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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

Our Heritage Brother F.C. Sowell held two tent meetings years before the Spring Hill Church of Christ was established. The seed, which is the word of God (Luke 8:11 ), was sown at that time. Later, a few Christians began to conduct worship services, the first being held on May 1, 1915 . Seventeen people were present for the first service. The first gospel meeting for the newly formed church was held by Brother E.A. Elam. Brother H.W. Rye held meetings the next two years. The services were held for three years each Sunday afternoon in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church building. The elders who served at that time were Brothers Lee Prentice, Albert Carpenter and R.L. Hays. The deacons were Jim Goad, J.W. Beasley and J.A.C. Jones. Brother W.L. Green served as treasurer. In the year 1918, the elders bought lots on Depot Street from Brother Charlie Mahon, and the first building owned by Spring Hill Church of Christ was erected. Brother Rye held the first meeting in the new church building. In the years following, gospel meetings were held by such men as C.M. Pullias, Ben Harding and Andy Largen. The church had preachers from David Lipscomb College once a month. Brother Clifford was one of those who came from time to time. In those early years of the church's existence, the weekly contributions were often just two or three dollars. Bible class teachers in those days were Brother R.L. Hays, Sister R.L. Hays, Sister J.A.C. Jones and Sister Will Green. During the first years in the new building there were no classrooms. They divided into different groups in the auditorium. When someone obeyed the gospel they were taken to a little creek not far away to be baptized. In 1936 the Tennessee Orphans' Home moved to Spring Hill from Columbia . There were a total of forty-eight (48) children under the supervision of Brother S.O. Owens. With those additional people, it was necessary to build three classrooms. With a rather steady increase in number, especially childre

""Springhill Group Seoul Korea" - SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korean fishing boats crossed the Koreas' tense western sea boundary and retreated soon after being warned Wednesday in the second such violation this year, South Korea said. No fighting erupted though the border is one the North has long refused to recognize. A North Korean government boat briefly crossed the boundary while trying to guide the seven fishing boats back to North Korean-controlled waters, a South Korean Defense Ministry official said on condition of anonymity, citing office rules. Later Wednesday, seven North Korean boats again violated the boundary, but they all sailed back after a warning was broadcast, the official said. It wasn't clear whether they were the same seven boats that earlier crossed. Seoul says North Korean fishing boats last crossed in April. The disputed sea boundary is not clearly marked, and incursions by North Korean military and fishing boats are not unusual. Violence often erupts in the seafood-rich waters, and three naval clashes since 1999 have taken a few dozen lives. After the Korean War ended nearly 60 years ago with a truce, not with a peace treaty, the U.S.-led U.N. Command divided the Yellow Sea without Pyongyang's consent. The boundary cut North Korea off from rich fishing waters, and Pyongyang has contested the line ever since. North Korea shelled a front-line South Korean island near the boundary in November 2010, killing four people. Earlier in 2010, an explosion ripped apart a South Korean warship in the area, killing 46 sailors. Seoul said Pyongyang torpedoed the vessel. North Korea denies responsibility."

A new study published this week in the Sleep journal has discovered that sleep problem decreases with age; basically contradicting the common belief that sleep problem comes with age. A group of researchers from Center for Sleep of Pennsylvania University along with other organizations conducted a survey of 155,877 people from all ages who has previously reported sleep disturbances. Their study aims to find the answer on how sleep complaints alter as a person age. The study was conducted by asking participants how often within the past 2 weeks they had problems staying or falling asleep as well as the number of days they have felt tired. Their telephone survey has resulted in the conclusion that sleep quality, in fact, gets better as you get older. They found a general decline in sleep tiredness across higher age groups. Actually, women and men older than 80 are the least likely among the age groups to complain of sleep problems. According to the study, poor overall health conditions and depression are both connected with sleep problems as those who have mild depression appear more twice as likely to report sleep disorders. Basically, it shows that once you have control of mood and health, people dont necessarily have more sleep problems. Experts seem to be disputing the results of the study as the method of data collection done is generally subjective (participants were only asked about their physical symptoms) as opposed to previous researches done through objective data gathering (e.g. monitoring patients' sleep patterns in laboratory room) which could be the reason for the result difference. A single study cannot hope to change the health care implementation. But considering that the sample size of the study is large, it will be hard to discount the results. Besides, the question given was so general that it captures the entirety of sleep disorders. The results of this study is essentially contrad

