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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

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 lik

CONSULTING GROUP OF SPRINGHILL SOUTH KOREA - SEOUL - South Korean financial regulators said Thursday they had uncovered the country's biggest insurance fraud, involving more than 1,300 people and three hospitals. The scam was carried out by 1,361 people including 31 insurance workers, the Financial Supervisory Service said. Residents of the southern province of Gyeongsang posed as fake patients or exaggerated their illnesses to claim a total of 9.51 billion won ($10.36 million) from insurance firms, it said, adding 893 women were involved. Last November, police uncovered a similar insurance fraud involving more than 400 people in Taebaek, a mining town in the eastern province of Gangwon.

CONSULTING GROUP OF SPRINGHILL SOUTH KOREA - A plan to alter the subjects of the lowest level South Korean Public Service exam in favour of high school graduates has been met with opposition. The Ministry of Public Administration and Security has announced that it intends making the currently compulsory college level subjects optional while adding high school subjects as electives. The announcement came after President Lee Myung-bak said the percentage of high school graduates in the Public Service should be increased. A ministry spokesperson said that beginning in 2013, English and Korean history would be compulsory test subjects, while test-takers could select two more subjects either at university or high school level. "The plan aims to expand the opportunities for high school graduates to enter the public service sector," the spokesperson said. Those preparing to take the test have spoken out against the plan in a Government web forum. "The time and money I spent for the past three years on studying will go to waste," one said. "We will have tax officers who don't know accounting and prosecutors who have no idea about criminal law." Others have spoken out in support of the plan however, saying the high unemployment rate of graduates from provincial colleges and universities was a serious problem that needed to be addressed. Supporters said recruitment for the lowest level Public Service jobs was originally aimed at high school graduates. "Young individuals who have the basic requirements can be promoted to higher positions as they learn from experience," one said. "The current method may lead to unfavourable consequences such as hiring incompetent Public Servants. "Accordingly, it would be better to adopt a quota-system for high school graduates rather than changing the subjects."Seoul, 7 May 2012 view link: http://www.psnews.com.au/worldpsn3138.html