The 25 Most Overpaid Player In Major League Baseball - Business ...

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There are 251 players in Major League Baseball making at least $4.0 million this season and 98 of them are making at least $10 million.

Many of those players are severely overpaid and on the next few pages we will take a look at the most overpaid in baseball.

To do this, we will look at a player's overall production based on Wins Above Replacement (WAR) and translate that to a dollar value. We will then compare that value to what the player is actually making.

In many cases, teams would be better off not playing these guys at all.

#25 B.J. Upton, Atlanta Braves

Position: CF

2013 salary: $12.5 million

Stats: .174, 8 HR, 6 SB, .269 OBP

2013 WAR: -0.1

2013 WAR Value (Projected)*: -$1.4 million

VALUE**: -$13.9 million

* One win in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is valued at $4.8 million which is roughly what a team would have to spend on average in free agency for a win. Players who are worse than a Replacement-Level player will have a negative WAR and a negative WAR Value suggesting the team is actually losing money by having them on the field. For?WAR Value we projected each player's WAR over a full season.

** VALUE is equal to WAR Value minus Salary. Think of this as the amount a player is overpaid. In some cases it will actually be greater than the player's salary since that player's production is actually negative.

#24 Martin Prado, Arizona Diamondbacks

Position: 3B

2013 salary: $7.0 million

Stats: .241, 6 HR, .292 OBP

2013 WAR: -0.7

2013 WAR Value (Projected)*: -$7.2 million

VALUE**: -$14.2 million

* One win in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is valued at $4.8 million. For WAR Value we projected each player's WAR over a full season.

** VALUE is equal to WAR Value minus Salary.

#23 Jeff Francoeur, Kansas City Royals

Position: RF

2013 salary: $6.8 million

Stats: .209, 3 HR, .250 OBP

2013 WAR: -0.8

2013 WAR Value (Projected)*: -$7.8 million

VALUE**: -$-14.6 million

* One win in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is valued at $4.8 million. For WAR Value we projected each player's WAR over a full season.

** VALUE is equal to WAR Value minus Salary.

#22 Starlin Castro, Chicago Cubs

Position: SS

2013 salary: $5.0 million

Stats: .234, 3 HR, .268 OBP, 14 errors

2013 WAR: -1.0

2013 WAR Value (Projected)*: -$9.8 million

VALUE**: -$14.8 million

* One win in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is valued at $4.8 million. For WAR Value we projected each player's WAR over a full season.

** VALUE is equal to WAR Value minus Salary.

#21 Todd Helton, Colorado Rockies

Position: 1B

2013 salary: $5.0 million

Stats: .240, 6 HR, .293 OBP

2013 WAR: -1.0

2013 WAR Value (Projected)*: -$10.0 million

VALUE**: -$15.0 million

* One win in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is valued at $4.8 million. For WAR Value we projected each player's WAR over a full season.

** VALUE is equal to WAR Value minus Salary.

#19t Adam Dunn, Chicago White Sox

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Position: DH

2013 salary: $15.0 million

Stats: .194, 20 HR, .303 OBP

2013 WAR: 0.0

2013 WAR Value (Projected)*: -$0.4 million

VALUE**: -$15.4 million

* One win in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is valued at $4.8 million. For WAR Value we projected each player's WAR over a full season.

** VALUE is equal to WAR Value minus Salary.

#18 Prince Fielder, Detroit Tigers

Position: 1B

2013 salary: $23.0 million

Stats: .277, 12 HR, .373 OBP

2013 WAR: 0.7

2013 WAR Value (Projected)*: $7.4 million

VALUE**: -$15.6 million

* One win in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is valued at $4.8 million. For WAR Value we projected each player's WAR over a full season.

** VALUE is equal to WAR Value minus Salary.

#14t Kevin Youkilis, New York Yankees

Position: 3B

2013 salary: $12.0 million

Stats: .219, 2 HR, .305 OBP

2013 WAR: -0.4

2013 WAR Value (Projected)*: -$4.4 million

VALUE**: -$16.4 million

* One win in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is valued at $4.8 million. For WAR Value we projected each player's WAR over a full season.

