Rapper Eminem admits in a new documentary that his abuse of prescription drugs almost killed him. "My bottom was going to be death," the rapper said in an interview in "How to Make Money Selling Drugs," a 2013 documentary.
(Warning: The film excerpt is expletive-filled.)
The musician talks about how his first Vicodin was a revelation for him since it made him feel "mellow" and also took away his pain.
Friends tried to warn him that he was in trouble, Eminem said, but he pushed them away since he didn't view prescription drug abuse as the same as using crack or heroin.
?I would say, ?Get that (expletive) person outta here,? ? he said in the film. ?I can?t believe they said that (expletive) to me. ... I literally thought I could control (my drug problem)."
Soon the specific drugs didn't matter. "You're taking things that people are giving you that you don't even know what the (expletive) they are," Eminem said. "Xanax, Valium, tomato, to-mah-to."
The drugs caught up to the rapper and he had to be hospitalized. "Had I got to the hospital about two hours later, I would have died," he recalls in the film. "My organs were shutting down. My liver, kidneys, everything. They were gonna have to put me on dialysis, they didn?t think I was gonna make it. My bottom was gonna be death."
After leaving the hospital, Eminem relapsed within a month. "I remember just walking around my house and thinking every single day, like, I'm gonna (expletive) die." The rapper said he didn't sleep for three weeks, "not even for an (expletive) minute," and had to regain the ability to walk and speak.
"I just couldn?t believe that anybody could be naturally happy or naturally function or be just enjoying life in general without being on something," he said. "So I would say to anybody, ?It does get better.'"
"Entourage" star Adrian Grenier is one of the producers of the film, which includes interviews with Susan Sarandon and Woody Harrelson.
President Barack Obama delivers remarks and takes questions at a town hall meeting with young African leaders at the University of Johannesburg Soweto campus in South Africa, on Saturday, June 29.
By Daniel Arkin, Staff Writer, NBC News
President Barack Obama met privately Saturday with relatives of critically ill anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela in the midst of a three-nation tour through Africa.
Obama praised the former South African president as a towering historical figure who paved the way to social justice and racial reconciliation in a nation turn asunder by generations of white-minority rule.
"I also reaffirmed the profound impact that his legacy has had in building a free South Africa, and in inspiring people around the world -- including me," Obama said in a statement.
Obama also spoke by telephone with Gra?a Machel, Mandela's wife, while she remained at the 94-year-old former statesman's beside.
"I expressed my hope that Madiba draws peace and comfort from the time that he is spending with loved ones, and also expressed my heartfelt support for the entire family as they work through this difficult time," Obama said, referring to Mandela by his honorary clan name.
The White House announced earlier that Obama, "out of deference to Nelson Mandela's peace and comfort and the family's wishes," would not visit the Pretoria hospital where the ailing leader has spent three weeks being treated for a lung infection.
Meanwhile, police officials fired off stun grenades Saturday to break up a group of about 200 protesters who had congregated outside the Soweto campus of the University of Johannesburg, where Obama spoke at a town hall meeting with students. Some demonstrators carried signs depicting Obama with an Adolf Hitler mustache.
54-year-old Ramasimong Tsokolibane told the Associated Press that a host of trade unions and civil society groups protesting outside the university object to Obama's conduct as commander in chief.
Marco Longari / AFP - Getty Images
Shadows are reflected on a wall where a portrait of visiting US President Barak Obama is displayed outside the Mediclinic Heart Hospital where former South African President Nelson Mandela is hospitalized in Pretoria on June 29, 2013.
"People died in Libya. People are still dying in Syria," Tsokolibane told the AP. "In Egypt, in Afghanistan, in Pakistan, drones are still killing people. So that's why we are calling him a Hitler. He's a killer."
A June Pew poll found that Obama enjoys widespread popularity among the South African people.
Obama earlier Saturday conducted bilateral talks with South African President Jacob Zuma at the historic Union Buildings. The two leaders held a press conference that touched on a wide range of political issues, from global trade to U.S. immigration reform.
But the focal point of the conference was Mandela's failing health and powerful legacy.
Zuma told assembled reporters that Mandela was in critical but stable condition Saturday, according to the Associated Press.
Obama called on African leaders and political actors across the globe to follow in Mandela's footsteps and put patriotism ahead of personal concerns.
?We as leaders occupy these spaces temporarily and we don?t get so deluded that we think the fate of our country doesn?t depend on how long we stay in office,? Obama said.
Obama honored Mandela again at an official dinner, toasting the iconic leader.
"I propose a toast, to a man who has always been a master of his fate, who taught who that we could be the master of ours, to a proud nation and South Africa's unconquerable soul," he said.
Obama is slated Sunday to visit Robben Island, the former penal colony where South Africa's first black president spent 18 of the 27 years he was locked up in apartheid jails, Reuters reported. He is due to head to Tanzania on Monday.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Obama said the thoughts and prayers of the American people are with Nelson Mandela, who remains hospitalized with a lung infection. NBC's Lester Holt reports.
