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Sheldon Hoard Kinney (* 27. August 1918 in Pasadena, Kalifornien; † 11. Dezember 2004 in Annapolis, Maryland) war ein Konteradmiral der US Navy, der Kommandant von Kriegsschiffen in drei Kriegen und später Ausbilder von Seeoffizieren am Maritime College der State University of New York und an der World Maritime University in Malmö war.

Leben
Kinney begann 1935 nach dem vorzeitigen Verlassen der High School in Pasadena als Signalmatrose seinen Militärdienst in der US Navy und wurde aufgrund der Förderung durch seine Vorgesetzte 1937 an der US Naval Academy in Annapolis aufgenommen. Im Frühjahr 1941 schloss er seine dortige Ausbildung als Marineingenieur mit dem Rang eines Midshipman ab und war anschließend nach dem Eintritt der Vereinigten Staaten in den Zweiten Weltkrieg in verschiedenen Verwendungen tätig.

Er stieg gegen Ende des Zweiten Weltkrieges zum Kommandanten des Geleitzerstörers USS Bronstein (DE-189) aus der Cannon-Klasse auf, mit dem er die drei U-Boote U 709, U 603 und U 801 der Kriegsmarine versenkte und dafür mit dem Navy Cross ausgezeichnet wurde. Darüber hinaus gelang ihm die Außergefechtsetzung eines vierten U-Bootes, wobei die USS Bronstein für "die konzentrierteste und erfolgreichste Anti-U-Boot-Aktion der US Navy während des Zweiten Weltkrieges" eine Presidential Unit Citation erhielt.

Während des Koreakriegs war er Kommandant der USS Taylor (DD-468), einem Zerstörer der Fletcher-Klasse, und beteiligte sich mit diesem erfolgreich an den Gefechten am Hafen von Wŏnsan. Später wurde er Kommandant der USS Mitscher (DL-2), der ersten Lenkwaffenkreuzers der US Navy aus der gleichnamigen Mitscher-Klasse. Nach dem Ende des Koreakrieges kehrte er 1954 als Ausbilder an die US Naval Academy zurück, ehe er Ende der 1950er Jahre Offizier im Stab des Chief of Naval Operations. Darüber hinaus absolvierte er ein Studium der Rechtswissenschaften an der George Washington University und schloss dieses mit einem Master of Laws (LL.M.) ab und war außerdem Absolvent des National War College.

Zwischen 1964 und 1967 war er als Kapitän zur See Kommandant des Midshipmen-Lehrgangs an der US Naval Academy und damit zuständig für die Überwachung der militärischen, physischen und sozialen Entwicklung der Studenten. Danach hatte er Verwendungen im Stab der US Naval Forces Europe und diente als Kommandeur eines Begleitgeschwaders im Vietnamkrieg. Bei seiner Versetzung in den Ruhestand 1972 war er Kommandeur der Zerstörerkreuzer der US Pacific Fleet.

Anschließend wurde er 1972 Präsident des Maritim College der State University of New York (SUNY) in Fort Schuyler im New Yorker Stadtbezirk Bronx. 1982 war er Mitgründer sowie später von April bis November 1985 Präsident der von der Internationalen Seeschifffahrts-Organisation (IMO), einer Sonderorganisation der Vereinten Nationen, aufgebauten World Maritime University in Malmö. Während dieser Zeit war er maßgeblich am Aufbau von Masterstudiengängen und Doktorprogrammen beteiligt, die alle Bereiche der internationalen Seefahrt abdeckten.

Veröffentlichungen
 Chapter IX: American Sailors Decorated by the U.S.S.R. In: Lewis M. Andrews: Tempest, Fire And Foe. Destroyer Escorts in World War II and the Men who manned Them. Trafford, Victoria BC 2004, ISBN 1-4120-2158-8, S. 150 ff.

Weblinks
 THE NEW YORK TIMES: Sheldon H. Kinney, 86, Dies; Commanded Ships in 3 Wars (11. Januar 2005)
 THE WASHINGTON POST: Adm. Sheldon Kinney; Veteran of 3 Wars (7. Januar 2005)

Einzelnachweise

US-Amerikaner
Rear Admiral (United States Navy)
Person im Zweiten Weltkrieg (Vereinigte Staaten)
Person im Koreakrieg (Vereinigte Staaten)
Person im Vietnamkrieg (Vereinigte Staaten)
Universitätspräsident
Absolvent der United States Naval Academy
Träger des Navy Cross
Geboren 1918
Gestorben 2004
Mann


If a woman is fearful it can shut her labor down. Massage techniques used during labor are simple and Liebau finds women usually like the same motion over and over, often deep lower back massage for back pain. During labor Liebau encourages a woman's partner to use touch to calm and support her through the work of birth.
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Q: ng.probe(selector) always results in NULL So I know of an application for which I wanted to create a bookmarklet, I got to know that application is built using Angular 6. I did a bit of googling and found a way to modify DOM using this article
the first step is to call probe method on ng with selectors, I tried varies selectors such as document.body, app-root, $0, etc, however result is always same as NULL.
I am not sure what's missing here.
Any help would be appreciated,
Thanks,

