. In February, a separate inv

India's Competition Commission confirmed that Google is undergoing an antitrust investigation after a match-making website filed a complaint against its "alleged discriminatory practices" in AdWords. An Indian dating website has filed the complaint against the search engine giant, alleging that it has breached the country's antitrust laws for its advertising unit, AdWords. The complaint accused Google of luring 2 Indian dating sites into a bidding war over its ad keywords in online search. Consim Info, the company operating BharatMatrimony.com has filed the antitrust suit with the Competition Commission of India in February against Google, which, according to CCI, could last from 2-12 months. The probe aims appears to be aimed at determining if there is any merit on the complaint filed against Google after the discovery of "prima facie evidence" showing how it had allegedly abused its market position by selling adwords to the complainant's rival. "We have asked the Director General (Investigations) to complete the probe and give a report on it within 60 days. Prima facie, we found evidence that suggests that Google did abuse its dominant market position," said a senior official of CCI. Like what had happened in other markets, Google has become a target by competitors who wish to crack its prominent ranking. On the other hand, Google defended itself by saying that it has always cooperated with investigators. It has given a statement to Springhill Group Counselling: "Though competition is always a click away, we understand that with success comes scrutiny. We have not received any communication from the CCI, but we're always happy to answer questions about our business, and we're confident that our products are compliant with competition law in India." Google seems to be getting used in being the subject of regulatory scrutiny worldwide as more companies become irked by its business in online advertisement. In February, a separate inv

India's Competition Commission confirmed that Google is undergoing an antitrust investigation after a match-making website filed a complaint against its "alleged discriminatory practices" in AdWords. An Indian dating website has filed the complaint against the search engine giant, alleging that it has breached the country's antitrust laws for its advertising unit, AdWords. The complaint accused Google of luring 2 Indian dating sites into a bidding war over its ad keywords in online search. Consim Info, the company operating BharatMatrimony.com has filed the antitrust suit with the Competition Commission of India in February against Google, which, according to CCI, could last from 2-12 months. The probe aims appears to be aimed at determining if there is any merit on the complaint filed against Google after the discovery of "prima facie evidence" showing how it had allegedly abused its market position by selling adwords to the complainant's rival. "We have asked the Director General (Investigations) to complete the probe and give a report on it within 60 days. Prima facie, we found evidence that suggests that Google did abuse its dominant market position," said a senior official of CCI. Like what had happened in other markets, Google has become a target by competitors who wish to crack its prominent ranking. On the other hand, Google defended itself by saying that it has always cooperated with investigators. It has given a statement to Springhill Group Counselling: "Though competition is always a click away, we understand that with success comes scrutiny. We have not received any communication from the CCI, but we're always happy to answer questions about our business, and we're confident that our products are compliant with competition law in India." Google seems to be getting used in being the subject of regulatory scrutiny worldwide as more companies become irked by its business in online advertisement. In February, a separate inv

Dai Bingguo issued a rebuttal on behalf of China, saying, "I wish to point out in particular the fundamental way to manage state-to-state relations is to abide by the basic norms of international relations, namely to respect China's sovereignty, core interests and choice of social system." Meanwhile, Chinese President Hu Jintao made his point known in his opening speech during the 4th round of US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogues. He remarked that US and China should know how to respect each other despite their disagreements and also appealed to its counterpart to break the conventional belief that superpowers are bound to engage in conflicts. "Given our different national conditions, it is impossible for both China and the United States to see eye to eye on every issue. We should properly manage the differences by improving mutual understanding so these differences will not undermine the larger interests of China-U.S. relations," said Hu. Springhill Care Group reports that the Chinese leader seems to be open in creating new and creative ways to foster better relations between the major nations. "We should, through creative thinking and concrete steps, prove that the traditional belief that big powers are bound to enter into confrontation and conflicts is wrong and seek new ways of developing relations between major countries in the era of economic globalization," he added.

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Sometime in the second quarter of this year, springhill group will open a new branch in South Korea. Springhill group Korea will provide many services in the area with new opportunities for those around. Springhill group south Korea will bring new life to the south Korean areas. There will be many career openings in the area as well as new opportunities for everyone alike. The branch will as stated earlier, become open sometime in the second quarter of this year and will expand the company by growing into a more international company. This will bring more opportunities to many areas and will increase the workforce of the company. Springhill group is a growing company and will continue to expand over the years. You can try to contact the group for more information or read about them on news sites. They are trying to expand their market so that they can bring an influence to south Korea and make it so that their company gets bigger every day. By expanding, they are offering many new jobs and careers while also trying to obtain more customers in new, international areas around the world. Opening up a branch in south Korea is a big step for this company and will influence many.