Patients with sickle cell disease move from pediatric to adult health care because they now depend more on the emergency room, says researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Reported at the American Society of Hematology's annual meeting in Atlanta, more than 3,200 patients with sickle cell disease demonstrates that emergency room visits tripled from age 15 to age 24 this is according to the study of Medicaid data. According to hematologist Morey A. Blinder, MD, associate professor of medicine, "There seems to be a breakdown in medical care during the transition from childhood to adulthood. Not only emergency department usage, but hospitalizations go up during this time as well." Blinder further added that one possible explanation for the increased reliance on emergency care is the relative lack of adult health care providers with experience caring for sickle cell patients. Alarming similar issues are arising for other pediatric diseases, such as cystic fibrosis and hemophilia. The said illnesses were previously fatal. What is more sad about the problem is over the past few decades the number of children and teenagers are living into adulthood with these conditions increased. What makes the matters worse is there often aren't enough primary care physicians who can provide care for these adult patients. Many are not familiar to the understanding of the sickle cell disease. It refers to a number of inherited genetic conditions the "sickle" shape red blood cells aren't normal, they are suppose to be normally round, disk-like red blood cells. The problems with these malformed red blood cells are prone to clogging smaller blood vessels and they do not carry oxygen to the body as well as healthy cells. The condition often causes pain in places the cells block blood flow that sometimes causes more severe complications include blindness, strokes and pneumonia. Medical patients from five states including Florida, New Jersey

Springhill Home Care Group Korea Reviews Seoul Employs Elderly to Tackle Phone Waste http://blogs.wsj.com/korearealtime/2013/07/25/seoul-employs-elderly-to-tackle-phone-waste/ South Koreans are among the world's most frequent phone upgraders, buying about 15 million new mobile phones each year, according to a recent report by market research firm DigiEco. One of the problems that creates is the handling of all the discarded older phones. To tackle the issue of electronics waste, or e-waste, the Seoul city government started a program called Eco City in 2009 to collect used electronics. It runs a waste handling facility called Seoul Resource Center in the northeast of the capital and employs elderly or low-income people to break them down and process the parts. Eco City is unique in that it is an entirely government-funded and directed operation. In Tokyo, the municipal government invited private companies to set up recycling facilities, while China has struggled to deal with large amounts of e-waste both produced domestically and imported. Seoul's Eco City says each discarded mobile phone has between 2,500 won and 4,000 won (about US$2.23-$3.50) worth of metals in it, including rare earth metals such as neodymium. At intervals of six months or a year, companies can bid to purchase the waste that has been gathered and sorted by Eco City. Whatever can't be sold or reused is incinerated. http://springhillcaregroup.net/ http://news.springhillcaregroup.net/

A group of real estate experts downplayed the possibility of a Japan-like property bubble burst at a forum hosted by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Tuesday. Participants who shared the view that South Korea's property market is different from Japan included professor Choi Hee-gap from Ajou University. Choi said that Japan suffered a property market crash - ?which was initiated by enterprises in the 1980s? - in the wake of policymakers? rapid hikes in interest rates in the 1990s. ?Unlike the Japanese case, Korea saw the expansion of the realty market on the back of active investment of households," he argued. ?Further, thanks to financial authorities? strict regulations on mortgage loans over the past several years, a bubble in housing prices is not so big." But he added that the government should implement detailed measures to cope with the aging society and resolve worries over a sharp drop in housing prices. Kim Deok-ryeh, a researcher at Korea Housing Institute, said whether the sluggish real estate market will be revitalised depends on ?the pending bill on easing regulations, the coming presidential elections and the eurozone fiscal crisis?. Among the participants were officials from the Ministry of Land, Transportation and Maritime Affairs, Hyundai Research Institute, Citizens? Coalition for Economic Justice and the Korea Housing Builders Association. About 180 business leaders also participated in the KCCI forum as observers. Meanwhile, Hyundai Research Institute recently warned that Korea may follow in the footsteps of Spain and Ireland as the country is now past its demographic window, the period when the percentage of people able to work reaches its peak. ?We must be mindful of the possibility of a property bubble burst as a sharp fall in the proportion of the working age population cuts demand for real estate," an HRI analyst said in the report titled ?Time to Prepare for Demographic Bo