BAGHDAD (AP) ? Iraqi officials say the death toll from a series of bombings late Thursday targeting soccer fans watching a match in cafes in and around Baghdad has risen to 36.
Police and hospital officials said Friday the toll includes 20 killed and 40 wounded at a large cafe in the city of Baqouba, 60 kilometers (35 miles) northeast of Baghdad. The first bomb exploded near the entrance, followed by a car bomb targeting onlookers near the blast site. Rescue teams found several bodies on Friday morning.
Authorities late Thursday reported 16 dead and dozens wounded in attacks on other cafes in Baghdad and the Shiite town of Jbala south of the capital.
The officials released the information on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak to journalists.
June 28, 2013 ? Ongoing studies suggest that using a mix of omega-3 fatty acid supplements and psychotherapy may be helpful for children with depression and a variation of bipolar disorder.
"These are two very promising treatments for children with mood disorders. Previous research has shown both have positive impacts and few side effects, which is an issue with many medications currently available for kids," said Dr. Mary Fristad, a clinical child psychologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center who is the first to examine the combined effects of psychotherapy and omega-3 in this patient population. "We think the approach will yield a reduction in irritability, improvements in self-esteem and concentration, and better eating and sleeping habits."
Fristad has been working on the approach for nearly twenty years. During that time, she saw great progress made in understanding how medications, psychotherapy and diet impacted biological brain disorders, but relatively little about how these interventions worked in children.
"We were treating kids with effective medications, but their families did not have the coping strategies needed to deal with the child's mood disorder symptoms," recalled Fristad. "Without a supportive environment, you can't expect any pharmacologic or dietary interventions to succeed."
The disconnect prompted Fristad to embark on a series of studies to develop and validate a therapeutic model targeted at families of children with mood disorders. Called psycho-educational psychotherapy, or PEP, the method teaches parents and their children how to manage symptoms and regulate emotions. Families also are taught how to navigate the mental health system for support and learn communication skills to help cope with the disorder. PEP can be done in either a group or individual therapy setting.
Fristad, who is also a professor of psychiatry in Ohio State's College of Medicine, was awarded funding from both the Ohio Department of Mental Health and National Institute of Mental Health to further develop and test PEP.
In 2009, pilot funding from the Ohio State University Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) was given to Fristad to train the PEP method to dozens of therapists around the state. In 2011, Heather MacPherson, MA, a doctoral student supervised by Fristad, also received a T1 Research Training Fellowship from the CCTS, which allowed MacPherson to examine treatment fidelity and outcomes in the community based implementation of PEP.
Armed with evidence that PEP worked, Fristad partnered with child psychiatrists L. Eugene Arnold, MD, MEd (Ohio State) and Barbara Gracious, MD of Nationwide Children's Hospital (NCH). The team obtained funding from the National Institute of Mental Health and resource support from the CCTS to conduct studies combining PEP with omega-3 supplementation in kids with depression or bipolar-NOS (not otherwise specified).
"There are several different types of dietary omega polyunsaturated fatty acids including omega-3, 6, and 9, but the importance of their relative ratios has had very limited testing in these patient populations," said Gracious. "While all are essential to human health, there is evidence that omega-3 fatty acids in particular play a role in brain cell function and signaling."
Gracious says that epidemiological studies show that people who have a diet rich in omega-3s -- found in seafood and flaxseed -- appear to have fewer psychiatric disorders, and that over time, US intake of omega-3 has substantially decreased.
"Cultures with diets high in omega-3 versus other fatty acid types appear to have a lower incidence of depression and mood disorders," said Gracious. "At the turn of the century, the population in this country was consuming more equal amounts of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Today, that ratio is completely different, with people consuming ten to twenty times more omega-6 than omega-3."
Gracious notes that in addition to having very few side effects, omega-3 fatty acids may have other health benefits, including helping to prevent cardiovascular, inflammatory, and autoimmune diseases. During the current studies, the research team will be analyzing participants' blood to examine the relationship between inflammatory biomarkers and mood changes.
Both studies are randomized and placebo-controlled, and researchers also intend to compare results from both studies to help provide additional perspectives on the intervention types. Although improvement is expected with both interventions, researchers predict the group receiving both psychotherapy and supplementation will fare the best.
Gracious and Fristad suggest that starting children in psychotherapy at a young age may give them the coping strategies they need as an adult. According to Fristad, early therapy may also help prevent or delay kids from "converting" over to having more serious forms of mood disorders.
Both studies are still enrolling children ages 7-14. Half of the children receive therapy and all receive capsules, either omega-3 or placebo, free of charge, along with careful monitoring and the support needed to continue their treatment.
Bengaluru, June 27th 2013: Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, today launched the world's first all-in-one HD videoconferencing system, Huawei TE30. Huawei TE30 is a breakthrough device with major improvements in usability and user experience, it powers the new way of enterprise video communication. Huawei India and Digilife Distribution and Marketing Services (DDMS), a 100% subsidiary of HCL Infosystems Ltd., India's premier hardware, services and ICT Systems Integration and Distribution Company, today announced their partnership wherein DDMS will distribute the TE30 in various markets across India.