** VALUE is equal to WAR Value minus Salary.

#14t Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies

Position: 1B

2013 salary: $20.0 million

Stats: .268, 10 HR, .321 OBP

2013 WAR: 0.4

2013 WAR Value (Projected)*: $3.6 million

VALUE**: -$16.4 million

* One win in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is valued at $4.8 million. For WAR Value we projected each player's WAR over a full season.

** VALUE is equal to WAR Value minus Salary.

#14t Josh Hamilton, Los Angeles Angels

Position: OF

2013 salary: $15.0 million

Stats: .215, 10 HR, .268 OBP

2013 WAR: -0.1

2013 WAR Value (Projected)*: -$1.4 million

VALUE**: -$16.4 million

* One win in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is valued at $4.8 million. For WAR Value we projected each player's WAR over a full season.

** VALUE is equal to WAR Value minus Salary.

#12t Jayson Werth, Washington Nationals

Position: OF

2013 salary: $16.0 million

Stats: .266, 7 HR, .324 OBP

2013 WAR: -0.1

2013 WAR Value (Projected)*: -$0.6 million

VALUE**: -$16.6 million

* One win in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is valued at $4.8 million. For WAR Value we projected each player's WAR over a full season.

** VALUE is equal to WAR Value minus Salary.

#11 Alfonso Soriano, Chicago Cubs

Position: OF

2013 salary: $18.0 million

Stats: .245, 7 HR, 8 stolen bases

2013 WAR: 0.1

2013 WAR Value (Projected)*: $1.2 million

VALUE**: -$16.8 million

* One win in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is valued at $4.8 million. For WAR Value we projected each player's WAR over a full season.

** VALUE is equal to WAR Value minus Salary.

#10 Derek Jeter, New York Yankees

Position: SS

2013 salary: $17.0 million

Stats: Has not played in 2013

2013 WAR: 0.0

2013 WAR Value (Projected)*: -$0.0 million

VALUE**: -$17.0 million

* One win in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is valued at $4.8 million. For WAR Value we projected each player's WAR over a full season.

** VALUE is equal to WAR Value minus Salary.

#8 Paul Konerko, Chicago White Sox

Position: 1B

2013 salary: $13.5 million

Stats: .253, 7 HR, .319 OBP

2013 WAR: -0.9

2013 WAR Value (Projected)*: -$9.0 million

VALUE**: -$22.5 million

* One win in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is valued at $4.8 million. For WAR Value we projected each player's WAR over a full season.

** VALUE is equal to WAR Value minus Salary.

#7 Huston Street, San Diego Padres

Position: RP

2013 salary: $7.0 million

Stats: 0-4, 15 Saves, 4.61 ERA

2013 WAR: -1.7

2013 WAR Value (Projected)*: -$16.8 million

VALUE**: -$23.8 million

* One win in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is valued at $4.8 million. For WAR Value we projected each player's WAR over a full season.

** VALUE is equal to WAR Value minus Salary.

#6 Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees

Position: 1B

2013 salary: $22.5 million

Stats: .151, 3 HR, 15 games played

2013 WAR: -0.2

2013 WAR Value (Projected)*: -$2.0 million

VALUE**: -$24.5 million

* One win in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is valued at $4.8 million. For WAR Value we projected each player's WAR over a full season.

** VALUE is equal to WAR Value minus Salary.

#5 Victor Martinez, Detroit Tigers

Position: 1B

2013 salary: $13.0 million

Stats: .228, 6 HR, .286 OBP

2013 WAR: -1.2

2013 WAR Value (Projected)*: -$11.8 million

VALUE**: -$24.8 million

* One win in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is valued at $4.8 million. For WAR Value we projected each player's WAR over a full season.

** VALUE is equal to WAR Value minus Salary.

#3 Johan Santana, New York Mets

Position: SP

2013 salary: $25.5 million

Stats: Has not played in 2013

2013 WAR: 0.0

2013 WAR Value (Projected)*: -$0.0 million

VALUE**: -$25.5 million

* One win in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is valued at $4.8 million. For WAR Value we projected each player's WAR over a full season.

