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From its sprawling manufacturing base deep in China's southwestern Hunan province, some 100 kilometers from where Mao was born, construction-machinery maker Sany Group plans to take on the world. While workers in blue overalls and yellow hard hats crawl over huge mobile hydraulic cranes and cement mixer trucks in a gleaming factory, Sany President Tang Xiuguo sits in his expansive office nearby, discussing the opening of Sany factories in Brazil, India, and Alabama, as well as the soon-to-be-completed $475 million acquisition of Germany's Putzmeister, the world's largest maker of cement pumps. The bespectacled Tang, one of four founders of the 22-year-old company, aims to lift overseas sales, now some 5 percent of its $16 billion revenue, to up to one-fifth of revenues within five years. The phrase "Made in China" summons up images of cheap shoes, plastic toys, and electronics assembled in the vast factory complexes of Foxconn Technology Group (HNHPF). While China built its powerful export business-increasing 17 percent a year over the last three decades-on such light industry and electronics assembly, that is fast changing. Rising labor costs, up 15 percent annually since 2005, plus an appreciating currency, are putting new pressures on China's cheap manufacturing model and driving textile, shoe, and apparel factories to close or relocate to Vietnam, Cambodia, or Bangladesh. "China's share of the world's low-end exports has started to fall. This reflects a shift by Chinese producers into sectors where margins are higher rather than a failure to compete," wrote U.K.-based Capital Economics in a March 28 note.

From its sprawling manufacturing base deep in China's southwestern Hunan province, some 100 kilometers from where Mao was born, construction-machinery maker Sany Group plans to take on the world. While workers in blue overalls and yellow hard hats crawl over huge mobile hydraulic cranes and cement mixer trucks in a gleaming factory, Sany President Tang Xiuguo sits in his expansive office nearby, discussing the opening of Sany factories in Brazil, India, and Alabama, as well as the soon-to-be-completed $475 million acquisition of Germany's Putzmeister, the world's largest maker of cement pumps. The bespectacled Tang, one of four founders of the 22-year-old company, aims to lift overseas sales, now some 5 percent of its $16 billion revenue, to up to one-fifth of revenues within five years. The phrase "Made in China" summons up images of cheap shoes, plastic toys, and electronics assembled in the vast factory complexes of Foxconn Technology Group (HNHPF). While China built its powerful export business-increasing 17 percent a year over the last three decades-on such light industry and electronics assembly, that is fast changing. Rising labor costs, up 15 percent annually since 2005, plus an appreciating currency, are putting new pressures on China's cheap manufacturing model and driving textile, shoe, and apparel factories to close or relocate to Vietnam, Cambodia, or Bangladesh. "China's share of the world's low-end exports has started to fall. This reflects a shift by Chinese producers into sectors where margins are higher rather than a failure to compete," wrote U.K.-based Capital Economics in a March 28 note.

http://www.jeteye.com/jetpak/d7fad668-4808-4692-bc8c-fbcfe91fc31f/  News Center - Springhill Group Home Loans Springhill Group Home is a housing finance company with the principal goal of achieving a social requirement of motivating home ownership by offering long-term finance to households. Springhill Group Home has turned the idea of housing finance in Springhill into a world-class business venture with outstanding reputation for dependability, honesty and outstanding services. Springhill Group Home has a wide network of contacts from different loan companies within United States and Asia catering to towns & cities spread across the country providing housing loans and property advisory services. For inquiries, email us at info@springhillgrouphome.com background-color: white; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right:

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, March 20, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ - Researchers find high incidence rates and deaths in first-ever analysis of the disease impacts in Latin America Today, Latin American researchers and global health leaders revealed preliminary results from the first-ever study to estimate the burden and costs of meningococcal disease in the region. The study found a need for improved surveillance and better understanding of meningococcal epidemiology and information on costs to help devise meningitis vaccination programs. This new research was coordinated by the Sabin Vaccine Institute in partnership with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the International Vaccine Access Center at Johns Hopkins University (JHU's IVAC) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr. Ciro de Quadros, Executive Vice President of the Sabin Vaccine Institute in Washington, D.C., said, "Clearly, meningitis is a real health and economic burden in Latin America. Too many children are debilitated or die from this serious disease, yet it is preventable by vaccines. Our new research proves that we need to improve our strategies to fight meningococcal disease." Dr. de Quadros spoke at the conclusion of the first Regional Meningococcal Symposium, convened by the Sabin Vaccine Institute and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO). The symposium, which took place March 19 and 20 in Buenos Aires, brought together more than 150 researchers, vaccine experts, economists and others to evaluate the extent and cost of meningococcal disease and what obstacles impede its prevention through vaccination. "Few diseases have as much power to cause panic among the population as meningococcal disease, said Dr. Marco Aurelio Safadi, Head of the Pediatric Infectious Disease Division at Sao Luiz Hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil. "This is primarily because of its potentially epidemic nature. The rapid on