Huawei TE 30 with all-in-one HD videoconferencing, compact appearance and simplified installation making it an ideal choice and perfect partner for small and medium businesses and their on the go executives.
In today's globalized business scenario every enterprise, across the verticals, are poised for rapid expansion of their businesses to capture market share. With the rapid business expansion arises the need for aligning with clients and teams across geographies. In such a scenario face to face meetings, are an added cost and on flip side avoiding them are hidden costs. The cost of managing IT infrastructure rises to a great extent adding further burdens to an already much strained bottom-line of Enterprises.
Huawei TE 30's Installation and deployment can be wrapped up within 5 minutes, a short wait for a smooth 1080p HD videoconferencing experience. The new and added support for voice dialing is a further testament to Huawei TE30's ease of use and flexibility, making it the best choice for video communication in small- to medium-sized conference rooms.
Sonia Ahluwalia, Head-South Region, Enterprise BG India said, "We are excited to launch the next generation HD Videoconferencing System, TE30 in India. Huawei's unified communication solutions provide seamless collaboration experience across geographies and space and help to build unified and efficient teams. TE 30 is a testimony to Huawei's promise of being a perfect partner for the growing business. We also look forward to a healthy business relationship with DDMS and are confident that this association will take our business to new heights. "
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Sanjay David, CEO, Digilife Distribution and Marketing Services said, "We are proud of our association with Huawei and look forward to some robust traction amongst SMBs with our extensive channel network and achieve market leadership in this space. We believe this partnership will enhance the reach of the videoconferencing system to the SMBs across India and create value for these businesses."
Features of TE 30
All-In-One Design, 5-Minute Deployment
With a sleek interface and an exquisite rack, Huawei TE30 adopts an All-In-One design with a camera, microphone and codec integrated, eliminating the need for complicated cables to provide a much more tidy and clean setup. What's more, Huawei TE30 has the unique Wi-Fi access. You don't have to worry about the complicated cabling as the microphone array and control pad can all connect to the endpoint via Wi-Fi. In real-world applications, a user with Huawei TE30 can transform a regular conference room into an HD video conference room within 5 minutes, without any assistance from professionals.
In addition, Huawei TE30 can be wall-mounted, ceiling-mounted, or placed on the TV to accommodate the user's deployment requirements.
The World's First to Support Voice Dialing
Huawei TE30 leads the industry in offering voice dialing. You just speak out the name of the conference site that you want to connect, and Huawei TE30 will recognize the command and call the site. No more complicated remote control or typing stuff.
Perfect Balance Between Great Experience and Low Bandwidth
Huawei TE30 delivers an industry-leading audio-visual experience with 1080p HD video, 720p dual stream, and AAC-LD audio. More importantly, Huawei TE30 is able to deliver such an experience consistently even when the network quality is poor, using the following technology: First, Huawei TE30 adopts H.264 high profile (HP) and Huawei patented Video Motion Enhancement (VME) 2.0 for enhanced video processing, meaning that Huawei TE30 consumes far less bandwidth than competing products while delivering the same high video quality, significantly reducing user bandwidth investments. Second, Huawei TE30 adopts H.264 Scalable Video Coding (SVC) and SEC 3.0, which enables conferences to go on smoothly even when the packet loss ratio reaches 20%. Third, Huawei TE30 incorporates intelligent face detection and frame rate doubling technology, delivering a stable video communication experience across different environments.
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain doubled its estimate of shale gas resources in the north of England, renewing hopes of reducing its growing reliance on imports, but the government said shale explorers would have to share revenues with local communities.
A report by the British Geological Survey estimated on Thursday the rocks of the so-called Bowland shale area held 1,300 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of gas.
The latest estimate indicates shale gas could transform the UK energy market, even though typically only 10 to 15 percent of shale gas in place is recoverable. It compares with British consumption of 2.76 trillion cubic feet last year, according to BP.
"Today's news from the Geological Survey confirms 1,300 trillion cubic feet of (shale resources), which is double previous estimates," Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander told parliament.
Britain, Europe's largest gas consumer, hopes to follow the United States into energy independence by exploiting shale gas. Its gas imports are expected to surpass domestic North Sea production by 2015.
But the British shale gas industry is at an early stage and has not yet determined whether it can produce gas economically. Recovery depends on the type of rocks and their response to the hydraulic fracturing (fracking).
PLACATING THE PUBLIC
Drilling to test the shale over the next few years will prove critical for the infant industry, which must reassure a sceptical public and vocal environmental lobby concerned about the effects of fracking.
To help placate the local opposition, the industry will have to provide communities located near exploratory wells with 100,000 pounds ($153,400) worth of benefits and 1 percent of the revenue from each production site, the government said on Thursday.
"This will provide a welcome boost for communities who will host shale exploration and production as well as offering strong assurances that operators will engage with them and work to the highest health, safety and environmental standards," Energy Minister Michael Fallon said in a statement.