A: The ng.probe() method will only work if the application is not running in production mode.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Media Molecule's Dreams has been a long time coming, and while it's technically still not done, we're now just hours away from the arrival of the Early Access release. Following on from the successful beta test, the studio is now ready to release its highly ambitious creative sandbox to a wider audience while it finishes up development. So, what do we know about Dreams Early Access? Below, you'll find all the information you should need ahead of launch.
What is the release date for Dreams Early Access?
What time will Dreams Early Access be available to purchase?
How much does Dreams Early Access cost?
Where can you buy Dreams Early Access?
Is Dreams Early Access available to everyone?
Are there limited spaces for Dreams Early Access?
What is included in Dreams Early Access?
Is PlayStation VR support included in Dreams Early Access?
Will you get the full game if you purchase Dreams Early Access?
Will creations you make during Dreams Early Access carry over to the full game?
Is there an NDA or embargo for Dreams Early Access?
Do you need to have PS Plus to play Dreams Early Access?
Dreams Early Access launches on PlayStation 4 on Tuesday 16th April 2019.
Dreams Early Access is priced at £24.99 / €29.99 / USD $29.99 / CAD $39.99.
Dreams Early Access will only be available digitally from PlayStation Store.
Dreams Early Access will initially be available in the US, Canada, UK, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. It will support English, German, French, Spanish, and Italian languages, with plans to support more later on.
Yes, Media Molecule has a cap on the number of people who can purchase Dreams Early Access in order to ensure it can listen to everyone's feedback. We don't know what the limit is, so if you want to get involved, you'll need to make sure you're ready to buy it as soon as you possibly can.
Dreams Early Access gives you full use of all the creation tools, tutorials, and community features. This means you'll be able to create and share whatever you like, and you'll be able to play and interact with any of the creations published by other users. This includes everything shared during the Dreams Creator Beta test, so there will be lots to go through from the start.
No, PSVR won't be supported in Dreams Early Access, but the functionality is being implemented for the full launch of the game.
Yes, Media Molecule has confirmed that those who buy Dreams Early Access will receive the full version when it's released.
Yes, everything published during the beta or Dreams Early Access will remain when the full game launches.
Nope. You're allowed to make videos, live stream, or otherwise share your experiences with Dreams Early Access with no restrictions.
Media Molecule has said you won't need PS Plus "to access any of the features of Dreams Early Access at launch." We take this to mean that PS Plus isn't necessary for Early Access, but will be when the full game launches.
Are you excited for Dreams Early Access on PS4? Have you been cooking up some creations, or will you spend more time playing user made experiences? Get imaginative in the comments below.
I wouldn't be surprised if PSN buckles under the weight of so many people trying to buy this when it goes live tomorrow. £25 for the whole game is an absolute bargian.
@Acquiescence I wish the hype surrounding Dreams was that big.
@Areus same here I never been the one to make cool stuff I just don't have the imagination for that but I always enjoyed playing other people's awesome stuff in LBP.
@Kidfried @Quintumply @rjejr Here's hoping we all get in this time around!
So incredibly pumped for tomorrow... Booked the rest of the week off to get properly stuck in. Bring on 10.30 Tuesday!
@Areus Me too. And I think being there from the beginning-kind-of will add to the experience.
@Octane Thanks, you too man. Spent too much time yesterday discussing w/ the kids whether we're getting this or not, seemed like a waste w/o PS+ and no single player mode, but if we don't need PS+ I guess we're in for $30.
One thing the faq left out that I'm sure most people want to know - when does the full game release? The cynic in me sees it only releasing on PS5 and this is all some kind of marketing ploy, like Yooka-Laylee kickstarter getting it's most money for the Wii U version. Even if we only pay $30 I'm still going to be very annoyed if I need a PS5 for story mode.
I guess best case cynicism they are using this to get people to sign up for PS+ when the game releases.
@rjejr There is no indication whatsoever that it will only launch on ps5. Zero. You have nothing to worry about. You're just overthinking it.
@rjejr You don't need PS Plus for early access.
Dreams is definitely coming out this year, and the PS5 is still at least a year away. If the PS5 is BC and all I expect PS5 compatibility at some point (I imagine everything carries over and it's the same game between both systems). But you don't have to worry about that right now.
For Media Molecule's sake, I hope everything goes smoothly tomorrow.
I just can't shake the feeling something is going to go wrong and people will be flooding MM's Twitter. Whether it's going to be something with getting into the game or running out of spots for the early access within 3-5 minutes while everyone is dealing with a laggy server.
I hope the space isn't too limited... I won't be able to purchase it until a few hours after it goes live.
@naruball "There is no indication whatsoever that it will only launch on ps5"
The Dreams game engine was first shown off in the PS4 announcement 6 years ago in Feb 2013, with a beta promised pretty much every year since then, the game itself was properly announced 2 years later at E3 2015 nearly 4 years ago, and they are just now getting around to a "limited" Early Access release. Nothing about that timeline makes me sure the complete game is releasing any time soon. And they screwed up the beta as several of us on here can attest.
So, I'll believe it when I see it b/c this has been a long bumpy slog just to get to this point.
@Octane Worrying makes up about 95% of who I am.
I am only after the creation tools so this early acces is great for me......... my wallet is topped up just hope I sleep tonight been a long time coming but well worth 25 quid .
Thanks for the comprehensive information Push Square there were a few things that I needed to know and they have been answered.
Sooooo excited for Dreams a U.K. Game too.
@rjejr When has a game had a beta on a console but was released only on its successor?
That's right. Never. Like I said, your assumption is completely baseless.
The reason I bought a PS4 recently is this game! Tipped me over the edge and never had any PS before. This could be essentially unlimited gaming for the price of one game if the creations are anything like the media is suggesting they will be.
@quinnyboy58 I think Sony will shift more consoles once word gets about.
This is ideal for game makers, artists, kids, musicians anyone that dares to be creative imaginative it could change gaming as we know it.
I predict "Dreams" is going to be massive.
Did you go all in with a PSVR and Move controllers?
Is it supposedly to be available to preorder now? There's nothing on the store.
@Octane haha yes just a few so far all costing next to nothing! God of War, Wipeout, kingdom hearts the story so far, ni no kuni 2, persona 5, little big planet 3, ratchet and clank, tearaway, digimon story, journey and jak and daxter. Will get DQXI and Spider-Man when price drops a bit as got plenty to get on with. Any recommendation for me? I like Nintendo and Rareware single players style games as you can probably tell from the list! I also have Spyro Trilogy on Xbone.
Early access is available now on the german store (console store)!
Purchased. Can't wait to get home. Haha.
Got one right on 10.30. Can't wait to remember how bad my creation skills are.
Got one. Still not overly sure why because I will likely have no idea how to use it, or have the patience to make anything good. But I'm hoping it's simple enough that my son and I can make things together on there. Only 2gb install size as well!
Honestly guys, GET THIS GAME! This is incredible.
I don't care if it's in early access, beta, or a bloody demo this is well worth £25 imo.
The amount of content here already is astonishing and it's only gonna continue to grow. There's gonna be entire websites dedicated to picking out the best creations from this.
This is a special moment in gaming imo. Get on board now.
@quinnyboy58 As someone who grew up on Nintendo; I'd say Shadow of the Colossus and The Last Guardian. Not really Nintendo-like games, but I do prefer action/adventure single player games. Both are cult classics (and if TLG isn't yet, it will be once enough time has passed I think). Very different experiences from other games, but I dig the world building and lore in those games, the straight forward gameplay (even though it can be a bit clunky at times).
Gravity Rush is worth looking into as well. I quite liked the first game. The second one is good as well, but it drags on a little too long imo.
And not a PS exclusive, but if you haven't played Hyper Light Drifter yet, you should!
@Rob_230 I was a little hesitant at first because I don't see myself as a creator, but the last 2 hours have just flown by checking out some of the things that people made back when the beta was going on a few months ago.
In a week or so when more people get stuck into this early access period, there's gonna be a lot of content to try out.
@Octane "Here's hoping we all get in this time around!"
It was supposed to release in my region 35 minutes ago but I still can't find it online in my web browser. Gonna go check my PS4 now. Did you have to fill in some secret society handshake code or something or was it just there?
@rjejr It took a while. I think I had to wait 5 minutes before it appeared. Try searching for ''early access''. Don't try ''dreams'', as you'll get a ton of clutter.
@Octane I got it, thanks. Now I'm just sitting here listening to the GoT theme as I wait for it to download. And hope I don't regret the $32.57 purchase. It's installed, more later.
A game/experience that finally makes a lot of use of motion control and I really hate it. Find the use of it very frustrating. Hopefully they will provide other options on full release.
.. just purchased now in UK (17/04) - so must be a lot of copies to go around... sad that VR option isn't here... but at least it gives me time to get used to new UI / toolset... I'd really like to create something like Theseus (PSVR)... I thought the RE-style fixed camera angles and over-the-shoulder perspective worked really well... hey, I'd also like to do a PSVR version of Donkey Kong... the sky's the limit!
I bet Media Molecule are really annoyed at Sony for announcing the PS5 on the same day this got released and thus totally overshadowing something that people were looking forward to. Not one mention of it anywhere since the PS5 announcement. Shame. I got it and it's good. I'll be interested to see what becomes of it!


This editorial was originally published on May 13, 2013. It is being re-run as Steve is on holiday.
I'm sure most of us would like to think that we write fairly efficient code. However the reality for many of us might be that we don't actually know. Many of us use the same patterns and practices that we've been using for a long time, rarely changing. When we learn a new technique or find a different way of coding that works better, we tend to then use that method over, and over, and over, and over again.
I would guess that if many of us profiled our code, and examined the CPU and network bandwidth we consume, we might be surprised at what we find. CPU and network usage isn't something we are often concerned about. We assume that we've bought a machine and we should be able to use as much of it as we can at any point in time. That's not the best approach, but since we often have more hardware than we need for many processes, it works. It also explains why so many applications struggle as the load increases. They're not coded efficiently.
If you're going to work in the cloud, you better learn to code more efficiently, mostly because it costs money. If you think about your design, you can reduce the amount of resources you use. In the cloud this translates to less cost. In the on-premises world, this means better performance and higher scale. It also means less complaints and phone calls.
Scaling up an application can be hard, but much of the struggle comes from poorly coding your application in the beginning. Most of us have heard the saying that it takes less time to do it right the first time. That's true in many situations, and it's true for your application development. Learn to write more efficient code and use patterns that conserve resources. You'll find your applications will run better, no matter what type of environment hosts them. If you're not sure what patterns and practices work well, read an article or ask a question and find out what efficient techniques others use.