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, March 20, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ - Researchers find high incidence rates and deaths in first-ever analysis of the disease impacts in Latin America Today, Latin American researchers and global health leaders revealed preliminary results from the first-ever study to estimate the burden and costs of meningococcal disease in the region. The study found a need for improved surveillance and better understanding of meningococcal epidemiology and information on costs to help devise meningitis vaccination programs. This new research was coordinated by the Sabin Vaccine Institute in partnership with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the International Vaccine Access Center at Johns Hopkins University (JHU's IVAC) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr. Ciro de Quadros, Executive Vice President of the Sabin Vaccine Institute in Washington, D.C., said, "Clearly, meningitis is a real health and economic burden in Latin America. Too many children are debilitated or die from this serious disease, yet it is preventable by vaccines. Our new research proves that we need to improve our strategies to fight meningococcal disease." Dr. de Quadros spoke at the conclusion of the first Regional Meningococcal Symposium, convened by the Sabin Vaccine Institute and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO). The symposium, which took place March 19 and 20 in Buenos Aires, brought together more than 150 researchers, vaccine experts, economists and others to evaluate the extent and cost of meningococcal disease and what obstacles impede its prevention through vaccination. "Few diseases have as much power to cause panic among the population as meningococcal disease, said Dr. Marco Aurelio Safadi, Head of the Pediatric Infectious Disease Division at Sao Luiz Hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil. "This is primarily because of its potentially epidemic nature. The rapid on

"For the twelfth successive year, identity theft topped the consumer complaint database of the Federal Trade Commission with the largest number of complaints, perhaps owing to the rampant use (and misuse) of online services such as social networking and e-commerce websites.   From the 1.8 million complaints the FTC got in 2011, almost 300,000 are about identity theft. The information of FTC has included complaints filed to them or from other states and federal consumer protection groups.   Most of the complaints of identity theft are coming from consumers saying that their personal details are used in government documents without their knowledge, with scammers aiming to collect benefits. Last year, government-related identity theft was 27% of the total complaints in that category, increasing by 11% since 2009. Accounting for the 14% of identity theft complaints is credit card fraud, with the rest consisting of complaints of bank, utilities and phone fraud.   More than half of all the complaints last year were related to fraud and taxpayers reportedly paid a total of over USD 1.5 billion in fraudulent schemes, with the average amount paid being USD 537. Moreover, 43% of the victims acknowledged that scammers reached them through email messages.   The top three states that have the most per capita rate of fraud reported are Colorado, Delaware and Maryland as first, second and third, respectively.   Generally, FTC discovered that people are either more willing to file complaints or they simply have more complaints now. The total amount of complaints they have received has increased by over 20% - from 1.5 million to 1.8 million in 2011 - that includes both identity theft and fraud complaints.   The following is the complete list of FTC's top 10 consumer complaints for the year 2011:   1. Identity theft 2. Debt collection 3. Lotteries, sweepstakes, prizes 4. Catalog sales, shop-at-home, 5. Lenders and Banks 6. Internet services 7. Auto-re