sophiamostel: Springhill Care Group : 2012 U.S. Healthcare: UCR or '$99,750 Ear Wax Fraud'? Aetna Wants Court to Stop Hospital's UCR Billing On Dec 7, 2011, Aetna filed a lawsuit against two PPO surgeons and one out-of-network (OON) hospital, in the District Court, Harris County, Texas. Aetna lawsuit seeks to recover damages and attorneys' fees and for court temporary injunction to stop the OON hospital's UCR billing and PPO surgeon's referrals, alleging breach of contract, conspiracy to overcharge, tortious interference, and common law fraud, including "a bill for $99,750 for the removal of ear wax". A new 2012 "UCR war" already unfolds in the court. ERISAclaim.com offers private Webinars to examine this court case, its profound impacts on all OON providers, and explore compliant solutions and protections under ERISA and PPACA as well as OIG Guidance. Aetna OON UCR Case info: AETNA HEALTH INC vs. SOFOLA, IFEOLUMIPO O (MD) (Case #: 2011-73949 / Court 152) In 2012, most out-of-network (OON) doctors, surgical centers and hospitals will "make it or break it", depending upon the outcome of this new Aetna lawsuit, as an emerging trend in managed litigations. "While the alleged $99,750 ear wax UCR fee may or may not be an isolated inadvertent error, the payor's new lawsuit to outlaw all OON UCR billing as fraud certainly represents a new 2012 trend and detrimental blow to all OON providers and 77% of insured Americans in private industry," says Dr. Jin Zhou, president of ERISAclaim.com, a national expert on PPACA and ERISA appeals and compliance. "Failure to recognize the impact of the payor UCR legal actions under $99,750 ear wax anti-fraud strategies and to quickly act with compliant solutions, the OON market will most likely fail by the end of 2012," warned Dr. Zhou. According to the court documents, "Plaintiffs Aetna Health Inc. and Aetna Life Insurance Company (collectively, "Aetna") bring this action under the laws of thi

billiepalance: Springhill Group Florida:: Living and Care Options Springhill Group living and care options are available depending on what the residents need and prefer. Independent Living The independent accommodations are occupied for those who wish to maintain a significant standard of flexibility, but also value the friendly relationship, the security, recreational facilities, and care that is provided by to them. The homes are designed to allow residents simple and easy household management encircled by warm and friendly neighbours Assisted Living Assisted Living is desirable to people who need a little extra care with their everyday living. You will also find here theflexibility and security of owning your personal space, to have your valuable possessions and things around you. Resthome Level Care Resthome level care in a Ryman Village, offers residents the very best in clinical care, while receiving the benefits of living in our warm and welcoming community. sophiamostel: Springhill Care Group : 2012 U.S. Healthcare: UCR or '$99,750 Ear Wax Fraud'? Aetna Wants Court to Stop Hospital's UCR Billing On Dec 7, 2011, Aetna filed a lawsuit against two PPO surgeons and one out-of-network (OON) hospital, in the District Court, Harris County, Texas. Aetna lawsuit seeks to recover damages and attorneys' fees and for court temporary injunction to stop the OON hospital's UCR billing and PPO surgeon's referrals, alleging breach of contract, conspiracy to overcharge, tortious interference, and common law fraud, including "a bill for $99,750 for the removal of ear wax". A new 2012 "UCR war" already unfolds in the court. ERISAclaim.com offers private Webinars to examine this court case, its profound impacts on all OON providers, and explore compliant solutions and protections under ERISA and PPACA as well as OIG Guidance. Aetna OON UCR Case info: AETNA HEALTH INC vs. SOFOLA, IFEOLUMIPO O (MD) (Case #: 2011-73949 / Court 152) In 2012, most out-of