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Blog Columns General Football News Martinez says Boyata is "increasingly mature" and "the future"
Martinez says Boyata is "increasingly mature" and "the future"
Crippy Cooke 19 October, 2018 Belgium, Celtic, General Football News, Scottish Premier League
Roberto Martinez says Dedryck Boyata is "increasingly mature" and "the future" of Belgium's national team, reports the Daily Record. The Celtic centre-back joined from Manchester City in 2015 and has gone on to make 113 appearances in all competitions. He's represented his country on 13 occasions and has become a regular in the last 12 months.
Boyata has stepped into the shoes of Vincent Kompany and finds himself on par with the likes of Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld. He struggled for playing time at Manchester City in the past, making only 35 appearances across the board between 2010 and 2015, but developed as a central defender at Celtic.
The 27-year-old has gone on to win three Scottish Premiership titles, two Scottish Cups and two Scottish League Cups. Boyata had offers to leave Celtic during the summer and it led to him refusing to play as he sought a Parkhead exit. And while Boyata opted to stay this season, his deal runs out next summer and suitors may again come knocking.
Martinez was full of praise for the centre-back and believes he will have a bright future in store for the national team. He said: "I learned a lot of useful things in this game. I learned that Boyata can play as the lead defender and puts on increasingly mature performances every time he plays for Belgium. Jason Denayer was very strong in possession too."
Stats from Transfermarkt.
Marco Silva raves about Everton forward Bernard
Newcastle vs Brighton: Salomon Rondon and Ciaran Clark out for the clash
Crippy Cooke
Crippy can be found on Twitter (@CrippyCooke) He is a sports journalist who has written for the Independent, Bleacher Report, Huffington Post, Daily Mail and Daily Telegraph among others. Crippy treats football gossip with a dash of cynicism and loves tearing apart outlandish rumours.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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India plans a bad bank for government lenders, the effectiveness remains to be seen
Repo rate cuts: slow borrowing recovery, big blow to depositors
Vaccines will probably be obtainable to all People by the tip of July, Biden stated
Is your school safe? ; Insurance Bureau of Canada Urges Action on Climate Change: CBC's Marketplace Checklist
Diversify agriculture, products to boost income potential: Minister
Philippines will raise the age for sexual consent – The New Indian Express
Subsequent neatest thing: Digital actuality aids studying in School of Ag Sciences courses
Breakingviews – Fed chief pleads for neutral heights
Hops to touch: Ag alumni duo reinvents family farm to quench growing thirst for craft beer – Dal News
When Nick Southan took the opportunity to use land on his family farm in Wicklow, NB, after graduating from Nova Scotia Agricultural College (now the Faculty of Agriculture), he didn't think twice. As the fourth generation on the large potato farm that has been owned by Nick's family since the early 1900s, Nick and his wife Kathryn settled in the farmhouse.
However, it would take time and multiple business plans for the duo to begin farming the land.
"We weren't interested in growing potatoes like my father, grandfather, and great-grandfather had," says Nick. "But we knew we wanted to farm."
Southern and Kathryn took jobs with the federal government and applied skills learned at NSAC. Nick spent his evenings and weekends devising different business plans while considering different options for the farm. Kathryn would then work out the numbers and look for something workable.
"Again and again, the numbers would tell the story of a business idea that simply wasn't sustainable," says Kathryn. Until one day the budding farmers heard about an industry that was faced with crop shortages. The rapidly growing craft beer industry needed more hops.
"Nick brought me a business idea and the numbers for starting a hop farm. The projections have shown that we can do this, "she says.
An essential ingredient
Hops are an essential part of the aroma and taste of a beer and at the same time keep the cool drink fresher longer. With so many craft breweries popping up all over Atlantic Canada, breweries have struggled to source sufficient quantities of the floral ingredient to use in production. Hops require a lot of manual labor – from sowing to harvest. And there aren't a lot of mechanizations out there to help farmers.
"Establishing a hop garden involves creating a trellis with a grid of 6.50 meter poles and thousands of feet of aircraft cable. The plants themselves are perennial and have to be planted by hand, either as a rhizome or as a plant, "explains Nick. "Since these are climbing plants, they have to be tied and attached to a cord with which they can grow up to 6 meters high."
Each spring, two coconut-coconut strings are tied near the crown of each hop plant and tied by hand to the cable that runs across the top of the trellis. The coconut coconut is cut, also by hand, with a special applicator that inserts a metal clip into the ground to fix the threads.
"We currently have six hectares of hops with around 900 plants per hectare, which is the equivalent of 5,400 plants that need 10,800 strings to be tied and tied each year," Kathryn adds.
Once the plants begin to produce shoots 12 to 18 inches in length, they will need to be pruned (by hand) and "trained" to scale the coconut. Hop vines are not self-climbing; they must be wrapped around the coconut coconut by hand. A selection of three vines are wrapped around the twine and the remaining shoots are cut out.
"When the plants are about 3 to 12 feet tall, the bottom four feet of foliage are hand stripped to increase airflow and reduce insect pressure," continues Nick. "When it's time to harvest, the plants have to be cut by hand and transported to the stationary harvester. The harvest of the hop cones, the drying process and the pelletizing process are fully mechanized. "
The end product at Southan Farms is then sold to breweries in the Maritimes, including Upstreet Craft Brewing, Picaroon's, Trider's, Cavok, Grimross, and Maybee Brewing – all of which produce a different delicious and refreshing drink.
Overcome obstacles
But Southan Farm's success in the craft beer industry didn't come overnight.
"At first we didn't have a lot of access to resources," says Kathryn. As new graduates (and newlyweds) with little to no equity, the two faced a challenge. "The high investment requirements for the infrastructure and the necessary processing equipment were difficult to secure because hops were not a tried and tested culture in the maritime industry," she adds.
Because credit institutions were wary of sponsoring a commodity they weren't sure would grow in that area, Kathryn and Nick had to do significant amounts of volunteer work in the early seasons.
Her perseverance has resulted in a successful family business that keeps her busy day and night.
"Most days I answer emails, prepare bills, deliver hops (and children), book payroll and answer all other office work that comes up depending on the time of year," says Kathryn. "During the more labor-intensive seasons that require additional manpower, I supplement where I am needed for tasks such as stringing, training, pruning and harvesting."
Nick is responsible for everything from spraying to scouting to fertilizing, watering and everything in between. His days start early and end late in all four seasons.
Agriculture is important to the powerful duo and they are proud of their contribution to the industry.
"Agriculture is an opportunity to build something from scratch and literally watch it grow," says Kathryn. "It forces us to have an intense relationship with Mother Nature. The sense of achievement when you are successful for yourself is like no other. "
"The nature of the industry teaches resilience and the ability to start over every year. By working firsthand in the agribusiness, we can have a direct impact on the planet that we leave to our children, "added Nick.
The couple's two daughters, Madison and Isabella (ages 13 and nine), learn firsthand the value of hard work and the daily selflessness it takes to keep things going. Something that is also important for your family business.
"Our children (and all children from the farm) love all outdoor activities and find simple joys in many things that other people don't appreciate," says Kathryn. "You can have a certain amount of pride in what you do every day, and children who grow up on a farm can also be proud of their contribution."
As for the future, the people at Southan Farms are getting busier. Nick and Kathryn hope to at least double their hop acreage in the next 10 years and to secure contracts for other small to medium-sized breweries across the Maritimes.
"This is our lifestyle. It may have taken time and hard work to get to this point. It will always take hard work, but we love it. "
Live Oak Bank tops the SBA's top 100 7 (a) active lenders
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Vergent and iQDE Announce Strategic Partnership for the Benefit of Lenders
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Amsterdam, the Netherlands – Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE:PHG, AEX:PHI) today provided the following update on its expected fourth quarter 2011 financial results which, together with full-year financials, will be reported on January 30, 2012.
Group sales for the quarter are expected to show mid single-digit comparable growth over the fourth quarter of 2010. The group Adjusted EBITA* for the quarter is expected to be between 8 and 9% of sales, which corresponds to a reported EBITA between 7 and 8%. The reported EBITA for the group is estimated to be around EUR 500 million. Free cash inflow for the fourth quarter of 2011 is expected to be around EUR 1 billion compared to an amount of EUR 1.2 billion in the fourth quarter of 2010. Group cash balance at the end of the quarter is expected to be approximately EUR 3 billion. All figures exclude the Television business, which is part of discontinued operations.
For its Healthcare sector, Philips expects low single-digit comparable sales growth in the fourth quarter of 2011 compared to the fourth quarter of 2010. The lower-than-expected growth, despite a strong performance in the US, is primarily due to weak sales in Europe, where the sector saw a mid single-digit decline in sales for the fourth quarter of 2011 compared to the fourth quarter of 2010. This, along with delays in deliveries of existing orders, resulted in an estimated reduction of 2 to 3 percentage points comparable sales growth in the quarter. Continued investments in growth, and some incidental one-time expenses, led to lower operating leverage for earnings in the quarter. The Adjusted EBITA* and reported EBITA for the fourth quarter of 2011, which is normally high due to the seasonal nature of the business, are expected to be around 15% of sales.
For the Lighting sector, Philips expects a mid single-digit comparable sales growth compared to the fourth quarter of 2010. Continued operational issues in Consumer Luminaires, Lumileds and macroeconomic factors, which impacted pricing in Philips' Consumer Lighting businesses, have impacted the Lighting results. In addition, incidental charges, primarily relating to the disposal of slow moving inventories, as well as adjustments in production volumes further affected the bottom line. These actions have led to reduced inventory levels and improved cash flow. Adjusted EBITA* for the fourth quarter is expected to be around 3 to 4% of sales. The reported EBITA is expected to be around 2%.
For the Consumer Lifestyle sector, comparable sales growth is expected to be in the low single-digit range. At an aggregate level for the growth businesses, i.e. Personal Care, Health & Wellness, and Domestic Appliances, a high single-digit comparable sales increase is expected compared to the fourth quarter of 2010. The Adjusted EBITA* and reported EBITA for the whole sector is expected to be around 10% of sales.
The Company will discuss today's announcement, fourth quarter 2011 and full year 2011 results on a conference call beginning at 09.15 am CET, January 30th, 2012.
*Adjusted EBITA is EBITA excluding restructuring and acquisition related charges.