Source : http://newscenter.springhillgrouphome.com/ http://springhillgrouphome.multiply.com/journal/item/59/Springhill_Group_Home_Top_10_Fraud_Schemes Springhill Group Home: Top 10 Fraud Schemes http://newscenter.springhillgrouphome.com/2012/03/springhill-group-home-top-10-fraud-schemes/ For the twelfth successive year, identity theft topped the consumer complaint database of the Federal Trade Commission with the largest number of complaints, perhaps owing to the rampant use (and misuse) of online services such as social networking and e-commerce websites. From the 1.8 million complaints the FTC got in 2011, almost 300,000 are about identity theft. The information of FTC has included complaints filed to them or from other states and federal consumer protection groups. Most of the complaints of identity theft are coming from consumers saying that their personal details are used in government documents without their knowledge, with scammers aiming to collect benefits. Last year, government-related identity theft was 27% of the total complaints in that category, increasing by 11% since 2009. Accounting for the 14% of identity theft complaints is credit card fraud, with the rest consisting of complaints of bank, utilities and phone fraud. More than half of all the complaints last year were related to fraud and taxpayers reportedly paid a total of over USD 1.5 billion in fraudulent schemes, with the average amount paid being USD 537. Moreover, 43% of the victims acknowledged that scammers reached them through email messages. The top three states that have the most per capita rate of fraud reported are Colorado, Delaware and Maryland as first, second and third, respectively. Generally, FTC discovered that people are either more willing to file complaints or they simply have more complaints now. The total amount of complaints they have received has increased by over 20% -- from 1.5 million to 1.8 million in 2011 -- that includes both identity theft and fraud compl

By Todd Gilbert Nestled in a valley surrounded by rolling hills and towering peaks reaching 6,000 feet . . . rocky knolls amidst a river of trees that flow through the valley and greet the slopes of the adjacent mountains . . . an Eden amidst the dry, parched chaparral . . . an oasis dense with pines, manzanita and centuries old oak trees that once shaded only the Indians that inhabited the region: "El Valle de los Pinos", as this beautiful mountain valley was known before 1869, describes the abrupt change in scenery that only nature can explain. The surrounding desert terrain compliments the unique valley of over 1,200 acres where cedars and pines flourish amidst lush green meadows of sage and wild lilac. Early settlers of the region included the Cocopah and Coyote Indians and later the Machados family of Old Town who had come to California as pioneers in the late 18th century. For a number of years, Don Manuel Machado and his wife, Serafina Valdes operated a cattle grazing station and lived out of a Adobe house they had built. During the summer, thin and starved longhorn cattle were brought in to fatten up in the rich pastureland. In 1869, former Butterfield Stage coach driver, Captain William S. Emery and his wife settled in the area. Being Scotch-English pioneers from New England, the sound of Spanish words were unpleasant to their ears and, quickly, renamed "El Valle de los Pinos" to its literal translation of Pine Valley. Either way, the valley boasts one of the oldest names in the county. Charles F. Emery, son of Captain Emery, used to tell the story of his father's experiences on the old desert stage route and in dealing with the local Cocopah and Coyote Indians who were constantly running off the cattle he had accumulated. One old Indian, Antonio, told Captain Emery he could show him a beautiful valley in the mountains where there was plenty of grass for cattle where nobody else lived. So the two came on horseback over the Vallecitos trail th

Feb 1, '12 1:07 AM by hannah for everyone By Todd Gilbert Nestled in a valley surrounded by rolling hills and towering peaks reaching 6,000 feet . . . rocky knolls amidst a river of trees that flow through the valley and greet the slopes of the adjacent mountains . . . an Eden amidst the dry, parched chaparral . . . an oasis dense with pines, manzanita and centuries old oak trees that once shaded only the Indians that inhabited the region: "El Valle de los Pinos", as this beautiful mountain valley was known before 1869, describes the abrupt change in scenery that only nature can explain. The surrounding desert terrain compliments the unique valley of over 1,200 acres where cedars and pines flourish amidst lush green meadows of sage and wild lilac. Early settlers of the region included the Cocopah and Coyote Indians and later the Machados family of Old Town who had come to California as pioneers in the late 18th century. For a number of years, Don Manuel Machado and his wife, Serafina Valdes operated a cattle grazing station and lived out of a Adobe house they had built. During the summer, thin and starved longhorn cattle were brought in to fatten up in the rich pastureland. In 1869, former Butterfield Stage coach driver, Captain William S. Emery and his wife settled in the area. Being Scotch-English pioneers from New England, the sound of Spanish words were unpleasant to their ears and, quickly, renamed "El Valle de los Pinos" to its literal translation of Pine Valley. Either way, the valley boasts one of the oldest names in the county. Charles F. Emery, son of Captain Emery, used to tell the story of his father's experiences on the old desert stage route and in dealing with the local Cocopah and Coyote Indians who were constantly running off the cattle he had accumulated. One old Indian, Antonio, told Captain Emery he could show him a beautiful valley in the mountains where there was plenty of grass for cattle where nobody else lived. So the two came on hors