** VALUE is equal to WAR Value minus Salary. Think of this as how much the player is being overpaid.

#2 Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees

Position: 3B

2013 salary: $28.0 million

Stats: Has not played in 2013

2013 WAR: 0.0

2013 WAR Value (Projected)*: -$0.0 million

VALUE**: -$28.0 million

* One win in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is valued at $4.8 million. For WAR Value we projected each player's WAR over a full season.

** VALUE is equal to WAR Value minus Salary.

#1 Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers

Position: OF

2013 salary: $20.0 million

Stats: .256, 2 HR, .307 OBP, 9 stolen bases

2013 WAR: -1.1

2013 WAR Value (Projected)*: -$11.4 million

VALUE**: -$31.4 million

* One win in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is valued at $4.8 million. For WAR Value we projected each player's WAR over a full season.

** VALUE is equal to WAR Value minus Salary.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-25-most-overpaid-player-in-major-league-baseball-2013-6?op=1

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China official in sex case gets prison for bribery

BEIJING (AP) ? A former Chinese official at the center of a sex tape scandal was convicted of taking more than 3.1 million yuan ($500,000) in bribes and sentenced to 13 years in prison Friday, at a time when China's new generation of leadership has vowed to crack down on widespread graft.

Lei Zhengfu, former party chief of a district in the south-central metropolis of Chongqing, did not say whether he would appeal the verdict by the city's No. 1 Intermediate Court, according to state media. The punishment meted out to him also includes confiscation of personal assets of 300,000 yuan ($48,000).

Lei's case has riveted the public since video clips went viral of the portly 55-year-old having sex with a woman hired by property developers, allegedly in an elaborate extortion scheme. The scandal has exposed in lurid detail the shady intertwining of sex, money and power in Chinese society.

Beijing Institute of Technology law professor Xu Xin said the sentence was more severe than those in earlier corruption cases involving similar amounts of bribes.

"Maybe because of the case's social impact, the court has chosen to be on the harsh end with its sentence," he said.

Lei asked another property developer who had benefited from his patronage to pay hush money of 3 million yuan to the blackmailers. Lei argued that the money was a loan, but prosecutors said the money ? which was not fully repaid ? amounted to a bribe.

Prosecutors also said Lei took two other bribes ? one of $10,000 and another of 100,000 yuan ($16,000) ? in return for favors granted through his government position, but it is Lei's sex scandal and the scheme behind it that have captivated member of the Chinese public, who are disgusted by what they see as the moral degradation of those in power.

Verdicts were expected to be announced later Friday in a separate case against the woman and the men behind the alleged extortion scheme.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/china-official-sex-case-gets-prison-bribery-040755134.html

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AP Interview: Moniz sees coal's 'significant role'

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said Thursday that coal will continue to play a major role in meeting America's energy needs even as the Obama administration seeks to reduce carbon emissions and combat global warming.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Moniz dismissed claims from Republicans and some coal-state Democrats that President Barack Obama's climate plan amounted to a war on coal. He said he and the president "strongly support an all-of-the above energy policy" that embraces traditional energy sources such as coal, oil and nuclear power, as well as renewables such as solar, wind and hydro.

"The president made clear that we anticipate that coal and other fossil fuels are going to play a significant role for quite some time on the way to a very low carbon economy," he said.

Specifically, the administration plans to offer up to $8 billion in loan guarantees for technologies that can keep carbon dioxide produced by power plants from being released into the atmosphere, Moniz said. Several "carbon capture" demonstration projects are now underway, including a large plant in Port Arthur, Texas, that began operations in December.

"It's not going to happen tomorrow, but I believe in this decade we will have demonstrated the viability of large-scale storage" of carbon-dioxide from industrial operations, Moniz said.

Obama's far-reaching plan would for the first time put limits on carbon pollution from new and existing power plants, while expanding development of renewable energy on public lands.

Forty percent of U.S. carbon emissions, and one-third of greenhouse gases overall, come from electric power plants, according to the federal Energy Information Administration. Nearly 40 percent of U.S. electricity is generated by coal.