Shale gas is ordinary natural gas trapped in dense rock formations. The process of fracking, in which water and chemicals are pumped deep underground to break open the rocks, has led to fears it could cause earthquakes and contaminate drinking water.
A year-long ban on drilling was recently lifted after the government imposed more stringent rules on fracking to reduce any earthquake risks.
Major energy companies are taking steps to participate in the exploration and development of Britain's shale gas.
UK utility Centrica recently bought a stake in Cuadrilla, the most advanced shale driller in Britain. French oil major Total also said it would like to explore for shale gas in Britain.
Companies already exploring for shale in the Bowland area in northwest England include IGas, which has estimated that between 15.1 and 172.3 tcf of gas is in place on its licence alone.
Shares in IGas were up 9 percent in early trading on Thursday.
(Additional reporting by Oleg Vukmanovic and John McGarrity; editing by Jane Baird)
Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez will remain in jail after Superior Court Judge Renee Dupuis denied his bail appeal.
By Richard Esposito and Erin McClam, NBC News
Authorities are investigating whether Aaron Hernandez, the NFL star accused of murder in the recent shooting death of a friend, was involved in the drive-by killings of two men last year, sources told NBC News on Thursday.
The men, Daniel Abreu and Safiro Furtado, were shot to death from an SUV on July 16, 2012, after leaving a Boston nightclub.
Police put out a description of the SUV but never made an arrest. Abreu was driving in a BMW, and Furtado was in the passenger seat. One of three people in the backseat was also shot and survived.
Hernandez was charged Wednesday with first-degree murder in the execution-style killing earlier this month of Odin Lloyd, whose body was discovered in an industrial park not far from Hernandez?s home. Hernandez, an All-Pro tight end, was released by the New England Patriots after his arrest.
Prosecutors said he had summoned two friends from out of state before driving to pick up Lloyd and carry out the killing.
On Thursday, Hernandez was denied bail for a second time. Superior Court Judge Renee Dupuis said that the state?s case appeared ?circumstantial but very, very strong.? Hernandez was appealing a denial of bail by another judge the day before.
Prosecutors said they had uncovered four new pieces of evidence in less than 24 hours after searching a condo leased by Hernandez. They said they had found ammunition, a clip and a picture of Hernandez with a Glock handgun.
William McCauley, an assistant district attorney, also said that Hernandez had interfered with the investigation by home surveillance-camera video and instructing his girlfriend not to talk to investigators.
?The evidence of his guilt is overwhelming,? prosecutor William McCauley said.
Hernandez?s lawyers argued that he deserved bail because of his upstanding character and clean record, and because he was not a risk to flee. They noted that he stayed put last week, when rumors circulated in the media that Hernandez was about to be arrested. The judge was unmoved.
Considering the details of the case, ?The idea that I could release him on a bracelet and he would comply with court rules is not something that I am willing to accept,? Dupuis said. ?A bracelet just wouldn?t keep him here. Nor would $250,000.?
Hernandez watched from along one wall of the courtroom, standing behind a partition and shackled at the wrists. He has pleaded not guilty to the first-degree murder charge and five gun charges.
Meanwhile, authorities in Connecticut announced they had charged a second man in connection with Lloyd?s killing ? Carlos Ortiz of Bristol, the city where Hernandez grew up. Ortiz was charged as a fugitive from justice, appeared in court and agreed to return to Massachusetts, said Brian Preleski, the state?s attorney for New Britain.
Ortiz?s connection to the investigation was unclear, and the prosecutor gave no other details.
Prosecutors in Massachusetts laid out a detailed account of Lloyd?s killing on Wednesday but did not say who fired the fatal shot. They said that Hernandez was apparently upset that Lloyd, three nights earlier at a nightclub, was talking to people Hernandez had problems with.
Hernandez, 23, was being held at Bristol County Jail in Dartmouth, Mass., where the sheriff said he would be treated like any other inmate ? no workout equipment, no TV, no Internet access and, on the first night, spaghetti for dinner.
Mike George / Sun Chronicle / Pool / EPA
Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez and lawyer Michael Fee in Attleboro District Court on Wednesday.
Prosecutors say Hernandez was still fuming from the nightclub dispute three days earlier when he orchestrated the killing June 17.
They said Hernandez and the two friends picked Lloyd up at his house at 2:30 a.m. Surveillance footage from Hernandez?s house shows him leaving earlier in the night with a weapon, they said.
They said Lloyd got into the car and texted his sister, ?Did you see who I am with,? and later added, ?NFL? and ?Just so you know.? Prosecutors said Thursday that they believe Lloyd sent the texts because he was concerned for his safety.
Later that morning, between 3:23 a.m. and 3:27 a.m., workers on the overnight shift at the industrial park reported hearing gunshots, authorities said. It was not clear who investigators believe fired the shots.
Prosecutors say security videos from Hernandez?s house show him with firearms after Lloyd was murdered and show a Nissan Altima ? the same type of car Hernandez had rented ? coming and going at the industrial park.
Surveillance footage captured Hernandez getting out of the car at his house at 3:29 a.m. with a gun, prosecutors say.
