CAIRO (Reuters) - Libya will give Egypt a $2 billion five-year, interest-free loan under an agreement signed on Wednesday, the Egyptian state news agency MENA reported.
It quoted a finance ministry official as saying the loan would have a three-year grace period and was intended "to support the Egyptian economy and the state budget and foreign currency reserves".
The official said the money was expected to arrive next week. Earlier in the day, Qatar agreed to give Egypt $3 billion more in aid by buying Egyptian government bonds.
That agreement was announced during a visit to Doha by Egyptian Prime Minister Hisham Kandil.
Both deals came as Egypt is in the midst of negotiations with an International Monetary Fund delegation for a $4.8 billion loan which, unlike the Arab aid, would come with policy conditions including reform of subsidies and tax increases.
MENA quoted the official as saying the Libyan deal would strengthen Cairo's hand in the IMF talks.
BRUSSELS (AP) ? A group of companies led by Microsoft have called on European authorities to launch an antitrust investigation into Google's dominance of Internet usage on mobile devices.
The complaint comes from the "FairSearch" initiative of 17 companies, including Microsoft Corp., Nokia Corp., and Oracle Corp. The group claims that Google is acting unfairly by requiring device makers using its free Android operating system to bundle an entire suite of Google's services to ensure they can include just one or two "must-have" apps, such as Google Maps and YouTube.
"Google is using its Android mobile operating system as a Trojan horse to deceive partners, monopolize the mobile marketplace and control consumer data," said Thomas Vinje, the group's Brussels-based lawyer.
Google does allow smartphone and tablet makers to sculpt Android to serve their own needs. In some instances, that has led to Android modifications that exclude Google's services. For instance, Amazon.com Inc. has largely locked out Google from its popular line of Kindle Fire tablets. There also have been periodic instances of Android smartphones with either Microsoft's Bing or Yahoo rather than Google as the built-in search engine.
Android operating systems are installed on about 70 percent of new smartphones, according to analyst estimates, handing Google the largest market share worldwide. Makers of Android devices include Samsung Electronics Co. and HTC Corp. Android is followed by Apple's iOS system, which powers the iPhone and the iPad. Research In Motion Ltd.'s BlackBerry, Microsoft's Windows and others trail far behind.
"Google's predatory distribution of Android at below-cost makes it difficult for other providers of operating systems to recoup investments in competing with Google's dominant mobile platform," FairSearch said in a statement.
The European Commission, the 27-nation bloc's executive arm and antitrust authority, must decide at some point whether to take up the case or drop it. A spokesman confirmed the complaint had been received.
Google Inc., which is based in Mountain View, California, did not address the complaint's charges in detail. "We continue to work cooperatively with the European Commission," Google spokesman Al Verney said.
The U.S. company is already under investigation by Brussels for practices related to its dominance of the online search and advertising markets.
That complaint, launched in 2010, alleges that Google unfairly favors its own services in its Internet search results, which enjoy a near-monopoly in Europe. Google has proposed a list of remedies to address the Commission's concerns to achieve a settlement. The Commission is currently examining the proposed changes.
"We have received some proposals by Google and we will soon launch a market test" of the proposed remedies, said Antoine Colombani, a spokesman for EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia. He declined to speculate on when the investigation would be concluded.
The EU Commission has often taken a harder line with U.S. tech companies than its American counterparts, the Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department.
Google settled a similar antitrust complaint on its search business with the FTC in January without making any major concessions on how it runs its search engine, the world's most influential gateway to digital information and commerce.
Microsoft, which has been a leading player in the complaints against Google, has had its own protracted run-ins with the EU Commission. The Redmond, Washington, company has paid 2.2 billion euros in various fines since investigations began in 1998.
The FairSearch complaint was announced on the same day that Microsoft launched the latest phase of its U.S. ad campaign. That campaign depicts Google as a duplicitous company more interested in increasing profits and power than protecting people's privacy and providing unbiased search results.
Google's new privacy rules, meanwhile, are also attracting the scrutiny of European authorities. Several data privacy regulators have launched an investigation, alleging the company is creating a data goldmine at the expense of unwitting users.
Last year, the company merged 60 separate privacy policies from around the world into one universal document. The European authorities complain that the new policy doesn't allow users to figure out which information is kept, how it is combined by Google services or how long the company retains it.