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said Thursday that the plan "will shutter power plants, destroy good-paying American jobs and raise electricity bills for families that can scarcely afford it. "

And Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., has called Obama's proposals "irresponsible" and said they would result in significant job losses in his coal-heavy state.

"The regulations the president wants to force on coal are not feasible," Manchin said.

He said the proposed regulations on coal cannot be met with existing technology.

Moniz said he was sympathetic to that point of view, saying a key part of the president's strategy is to push technical innovations such as carbon storage. "We have an aggressive technology department program that will lower the cost of doing that," he said.

He cited a study by the U.S. Geological Survey showing that the United States has the potential to store about 3 trillion tons of carbon dioxide in geologic basins throughout the country. The study, released this week, said the largest potential for storage is in Texas and the Southeast. Alaska and the Rocky Mountain states also have significant storage capacity.

The administration also will move more aggressively to make factories and appliances more energy efficient, Moniz said. Obama said he wants to avoid the equivalent of 3 billion tons of carbon pollution by 2030 through increased efficiency.

Environmental groups and congressional Democrats have complained that the White House was holding up a host of Energy Department regulations that would require appliances, lighting and buildings to use less energy. Many of the regulations, including proposed efficiency standards for commercial walk-in coolers and freezers, have been delayed for more than a year.

Moniz acknowledged the delay, but said, "The president's plan gives us a strong motivation to move these out quickly."

Moniz also pledged quick action on a slew of proposals to export liquefied natural gas. Just two projects have been approved in the past two years, a pace that energy companies call glacial.

"I have said, and I repeat, that we expect to have significant action this year on a case by case basis," Moniz said. "We understand there are lots of people waiting with capital ready to come off the sidelines and start investing in projects."

___

Follow Matthew Daly on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatthewDalyWDC

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ap-interview-moniz-sees-coals-significant-role-201052527.html

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Windows Store recommendations could one day reflect your usage patterns

Yesterday was the day Microsoft made Windows 8.1 available as a public download; today's the day we ask "what's next?" Here at the company's annual Build developer conference, we sat down with Ted Dworkin, the man who oversees the Windows Store, to do a deeper dive on the store's latest redesign. In particular, we were curious about that new Bing-powered recommendaton engine, and how it might become smarter over time. What ensued was a Pandora's box of a brainstorming session. Naturally, Dworkin wouldn't make any promises about what we'll see in future updates, but he did offer some compelling ideas about how Microsoft could take people's usage patterns into account when recommending apps. For instance, while Windows already knows which applications you've downloaded, a future version of the store might also be aware of which apps you use most frequently, which ones you've uninstalled, which ones you've shared, which ones you've pinned, which ones you've unpinned, et cetera. On a privacy note, the recommendation engine is already optional, so there's no reason why you couldn't disable this kind of data collection too.

For starters, this an interesting idea for the developers attending Build this week -- there are definitely people out there who download apps because they're testing them (or reviewing them) and not because they plan on using them every day. Even more broadly, though, who among us hasn't gone on a downloading spree, just to see what they liked? With usage patterns taken into account, you might get more useful picks, ones that ignore that random Twitter client or Angry Birds game you installed. Again, Dworkin wouldn't say for sure if Microsoft plans on implementing any of this, but our vote would be "yes" if it leads to more recommendations we'd actually use.

Filed under: Software, Microsoft

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/27/microsoft-could-improve-windows-store-recommendations-usage-patterns/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Snowden mystery deepens: All eyes on airport

Transit passengers eat at a cafe with a TV screen with a news program showing a report on Edward Snowden, in the background, at Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow Wednesday, June 26, 2013. Russia?s President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden has remained in Sheremetyevo?s transit zone, but media that descended on the airport in the search for him couldn?t locate him there. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

Transit passengers eat at a cafe with a TV screen with a news program showing a report on Edward Snowden, in the background, at Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow Wednesday, June 26, 2013. Russia?s President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden has remained in Sheremetyevo?s transit zone, but media that descended on the airport in the search for him couldn?t locate him there. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