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Sixers Sign Ben Simmons To Five-Year Extension
Suns Re-Sign Kelly Oubre To Two-Year Deal
Central Notes: Maker, Evans, Pistons, Osman
March 22nd, 2019 at 6:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder
Thon Maker has given the Pistons an energetic boost since he was acquired from the Bucks in a three-team swap at the trade deadline, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes.
The 7-footer fell out of Milwaukee's rotation, but has proven to be a solid backup for Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin. The Pistons outscored Phoenix by 20 points when Maker was on the court Thursday, as he scored 10 points, grabbed six rebounds and blocked three shots in 28 minutes.
"He's been great," Griffin said of his Pistons teammate. "Just his energy, man. He's just always everywhere. And if he's not blocking shots, he's swinging for the fences. It's making people think and it's making people be aware of where he is."
Maker will make a guaranteed $3.57MM next season and will be eligible for a rookie scale extension with the Pistons prior to opening night.
We have more from around the Central Division:
Pacers swingman Tyreke Evans admits it's been a roller-coaster season for him, Scott Agness of The Athletic reports. Evans has battled injuries, a bout with food poisoning and the tragic death of a nephew during the course of the season. Evans' playing time has dropped dramatically from last season, when he averaged 19.4 PPG for Memphis in 52 games. He'll return to the free agent market after signing a one-year, $12.4MM contract from Indiana. "Yeah, it's tough," he told Agness. "Everybody knows what type of player I am. (Since) I got drafted, I'm better with the ball in my hands. I'm a team player and just want to win this late in my career."
D'Angelo Russell's breakthrough season with the Nets after the Lakers gave up on him illustrates why the Pistons explored trades for young point guards Dennis Smith Jr. and Markelle Fultz prior to the trade deadline, according to Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. The Pistons will likely continue to pursue a young point guard during the offseason, since starter Reggie Jackson has one more season left on his contract and reserves Ish Smith and Jose Calderon will be unrestricted free agents, Ellis adds.
Forward Cedi Osman is considered part of the Cavaliers' future core, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports in his latest mailbag. The team could sign Osman to an extension this summer but there hasn't been any talk of doing that yet, Fedor continues. However, he's a front-office favorite and has made positive strides in recent months. He's shown signs of being more than just a bench rotation player and his 3-point shooting has improved, Fedor adds.
Ish Smith
Markelle Fultz
Thon Maker
Free Agent Stock Watch 2019: Central Division
March 16th, 2019 at 3:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder
Every week, Hoops Rumors takes a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents next offseason. We examine if their stock is rising or falling due to performance and other factors. This week, we turn our attention to the Central Division:
Wayne Selden, Bulls, 24, SG (Down) – Signed to a two-year, $2.86MM deal in 2017
Selden was part of the Justin Holiday deal with the Grizzlies in January. He could be a restricted free agent if Chicago chooses to extend a $1.93MM qualifying offer. Selden hasn't done anything to convince the front office to retain his rights. He had an 18-point game in a blowout loss to Detroit on Sunday but he's mostly been a non-factor off the bench. He's posted a minus 4.5 Box Plus/Minus Rating, according to Basketball-Reference, which runs parallel to his career rating.
David Nwaba, Cavaliers, 26, SG (Down) – Signed to a one-year, $1.5MM deal in 2018
Injuries and a lack of production have made this a ho-hum season for Nwaba, who is playing for his third team in three years. He's had occasional outbursts, such as a 22-point outing against Brooklyn this month, but has otherwise done little to dent the stat sheet. He can be a restricted free agent if the front office extends a low-cost $1.89MM qualifying offer. The cash-strapped Cavs will probably decline that option unless they see him as a rotation piece going forward.
Jose Calderon, Pistons, 37, PG (Down) – Signed to a one-year, $2.39MM deal in 2018
Calderon has carved out a nice, long NBA career that began in the 2005/06 season with Toronto. He rejoined his former Raptors coach, Dwane Casey, in Detroit as a third-string point guard after some good moments in Cleveland last season. It hasn't gone well. Father Time has clearly caught up to Calderon, who was exposed when primary backup Ish Smith was sidelined by a adductor injury. This is likely Calderon's last hurrah, though he could remain in the league as a coach if he so chooses.
Thaddeus Young, Pacers, 30, PF (Up) — Signed to a four-year, $54MM deal in 2015
A steady, durable big man, Young has been a consistent contributor throughout his career. This year might be best, reinforcing his value in a walk year. His Box Plus/Minus rating on Basketball-Reference is a career-best 3.1 and coach Nate McMillan has flowed with praise over Young's play and leadership. Young doesn't post big numbers, but he fills the stat sheet and provides intangibles that endears him to teammates and coaches. He should receive another pricey, multiyear offer this summer.
Malcolm Brogdon, Bucks, SG (Up) – Signed to a three-year, $3.78MM deal in 2016
An unlikely Rookie of the Year recipient after getting drafted in the second round, Brogdon has taken his play up a level or two after an injury-marred sophomore campaign. Starting for the current top seed in the East, Brogdon is averaging 15.6 PPG on 50.5% overall shooting. He's a 42.6% shooter from distance and is virtually automatic at the free throw line (92.8%). He also rebounds well for his position and facilitates the offense (3.2 APG). Brogdon will be a restricted free agent and the Bucks may have to match a big offer sheet to retain him.
Free Agent Stock Watch
Hoops Rumors Originals
Wayne Selden
Central Notes: Kennard, Dunn, Asik, Evans
October 26th, 2018 at 5:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder
Pistons coach Dwane Casey will use a variety of players to replace reserve guard Luke Kennard, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com reports. Kennard suffered a separated shoulder against Cleveland on Thursday and is expected to miss 3-4 weeks. Rookies Bruce Brown, Khyri Thomas and Zach Lofton along with Glenn Robinson III and Jose Calderon will take turns filling up Kennard's rotation minutes until he returns.
"It'll be matchup driven," Casey said of the Pistons' plans to fill Kennard's minutes. "Glenn does a good job of chasing guys. Some guys have trouble against length. That will be Glenn. But Bruce, he's capable of really guarding a lot of different people. Khyri Thomas, too. Luke going down is an opportunity for Khyri, Jose to be ready. … That's why we have 15 on the roster. We'll have to make a decision whether we want to bring up (two-way player) Zach Lofton. This is why you stay ready for your opportunity."
Bulls point guard Kris Dunn had no idea how badly he injured his knee until he returned home from Dallas, according to Mark Strotman of NBC Sports Chicago. Dunn will be out 4-6 weeks with an MCL sprain in his left knee. He originally thought it was just a bruise but the pain increased on the flight home on Monday and the knee locked up on him when he returned home. An MRI the next morning revealed the severity of the injury. "I think it's unlucky. It comes with the game," Dunn said. "I can either cry about it or try to work my way around it. I'm going to stay positive, be a man about it."
The Bulls decided not to use the stretch provision on the $3MM guarantee for Omer Asik's 2019 salary, ESPN's Bobby Marks confirms (Twitter link). Chicago ate the approximately $11.3MM owed to Asik this season and waived him over the weekend. The team could have chosen to stretch out the $3MM guarantee for next season over a three-year period. However, the $3MM cap hit could be erased entirely if the 32-year-old Asik is deemed medically ineligible to play. Asik is out indefinitely with inflammatory arthritis.
Tyreke Evans will sit out Saturday's game against Cleveland for violating team rules, the Pacers announced in a press release. Evans, who signed a one-year, $12MM contract as a free agent this summer, said that he was late for practice and expressed remorse. "This is the most professional and team-oriented organization I have been with in my career," he said. "They deserve my best every day and I am disappointed in myself for causing a distraction that prevents me from being able to help my team tomorrow. I will do better."
Kris Dunn
Luke Kennard
Omer Asik
Zach Lofton
And-Ones: Long, LiAngelo Ball, Spain
September 3rd, 2018 at 8:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder
Ex-Sixers forward Shawn Long has signed a contract with New Zealand Breakers, according to a Sportando report. Long played 18 games with Philadelphia in 2016/2017, averaging 8.2 PPG and 4.7 RPG in 13 MPG. He toiled in the G League last season with the Delaware 87ers, averaging 14.6 PPG and 7.7 RPG in 33 games following a seven-game stint in China. The Timberwolves took a look at Long during a free agent mini-camp in June.
We have more from around the pro basketball world:
LiAngelo Ball anticipated that the Lakers or Suns would draft him in the second round, Andrew Joseph of USA Today reports. The younger brother of Lonzo Ball said the reality show Ball in the Family that he was in contact with the Lakers that day. The Lakers ended up choosing Kansas' Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk and the Suns took Colorado's George King. LiAngelo Ball said after the draft he thought his shoplifting arrest with UCLA in China might have played a role.
Spain will be without nine prominent NBA players in the upcoming FIBA World Cup qualifiers, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando notes. Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol, Willy Hernangomez, Juan Hernangomez, Ricky Rubio, Jose Calderon, Alex Abrines, Nikola Mirotic and Serge Ibaka have all passed up the tournament.
Former Hornets and Mavericks guard Aaron Harrison agreed to sign with a Turkish team over the weekend. Get the details here.
Aaron Harrison
Alex Abrines
Juan Hernangomez
LiAngelo Ball
Serge Ibaka
Shawn Long
Willy Hernangomez
Calderon, Pachulia Ideal Fits In Detroit
August 1st, 2018 at 9:00pm CST by Clark Crum
While it's no guarantee that either player will crack new head coach Dwane Casey's rotation, both newly-acquired veterans Jose Calderon and Zaza Pachulia are ideal fits to complement the Pistons' roster, opines Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.
"They can still play an NBA basketball game. They can contribute," says senior advisor Ed Stefanski. "But if they don't play one night, they're not going to be moping in the locker room. They're going to be ready to play all the time and they're going to help these young guys become professionals."
With both Reggie Jackson and Ish Smith returning this season, Calderon is not likely to see much time at the point guard position. However, given Calderon's size (6'3") and ability to shoot from long range (career 41.1% 3-point shooter), it will be interesting to see whether Calderon could play along Jackson or Smith, especially when two rookies – Khyri Thomas and Bruce Brown – are likely to be relied upon for reserve shooting guard minutes.
As for Pachulia, he seems to be firmly rooted as a reserve center behind starter Andre Drummond and backups Jon Leuer and Henry Ellenson. But, with an 82-game season to play, injuries could very well force the 34-year-old Georgian big man into more minutes.
"I'm very excited about our two veterans in Pachulia and Calderon," Stefanski added. "Both winners in the NBA. Both have won championships. Both – if you talk to people in the league – they're as good a guys as you're going to get, as professional as you're going to get."
Zaza Pachulia
Central Notes: LaVine, Pacers, Cavaliers, Calderon
July 10th, 2018 at 6:05pm CST by Clark Crum
Fresh off the Bulls officially matching the Kings' fully guaranteed, four-year $78MM offer sheet to Zach LaVine, the 23-year-old combo guard says he is ready to prove all of the doubters wrong who wonder whether he is worth the nearly $80MM in guaranteed money that he will earn from the Bulls, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN.
"I'm my hardest critic," LaVine said Sunday during the Bulls' summer league game against the Lakers in Las Vegas. "There's nothing that any of you guys can say to me that I [don't] take harder upon myself. I go back and critique my game every year. I'm used to people sleeping on me, and I'm also used to waking them up as well. I'm happy that I have this contract, and I'm happy that I have a little extra motivation to go out there and prove it to some people that don't believe in me."
"At the end of the day, I believe in myself, I believe in my work, and I'm going to show the city of Chicago it's a good choice and I'm here to stay. I'm going to be their guy, and I'm ready to do whatever to help this team get back to that spot."
And despite saying publicly that he was disappointed the Bulls hadn't done more to lock him in as a restricted free agent when the free-agency period opened, LaVine backtracked from those comments after the deal with the Bulls became official, saying that he simply meant he never wanted to sign an offer sheet because he wanted to stay in Chicago so badly.
"I think a lot of that got taken out of context," LaVine said. "The main thing that I wanted to get my point across was I wanted to just deal with Chicago. I never wanted to get [to] a point of [having to sign] an offer sheet. Regardless of whatever happened, I'm going to put that behind us. I'm happy as hell that I'm going to be able to play for the team that I want to play for."
The Pacers found unexpected success this past season and the front office deserves credit for avoiding complacency, Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com opines. Indiana brought in Kyle O'Quinn, Tyreke Evans, and Doug McDermott on mid-sized deals, all moves designed to help them compete in a now-weakened Eastern Conference.
The Cavaliers, who are still searching for another assistant coach on head coach Tyronn Lue's bench, interviewed Warriors assistant coach Willie Green and Sixers assistant coach John Bryant recently, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Green has since re-upped with Golden State.
Because he signed a one-year, veteran's minimum contract, Jose Calderon likely could have chosen to play wherever he wanted to this upcoming season, opines Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. But he ended up picking the Pistons simply because he believes they can be a good team. And although he'll likely slot in behind Reggie Jackson and Ish Smith on the depth chart, it's possible new coach Dwane Casey could play two point guards at the same time, thereby opening up playing time for Calderon.
Chris Crouse contributed to this post.
John Bryant
Kyle O'Quinn
Willie Green
Zach LaVine
Pistons Sign Jose Calderon
July 2nd, 2018 at 2:51pm CST by Luke Adams
JULY 7: The signing is official, the Pistons announced on Twitter.
JULY 2: The Pistons have reached an agreement with veteran point guard Jose Calderon, according to ESPN's Chris Haynes (Twitter link). League sources tell Haynes that's worth $2.4MM, which means it's a minimum-salary deal.
The agreement will reunite Calderon with new Pistons head coach Dwane Casey, who coached the 36-year-old several seasons ago in Toronto.
A 13-year NBA veteran, Calderon spent the 2017/18 with the Cavaliers. Although he played a modest role with the club, he was solid when called upon, averaging 4.5 PPG and 2.1 APG with a .503/.464/.800 shooting line.
While it's a low-cost investment for the Pistons, it's a somewhat curious one. The team was already well-stocked at the point guard spot, with Reggie Jackson and Ish Smith atop the depth chart and Langston Galloway occasionally getting ball-handling duties too. However, it's possible Detroit has another move in mind. The club is exploring possible trades, according to Rod Beard of The Detroit News (Twitter link), who identifies Smith, Galloway, and Jon Leuer as potential chips.
Calderon figures to take Dwight Buycks' place on Detroit's roster. Buycks has a $1.6MM non-guaranteed salary for next season, but waiving him would help give the Pistons a little extra distance below the tax line, as ESPN's Bobby Marks details (via Twitter).
Dwight Buycks
Langston Galloway
Free Agent Stock Watch 2018: Cleveland Cavaliers
June 11th, 2018 at 12:00pm CST by Austin Kent
The 2017/18 season was an exhausting one for the Cavaliers and it ended the only way it possibly could: in a four-game sweep at the hands of the Warriors. While LeBron James put forth an historically impressive showing this year, the squad just wasn't nearly deep enough to put another dent in Golden State's dynasty.
The biggest story in Cleveland this summer will obviously be James' forthcoming free agency. It's no secret that the 33-year-old will have multiple realistic options to mull over this summer and the Cavaliers will have little choice but to wait and see what he decides before they set out with the rest of their plans.
To general manager Koby Altman's credit, the franchise was impressively proactive at the trade deadline, adding several players who could be a part of a rebuild for years to come. And to team owner Dan Gilbert's credit, he promoted Altman, a general manager he wanted, when there was pressure from James' camp to retain David Griffin.
Expect the Cavs to welcome James back (and all the ensuing baggage) if the future Hall-of-Famer decides in earnest to end his career where it started, but my read of the situation is that Gilbert and company won't exactly grovel if the King starts leaning toward taking his talents elsewhere.
Jose Calderon, PG, 36 (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $2MM deal in 2017
It's hard to imagine Calderon signing on for anything more than the veteran's minimum at this stage in his career, but a solid enough 2017/18 campaign in which he started 32 games for the Cavaliers should be enough to earn him another contract. The Cavs won't have much use for the 36-year-old if they blow things up, so expect any decision regarding Calderon to come a little later in free agency.
Jeff Green, PF, 31 (Up) – Signed to a one-year, $2MM deal in 2017
It's hard to gauge Green's value considering he went from making $15MM in 2016/17 to the league minimum in 2017/18. Still, there's no denying he was a bargain for the Cavaliers at just over $2MM. Despite a limited ceiling, Green is a solid role player and could be an affordable depth piece for a competitive team in Cleveland or elsewhere.
Rodney Hood, SG, 25 (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $6MM deal in 2014
Less than a year ago, Hood was in line to take over scoring duties for the suddenly Gordon Hayward-less Jazz. The swingman showed on a number of occasions in the first half of 2017/18 that he was capable of being a semi-reliable primary option on offense, but injuries and the rise of Donovan Mitchell complicated the restricted free agent's big contract year. A slow start in Cleveland, coupled with a lousy postseason and one particularly bad decision will limit his value even further. That said, if Hood draws an offer sheet in the $10MM-$14MM range this offseason, he could end up being a bargain.
LeBron James, PF, 33 (Up) – Signed to a three-year, $100MM deal in 2016
Despite rampant speculation about James' upcoming free agency, there's no clear indication about what the superstar will do. The growing narrative is that James doesn't have the supporting cast to compete with the likes of the superteams around him. While I'll submit that he and his representation are partly to blame considering their insistence on leveraging James in order to land players like Tristan Thompson and J.R. Smith albatross contracts, there's no denying that the Cavs' roster looked empirically overwhelmed by the vastly deeper Warriors in the NBA Finals.
James, who looks more formidable than ever now as a 33-year-old, will earn every single penny available to him wherever he signs, but while there will be considerably more pennies available to him if he stays in Cleveland, it's hard to imagine that somebody with a net worth of $400MM will base his decision entirely on wealth. Narrowing down where the King might land, then, comes down to figuring out his motives. If James wants to win rings he could either sign with the Sixers or squeeze his way onto the Rockets. If he wants to set himself up for life after basketball he should probably pack up the family and head over to join the Lakers. Of course, if James wants to preserve his uniquely complicated legacy, he should think long and hard about staying in Cleveland.
Kendrick Perkins, 33, C (Down) – Signed to a two-year deal in 2018
The Cavaliers added Perkins to their big league roster in the waning days of the regular season, but seem unlikely to pick up his option for 2018/19. While the veteran was brought on to provide an additional veteran voice in the locker room, his only notable feat in the postseason was getting into sideline altercation with Stephen Curry and Drake. Perkins is relatively young to be a symbolic elder statesmen, so there's always the possibility that he signs on with another contender in a similar enforcer-turned-unofficial coach role, but don't forget that he's only seen action in one NBA contest since the 2015/16 season. His career could just as easily be over.
Rodney Hood
Cavaliers Notes: LeBron, Calderon, Hill, Thompson
April 22nd, 2018 at 10:22am CST by Arthur Hill
Only LeBron James can save the Cavaliers from an embarrassing first-round loss, writes Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. James' teammates haven't been providing much help during the first three games with Indiana, hitting just 41% of their open shots, one of the worst percentages among playoff teams. Lloyd notes that youngsters Jordan Clarkson and Rodney Hood and veterans Jeff Green and Kyle Korver are all struggling with their shots, and even coach Tyronn Lue admits that James' supporting cast isn't doing enough.
The dangers of an early exit are obvious, giving James more than two months to ponder whether he wants to return to a team that couldn't get past the first round. Lloyd adds that several Cavs veterans told him in January that the team wasn't good enough to compete for a title and they didn't expect it to be by June. If they turn out to be right, it could make James' next decision a lot easier.
There's more this morning out of Cleveland:
The Cavaliers will start Jose Calderon at point guard if George Hill is unable to go tonight, relays Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com. Hill is listed as questionable with back spasms, tweets ESPN's Dave McMenamin, and will receive treatment prior to the game. Hill, who had an MRI Saturday, first hurt his back in Game 1, then aggravated it chasing a loose ball Friday night. Lue chose not to put Calderon into a "tough spot" in the fourth quarter after not playing all game, Pluto adds, which meant James never got a break in the second half. He is averaging more minutes than anyone through the first three games of the playoffs.
Lue plans to give backup center Tristan Thompson a greater role in tonight's game, Lloyd tweets. Thompson played just two minutes at the end of Game 1 and hasn't gotten off the bench since. However, Lue made similar comments before the past two games, then elected not to use Thompson at all.
Larry Nance Jr. is chronicling his first playoff experience in a postseason blog for NBA.com. "I haven't been surprised by anything so far," he wrote. "I knew it was going to be a bunch of guys flying around, playing hard – and it's been exactly that. It's just, a couple of shots here and a couple there fall differently and it's a completely different series. But that's Playoff basketball."
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Injury Updates: Smart, Curry, Hill, Turner
April 21st, 2018 at 4:38pm CST by Arthur Hill
Celtics guard Marcus Smart may be getting closer to a return, writes Marc D'Amico of NBA.com. Smart, who had surgery on his right thumb and has been sidelined since March 12, will be re-evaluated next week, coach Brad Stevens told reporters today.
"He's doing everything in a workout that you can do," Stevens said. "It's just a matter of being cleared for live play." He added that the Celtics intend to use Smart as soon as he is cleared for full contact.
Smart has been going through workouts with coaches, but is not permitted to do anything competitive until he receives medical clearance. Doctors are concerned with limiting the risk that his thumb will be re-injured once he returns to the court.
"I think it's just a matter of you have to have that post-surgery healed enough to be able to take a hit even with a brace on it," Stevens added. "That's the hold up."
There's more injury-related news to pass on:
The Warriors welcomed Stephen Curry back to practice today, but have no intention to use him in the series with San Antonio, relays Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. "He's coming along well, but don't expect him to be Willis Reed tomorrow," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. Curry, who has sat out the past four weeks with a sprained MCL in his left knee, completed several non-contact drills today without any setbacks. Doctors will re-evaluate him next weekend in hopes of a second-round return.
Cavaliers guard George Hill is questionable for Game 4 after experiencing back spasms Friday night, according to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Hill had an MRI today after playing just 30 seconds in the fourth quarter because of back soreness. Coach Tyronn Lue said veteran Jose Calderon will probably start Sunday if Hill can't play.
Evan Turner was able to start today for the Trail Blazers after having a titanium plate placed in his right shoe to protect his big toe, tweets Jason Quick of NBC Sports Northwest. Turner suffered a bruise in Game 2 when he was kicked in the toe while chasing a loose ball.
Raptors To Sign Devin Robinson
Suns, Jared Harper Agree To Two-Way Deal