Sometime in the second quarter of this year, springhill group will open a new branch in South Korea. Springhill group Korea will provide many services in the area with new opportunities for those around. Springhill group south Korea will bring new life to the south Korean areas. There will be many career openings in the area as well as new opportunities for everyone alike. The branch will as stated earlier, become open sometime in the second quarter of this year and will expand the company by growing into a more international company. This will bring more opportunities to many areas and will increase the workforce of the company. Springhill group is a growing company and will continue to expand over the years. You can try to contact the group for more information or read about them on news sites. They are trying to expand their market so that they can bring an influence to south Korea and make it so that their company gets bigger every day. By expanding, they are offering many new jobs and careers while also trying to obtain more customers in new, international areas around the world. Opening up a branch in south Korea is a big step for this company and will influence many.

Using a moisture sensor, a wireless system and a mobile phone, Kevin Wong, the chief executive of Ckicom Technology Ltd, explains how this new technology can alert caregivers when they should change the diapers of elderly people in nursing homes. As the rapid aging of Asia's population creates challenges for governments and societies, new opportunities are emerging for businesses serving the needs of the elderly and their caretakers. While population aging is a global phenomenon, the Asian-Pacific region is expected to see a particularly drastic demographic change over the next few decades.

The decision of US to let the blind human rights activist Chen Guangcheng return into China's fold following his escape from authorities is straining ties between the two countries as diplomatic dialogues opened in Beijing. The 40-year old Chen who is now considered a dissident became an international human rights inspiration to many Chinese after earning the ire of the local government for exposing forced abortions in line with the country's one-child policy. The self-taught lawyer took to the US embassy after his escape, apparently to ask for help but was eventually ushered into the Beijing Hospital. According to a senior official's statement to Springhill Care Group, Chen has indeed went into the embassy that day and has requested for medical treatment for his injured foot. American medical personnel have then conducted medical tests and made appropriate treatment during the time he was there.

The decision of US to let the blind human rights activist Chen Guangcheng return into China's fold following his escape from authorities is straining ties between the two countries as diplomatic dialogues opened in Beijing. The 40-year old Chen who is now considered a dissident became an international human rights inspiration to many Chinese after earning the ire of the local government for exposing forced abortions in line with the country's one-child policy. The self-taught lawyer took to the US embassy after his escape, apparently to ask for help but was eventually ushered into the Beijing Hospital.

An average of two Seoul citizens would have to work to support one elderly by 2039 amid the falling birth rate and rising life expectancy, statistics showed Wednesday. Statistics data from the Seoul Metropolitan Government predicts that in 27 years, the working-age population between 15 and 64 would drop 26 percent to 5.99 million and senior citizens aged 65 and over are expected to grow 172 percent to 2.95 million. Currently an average of 7.4 working people support each senior citizen. The demographic change is feared to squeeze the city's workforce, threatening growth and pension systems. The data based on a survey by the Statistics Korea also indicated that the number of youth aged 1 to 14 is forecast to decrease by 25 percent to 1.03 million.

The right heating controls will let you keep your home at a comfortable temperature without wasting fuel or heat - so you'll reduce your carbon dioxide emissions and spend less on heating bills. If you have an electric storage heating and hot water system, with storage heaters use the off-peak electricity to 'charge up' overnight and then release heat during the day, you'll need a different set of controls. Find out more about electric heating and hot water controls. If your home is heated by a system of water-filled pipes and radiators running from a boiler, you have a 'wet' central heating system, whether it is gas, LPG or oil-fired. Your full set of controls should ideally include a boiler thermostat, a timer or programmer, a room thermostat and thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs). How much can you save? Temperature controls Timing controls What we recommend How much can you save? Whatever the age of your boiler, the right controls will let you set your heating and hot water to come on and off when you need them, heat just the areas of your home you want, and decide how warm you want each area to be. Here are the average savings you could make in a typical three-bedroom semi-detached home, heated by gas: Install a room thermostat if you didn't have one before: £70 and 280kg carbon dioxide a year Fit a hot water tank thermostat: £30 and 130kg carbon dioxide a year Fit a hot water tank insulation jacket: £40 and 170kg carbon dioxide a year. You can also make savings by using your controls more effectively: Turn down your room thermostat by one degree: save around £55 and 230kg carbon dioxide a year. You can upgrade or install heating controls without replacing your boiler, and it's a particularly good idea to think about this if your controls are over 12 years old. Room thermostats, for example, are much more accurate than they used to be. Temperature controls Room thermostats These prevent your home getting warmer than it needs to b

The right heating controls will let you keep your home at a comfortable temperature without wasting fuel or heat - so you'll reduce your carbon dioxide emissions and spend less on heating bills. If you have an electric storage heating and hot water system, with storage heaters use the off-peak electricity to 'charge up' overnight and then release heat during the day, you'll need a different set of controls. Find out more about electric heating and hot water controls. If your home is heated by a system of water-filled pipes and radiators running from a boiler, you have a 'wet' central heating system, whether it is gas, LPG or oil-fired. Your full set of controls should ideally include a boiler thermostat, a timer or programmer, a room thermostat and thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs). How much can you save? Temperature controls Timing controls What we recommend How much can you save? Whatever the age of your boiler, the right controls will let you set your heating and hot water to come on and off when you need them, heat just the areas of your home you want, and decide how warm you want each area to be. Here are the average savings you could make in a typical three-bedroom semi-detached home, heated by gas: Install a room thermostat if you didn't have one before: £70 and 280kg carbon dioxide a year Fit a hot water tank thermostat: £30 and 130kg carbon dioxide a year Fit a hot water tank insulation jacket: £40 and 170kg carbon dioxide a year. You can also make savings by using your controls more effectively: Turn down your room thermostat by one degree: save around £55 and 230kg carbon dioxide a year. You can upgrade or install heating controls without replacing your boiler, and it's a particularly good idea to think about this if your controls are over 12 years old. Room thermostats, for example, are much more accurate than they used to be. Temperature controls Room thermostats These prevent your home getting warmer than it nee