Transit passengers check into a hotel at the transit zone in Sheremetyevo,airport in Moscow Wednesday, June 26, 2013. Russia?s President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden has remained in Sheremetyevo?s transit zone, but media that descended on the airport in the search for him couldn?t locate him there.(AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

An airport worker passes a TV screen with a news program showing a report on Edward Snowden at Sheremetyevo,airport in Moscow Wednesday, June 26, 2013. Russia?s President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden has remained in Sheremetyevo?s transit zone, but media that descended on the airport in the search for him couldn?t locate him there.(AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

A transit passenger takes a photo with a mobile phone in the transit zone at Sheremetyevo,airport in Moscow Wednesday, June 26, 2013. Russia?s President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden has remained in Sheremetyevo?s transit zone, but media that descended on the airport in the search for him couldn?t locate him there.(AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

Transit passengers rest in the transit zone at Sheremetyevo,airport in Moscow Wednesday, June 26, 2013. Russia?s President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden has remained in Sheremetyevo?s transit zone, but media that descended on the airport in the search for him couldn?t locate him there.(AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

MOSCOW (AP) ? Moscow's main airport swarmed with journalists from around the globe Wednesday, but the man they were looking for ? National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden ? was nowhere to be seen. The mystery of his whereabouts only deepened a day after President Vladimir Putin said that Snowden was in the transit area of Sheremetyevo Airport.

An Associated Press reporter entered the area Wednesday by flying in from Kiev, Ukraine, and found ordinary scenes of duty free shopping, snoozing travelers and tourists sipping coffee, but no trace of America's most famous fugitive. If Putin's statement is true, it means that Snowden has effectively lived a life of airport limbo since his weekend flight from Hong Kong, especially with his American passport now revoked by U.S. authorities.

Adding to the uncertainty, Ecuador's foreign minister said Wednesday it could take months to decide whether to grant asylum to Snowden and that the Latin American nation would take into consideration its relations with the U.S. when doing so. Speaking during a visit to Malaysia's main city, Kuala Lumpur, Ricardo Patino compared Snowden's case to that of Julian Assange, the founder of anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, who has been given asylum in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London.

"It took us two months to make a decision in the case of Assange, so do not expect us to make a decision sooner this time," Patino told reporters.

Snowden, who is charged with violating American espionage laws, fled Hong Kong over the weekend and flew to Russia. He booked a seat on a Havana-bound flight Monday en route to Venezuela, but didn't board the plane. His ultimate destination was believed to be Ecuador.

Ecuador's President Rafael Correa shot back at critics on Wednesday, taking special aim at a Washington Post editorial that described him as "the autocratic leader of tiny, impoverished Ecuador" and accused him of a double standard for considering asylum for Snowden while stifling critics at home.

"The shamelessness of the century: Washington Post accuses Ecuador of double standard," Correa said on his Twitter page.

As a contractor for the NSA, Snowden gained access to documents that he gave to the Post and the Guardian to expose what he contends are privacy violations by an authoritarian government.

Correa complained that the international press "has managed to focus attention on Snowden and on those 'wicked' countries that 'aid' him, making us forget the terrible things against the U.S. people and the whole world that he denounced."

The airport zone where Snowden is purportedly staying serves both connecting passengers traveling via Moscow to onward destinations and passengers departing from Moscow who have passed border and security checks.

The huge area unites three terminals: the modern, recently built D and E, and the older, less comfortable F, which dates to the Soviet era. The transit and departure area is essentially a long corridor, with boarding gates on one side and gleaming duty free shops, luxury clothing boutiques and souvenir stores selling Russian Matryoshka dolls on the other. About a dozen restaurants owned by local and foreign chains serve various tastes.

Hundreds of Russian and foreign tourists awaited flights here, some stretched out on rows of gray chairs, others sipping hot drinks at coffee shops or looking out through giant windows as silver-blue Aeroflot planes land and take off.