The Patriots cut him within hours after he was led from his home in handcuffs. The team had given Hernandez a five-year, $40 million contract last summer, including a $12.5 million signing bonus. The investigation also cost Hernandez his endorsement deal with CytoSport, the maker of the Muscle Milk supplement drink.
Former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez is charged in a Massachusetts court with murder and several counts of unlawful possession of firearms.
This story was originally published on Thu Jun 27, 2013 9:18 AM EDT
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Traffic congestion charges: Prices are more effective than restrictionsPublic release date: 26-Jun-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Jorge Bonilla Londo?o jorge.bonilla@economics.gu.se University of Gothenburg
The citizens of Gothenburg, Sweden will vote soon on whether to continue the already up-and-running congestion charge. New research from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, shows that congestion charges are indeed a better way to reduce traffic and improve air quality.
The doctoral thesis from the School of Business, Economics and Law shows that in Bogota, Colombia drastic driving restrictions have not been effective, while congestion charges besides cutting traffic, as it has happened in Stockholm, may be also used to achieve the European air quality goals.
Jorge Bonilla's dissertation research focused on the economics of air quality control. One of his studies evaluated the effectiveness of the driving restriction program 'Pico y Placa' implemented in Bogota to reduce congestion and air pollution. The program consists of rationing car use at certain times of the day based on license plate numbers, which has become a popular policy in developing countries. It is low-tech and less expensive to execute.
Dr. Bonilla's research showed that despite an initial improvement in air quality for some periods of the day, pollution and vehicle use did not decrease in the long run. In fact, there is evidence of increased carbon monoxide concentrations during drastic restrictions.
'Vehicle ownership and driving increased in response to driving restrictions as drivers adapted to the phased-in program. People with economic resources acquired a second car.
Low-income people woke up earlier to drive before the restrictions started in the peak hours. In contrast, gasoline consumption in Bogota decreased in response to increasing gasoline taxes, suggesting that market mechanisms may be more effective than driving restrictions.' Jorge Bonilla says.
In one of his other studies, Jorge Bonilla and his co-researchers propose an adjustment to the congestion charge systems in Sweden and elsewhere to achieve air quality regulation. Most congestion charges currently in use incorporate price bans to mitigate congestion; however harmful concentrations are still exceeded in several occasions. Road pricing might also be temporally differentiated in order to harmonize with nature's ability to cleanse itself and so comply European regulation. That is, a higher charge will be expected in periods when the environment is restricted to dilute pollutants. If congestion charges are allowed to vary with the capacity of nature to handle pollution, then they may reduce not only global warming but also the dangerous health effects of urban air pollutants.
###
(Read more here: http://www.economics.handels.gu.se/english/Units+and+Centra/environmental-economics/about-eeu/news---press/news_+och+_events/detail//variable-congestion-charges-may-yield-more-stable-air-quality-and-improved-health-.cid1128785)
The thesis was written with support from Sida's environmental economics capacity-building programme.
Thesis title: Essays on the Economics of Air Quality Control
Link to the thesis: https://gupea.ub.gu.se/handle/2077/32864
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Traffic congestion charges: Prices are more effective than restrictionsPublic release date: 26-Jun-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Jorge Bonilla Londo?o jorge.bonilla@economics.gu.se University of Gothenburg
The citizens of Gothenburg, Sweden will vote soon on whether to continue the already up-and-running congestion charge. New research from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, shows that congestion charges are indeed a better way to reduce traffic and improve air quality.
The doctoral thesis from the School of Business, Economics and Law shows that in Bogota, Colombia drastic driving restrictions have not been effective, while congestion charges besides cutting traffic, as it has happened in Stockholm, may be also used to achieve the European air quality goals.
Jorge Bonilla's dissertation research focused on the economics of air quality control. One of his studies evaluated the effectiveness of the driving restriction program 'Pico y Placa' implemented in Bogota to reduce congestion and air pollution. The program consists of rationing car use at certain times of the day based on license plate numbers, which has become a popular policy in developing countries. It is low-tech and less expensive to execute.
Dr. Bonilla's research showed that despite an initial improvement in air quality for some periods of the day, pollution and vehicle use did not decrease in the long run. In fact, there is evidence of increased carbon monoxide concentrations during drastic restrictions.
'Vehicle ownership and driving increased in response to driving restrictions as drivers adapted to the phased-in program. People with economic resources acquired a second car.
Low-income people woke up earlier to drive before the restrictions started in the peak hours. In contrast, gasoline consumption in Bogota decreased in response to increasing gasoline taxes, suggesting that market mechanisms may be more effective than driving restrictions.' Jorge Bonilla says.
In one of his other studies, Jorge Bonilla and his co-researchers propose an adjustment to the congestion charge systems in Sweden and elsewhere to achieve air quality regulation. Most congestion charges currently in use incorporate price bans to mitigate congestion; however harmful concentrations are still exceeded in several occasions. Road pricing might also be temporally differentiated in order to harmonize with nature's ability to cleanse itself and so comply European regulation. That is, a higher charge will be expected in periods when the environment is restricted to dilute pollutants. If congestion charges are allowed to vary with the capacity of nature to handle pollution, then they may reduce not only global warming but also the dangerous health effects of urban air pollutants.