Two years ago, when I started toying with the idea of coming to Korea to teach English, my main concern was managing my finances back home. Like so many recent college graduates, I had student loans that would require monthly payments, a car lease, and a credit cards to pay down. Since I had never lived in another country, or been out of the country for that matter, I had no idea how efficient and simple Korean banking and managing your overseas accounts can be. So, if you're like me and you want the scoop on money matters before you head to Korea, read on for quick tips and tricks to help you save money, transfer large sums, and even pay your taxes. Tip #1: Be prepared! Before you leave your country, make sure that you notify your bank, credit cards, student loan lenders, cellphone company, auto loan lenders, etc. Essentially, if you owe money to anyone or you have money saved in any account, make those institutions aware that you will be traveling for a year or more. Most importantly, bring a record of ALL of your banking information: routing numbers, account numbers, and your SWIFT CODE. What's a Swift Code? It's a bank-specific number that allows a foreign bank to easily locate and transfer funds to your domestic accounts. This number, along with your other account information, is essential for seamless transactions and can be obtained simply by contacting your bank and requesting their current Swift Code. Tip #2: On-line Banking: Now-a-days I do the majority of my banking, shopping, and paying bills online. Most banking networks give you access to your funds and statements in an on-line account, so make sure that you set one up before you leave the country. You can also pay your student loans, credit cards, and most other bills online. Furthermore, this is an excellent way to track your savings and be notified of any transfer fees (most banks assess a $15-$20 fee for wire transfers). Tip #3: Enlist Friends and Family: It may also be a wise decision t

Two years ago, when I started toying with the idea of coming to Korea to teach English, my main concern was managing my finances back home. Like so many recent college graduates, I had student loans that would require monthly payments, a car lease, and a credit cards to pay down. Since I had never lived in another country, or been out of the country for that matter, I had no idea how efficient and simple Korean banking and managing your overseas accounts can be. So, if you're like me and you want the scoop on money matters before you head to Korea, read on for quick tips and tricks to help you save money, transfer large sums, and even pay your taxes. Tip #1: Be prepared! Before you leave your country, make sure that you notify your bank, credit cards, student loan lenders, cellphone company, auto loan lenders, etc. Essentially, if you owe money to anyone or you have money saved in any account, make those institutions aware that you will be traveling for a year or more. Most importantly, bring a record of ALL of your banking information: routing numbers, account numbers, and your SWIFT CODE. What's a Swift Code? It's a bank-specific number that allows a foreign bank to easily locate and transfer funds to your domestic accounts. This number, along with your other account information, is essential for seamless transactions and can be obtained simply by contacting your bank and requesting their current Swift Code. Tip #2: On-line Banking: Now-a-days I do the majority of my banking, shopping, and paying bills online. Most banking networks give you access to your funds and statements in an on-line account, so make sure that you set one up before you leave the country. You can also pay your student loans, credit cards, and most other bills online. Furthermore, this is an excellent way to track your savings and be notified of any transfer fees (most banks assess a $15-$20 fee for wire transfers). Tip #3: Enlist Friends and Family: It may also be a wise decisio

Two years ago, when I started toying with the idea of coming to Korea to teach English, my main concern was managing my finances back home. Like so many recent college graduates, I had student loans that would require monthly payments, a car lease, and a credit cards to pay down. Since I had never lived in another country, or been out of the country for that matter, I had no idea how efficient and simple Korean banking and managing your overseas accounts can be. So, if you're like me and you want the scoop on money matters before you head to Korea, read on for quick tips and tricks to help you save money, transfer large sums, and even pay your taxes. Tip #1: Be prepared! Before you leave your country, make sure that you notify your bank, credit cards, student loan lenders, cellphone company, auto loan lenders, etc. Essentially, if you owe money to anyone or you have money saved in any account, make those institutions aware that you will be traveling for a year or more. Most importantly, bring a record of ALL of your banking information: routing numbers, account numbers, and your SWIFT CODE. What's a Swift Code? It's a bank-specific number that allows a foreign bank to easily locate and transfer funds to your domestic accounts. This number, along with your other account information, is essential for seamless transactions and can be obtained simply by contacting your bank and requesting their current Swift Code. Tip #2: On-line Banking: Now-a-days I do the majority of my banking, shopping, and paying bills online. Most banking networks give you access to your funds and statements in an on-line account, so make sure that you set one up before you leave the country. You can also pay your student loans, credit cards, and most other bills online. Furthermore, this is an excellent way to track your savings and be notified of any transfer fees (most banks assess a $15-$20 fee for wire transfers). Tip #3: Enlist Friends and Family: It may also be a wise decision to