Business ran as usual at the terminals on Wednesday morning. An Asian girl, about 10 years old, slept peacefully on her father's lap. A middle-aged mother and her teenage daughter tried out perfume samples at a duty free store, while nearby a woman in a green dress picked out a pair of designer sunglasses. A pilot was buying lunch at Burger King.

Putin insisted Tuesday that Snowden has stayed in the transit zone without passing through Russian immigration and is free to travel wherever he likes. But the U.S. move to annul Snowden's passport may have severely complicated his travel plans. Exiting the transit area would either require boarding a plane or passing through border control. Both require a valid passport or other documentation.

Hordes of journalists armed with laptops and photo and video cameras have camped in and around the airport, looking for Snowden or anyone who may have seen or talked to him. But after talking to passengers, airport personnel, waiters and shop clerks, the press corps has discovered no sign of the leaker.

Russian news agencies, citing unidentified sources, reported that Snowden was staying at a hotel in the transit terminal, but he was not seen at the zone's only hotel, called Air Express. It offers several dozen capsule-style spaces that passengers can rent for a few hours to catch some sleep. Hotel staff refused to say whether Snowden was staying there or had stayed there in the past.

"We only saw lots of journalists, that's for sure," said Maxim, a waiter at the Shokoladnitsa diner not far from Air Express. He declined to give his last name because he wasn't allowed to talk to reporters.

The departure and transit area is huge and has dozens of small rooms, some labeled "authorized personnel only," where someone could potentially seek refuge with support from airport staff or security personnel. And security forces or police patrolling the area can easily whisk a person out of sight through back doors or corridors.

There are also a few VIP lounge areas, accessible to business-class passengers or people willing to pay some $20 per hour. Snowden was not seen in those areas.

Sheremetyevo's press service declined to comment on Snowden's whereabouts. A policeman at the airport laughed off a question from an AP reporter about where he might be. "Journalists have searched this place for three days and have found nothing. Was he ever here in the first place?" the policeman asked. He spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

Hong Kong officials said they allowed Snowden to leave for Moscow because the U.S. government got his middle name wrong in documents it submitted seeking his arrest. Hong Kong immigration records listed Snowden's middle name as Joseph, but the U.S. government used the name James in some documents and referred to him only as Edward J. Snowden in others, Justice Secretary Rimsky Yuen said. The U.S. also did not provide his passport number and did not respond to requests for clarification, Yuen said.

Meanwhile, WikiLeaks gave a terse update on Snowden earlier on Wednesday, saying in a statement posted to Twitter that he was "well."

WikiLeaks says that one of its staffers, Sarah Harrison, was traveling with Snowden, but the statement gave no indication if the update came from her, from Snowden, or from some other source. WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson did not immediately return a call and a text seeking further comment.

In a conference call with reporters on Monday, Assange said he was limited in what he could say about Snowden due to security concerns. He denied reports that Snowden was spending his time at the airport being debriefed by Russian intelligence officers.

_____

Yoong reported from Kuala Lumpur. Lynn Berry in Moscow and Raphael Satter in London contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-06-26-NSA-Surveillance/id-d0f1ecbdb3944b33a4e38474c6458f55

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Teenage physical fitness reduces the risk of suicidal behavior later in life

Public release date: 26-Jun-2013
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Contact: Maria ?berg
mab@neuro.gu.se
46-709-668-274
University of Gothenburg

Being in good physical shape at 18 years of age can be linked with a reduced risk of attempted suicide later in life. So says a study of over one million Swedish men conducted by researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

A new, extensive report from the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare on child and adolescent health shows that teenagers and young adults in Sweden have worse mental health than their age cohorts in other western countries.

Another report that is part of a new social welfare study shows that the number of serious suicide attempts among 19-23 year olds with activity compensation has increased from 115 per year to 460 per year in Sweden between 1995-2010.

At the same time, the number of suicides in the 10 to 45 age group increased. Even the percentage of young people with no activity compensation who attempted to take their life increased.

In order to break this trend, research has now focused on the factors that can prevent mental illness and the risk of suicidal behavior.

Researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, have been able to use a study of 1,136,527 Swedish men to show that there is a link between exercising as a young person and a reduced risk of suicidal behavior later in life.