The policy allows Google to combine data collected as one person uses multiple Google's services, from Gmail to YouTube, giving the company a powerful tool for targeting users with advertising based on their interests and search history. Advertising is the main way the company makes its money.
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Toby Sterling in Amsterdam and Michael Liedtke in San Francisco contributed reporting.
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Follow Juergen Baetz on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/jbaetz
By Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is capable of intercepting a North Korean missile, should it launch one in the coming days, but may choose not to if the projected trajectory shows it is not a threat, a top U.S. military commander told Congress on Tuesday. Admiral Samuel Locklear, the commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific region, said the U.S. military believed North Korea had moved to its east coast an unspecified number of Musudan missiles, with a range of roughly 3,000-3,500 miles. ...
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Thursday, April 4, 2013. Stocks are notching small gains in early trading after the U.S. government reported that the number of people applying for unemployment benefits rose to the highest level since late November. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Thursday, April 4, 2013. Stocks are notching small gains in early trading after the U.S. government reported that the number of people applying for unemployment benefits rose to the highest level since late November. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
NEW YORK (AP) ? Materials and energy companies led the stock market higher Tuesday, sending the Dow Jones industrial average to its second all-time high in a week.
The Dow closed at 14,673.46, a gain of 59.98 points, or 0.4 percent. The Standard & Poor's 500 index also rose 0.4 percent, closing less than two points below its own all-time high set April 2.
The prices of metals like copper, gold and silver have rebounded this week after slumping for the first three months of the year on waning demand. Oil is also rising following a sharp decline last week.
"You're seeing some pretty decent action in the overall market, with today's leadership coming from the basic materials sector," said Robert Pavlik, chief market strategist at Banyan Partners. "It's an area of the market that does represent some value because it's underperformed."
The rise in basic materials such as precious metals was caused by a weakening of the dollar against other currencies, HSBC analyst Howard Wen said. Commodities are typically priced in dollars and a decline in the currency allows overseas buyers to purchase materials at lower prices.
Materials companies were the biggest gainers of the 10 industry groups in the S&P 500, rising 1.1 percent. Energy companies posted the second best return, increasing 0.8 percent. Those two groups have been among the weakest in the market this year.
On Tuesday the S&P 500 rose 5.54 points to 1,568.61. The index closed at a record high of 1,570.25 on April 2. The Nasdaq composite gained 15.61 points, or 0.5 percent, to 3,237.86.
The gains suggested that the Dow and S&P 500 may be poised to break out of a trading pattern they've followed for the last three weeks.
Stocks have mostly moved sideways since the middle of March. The Dow has alternated between small gains and losses after starting the year on a tear. Signs of slowing growth and concerns about the outlook for Europe had checked investors' confidence.
As companies report results this week, investors will be looking to see whether they are feeling any impact from government spending cuts that kicked in recently, said Jim Russell, investment director at U.S. Bank. They will also want to know what effect there will might from the ongoing debt crisis in Europe.
"The market is looking for companies to fill in those blanks," said Russell.
Alcoa, traditionally the first company in the Dow to report results, was flat at $8.39 after the company posted its earnings late Monday. Online auto retailer CarMax, home goods retailer Bed Bath & Beyond and the banks Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase report later this week.
On Tuesday, Cliff's Natural Resources, an iron ore mining company, rose $1.66, or 8.8 percent, to $20.45. The company's stock is still down 47 percent this year. Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, another mining company, was up $1.34, or 4.1 percent, at $33.76.
First Solar soared after the solar panel maker issued a better-than-expected forecast for its 2013 results and solid predictions for the following two years, helped by continued growth in shipments. The stock price rose $12.31, or 46 percent, to $39.35.
Small company stocks lagged the market. The Russell 2000 index two points, or 0.2 percent, to 929.34. The index has slumped this month after rising 12 percent in the first quarter and performing better than both the Dow and S&P 500.
While stocks are struggling to extend their gains from the start of the year, bonds have rallied.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury note was unchanged at 1.75 percent Tuesday. However, the benchmark rate has fallen from a high of 2.06 percent reached March 11 as demand for low-risk assets increases.