Leaders of Nicaragua's opposition party have called the parliament to condemn what they described as police violence at a protest on Wednesday. At least nine people were arrested.
Clashes broke out between police and protestors on Wednesday evening in downtown Managua, Nicaragua during a weekly protest against the ruling Sandinista National Liberation Front to demand fair elections rules. Police beat and detained protestors and harassed journalists covering the event.
Police also detained and later released nine members of the opposition Independent Liberal Party (PLI), including party leader Eduardo Montealegre. Montealegre said his party "will continue demonstrating for transparent elections and changes in the electoral branch."
"This is repression. I am exercising my right to protest," Augusto Valle, a PLI legislator, told local media. Valle sustained a blow to the face and also claimed police took his cellphone and beat his legs and stomach.
Nicaraguan representatives in the Central American Parliament also called on the Parliament to condemn the clashes and ask for free elections in 2016, saying the Nicaraguan National Police repressed the protests "without regards to citizens, legislators and politicians who have organized every Wednesday in from of the building" of the Supreme Electoral Council.
The protests stem from accusations that the Sandinista party and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega skewed the 2008 and 2011 elections in their favor. Demonstrators have been gathering every week in front of the headquarters of the Supreme Electoral Council in the center of Managua, the country's capital.
The National Police have not yet commented on the clashes.
The next national elections in Nicaragua are scheduled for November 2016. Nicaragua is expected to elect a president, vice president, 90 national Members of Parliament and 20 representatives to the Central American Parliament.