"Being in poor physical shape at 18 years of age, measured as the test results on an exercise bike during their medical exam for compulsory military service, can be linked to a risk of suicidal behavior as an adult that is 1.8 times greater," says Margda Waern, researcher at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg.

The study shows that the increased risk was evident even 42 years after the exam for military service.

It has previously been shown that physical exercise has a highly positive effect on brain function, e.g. more nerve cells are developed with physical exercise.

"The teenage years are a critical period in terms of brain development since this is when social and emotional faculties are established. Therefore, it was important to do a larger study on the importance of physical fitness in terms of suicidal behavior in this age group," says Maria berg, researcher at the Sahlgrenska Academy who led the study together with Professor Margda Waern.

In the study, which covers all Swedish men born between 1950 and 1987 who completed the previously mandatory exam, researchers compared the results from physical tests during the exam with the national registers of disease and death.

By carefully examining the roughly 340,000 brothers who took part in the study, researchers were able to study how hereditary factors and the home environment affect this relationship.

In a much discussed study published in 2012, the researcher group showed that good physical fitness as a teenager can also be linked to decreased risk of severe depression later in life.

"But even when we exclude individuals who suffer from severe depression in connection with suicide or attempted suicide, the link between poor physical shape and an increased risk of suicidal behavior remains," says Margda Waern.

While depression is a particularly strong predictor of suicidal behavior in later life, the picture among younger people is complex and many factors are involved. "One theory is that the brain becomes more resistant to different types of stress if you are physically active," says Maria berg.

Researchers think that physical exercise should be considered in suicide prevention projects aimed at young people.

The new findings are supported by earlier cross-sectional studies where teenagers are interviewed about their physical fitness connected with the risk for suicidal thoughts.

The article Cardiovascular fitness in early adulthood and future suicidal behavior in men followed up to 42 years was published in Psychological Medicine.

Contact:

Maria berg
researcher at Sahlgrenska Academy
University of Gothenburg and physician at by district health center in Mlndal
+4610-47 33 960
+46709-668274
mab@neuro.gu.se,

Margda Waern
psychiatrist and professor at the Sahlgrenska Academy
University of Gothenburg
+4631-342 21 64
+46702-272205
margda.Waern@neuro.gu.se

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Public release date: 26-Jun-2013
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Contact: Maria ?berg
mab@neuro.gu.se
46-709-668-274
University of Gothenburg

Being in good physical shape at 18 years of age can be linked with a reduced risk of attempted suicide later in life. So says a study of over one million Swedish men conducted by researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

A new, extensive report from the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare on child and adolescent health shows that teenagers and young adults in Sweden have worse mental health than their age cohorts in other western countries.

Another report that is part of a new social welfare study shows that the number of serious suicide attempts among 19-23 year olds with activity compensation has increased from 115 per year to 460 per year in Sweden between 1995-2010.

At the same time, the number of suicides in the 10 to 45 age group increased. Even the percentage of young people with no activity compensation who attempted to take their life increased.

In order to break this trend, research has now focused on the factors that can prevent mental illness and the risk of suicidal behavior.

Researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, have been able to use a study of 1,136,527 Swedish men to show that there is a link between exercising as a young person and a reduced risk of suicidal behavior later in life.

"Being in poor physical shape at 18 years of age, measured as the test results on an exercise bike during their medical exam for compulsory military service, can be linked to a risk of suicidal behavior as an adult that is 1.8 times greater," says Margda Waern, researcher at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg.

The study shows that the increased risk was evident even 42 years after the exam for military service.

It has previously been shown that physical exercise has a highly positive effect on brain function, e.g. more nerve cells are developed with physical exercise.

"The teenage years are a critical period in terms of brain development since this is when social and emotional faculties are established. Therefore, it was important to do a larger study on the importance of physical fitness in terms of suicidal behavior in this age group," says Maria berg, researcher at the Sahlgrenska Academy who led the study together with Professor Margda Waern.