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

GPS jamming signals coming from North Korea has forced South Korea to order its military and civilian air transports to switch on alternative navigational devices to avoid disruption. A statement from the ministry has confirmed that they were able to warn airlines and pilots of the 241 affected South Korean flights along with the 11 foreign airlines like Thai Airways, AirPhil, FedEx, Japan Airlines and Cathay Pacific Airways. But even as the GPS jamming signals continued, South Korea sees no serious threat to navigational safety. Korea Communications Commission confirmed that the GPS jamming signals have been coming from a city on North Korea side of the border. "We've traced the jamming signals to the direction of Kaesong," a commission deputy director told Springhill Group. According to the transport agency, planes that suffered from GPS signal jamming were instructed to use the alternative navigation systems and were not delayed in their schedules. The signal jamming appears to be focused on air traffic at Gimpo and Incheon airports, both of which are around 30 miles from the border. Despite the GPS disruption, Springhill Group reports that there was no serious threat to flight safety as airplanes are capable of using other navigation devices like inertial navigation system and very-high-frequency omni-directional range (VOR). Meanwhile, military communications and transportation were not greatly affected as they do not primarily depend on the GPS system.

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

Egypt's new president Mohamed Morsi is reconsidering the peace agreement with Israel and ties with Iran in an attempt to build a strategic balance in the region. Morsi was quick to announce that all issues will be addressed by governmental bodies as he will not make decisions on his own, according to Springhill Group Home. "Part of my agenda is the development of ties between Iran and Egypt that will create a strategic balance in the region." Morsi has convened with his advisors to form a new Cabinet prior to his swearing-in on Saturday as the first freely-elected leader. On the other hand, the defeated candidate Ahmed Shafik was found to have left the Egypt in the midst of mounting fraud charges against him since his time as the nation's civil aviation minister. The Muslim Brotherhood's candidate has pledged to become a leader for all Egyptians. "I will be a president for all Egyptians. I call on you, great people of Egypt… to strengthen our national unity - the only way out of these difficult times," Morsi said hours following his being declared the new president. Egypt has breathed a collected sigh of relief when the election and proclamation have finished without the feared bloodshed. Morsi's triumph, also marking Egypt's first fair and free election in the modern times, followed almost 2 years of political upheavel and civil unrest from Hosni Mubarak's military-rule. Britain, France, US and the European Union have deemed the democratic election and the winning civilian president as significant parts of Egypt's history. The US in particular has encouraged Morsi to continue Egypt's transition to democracy that began last year. However, even if Morsi has already resigned from the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt when he was elected, Israel is still worried of him for his Islam affiliations that could possibly endanger the peace of the two neighboring nations. And although the foreign ministry of Iran has acknowledged

GPS jamming signals coming from North Korea has forced South Korea to order its military and civilian air transports to switch on alternative navigational devices to avoid disruption. A statement from the ministry has confirmed that they were able to warn airlines and pilots of the 241 affected South Korean flights along with the 11 foreign airlines like Thai Airways, AirPhil, FedEx, Japan Airlines and Cathay Pacific Airways. But even as the GPS jamming signals continued, South Korea sees no serious threat to navigational safety. Korea Communications Commission confirmed that the GPS jamming signals have been coming from a city on North Korea side of the border. "We've traced the jamming signals to the direction of Kaesong," a commission deputy director told Springhill Group. According to the transport agency, planes that suffered from GPS signal jamming were instructed to use the alternative navigation systems and were not delayed in their schedules. The signal jamming appears to be focused on air traffic at Gimpo and Incheon airports, both of which are around 30 miles from the border. Despite the GPS disruption, Springhill Group reports that there was no serious threat to flight safety as airplanes are capable of using other navigation devices like inertial navigation system and very-high-frequency omni-directional range (VOR). Meanwhile, military communications and transportation were not greatly affected as they do not primarily depend on the GPS system.