###
(Read more here: http://www.economics.handels.gu.se/english/Units+and+Centra/environmental-economics/about-eeu/news---press/news_+och+_events/detail//variable-congestion-charges-may-yield-more-stable-air-quality-and-improved-health-.cid1128785)
The thesis was written with support from Sida's environmental economics capacity-building programme.
Thesis title: Essays on the Economics of Air Quality Control
Link to the thesis: https://gupea.ub.gu.se/handle/2077/32864
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Hundreds of thousands rally for Turkey's Erdogan amid protests
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan rallied hundreds of thousands of supporters at an Istanbul parade ground on Sunday as riot police fired teargas several kilometers away in the city centre to disperse anti-government protesters. Erdogan told a sea of flag-waving supporters that two weeks of protests had been manipulated by "terrorists" and dismissed suggestions that he was behaving like a dictator, a constant refrain from those who have taken to the streets.
Iranians count on president-elect Rohani to bring change
DUBAI (Reuters) - Thousands of Iranians celebrated on the streets into Sunday's early hours, counting on moderate president-elect Hassan Rohani to follow through on promises of better relations abroad and more freedom at home after routing hardliners at the polls. A mid-ranking Shi'ite cleric, Rohani is an Islamic Republic insider who has held senior political and military posts since the 1979 revolution and maintained a good rapport throughout with theocratic Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's most powerful man who has the last word on all the big issues.
North Korea wants to hold high-level talks with U.S.
SEOUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korea on Sunday offered high-level talks with the United States to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula, but the White House said that any talks must involve Pyongyang taking action to show it is moving toward scrapping its nuclear weapons. The offer came only days after North Korea abruptly canceled planned official talks with South Korea, the first planned talks in more two years. The North blamed the South for scuttling discussions that sought to mend estranged ties between the rival Koreas.
Obama does not feel Americans' privacy violated: chief of staff
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama does not believe the recently disclosed top-secret National Security Agency surveillance of phone records and Internet data has violated Americans' privacy rights, his chief of staff said on Sunday. Denis McDonough, appearing on CBS's "Face the Nation" program, also said he did not know the whereabouts of Edward Snowden, the former NSA contractor who said he was the source of reports in Britain's Guardian newspaper and The Washington Post about the agency's monitoring of phone and Internet data at big companies such as Verizon Communications Inc, Google Inc and Facebook Inc.
Merkel's challenger wells up after yet more strife
BERLIN (Reuters) - Peer Steinbrueck, the main opposition challenger to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, choked up during an interview on Sunday when he was asked about what motivated him to carry on despite all the pressure and criticism of his campaign. In an extraordinary display of emotion from a man known for his abrasive style, Steinbrueck struggled to find words, and sighed heavily. As his eyes welled up, the audience at the event by his Social Democrat (SPD) party stood up and applauded.
Mandela getting better but remains 'serious'
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Nelson Mandela continues to recover in hospital from a lung infection but remains in a serious condition, South African President Jacob Zuma said on Sunday. Mandela has been in a Pretoria hospital for a week, the fourth time the 94-year-old former president and anti-Apartheid leader has been admitted to hospital since December.
Putin says West arming Syrian rebels who eat human flesh
AMMAN/LONDON (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin, arriving in Britain ahead of an international summit set to be dominated by disagreement over the U.S. decision to send weapons to Syria's rebels, said the West must not arm fighters who eat human flesh. In Syria, rebels fought back on Sunday against forces of President Bashar al-Assad and his Lebanese Hezbollah allies near Aleppo, where Assad has announced a campaign to recapture the rebel-held north after seizing a strategic town this month.
Sudan, South Sudan to take steps to lower oil tension
CAIRO (Reuters) - Sudan and South Sudan are prepared to take steps, brokered by the African Union, to try to avert an oil crisis between them amid accusations from both sides that the other is supporting insurgencies in their territories. Sudan officially informed South Sudan on Tuesday that it would stop allowing its neighbor to export crude through its territory within two months unless Juba gave up support for insurgents operating across their shared border.
Germany's Left party launches uncompromising election fight
DRESDEN (Reuters) - Germany's Left party set an election platform attacking capitalism head on this weekend, avowing old school socialism and making any later coalition pact with the mainstream opposition seem all but impossible. If the Left party and the center-left opposition Social Democrats (SPD) and Greens joined forces they could match Merkel's center-right government in strength, possibly even ousting the chancellor after the September 22 vote.
Al Qaeda group confirms death of Abou Zeid and another leader
NOUAKCHOTT (Reuters) - Al Qaeda's North African wing (AQIM) on Sunday confirmed the death of two of its senior commanders in Mali earlier this year, veteran jihadist Abdelhamid Abou Zeid and brigade commander Abdallah Al Chinguetti, Mauritania's ANI news agency said. The death of Abou Zeid, who made millions of dollars kidnapping Western hostages over the past decade, had already been announced "with certainty" by France in March after clashes with its troops in northern Mali.