Bill Gates has posted a $100,000 bounty to the person or team that finds a way to improve the age old design of the condom. Including "designs that are easier to properly apply" which inspired our favorite weapons designer Joerg Sprave to of course apply his expertise in slingshots to the problem. More »
Now that you can finally watch HBO Go on your Apple TV via AirPlay, the premium cable network has decided to sweeten its iOS app with AirPlay multitasking in a 2.1 update. The new version of the app also offers enhancements to Game of Throne's interactive features and general performance improvements as well. We'd obviously prefer that the app offers a standalone option instead, but being able to catch up on episodes of GoT on the HDTV while looking up how to say "winter is coming" in Dothraki is good too. (It's "Aheshke jada.")
The latest seafaring robot from Liquid Robotics got an unveiling this morning. Dubbed the Wave Glider SV3, the mobile, amphibious robot is targeted at the (thoroughly unexciting) usual suspects: big oil, the government, and scientific researchers. Apparently those halcyon days of seeking out Guinness World Records are over. Compared with the previous SV2 model, the latest ship runs faster (2.5 knots top speed), carries more (100 pounds, compared to a paltry 40 in the previous ship), and lasts longer (an additional 40 percent of surface area on the deck allows for many more solar cells). All that extra oomph should allow Liquid Robotics' customers to spend even more time plumbing the Earth's waters for ... well, whatever they'd like. And for the mock G.I. Joe battles that are assuredly taking place with the Wave Glider. Like, come on.
Over-diagnosis of reflux in infants leads to needless medicationPublic release date: 1-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Mary F. Masson mfmasson@umich.edu 734-764-2220 University of Michigan Health System
Calling gastroesophageal reflux a disease increases parents' wish for medication, symptoms are frequently over-treated in infants, according to new research
Ann Arbor, Mich. Medications used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, are some of the most widely used medications in children less than one year old.
But in a new study, researchers from the University of Michigan and the University of Missouri concluded that physicians often label common symptoms in infants, such as crying and spitting up, as disease. Frequent use of the GERD label can lead to overuse of medication, according to study published today online ahead of print in the journal Pediatrics.
The study found that doctors' use of the label GERD prompted parents to request medication for their baby even when they had been advised that the medication would probably be ineffective.
"As doctors we need to appreciate that the words we use when talking with patients and parents have power the power to make a normal process seem like a disease. As pediatricians, our job is to make sick children healthy, not to make healthy children sick," says Tarini, who also is an investigator in U-M's Child Health Evaluation and Research Unit.
In the study, researchers surveyed parents coming into a pediatric clinic in Michigan about how they would respond to a hypothetical clinical scenario describing an infant who cries and spits up excessively but is otherwise healthy. Parents were randomly assigned to receive one of multiple vignettes. In some vignettes, the doctor gave a diagnosis of GERD; in others the doctor did not provide a disease label.
Additionally, half the parents were told that existing medications are probably ineffective; the rest were not given information about medication effectiveness. Parents who received a GERD diagnosis were interested in medicating their infant, even when told that medications were ineffective. Parents not given a disease label were interested in a prescription only when the doctor did not discuss whether the medication was effective.
Over-diagnosis of GERD can make a medical condition out of a normal behavior, says lead author Laura Scherer, assistant professor of psychological science in the College of Arts and Science at the University of Missouri.
"The growing digestive systems of an infant can be finicky and cause the child to regurgitate. The discomfort can cause the infant to cry, but it is not necessarily a disease," says Scherer. "Parents can learn from this study that a disease label can make them want medication for their child, regardless of whether the drugs are effective or not. Parents should follow doctors' advice, which sometimes means accepting a doctor's explanation of why an infant's crying and vomiting may be normal.
"Unnecessary use of medication is costly," says Scherer. "Especially for families without insurance, the over-use of medications can be a needless expense. In addition, the long-term side effects of the medication frequently prescribed to children diagnosed with GERD have not been fully studied, although the medication has been correlated to slightly higher rates of pneumonia."
###
Additional authors: Of the University of Michigan: Brian J. Zikmund-Fisher, Ph.D., Department of Health Behavior and Health Education in the School of Public Health and Angela Fagerlin, Ph.D. of the Department of Internal Medicine and co-director of the Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine.