Two years ago, when I started toying with the idea of coming to Korea to teach English, my main concern was managing my finances back home. Like so many recent college graduates, I had student loans that would require monthly payments, a car lease, and a credit cards to pay down. Since I had never lived in another country, or been out of the country for that matter, I had no idea how efficient and simple Korean banking and managing your overseas accounts can be. So, if you're like me and you want the scoop on money matters before you head to Korea, read on for quick tips and tricks to help you save money, transfer large sums, and even pay your taxes. Tip #1: Be prepared! Before you leave your country, make sure that you notify your bank, credit cards, student loan lenders, cellphone company, auto loan lenders, etc. Essentially, if you owe money to anyone or you have money saved in any account, make those institutions aware that you will be traveling for a year or more. Most importantly, bring a record of ALL of your banking information: routing numbers, account numbers, and your SWIFT CODE. What's a Swift Code? It's a bank-specific number that allows a foreign bank to easily locate and transfer funds to your domestic accounts. This number, along with your other account information, is essential for seamless transactions and can be obtained simply by contacting your bank and requesting their current Swift Code. Tip #2: On-line Banking: Now-a-days I do the majority of my banking, shopping, and paying bills online. Most banking networks give you access to your funds and statements in an on-line account, so make sure that you set one up before you leave the country. You can also pay your student loans, credit cards, and most other bills online. Furthermore, this is an excellent way to track your savings and be notified of any transfer fees (most banks assess a $15-$20 fee for wire transfers). Tip #3: Enlist Friends and Family: It may also be a wise decision to gi

Mortgage fraud is crime in which the intent is to materially misrepresent or omit information on a mortgage loan application to obtain a loan or to obtain a larger loan than would have been obtained had the lender or borrower known the truth. In United States federal courts, mortgage fraud is prosecuted as wire fraud, bank fraud, mail fraud and money laundering, with penalties of up to thirty years imprisonment.As the incidence of mortgage fraud has risen over the past few years, states have also begun to enact their own penalties for mortgage fraud. Mortgage fraud is not to be confused with predatory mortgage lending, which occurs when a consumer is misled or deceived by agents of the lender. However, predatory lending practices often co-exist with mortgage fraud. Types Occupancy fraud: This occurs where the borrower wishes to obtain a mortgage to acquire an investment property, but states on the loan application that the borrower will occupy the property as the primary residence or as a second home. If undetected, the borrower typically obtains a lower interest rate than was warranted. Because lenders typically charge a higher interest rate for non-owner-occupied properties, which historically have higher delinquency rates, the lender receives insufficient return on capital and is over-exposed to loss relative to what was expected in the transaction. In addition, lenders allow larger loans on owner-occupied homes compared to loans for investment properties. When occupancy fraud occurs, it is likely that taxes on gains are not paid, resulting in additional fraud. It is considered fraud because the borrower has materially misprepresented the risk to the lender to obtain more favorable loan terms. Income fraud: This occurs when a borrower overstates his/her income to qualify for a mortgage or for a larger loan amount. This was most often seen with so-called "stated income" mortgage loans (popularly referred to as "liar loans"), where the borrower, or a l