TOKYO (Reuters) - Mitsubishi Motors Corp is considering boosting output capacity in Indonesia and possibly building a new plant there to capitalize on brisk demand in emerging Asian economies.
"It is true that we are considering strengthening our operations in Indonesia, but nothing has been decided as of now," a company spokesman said on Saturday.
A Nikkei business daily report said the automaker, along with trader Mitsubishi Corp and local partners, plans to build a new Indonesia plant by around March 2017, with investment totaling at about 40 billion yen ($422.90 million).
The spokesman said Mitsubishi, the maker of Triton pickups, the Outlander Sport SUV and i-MiEV electric car, aims to post a net profit of 100 billion yen ($1.06 billion) by the year ending March 2017.
If it were to build a new plant, that would have an annual production capacity of 100,000 vehicles, he added.
For the current business year to March 2014, Japan's 7th-largest carmaker expects a net profit of 50 billion yen. ($1 = 94.5850 Japanese yen)
(Reporting Yoko Kubota, writing by Kiyoshi Takenaka; Editing by Michael Perry)
Few scientific terms express a sense of sheer enormity more than the word "galaxy." Galaxies are massively massive. They're filled with more stars than any single person could count. They're billions of times brighter than our own Sun! Galaxies are huge! Except for Segue 2.
Old Mars rover makes rock discovery Nasa's ageing Opportunity rover on Mars continues to make significant discoveries with the observation of a rock rich in clay minerals - an indicator of ancient water activity.
Source: BBC News Posted on:
Monday, Jun 10, 2013, 8:04am Views: 25
by Dr. Paul Kennedy, Wellness Outreach Doctor ? May 2013 Topic of the Month
If there is any branch of health improvement activities that has literally exploded in the last few years, it is the concept of corporate fitness and wellness. In the past, emphasis on fitness and wellness in the workplace centered on the employees that were chronically ill (and frequently missed work) and not the ENTIRE workplace population. We now know that the result of these narrowly focused programs to improve the health of the chronically sick were misplaced and, in many cases, ineffective. Why? Because the workplace was not the best location (at least in the recent past) for the rehabilitation of what were correctly considered ?acquired? diseases. More recently, we have realized that the best workplace ?wellness? programs were those that focused on prevention and the continued support of those that were suffering from acquired chronic disease(s) such as Type II diabetes, heart and circulatory diseases, breathing disorders (many caused by smoking!) and musculo-skeletal disorders (many caused by repetitive movements. In fact, even sitting or standing in the same position for extended periods of time can be an invitation to chronic pain and a plethora of musculo-skeletal disorders.
The good news is that the emphasis has begun to change from responding to diseases and acquired conditions to preventing them from happening in the first place. Hence, the birth of ?Fitness and Wellness? programs whose purpose is to teach and encourage employees (regardless of age or fitness level) to practice a healthy lifestyle through regular exercise and a healthy ?diet? or eating plan. For the most part, these programs are voluntary. However, many companies and corporations both large and small are offering incentives and even cash bonuses for participation. How does it work? Well, it is basically an investment by the company in the employee who, through participation in the program (most are voluntary) may receive gifts, cash bonuses for being healthy or reductions in insurance premiums. It sounds like bribery but many companies that become involved in wellness programs focused on improved fitness levels have found that there insurance claims and, as a result, their insurance premiums have gone down. In addition, employees that DO participate may actually be offered reductions in their insurance premiums if they pay all or part of their own insurance costs. And the bottom line is?well, the bottom line! By that I mean that companies save money, employees are healthier, happier AND more productive and the company does better financially as a result of lower insurance costs (see ?Workplace Wellness and Profitability?, Topic of the Month, August, 2012).
It is no wonder then that more and more companies are setting up company fitness centers, allowing their employees ?flex? time for exercise and promoting fitness and wellness through employee education. And it is no surprise that those companies that invest in the health of their are, in most cases, the ones that are showing improved productivity, decreased absenteeism (which effects product and work quality) as well as increased profits and improved employee retention. Indeed, workplace fitness and wellness programs are now considered a desirable and effective way to attract new employees and keep current employees healthy and on the job. So who would you work for? Given a choice, would you work for a company that gave little thought to the health and wellness of its employees or for a company that provided opportunities and support to their employees to become more fit and improve their health? The answer is pretty easy, right? If you work for a company that does have a ?wellness? or ?fitness? program, you?re one of the lucky ones. If your company does not have a health and wellness program for employees, consider suggesting one to your supervisor or even upper management. After all, the research data is becoming clearer each year that even basic company sponsored health and wellness programs (group fitness classes, fitness rooms, fitness seminars, health and wellness committees and even subsidized fitness memberships) easily pay for themselves over time?especially with respect to the insurance costs referenced above. If your company, business or organization already has a wellness program?awesome! If not, there?s no time like the present because we now know that corporate health programs are a good economic strategy as well as being the right thing to do.