On Blogger - Springhill Care Group A programme that gets pharmacists to help make sure nursing home residents take their medicines promptly and safely will be extended to more homes and home-care providers. It follows a successful one-year pilot at six nursing homes in the last year. They are St Theresa's Home, Society for the Aged Sick, Tai Pei Social Service, Sree Narayana Mission Home for the Aged Sick, Jamiyah Nursing Home and Moral Home for the Aged Sick. A spokesman for the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC), an entity under the Ministry of Health that oversees the long-term care of the elderly, said it would start getting in touch with other nursing homes and hoped to extend the programme to all eventually. For the pilot, pharmacists from Guardian Health & Beauty, Watson's Personal Care Stores, NTUC Unity Healthcare and the National Healthcare Group visited the six homes and met individual residents to sort out their medications. View full story at: http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/medication-programme-extended-more-homes-home-care-providers-20120930

Extending the medication programme is really been a good news..thanks for the organization who support this programme..

This is just so inspiring it made my day.

Over 200 people have been arrested in connection with a massive bank card fraud that may have bilked banks and clients out of a billion yuan ($159 million), the Xinhua News Agency reported yesterday. The Ministry of Public Security detained 208 people in eight provinces and municipalities.

http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/715766.shtml - Over 200 people have been arrested in connection with a massive bank card fraud that may have bilked banks and clients out of a billion yuan ($159 million), the Xinhua News Agency reported yesterday. The Ministry of Public Security detained 208 people in eight provinces and municipalities.

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.

Sounds interesting enough; maybe I'll watch out for this.

Brother F.C. Sowell held two tent meetings years before the Spring Hill Church of Christ was established. The seed, which is the word of God (Luke 8:11 ), was sown at that time. Later, a few Christians began to conduct worship services, the first being held on May 1, 1915 .

http://www.zimbio.com/Springhill+Group GPS jamming signals coming from North Korea has forced South Korea to order its military and civilian air transports to switch on alternative navigational devices to avoid disruption. A statement from the ministry has confirmed that they were able to warn airlines and pilots of the 241 affected South Korean flights along with the 11 foreign airlines like Thai Airways, AirPhil, FedEx, Japan Airlines and Cathay Pacific Airways.

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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

Egypt's new president Mohamed Morsi is reconsidering the peace agreement with Israel and ties with Iran in an attempt to build a strategic balance in the region. Morsi was quick to announce that all issues will be addressed by governmental bodies as he will not make decisions on his own, according to Springhill Group Home. "Part of my agenda is the development of ties between Iran and Egypt that will create a strategic balance in the region." Morsi has convened with his advisors to form a new Cabinet prior to his swearing-in on Saturday as the first freely-elected leader. On the other hand, the defeated candidate Ahmed Shafik was found to have left the Egypt in the midst of mounting fraud charges against him since his time as the nation's civil aviation minister. The Muslim Brotherhood's candidate has pledged to become a leader for all Egyptians. "I will be a president for all Egyptians. I call on you, great people of Egypt… to strengthen our national unity - the only way out of these difficult times," Morsi said hours following his being declared the new president. Egypt has breathed a collected sigh of relief when the election and proclamation have finished without the feared bloodshed. Morsi's triumph, also marking Egypt's first fair and free election in the modern times, followed almost 2 years of political upheavel and civil unrest from Hosni Mubarak's military-rule. Britain, France, US and the European Union have deemed the democratic election and the winning civilian president as significant parts of Egypt's history. The US in particular has encouraged Morsi to continue Egypt's transition to democracy that began last year. However, even if Morsi has already resigned from the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt when he was elected, Israel is still worried of him for his Islam affiliations that could possibly endanger the peace of the two neighboring nations. And although the foreign ministry of Iran has ackno