Mortgage fraud is crime in which the intent is to materially misrepresent or omit information on a mortgage loan application to obtain a loan or to obtain a larger loan than would have been obtained had the lender or borrower known the truth. In United States federal courts, mortgage fraud is prosecuted as wire fraud, bank fraud, mail fraud and money laundering, with penalties of up to thirty years imprisonment.As the incidence of mortgage fraud has risen over the past few years, states have also begun to enact their own penalties for mortgage fraud. Mortgage fraud is not to be confused with predatory mortgage lending, which occurs when a consumer is misled or deceived by agents of the lender. However, predatory lending practices often co-exist with mortgage fraud. Types Occupancy fraud: This occurs where the borrower wishes to obtain a mortgage to acquire an investment property, but states on the loan application that the borrower will occupy the property as the primary residence or as a second home. If undetected, the borrower typically obtains a lower interest rate than was warranted. Because lenders typically charge a higher interest rate for non-owner-occupied properties, which historically have higher delinquency rates, the lender receives insufficient return on capital and is over-exposed to loss relative to what was expected in the transaction. In addition, lenders allow larger loans on owner-occupied homes compared to loans for investment properties. When occupancy fraud occurs, it is likely that taxes on gains are not paid, resulting in additional fraud. It is considered fraud because the borrower has materially misprepresented the risk to the lender to obtain more favorable loan terms. Income fraud: This occurs when a borrower overstates his/her income to qualify for a mortgage or for a larger loan amount. This was most often seen with so-called "stated income" mortgage loans (popularly referred to as "liar loans"), where the borrower, or a l

(1888PressRelease) Uncovering medicare scams latest news articles for general public to use. U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Miami, has reintroduced legislation that would double the amount of fines and incarceration for people in prison for Medicare fraud/scam. It also creates a new criminal offense punishable with a 10 year minimum sentence for those who intentionally sell or distribute the ID numbers of Medicare beneficiaries. According to the Springhill Group, the legislation also bars those who have been part of Medicare dupery in the past from billing Medicare if they switch companies. It also facilitates real-time information sharing among law enforcement agencies to aid in uncovering and dismantling Medicare scams. "South Florida has been known as the epicenter of Medicare dupery for years," she said. "It is time we took the fight to those who seek to defraud Medicare and prey on our most vulnerable citizens. This bill not only raises the penalties for those who engage in Medicare fraud, but also sets up a pro-active paradigm that will help stem the tide of abuse in South Florida and across the nation."The bill takes particular aim at Medicare theft in Miami-Dade County, widely regarded as the nation's capital of healthcare dupery. Medicare dupery in South Florida costs taxpayers between $3 billion and $4 billion every year, according to law enforcement and healthcare officials. Nationwide, Medicare and other healthcare fraud is estimated to cost $68 billion each in very year. http://springhillmedgroup.com source: http://www.1888pressrelease.com/springhill-group-medicare-dupery-bill-re-brought-in-pr-379308.html "Niche Site Builder Software" Discover how you can easily create Niche Websites promoting products from Amazon and Clickbank Fast! Just fill in the required fields and any content you want to add and the software will create a complete, monetized Niche Affiliate Site. You can build as many sites as you want! Not only will you get the software to us

Springhill Group Home has a wide network of contacts from different loan companies within United States and Asia catering to towns & cities spread across the country providing housing loans and property advisory

Springhill Group Home News Center - Springhill Group Home Loans : Blogspot News Center - Springhill Group Home Loans : Fed Seen Buying $545B of Home-Loan Debt : Report By Joseph Woelfel NEW YORK (TheStreet) - The Federal Reserve is poised to start a new round of stimulus, Bloomberg reported, citing the biggest bond dealers in the U.S. The Fed will inject more money into the economy next quarter by purchasing mortgage securities instead of Treasuries, the bond dealers said. The Fed may buy about $545 billion in home-loan debt, Bloomberg said. The Fed bought $2.3 trillion of Treasury and mortgage-related bonds between 2008 and June. Separately, Bloomberg reported the Fed and big banks fought for more than two years to keep details of the largest bailout in U.S. history a secret. Now, the rest of the world can see what it was missing, Bloomberg said, based on 29,000 pages of Fed documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act and central bank records of more than 21,000 transactions. According to Bloomberg Markets magazine's January issue, the Fed didn't tell anyone which banks were in trouble so deep they required a combined $1.2 trillion on Dec. 5, 2008, their single neediest day; bankers didn't mention they took tens of billions of dollars in emergency loans at the same time they were assuring investors their firms were healthy; and no one calculated until now that banks got an estimated $13 billion of income by taking advantage of the Fed's below-market rates. Fed officials say almost all of the loans were repaid and there have been no losses, but details suggest the secret funding enabled the biggest banks to grow even bigger, according to Bloomberg. The six biggest U.S. ba