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Energy & Mining Trends
#BizTrends2023: Will climate action see more private-public collaboration?
By: Andrew van Zyl
Inasmuch as business is facing a challenging year progressing decarbonisation plans and adapting to climate change, the task for government is just as challenging. Indeed, if we are to make better progress in climate action, 2023 needs to be a year of more collaboration between the public and private sectors.
Andrew van Zyl, managing director, SRK Consulting
South African businesses are starting to realise the practical difficulties of living with climate change, and 2023 will likely see further challenges as this global trend comes to impact increasingly on corporate risk levels. The floods and business disruption in KwaZulu-Natal are the most recent reminder, but the severe droughts in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape are the kind of events which we must now build into our future planning.
These mega-trends are not only affecting business operations; they are resulting increasingly in the need for infrastructural development, or for infrastructural repair and improvement. Here, the task facing government is at least as onerous as the one facing the private sector. State bureaucracy is not really designed to manage change; its size, complexity and authority structures might make it slow to recognise the signs of change, to agree what must be done in response, and to actually implement an effective strategy.
Unlike a business, government must theoretically do all this within a democratic system which requires everyone to have their say – and with climate change there are plenty of nay-sayers. It is therefore heartening to see the generally constructive direction of climate change policy in South Africa. There is at least a general consensus that climate change is a real issue, and demands action.
The energy crisis is demanding that we add capacity to the national grid, even as our traditional sources in the form of ageing coal-fired power stations have already started being retired. Finding new capacity elsewhere is a process in which we have made a start, with privately funded renewable energy projects starting to gain traction. The country's response to our energy needs is being addressed in the context of the United Nation's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. While the country's reliance on coal is still a central issue, there is an expectation that medium to long term energy solutions lie elsewhere, particularly given the difficulties we have had building or maintaining coal and nuclear power plants.
There is attention being paid to potential opportunities in hydrogen technology, with innovative concepts like a hydrogen-based transport corridor as a practical way of kick-starting – or at least testing – these ideas. There is also talk of making more use of gas resources, and the logistics of strategic gas pipelines may also be part of a long-term solution.
In our own work, we are increasingly called upon to offer recommendations and solutions to the risk of energy intermittency faced by our clients. This trend ties in closely to the overall decarbonisation journey that most corporates have already begun, and 2023 will be another year of exploring how policies and options are translated into concrete action.
#BizTrends2023: New power supply model to transform SA's energy market
By Niveshen Govender 9 Jan 2023
Variable rainfall
Returning to the changing climate's impact on rainfall and water availability, this will also become a key theme for players in both the private and public sectors. The volatility and complexity of our water systems suggests that we will continue to be surprised by water-related challenges. These range from the concerns of specific industries to the general service delivery to the public. The mining sector has for some time been working to reduce its water consumption through re-use and recycling. It is focused on optimising the water available on site, and drawing as little as possible from public or municipal sources. Mining companies are further understanding how to introduce water stewardship principles and how this integrates with their social licence to operate.
At the same time, variable rainfall patterns are placing greater environmental demands on mines, who must limit water discharge from their mining lease areas. Increasingly unpredictable rainfall also raises risks related to the safety of tailings storage facilities, for which standards have recently been raised by the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM).
These are just a selection of the sort of challenges that South African scientists and engineers are being called upon to address, and the year ahead will see continued constructive efforts being made through our country's substantial skills base and repository of technical experience. The question is, are we making enough of our resources through practical collaboration between business and government?
#BizTrends2023: How digital innovation is future-proofing mining
By Anton Fester 9 Jan 2023
Heads together
Given the global success of many South Africa based companies, it is clear that high levels of expertise are indeed available. There is also a ready willingness across industries for companies to contribute towards resolving our range of national challenges. Perhaps what we lack, however, are effective forums for the private and public sector to communicate regularly – to get to know each other better, and to share our knowledge and experience.
The imperatives and incentives that respectively underpin business and government are often poles apart, so we should not underestimate how differently we see challenges and solutions. However, we share the urgent need to find practical strategies to achieve our future aspirations sustainably, and we will certainly make better headway if we act together.
As difficult as it is for private companies – with all their agility and independence – to mitigate and adapt to climate change, for instance, it may be that much harder for the state bureaucracy. This will have its most direct effect at local government level, where daily service delivery to communities must take place. If closer public-private collaboration can percolate down to this level, we will better leverage more of our joint resources in responding to climate change trends.
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About Andrew van Zyl
Andrew van Zyl is managing director at SRK Consulting
Read more: sustainable development, SRK Consulting, mining trends, biztrends, Andrew van Zyl, #BizTrends2023, BizTrends 2023