Funding: Dr. Tarini is supported by a K23 Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award from the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (K23HD057994). Dr. Zikmund-Fisher was supported by a Mentored Research Scholar Grant from the American Cancer Society (MRSG-06-130-01-CPPB). Funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
About C.S. Mott Children's Hospital: Since 1903, the University of Michigan has led the way in providing comprehensive, specialized health care for children. From leading-edge heart surgery that's performed in the womb to complete emergency care that's there when you need it, families from all over come to the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital for our pediatric expertise.
More information is available here: http://mottchildren.org
[ | E-mail | Share ]
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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.
Over-diagnosis of reflux in infants leads to needless medicationPublic release date: 1-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Mary F. Masson mfmasson@umich.edu 734-764-2220 University of Michigan Health System
Calling gastroesophageal reflux a disease increases parents' wish for medication, symptoms are frequently over-treated in infants, according to new research
Ann Arbor, Mich. Medications used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, are some of the most widely used medications in children less than one year old.
But in a new study, researchers from the University of Michigan and the University of Missouri concluded that physicians often label common symptoms in infants, such as crying and spitting up, as disease. Frequent use of the GERD label can lead to overuse of medication, according to study published today online ahead of print in the journal Pediatrics.
The study found that doctors' use of the label GERD prompted parents to request medication for their baby even when they had been advised that the medication would probably be ineffective.
"As doctors we need to appreciate that the words we use when talking with patients and parents have power the power to make a normal process seem like a disease. As pediatricians, our job is to make sick children healthy, not to make healthy children sick," says Tarini, who also is an investigator in U-M's Child Health Evaluation and Research Unit.
In the study, researchers surveyed parents coming into a pediatric clinic in Michigan about how they would respond to a hypothetical clinical scenario describing an infant who cries and spits up excessively but is otherwise healthy. Parents were randomly assigned to receive one of multiple vignettes. In some vignettes, the doctor gave a diagnosis of GERD; in others the doctor did not provide a disease label.
Additionally, half the parents were told that existing medications are probably ineffective; the rest were not given information about medication effectiveness. Parents who received a GERD diagnosis were interested in medicating their infant, even when told that medications were ineffective. Parents not given a disease label were interested in a prescription only when the doctor did not discuss whether the medication was effective.
Over-diagnosis of GERD can make a medical condition out of a normal behavior, says lead author Laura Scherer, assistant professor of psychological science in the College of Arts and Science at the University of Missouri.
"The growing digestive systems of an infant can be finicky and cause the child to regurgitate. The discomfort can cause the infant to cry, but it is not necessarily a disease," says Scherer. "Parents can learn from this study that a disease label can make them want medication for their child, regardless of whether the drugs are effective or not. Parents should follow doctors' advice, which sometimes means accepting a doctor's explanation of why an infant's crying and vomiting may be normal.
"Unnecessary use of medication is costly," says Scherer. "Especially for families without insurance, the over-use of medications can be a needless expense. In addition, the long-term side effects of the medication frequently prescribed to children diagnosed with GERD have not been fully studied, although the medication has been correlated to slightly higher rates of pneumonia."
###
Additional authors: Of the University of Michigan: Brian J. Zikmund-Fisher, Ph.D., Department of Health Behavior and Health Education in the School of Public Health and Angela Fagerlin, Ph.D. of the Department of Internal Medicine and co-director of the Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine.
Funding: Dr. Tarini is supported by a K23 Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award from the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (K23HD057994). Dr. Zikmund-Fisher was supported by a Mentored Research Scholar Grant from the American Cancer Society (MRSG-06-130-01-CPPB). Funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
About C.S. Mott Children's Hospital: Since 1903, the University of Michigan has led the way in providing comprehensive, specialized health care for children. From leading-edge heart surgery that's performed in the womb to complete emergency care that's there when you need it, families from all over come to the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital for our pediatric expertise.
More information is available here: http://mottchildren.org
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
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.