Embattled Rupert Murdoch's empire, News Corp. appears to be planning a spin-off of its core businesses. Its own flagship newspaper, The Wall Street Journal, has reported this week that the company's board is considering a proposal that will make its publishing arm into a separate company. Springhill Group Home analysts expect such separation of assets would appease regulators and could help it to avoid selling a USD 6.9 billion stake. Fortunately, the same became true for investors as the announcement was met with the rallying of News Corp's stock to 8.3% high - the highest level it has reached since 2007. "News Corp. has one of the best TV businesses, but some people like musty, dusty publishing companies that pay great dividends. It's a good thing for shareholders." said an analyst from Lazard Capital. The media conglomerate has not yet specified which business units would be grouped together but the company is reportedly mulling to separate the entertainment operations from the book and newspaper publishing one. News Corp's publishing business brought in USD 8.8 billion in profit last year, accounting for about 7% of the company's enterprise value or 24% of the revenues. This division includes a number of prominent newspapers (Times of London, The Wall Street Journal, New York Post, The Australian and the Sun) and HarperCollins book publisher, all of which are valued for around USD 5 billion. Meanwhile, its entertainment business is more profitable with revenues of USD 23.5 billion last year, accounting for around 75% of the firm's profit and almost all of the operating revenue in the first half of the fiscal year. News Corp's television and film business consists of the Fox News channel, Fox broadcasting network and 20th Century Fox film studio. Experts are saying that the move to split the news and media operations from its more profitable film and TV businesses might be a good one, as the former has been marred by the pho

Sony, the giant Japanese electronics maker, plans to cut 6% of its workforce or around 10,000 jobs as they continue with their efforts to restructure their business, the 3rd job cut since 2005. It has already sold 2 divisions and is now scaling back its TV production.   According to Bloomberg's data, the biggest consumer electronics exporter in Japan has 168,200 staff last year. Around half of the job cuts resulted from publicized deals the company has previously made. Last month, Sony sold a chemicals subsidiary to the Development Bank of Japan while it spun off small LCD production last year into a joint deal with Toshiba and Hitachi. The remaining 5,000 job cuts will come from its unprofitable TV division that is now being overhauled in hopes of restoring the firm's health.   The 51-year old CEO, Kazuo Hirai, replaced Howard Stringer this month and immediately set out to do his promise of "unavoidable, painful choices" in order to turn the company's operations into a more profitable one.   Hirai has been credited in making the PlayStation business profitable; now he is set to put himself in charge of and bring a new team for the firm's TV business. Sony even revealed a new organizational chart that has omitted a management layer between the CEO and the head of TV department so Hirai could manage them directly.

South Korea Group of Springhill | edublogs.org May 22, '12 12:35 AM by SpringHill for everyone http://tonybricks96.edublogs.org/ http://tonybricks96.edublogs.org/2012/05/21/scrap-n-test-china-tells-n-korea/ China has been quietly and gently pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test, said two sources with knowledge of closed-door discussions between the countries, but there is no indication how Pyongyang will react. If North Korea goes ahead with the test, China would consider taking some retaliatory steps, but they would not be substantive, a source with ties to Pyongyang and Beijing said. North Korea has almost completed preparations for the test, Reuters had reported in late April, a step that would further isolate the impoverished state after last month's failed rocket launch that the United States says was a ballistic missile test. "China is unhappy … and urged North Korea not to conduct a nuclear test near Changbai Mountain," said the source, who declined to be identified. China feared a radiation leak and damage to the environment from a blast, the source added. "China also complained about the environmental damage to the area after the first two tests." When North Korea conducted nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009, it caused environmental damage to the mountain straddling the border with China. North Korea ceded part of the mountain to China in 1963. It was unclear if the secretive North Korean government, typically unwilling to bow to outside pressure, would defer or drop the plans. China is the closest thing to an ally that North Korea has. "The impact on China's northeast would be huge," the source said of a third test. Chinese officials have discussed whether threats of diplomatic action would be effective, but any action might be restricted to some economic measures to signal China's displeasure and would not affect vital food aid for North Korea, the source said. A Western diplomat, who also asked n