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Peter Schweizer: As VP Biden Directed $1.8 Billion in Aid Money to Ukraine, "His Family Cashed In"
By Elizabeth Vaughn | Apr 04, 2019 11:30 AM ET
Peter Schweizer, president of the Government Accountability Institute and senior editor-at-large at Breitbart News, spoke to SiriusXM's Breitbart News Tonight hosts Rebecca Mansour and Joel Pollak about Joe Biden's time as the Obama administration's "point man" on Ukraine.
Schweizer said, "I think a deeper problem that [Joe Biden] faces is…that his family, particularly his son, Hunter, cashed in while he was vice president of the United States."
The Hill's John Solomon reported that, "from spring 2014 through fall 2015, during a period when Vice President Biden was the main U.S. official dealing with Ukraine and its tense relations with Russia," son Hunter Biden's company, Rosemont Seneca Partners LLC, received monthly payments of at least $166,000 from Ukrainian energy company, Burisma Holdings. Additionally, both Hunter Biden and his business partner, Devon Archer, were tapped as board members by Burisma.
Solomon said, "Shokin told me in written answers to questions that, before he was fired as general prosecutor, he had made "specific plans" for the investigation that "included interrogations and other crime-investigation procedures into all members of the executive board, including Hunter Biden."
Hill refers to Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin, whose firing Biden claims he had been responsible for. During a speech before a group of foreign policy analysts in 2018, Biden famously boasted that, on an official visit to Ukraine in 2016, he had threatened to hold back US financial aid to the country if they did not fire Shokin by the time he left in six hours. In reality, it didn't happen quite so fast. It happened over a period of months. Why Biden would brag about having the man who was investigating his son fired makes no sense, especially when he was planning a run for the White House. (I wrote about this story here.)
Schweizer outlines the ways in which Hunter Biden profited from his father's position as vice president below. It's a very interesting read if you have the time. If not, it's enough to know that the Bidens "monetized" their political influence.
In addition to the funds which flowed into the coffers of Rosemont Seneca Partners from the Ukrainian energy company, a small private equity firm owned by Hunter Biden won a $1.5 billion deal from the Chinese government ten days after he had accompanied his father on an official visit to that country. He also received a small amount of business from Kazakhstan.
The bottom line here is that the Biden family benefited financially during Joe Biden's tenure as VP. Biden's abuse of power is more serious than his inability to keep his hands off of women. It is not going away and it may be enough to derail his candidacy.
Schweizer's story:
We've talked before about the deals he procured with the government for China. The other place [Joe Biden's] son, Hunter Biden, procured a big deal was in Ukraine. In Ukraine, it involved an energy company called Burisma, which is a very corrupt organization headed by an oligarch named Mykola Zlochevsky who is very close to Viktor Yanukovich, the pro-Russian leader.
There's all kinds of questions and implications. Is there a Russian component to this, because Burisma is such a corrupt company?
The bottom line is Joe Biden was the Obama administration's point-person on policy towards Ukraine. He steered $1.8 billion in aid to that government and while he was doing so, his son got a sweetheart deal with this energy company – that we've been able to trace over just a 14-month period – paid $3.1 million into an account where Hunter Biden was getting paid.
Schweizer highlighted Hunter Biden's lack of professional or experiential bona fides in terms of his board position at Burisma Holdings.
Suffice to say, Hunter Biden has no background in Ukraine. He has no background in energy policy. There's really no legitimate explanation as to why he got this deal with this energy company, other than the fact his father was responsible for doling out money in Ukraine itself.
It's a huge problem, and it goes to this question of corruption and potential payoffs and bribes that these foreign entities were making to the Bidens in exchange for hopefully getting favorable treatment.
One of the phrases that has been tossed around as it relates to the Russian collusion hoax was 'obstruction of justice' by Trump, and there's been no — at least in my mind — evidence that that ever happened, and it doesn't seem that Mueller felt any charges should be brought on that count. But in this case, you would have a pretty clear-cut case of obstruction of justice, where Joe Biden is saying to Ukrainian officials, 'We are not going to give you this billion-dollar loan guarantee unless you fire this guy.'"
There is far more evidence of collusion involving Joe Biden — or even involving the Clintons — of collusion with these foreign powers than there was with Donald Trump, because you actually have the transaction of money, you have very favorable policies that were carried out. I think 'collusion' is not too strong a word. I think it's a pretty accurate word.
There's no question. The Bidens got a lot of money — millions of dollars — from these foreign powers. Hunter Biden had no legitimate reasons to get the deal. He simply wasn't qualified.
The Bidens and the Clintons "monetized their political influence."
So what [Joe Biden] is doing is using U.S. taxpayer government resources for the personal benefit of his family, and by the way, all of this absolutely rings true. Joe Biden was the Obama administration's person on Ukraine, he traveled to that country something like 17 times during his tenure as vice president, which is pretty amazing."
What's remarkable is when, a couple of days before Donald Trump was inaugurated in Washington, D.C., Joe Biden was actually in Ukraine. It's pretty remarkable for a vice president of the United States to be overseas that late in the game, but he was in Ukraine. [Joe Biden's] sway and influence there was enormous, and it raises all kinds of questions about the way that he used or abused government power, and of course it raises questions about what potentially did Ukrainians have on Hunter Biden.
What kind of evidence and information do we have? We know that millions of dollars flowed into Hunter Biden's accounts. We know that he was not qualified for the job, and the question is, what did he get for Ukrainians in return? I think that's all the sort of thing that needs to be investigated and looked into by a grand jury.
You have a pattern with Hunter Biden. Of a couple of cases that we know of and others that are lingering out there. We know in the case of China he flies with his dad on Air Force Two in December of 2013 and ten days later, his firm gets a $1 billion private equity deal with the Chinese government.
Again, [Hunter Biden's] firm has no background in China. Hunter Biden has no background in China. It's just odd. About four months later, he gets this deal with the Ukrainians, particularly with Burisma. What we also know is, based on financial account records that came out [from] Morgan Stanley that was managed by Hunter Biden's business partner, a guy named Devon Archer, he handled an account for Morgan Stanley and that account sent huge sums of money to Hunter Biden.
Not only does that account show money coming in from the Chinese and Ukrainians. There's also $1.2 million that comes from this LLC that we can't trace. it comes from a boutique Swiss bank account that's been implicated in money-laundering in ten countries. There's $145,000 from the son of the former prime minister of Kazakhstan, which is of course a highly corrupt country with all sorts of interesting implications. The point is, Ukraine is not an isolated case. China is not an isolated case.
Joe Biden seems to have monetized his vice presidential powers.
It's pretty clear you have a pattern that the for-sale sign was open with the Biden family, and that a lot of foreign powers — including foreign governments — basically took them up on the offer and gave money to Hunter Biden. That, in and of itself, I think demands investigation in the United States.
These financial records by Morgan Stanley [are] very, very clear. It shows line after line after line of money going into an account that is marked 'Robert H. Biden,' which is Hunter Biden's legal name, and it shows huge sums of money coming in from Ukrainians, Chinese, Kazakhs, and anonymous LLCs. It's all there in black and white.
Hunter Biden sat on the board of Bohai Harvest RST — an obscure private equity firm — which secured a $1.5 billion investment from the Chinese government.
The deal with China that he had was the first financial deal with the Chinese government that allowed moving assets to the Shanghai Free Trade Zone. So, J.P. Morgan didn't have this kind of deal, Goldman Sachs didn't have this kind of deal, Bank of America, Deutsche Bank, the only firm that had this deal was this small boutique firm that had been started a couple of years ago by the vice president's son.
In March 2018, an aide of Joe Biden's dismissed Schweizer's investigations and research given Schweizer's relationship with Breitbart News: "We aren't going to engage on a politically motivated hit pieces based on a series of demonstrable, factual errors from a Breitbart-affiliated author and his financial backers."
So he can huff and puff and attack me personally all he wants. In part, he attacked me because of my role as an editor at Breitbart, but that doesn't erase the facts.
On March 12, Joe Biden said he could not "think of any reason" he would not run for president. In December 2018, he said "anybody can beat" Donald Trump in 2020's forthcoming presidential election.
Writer at RedState
MBA, former financial consultant, options trader
Mom of three grown children, grandmother
Email Elizabeth at [email protected]
Read more by Elizabeth Vaughn
Tags: CHINA DEVON ARCHER HUNTER BIDEN JOE BIDEN KAZAKHSTAN PETER SCHWEISZER