That?s the ?Be Fit, Stay Fit? Topic of the Month for June, 2013. Good luck with YOUR program. I KNOW you can do it!
BEIJING (AP) ? The man who once ran China's powerful railways ministry wept as he admitted his guilt and sought leniency at his trial on corruption charges, one of the country's highest-level graft cases in years.
Liu Zhijun, 60, who oversaw the ministry's high-profile bullet train development, has been accused of taking massive bribes and steering lucrative projects to associates. The case is seen as an indicator of how top-level officials might fare in an anti-corruption campaign that Chinese leader Xi Jinping has vowed will target both high and low officials.
The case presents a thorny challenge to the Chinese government, which wants to appear tough on graft but is mindful of how the prosecution of a massive case like Liu's could further hurt public confidence in the railways system. Such a case raises questions of whether the corruption affected the construction, management and operation of the railways that serve millions of Chinese every day.
Liu's defense attorney, Qian Lieyang, said after Sunday's trial that his client admitted guilt and expressed remorse during the proceedings, weeping as he read out a personal statement. Qian also said he asked the court to consider Liu's contributions in spearheading the much-admired high-speed train system when drawing up the sentence.
Even prosecutors asked the court for lenience on Liu's behalf, saying that he showed a positive attitude during investigations and confessed to many wrongdoings on his own accord, Qian told reporters.
Qian's account of the prosecution's approach suggests that authorities were trying to lay the legal groundwork for delivering a sentence that would be appear tough on corruption, while not being too severe on a person whose name is so closely tied with the high-speed railways ? a source of national pride.
"When the court makes a decision on sentencing, I hope it will consider his contributions to the country," Qian said.
Liu went on trial at Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court amid relatively tight security. Police cars were parked around the court's perimeter and officers stood on the sidewalk to prevent onlookers from getting close to the entrance or to a group of reporters gathered outside. Court officials and police told foreign journalists to leave the premises.
The trial concluded by midday Sunday. The official Xinhua News Agency reported that prosecutors accuse Liu of using his position of influence to help about 11 business associates win promotions and project contracts and accepted 64.6 million Chinese yuan ($10.5 million) in unspecified bribes between 1986 and 2011.
"Liu's malpractice led to huge losses of public assets and damage to the interests of the state and people," the indictment said, according to Xinhua.
State broadcaster China Central Television showed Liu, a thin, bespectacled man with a comb-over, being escorted into a courtroom and standing during part of the procedure, his face expressionless.
Qian said he had argued for the severity of the charges to be reduced on the basis of Liu's remorseful attitude, his contributions to national development and questions over whether part of the bribery charges actually amounted to bribery by legal definition,
The court said it would announce a verdict at a later, unspecified date.
Liu was ousted in February 2011 for unspecified discipline violations. Months later, a high-speed train crash killed 40 people near the eastern Chinese city of Wenzhou.
Earlier this year, Beijing dismantled the Ministry of Railways and separated its regulatory and commercial arms in a bid to reduce bureaucracy and boost efficiency.
BEIJING (Reuters) - China will launch its next manned space flight on Tuesday, carrying three astronauts on a 15-day mission to an experimental space lab, the National Space Administration said, in the latest step towards the development of a space station.
The Shenzhou 10 spacecraft will launch from a remote site in the Gobi desert in China's far west at 5:38 p.m. (0938 GMT), Wu Ping, spokeswoman for China's manned space program, told a televised briefing on Monday.
Once in orbit, the craft will dock with the Tiangong (Heavenly Palace) 1, a trial space laboratory module, and the two male and one female astronauts will carry out various experiments and test the module's systems.
They will also give a lecture to students back on earth, Wu said.
China is still far from catching up with the established space superpowers, the United States and Russia.
But the Shenzhou 10 mission will be the latest show of China's growing prowess in space and comes while budget restraints and shifting priorities have held back U.S. manned space launches.
It will be China's fifth manned space mission since 2003.
China also plans an unmanned moon landing and deployment of a moon rover. Scientists have raised the possibility of sending a man to the moon, but not before 2020.
(Reporting by Jonathan Standing; Editing by Robert Birsel)
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Public release date: 26-Jun-2013
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If there is any branch of health improvement activities that has literally exploded in the last few years, it is the concept of corporate fitness and wellness. In the past, emphasis on fitness and wellness in the workplace centered on the employees that were chronically ill (and frequently missed work) and not the ENTIRE workplace population. We now know that the result of these narrowly focused programs to improve the health of the chronically sick were misplaced and, in many cases, ineffective. Why? Because the workplace was not the best location (at least in the recent past) for the rehabilitation of what were correctly considered ?acquired? diseases. More recently, we have realized that the best workplace ?wellness? programs were those that focused on prevention and the continued support of those that were suffering from acquired chronic disease(s) such as Type II diabetes, heart and circulatory diseases, breathing disorders (many caused by smoking!) and musculo-skeletal disorders (many caused by repetitive movements. In fact, even sitting or standing in the same position for extended periods of time can be an invitation to chronic pain and a plethora of musculo-skeletal disorders.