A US government-funded study says North Koreans have unprecedented access to foreign media, giving them a more positive impression of the outside world. But it says North Korea still has the world's most closed media environment, and those changing perceptions are unlikely to translate into significant pressure on their repressive government in the short term. The study was commissioned by the State Department and conducted by a consulting group, InterMedia. It is based on research involving several hundred North Korean defectors and refugees during 2010-2011. The Associated Press obtained the study ahead of its formal release Thursday. The study, titled "A Quiet Opening: North Koreans in a Changing Media Environment," says restrictions that threaten years in prison and hard labor for activities like watching a South Korean soap opera or listening to foreign news broadcasts have been tightened since the mid-2000s, but are enforced less than in the past. People remain wary of government inspection teams, but fewer citizens appear to be reporting on each other. Nearly half of those interviewed said that while in North Korea they had watched a foreign DVD, the most commonly used type of outside media. About a quarter of people had listened to a foreign radio news broadcast or watched a foreign news station. Nearly one-third of television watchers whose sets were fixed to state-run programming had modified them in order to capture a signal from outside stations detectable along the Chinese and South Korean borders. The authors caution that the interviews and surveys on which their research is based are not statistically representative of North Korea's population. A disproportionate number lived in proximity to the Chinese border before they fled. North Korea is separated from the more prosperous South Korea by a heavily militarized frontier, and access to the country is strictly controlled. But the communist government's monopoly on information began to erode in

SOUTH KOREA Despite success and promise, the wide-scale deployment of integrated gasification combined-cycle IGCC in South Korea is a few years away. The country has negligible domestic coal production, only possessing 149 million tons of recoverable coal reserves, and must import coal to satisfy demand. Over the years, South Korea has become the world's second-largest coal importer, after Japan. The electric power sector accounts for more than half of coal consumption, though IGCC promises a much cleaner future for coal-fired power plants. While IGCC is in line with South Korea's new and renewable energy program, the country cannot afford to wait for new technology to be employed, nor drastically decrease imports in favor of emissions reduction. Currently, most of the world, including South Korea, employs pulverized-bed boilers PBB in coal-fired power plants and these, along with past types of boilers, have given coal-powered plants very poor reputations. PBB plants require that coal be ground into a fine dust before being fired at high temperatures escaping emissions, such as sulfuric oxides and nitric oxides, are ineffectively collected by scrubbers. Coal plants have the reputation of being among the most pollution-inducing types of power plant. A new boiler technology is rapidly taking hold in the world of coal-derived energy, and this new technology may serve as a more-than-suitable bridge between PBB and IGCC. Circular fluidized-bed combustion, known better as FBC, utilizes fluidized-bed boilers FBB that do not require coal dust or extremely high temperatures. Granulated coal is loaded onto a suspended boiling before held aloft by upward-blowing air currents, tumbling the coal. This tumbling motion allows for more effective combustion and requires lower combustion temperatures. Combustion in FBBs occurs below the threshold temperature at which nitric oxides are produced, thus eliminating the need for that type of emissions capture. Internal limesto

Dozens of North Korean defectors have been booked for committing insurance fraud here, in which they gained more than 1 billion won ($874,737), police said Tuesday. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said they applied for arrest warrants for two North Korean defectors, including a 28-year-old woman whose identity is being withheld, on suspicion of getting falsely hospitalized to win insurance money. Twenty-five more North defectors were also booked for insurance fraud, the police said. The suspects held a large amount of insurance policies and got hospitalized for a variety of false diseases before winning a total of 1.04 billion won in compensation from 2007-10, according to the police. Police investigations found that while hospitalized they frequented saunas, restaurants and even night clubs. The insurance money was mostly spent on living expenses or sent through Chinese brokers to their families in the North, the police also noted. The police added that they have also booked a 71-year-old doctor and five other hospital employees for falsely admitting them, and two brokers who helped them transmit the money to the North. The doctor and his staff earned more than 100 million won from the national health insurance agency through the fraud. "The suspects found the doctor's hospital through word of mouth that he easily let people in for hospitalization," a police official said. "We will expand our investigation as there is intelligence on similar cases at more hospitals." More than a thousand defectors come into the South every year in search of political freedom and economic prosperity, but many fail to adjust to the new system. (Yonhap)