In a study of 15 patients affected by major depressive disorder and complaining of insomnia, initiating treatment with vortioxetine for their depressive symptoms led to significant improvements in subjective sleep quality and daytime sleepiness. The British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology findings may have important clinical implications because sleep problems affect an estimated 70 to 90 percent of patients with depression.
"Considering that sleep impairment is a frequent comorbid symptom in patients affected by major depressive disorder, we suggest the possible use of vortioxetin for treating depressive symptoms and improving sleep quality in patients showing comorbid depression and insomnia," the authors wrote. "However, future studies investigating sleep by using polysomnography, the gold standard tool able to study sleep architecture, are invited in order to confirm this preliminary observation."


Will the loyalty of Venezuela's military follow the money?
How will Maduro be able to keep the loyalty of the military when Guaido has all the money? The USA has already started to arrange to give all of its oil purchase money and gold to Venezuela's new President Guaido. In 8 days, the EU money will start heading to Guaido's side. All of the surrounding South American countries are against Maduro in Venezuela. Most of Venezuela's export partners are against Maduro.
Britain, Germany, France and Spain all said they would recognize Guaido unless fresh elections were announced.
Netherlands has joined the EU ultimatum against Maduro in Venezuela.
On January 4, 2019 the Lima Group — the bloc that includes Canada and more than a dozen Latin American countries — rejected the legitimacy of Maduro's May 2018 election victory and his looming Jan. 10 inauguration, while recognizing the "legitimately elected" National Assembly.
Combined the USA, EU, Canada and South American countries represent well over 90% of Venezuela's export countries.
The US would easily be able to blockade Venezuela to prevent them from shipping their heavy oil to Russia, Cuba or China. The EU, North and South American Countries will be able to financially strangle the Maduro regime.
The Trump administration plans to direct the oil and gold transactions into the interim Venezuelan president's Guaido hands.
Venezuela sells a little less than half of its crude oil to the United States. The largest importers of Venezuelan oil include Citgo, Chevron, PBF Energy and Valero Energy.
Guaido urged his followers to stage another mass protest next week, while Maduro pushed his call for dialogue.
The Miami Heralds reports that Venezuela's in the USA are breaking with Maduro despite the risk of reprisals.
The military attaché at the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington, Col. José Luis Silva, broke with the Nicolás Maduro regime Saturday and urged other armed forces members to recognize Juan Guaidó as the legitimate interim president of the South American nation.
One diplomat at the Venezuelan consulate in Houston contacted Guaidó to report that she would not obey Maduro and would help him.
A high percentage of Venezuela's diplomats in the US do not agree with Maduro's usurpation of power, but there's always fear of what can happen to relatives in Venezuela.
Cuban intelligence and security have long been in Venezuela helping to protect Maduro from a military coup. There are reports that Russia has sent intelligence and contractor support. It would only make sense that the CIA and other operatives from the main European countries are also involved at this point.
Keeping Guaido alive and organizing a split of the Venezuelan military will take the US money and support of covert operations.