United Nation's Security Council has decided to freeze the assets of 3 North Korean companies and consequently ban them from global trade because of their involvement in exporting, procuring and financing nuclear-related weapons. UN's sanctions committee has named the 3 blacklisted firms as Korea Heungjin Trading Company, Amroggang Development Banking Corporation and Green Pine Conglomerate. Amroggang is a financing company involved in ballistic missile sales and is related to Tanchon Commercial Bank, which was blacklisted in 2009 for its participation in selling of arms. Green Pine is the firm which took over most of the activities of the Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation, North Korea's primary arms dealer that was blacklisted in 2009. It manufactures military maritime crafts, missile systems, torpedoes and also provides technical assistance to defense firms. Meanwhile, Korea Heungjin Trading Company was utilized to manufacture equipment with missile design applications and had been used for trading by the Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation. The Security Council committee has also approved more technology and items that would be banned for transfer from and to North Korea, adding to its list that contains North Korea's nuclear-related resources. Originally, South Korea, Japan, US and the European Union proposed to Security Council's committee a list of 40 North Korean firms they wanted to sanction but China blocked the deal, resulting in only the approval of 3 companies. China usually opposes economic sanctions and is an ally of North Korea, though it had previously approved sanctions against the latter in its 2009 nuclear test. Before the final decision of the committee, Springhill Group Home discovered that the companies included in the sanction list included 5 individuals and 8 more firms. The UN sanction committee works on a consensus basis, meaning that any individual member of the council is capable of blocking an

The decision of US to let the blind human rights activist Chen Guangcheng return into China's fold following his escape from authorities is straining ties between the two countries as diplomatic dialogues opened in Beijing. The 40-year old Chen who is now considered a dissident became an international human rights inspiration to many Chinese after earning the ire of the local government for exposing forced abortions in line with the country's one-child policy. The self-taught lawyer took to the US embassy after his escape, apparently to ask for help but was eventually ushered into the Beijing Hospital. According to a senior official's statement to Springhill Care Group, Chen has indeed went into the embassy that day and has requested for medical treatment for his injured foot. American medical personnel have then conducted medical tests and made appropriate treatment during the time he was there. Immediately after the incident, the Chinese government has expressed its disapproval about the entire affair, demanding an apology from the US for taking Chen in. "What the U.S. side should do now is neither to continue misleading the public and making every excuse to shift responsibility and conceal its wrongdoing, nor to interfere in the domestic affairs of China," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin. This incident came just when the US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton is visiting Beijing in a meeting with Chinese officials on security and trade talks. And although no one mentioned Chen's name, it is evident in their statements that the incident is on the spotlight as the 2 nations struggle to maintain common ground. Clinton said in her opening statement, "The United States believes that no state can legitimately deny the universal rights that belong to every human being - or punish those who exercise them. A China that protects the rights of all its citizens will be a stronger, more prosperous partner for the United State

"Springhill Care Group - Spain's borrowing costs on its 10-year government bonds fell to the lowest level since January on Thursday. At its latest debt auction raised 4.8 billion euros and saw strong demand from investors for the bonds maturing in three and 10 years' time. Madrid has been able to more easily sell its bonds at lower rates of interest since the European Central Bank announced its bond-buying plan. Trader Ignacio Blanco with Bankinter said: "Over the last month and a half bond interest rates are down more than two percent, since Draghi spoke at the end of July. There was strong demand in the days before the auction and today too. They were buying bonds before, they continued to buy today, and the initial operations after the auction were good." Many analysts have warned Spain's borrowing costs could skyrocket to unsustainable levels unless Rajoy asks for an international bailout, at which point the ECB would start buying Spanish bonds. The country's economic crisis is exposing deep fault lines with the wealthy, but heavily indebted, region of Catalonia calling for tax breaks. Catalonia, which is in northeastern Spain, generates one fifth of the country's economic output and is home to 16 percent of Spaniards. More than half of Catalans say they want a separate state, and hundreds of thousands marched in Barcelona last week - the biggest such show of separatist fervor. The upsurge in Catalan separatism is founded on a conviction that Madrid is draining the region financially. The central government collects most taxation payments then redistributes them to Spain's 17 self-governing regions, which run their own schools and hospitals. Each year Catalans say they pay 16 billion euros more in taxes than the regional government spends. The region's debts have made the Madrid government's task of balancing the budget more difficult. Rajoy has threatened to intervene in regions that cannot control their budgets. Catalonia is li