In the study, which covers all Swedish men born between 1950 and 1987 who completed the previously mandatory exam, researchers compared the results from physical tests during the exam with the national registers of disease and death.

By carefully examining the roughly 340,000 brothers who took part in the study, researchers were able to study how hereditary factors and the home environment affect this relationship.

In a much discussed study published in 2012, the researcher group showed that good physical fitness as a teenager can also be linked to decreased risk of severe depression later in life.

"But even when we exclude individuals who suffer from severe depression in connection with suicide or attempted suicide, the link between poor physical shape and an increased risk of suicidal behavior remains," says Margda Waern.

While depression is a particularly strong predictor of suicidal behavior in later life, the picture among younger people is complex and many factors are involved. "One theory is that the brain becomes more resistant to different types of stress if you are physically active," says Maria berg.

Researchers think that physical exercise should be considered in suicide prevention projects aimed at young people.

The new findings are supported by earlier cross-sectional studies where teenagers are interviewed about their physical fitness connected with the risk for suicidal thoughts.

The article Cardiovascular fitness in early adulthood and future suicidal behavior in men followed up to 42 years was published in Psychological Medicine.

Contact:

Maria berg
researcher at Sahlgrenska Academy
University of Gothenburg and physician at by district health center in Mlndal
+4610-47 33 960
+46709-668274
mab@neuro.gu.se,

Margda Waern
psychiatrist and professor at the Sahlgrenska Academy
University of Gothenburg
+4631-342 21 64
+46702-272205
margda.Waern@neuro.gu.se

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Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-06/uog-tpf062613.php

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Qatar's new emir: No major change in policies

DOHA, Qatar (AP) ? Qatar's new ruler emphasized his commitment to the Gulf nation's policies Wednesday, suggesting no major changes in its role as a leading backer for Syrian rebels, even as activists say the civil war's death has surpassed 100,000.

In his first public address since taking a day earlier, the 33-year-old emir, Sheik Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, said the shift in leadership "doesn't mean the challenges and the tests at hand have changed."

Sheik Tamim's decisions will be closely watched for any signs of new priorities in a country that has used vast energy riches to surge on the world stage as a regional political powerhouse. It provided key support for rebel forces in Libya in 2011 and is now a main sponsor of Syrian rebel forces seeking to topple the regime of Bashar Assad.

The new emir mentioned Qatar's support for Palestinians ? whose rival factions opened reconciliation talks brokered by Qatar last year ? while giving indirect but clear signals that its Syria policies will remain in force by saying Qatar backs the "aspirations of Arab people to live in freedom."

Qatar last week hosted a Syrian opposition conference whose participants included U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. Qatar is a hub for the anti-Assad political leadership and played a central role in March in crafting an Arab League decision to transfer Syria's seat to opposition forces.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an activist group that has been tracking the death toll over 27 months of conflict, said it has now tallied more than 100,000 dead in the fighting. The group's count includes 36,661 civilians and 25,407 members of Assad's armed forces.

Sheik Tamim took power Tuesday with the abdication of his 61-year-old father, Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, in a stunning transition that thrust a new generation into the forefront of Middle Eastern affairs.

The new emir is now expected to move quickly to name his inner circle, possibly putting his own stamp on the top political and diplomatic posts.

The Doha-based Al-Jazeera television ? which was founded by Qatar's government ? reported that Sheik Tamim will select the country's top domestic affairs official for the powerful prime minister role. The possible choice of Sheik Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani could hint at a greater emphasis on internal issues, such as development projects, after aggressive outward-looking policies and investments.

Al-Jazeera also reported that the emir's choice for foreign minister is likely Khaled al-Attiyah, now the minister of state for foreign affairs.

Qatar has made no official announcements on appointments, but Al-Jazeera is close to the country's leadership and often reflects internal decisions.

Such moves would mark the departure of one of Qatar's most prominent figures, Sheik Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani, who served in the dual roles as prime minister and foreign minister and was one of the architects of the country's surge onto the world stage over the past decade.

Sheik Hamad and the former emir are expected to retain important roles behind the scenes.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/qatars-emir-no-major-change-policies-170819324.html

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