Quibids cost-free bids can be employed by all bidders, both new and aged, to increase the total bids they have. This translates right into cost savings simply because each bid expenditures $.sixty. Therefore, cost-free Quibids bids will help you help save even additional on your searching at Quibids. Quibids is an online auction website that was created all over a quite unique company design. It involves end users to invest in bids from their on the internet retail outlet in purchase to take part in the auction, or people can only make the most of a "Get it Now" alternative akin to E-bay. Quibids is exclusive in that the firm owns the products and places it up for auction by itself, as opposed to E-bay exactly where end users submit auctions and the internet site simply acts as a center-gentleman to the procedure. Soon after the achievement of much penny auctions equivalent Quibids Scam and Swoopoo, it is not beautiful that hundreds of new websites personal arise up all in excess of the place. These are comparatively new with an unproven excerpt list. No just one is aware of for trustworthy no matter if they are rig or not. Further to this, it is at any time bankable to bid at new centime auction web-sites mainly because there are significantly less bidders and less rivalry, so likelihood of successful huge goods is usually larger. This places the buyers in a problem of whether or not to refrain or react these new auction sites. Below are in any way guidelines that you can obey to make a decision whether to enthrone in a new place or not.
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?When you forgive, you in no way change the past. But you sure do change the future.?
These wise words by Bernard Meltzer present the power of forgiveness in a nutshell. To put it simply, guided meditation forgiveness has the power to gently heal you. The hurt, anger and disappointment caused by someone that you cared about can haunt you forever. Or you may be unwilling to forgive yourself for something that you did or said.
It is easy to cling on to these heavy feelings that have the power to overshadow happiness and contentment. But it doesn?t have to be this way! Guided meditation forgiveness is a gradual process that helps you accept the past, and gives you the strength to move on.
Forgiveness and acceptance of the past requires time. You may not be ready to forgive yourself or those who have let you down after the first guided meditation session. However, you will find yourself opening up to the idea of thinking about what happened and why it upset you so much.
There?s no need to push yourself into the process of guided meditation forgiveness. Do it when you feel ready. Allow yourself to open up to the idea of change. Free yourself from the thoughts and emotions that are holding you captive. The following guided meditation guidelines will steer you towards the path of inner peace and contentment.
Find A Peaceful Place
Sit or lie down comfortably in a place where you will not be disturbed. Choose a time when you can focus completely on guided meditation. If you have limited time on your hands, you will be tempted to keep track of the number of minutes that have passed and how much time you have left to spare. Do not give in to this temptation! Guided meditation requires time, dedication and an uncluttered mind. Keep all these factors in mind while choosing the right location and be prepared to make the commitment required.
Free Your Heart And Mind
Now that you are comfortably seated, let?s move on to the next step in the guided meditation process. Gently close your eyes, and focus on your breathing. Take a deep breath and relish the sensation of oxygen filling your lungs. Notice the gradual calmness taking over your mind and body. Focus on your breathing until all the tension and stress ebbs away from your system. Count down from ten to one, until you reach a state of complete serenity and relaxation.
Imagine yourself in a beautiful garden, a lush forest, or on a quiet beach. Pick the location that appeals to you the most and imagine yourself interacting with your surroundings. Feel the warmth of the sun, the coolness of the gentle breeze, and lose yourself in the beauty of the natural scenery.
When you are comfortably settled in this new place, think of the people who hurt you. You are safe in this peaceful place. They cannot harm you in anyway. As you visualize these people, tell them how and why their actions angered you. Explain why you felt betrayed and disappointed. Now is the time to tell them exactly what you have been feeling all this time. Notice how strong and rejuvenated you feel as you express your emotions.
Take your time. There?s no need to rush.
After you have expressed your feelings, look at them and say, ?I forgive you. I have released all the anger, pain and resentment from my mind and body. I forgive you.?
Bask in the warmth of inner peace as you utter these liberating words. You feel free, light and in control. Watch them walk away and fade into the distance, away from your sanctuary. Focus on your deep breathing. Think about all that you have been blessed with in your life. Gradually ease yourself into the next step of guided meditation.
Create an image of yourself. Explain why you have been unwilling to forgive yourself for what happened in the past. Express everything that you have been feeling and holding onto for so long. Gently open up to the possibility of forgiveness and say to yourself, ?I forgive you for all the words and actions that may have caused pain to anyone. I forgive you.?
Rest quietly and focus on the tranquility of the moment. Turn your attention once again to your breathing.
Slowly count from one to ten as you gradually leave the peaceful location behind. Keep breathing as you become aware of your actual surroundings once again.
Gently open your eyes and smile. Hold on to this feeling of love and peace, and get ready to face the world with renewed vigor and energy!
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Public release date: 1-Apr-2013
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