UK judge issues damning press verdict

Britain's Lord Justice Brian Leveson pauses as he delivers a statement following the release of the Leveson Inquiry report at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre, London, Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012. After a yearlong inquiry full of sensational testimony, Lord Justice Leveson released his report Thursday into the culture and practices of the British press and his recommendations for future regulation to prevent phone hacking, data theft, bribery and other abuses. (AP Photo/Dan Kitwood, Pool)

Britain's Lord Justice Brian Leveson pauses as he delivers a statement following the release of the Leveson Inquiry report at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre, London, Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012. After a yearlong inquiry full of sensational testimony, Lord Justice Leveson released his report Thursday into the culture and practices of the British press and his recommendations for future regulation to prevent phone hacking, data theft, bribery and other abuses. (AP Photo/Dan Kitwood, Pool)

A man carries copies of the Leveson Inquiry report as he leaves the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre where Lord Justice Brian Leveson released his report, after a year long inquiry, into the culture and practices of the British press and his recommendations for future regulation to prevent phone hacking, data theft, bribery and other abuses, London, Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Britain's Lord Justice Brian Leveson delivers a statement following the release of the Leveson Inquiry report at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre, London, Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012. After a yearlong inquiry full of sensational testimony, Lord Justice Leveson released his report Thursday into the culture and practices of the British press and his recommendations for future regulation to prevent phone hacking, data theft, bribery and other abuses. (AP Photo/Dan Kitwood, Pool)

Britain's Lord Justice Brian Leveson, center back, delivers a statement following the release of the Leveson Inquiry report at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre, London, Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012. After a yearlong inquiry full of sensational testimony, Lord Justice Leveson released his report Thursday into the culture and practices of the British press and his recommendations for future regulation to prevent phone hacking, data theft, bribery and other abuses. (AP Photo/Dan Kitwood, Pool)

Britain's Lord Justice Brian Leveson delivers a statement following the release of the Leveson Inquiry report at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre, London, Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012. After a yearlong inquiry full of sensational testimony, Lord Justice Leveson released his report Thursday into the culture and practices of the British press and his recommendations for future regulation to prevent phone hacking, data theft, bribery and other abuses. (AP Photo/Dan Kitwood, Pool)

LONDON (AP) ? Britain's unruly newspapers should be regulated by an independent body dominated by non-journalists with the power to levy steep fines, a judge said Thursday in a report that pleased victims of tabloid intrusion but left editors worrying about creeping state control of the country's fiercely independent press.

Prime Minister David Cameron echoed concerns about government interference, expressing misgivings about a key recommendation of the report ? that the new regulator be enshrined in law. He called on the much criticized press to show it could control itself by implementing the judge's proposals quickly ? and without political involvement.

"I'm proud of the fact that we've managed to survive hundreds of years without state regulation," he said.

Lord Justice Brian Leveson issued his 2,000-page report at the end of a media ethics inquiry triggered by a scandal over tabloid phone hacking that expanded to engulf senior figures in politics, the police and Rupert Murdoch's media empire.

His key recommendation was to create a new print media regulator, which he said should be established in law to prevent more people being hurt by "outrageous" press behavior that had "wreaked havoc with the lives of innocent people whose rights and liberties have been disdained."

Cameron, under intense pressure from both sides of an issue that has divided his own Conservative Party, welcomed Leveson's proposal for a new regulator and said "the status quo is not an option."

But he said that asking legislators to enshrine it in law meant "crossing the Rubicon of writing elements of press regulation into the law of the land."

"I believe that we should be wary of any legislation that has the potential to infringe free speech and a free press," Cameron told lawmakers in the House of Commons. "In this House which has been a bulwark of democracy for centuries, we should think very, very carefully before crossing this line."

Leveson insisted that politicians and the government should play no role in regulating the press, which should be done by a new body with much stronger powers than the current Press Complaints Commission.

But the judge said it was "essential that there should be legislation to underpin the independent self-regulatory system."

He said the new body should be composed of members of the public including former journalists and academics ? but no more than one serving editor, and no politicians. It should have the power to rule on complaints, demand prominent corrections in newspapers and to levy fines of up to 1 million pounds ($1.6 million), though it would have no power to prevent material being published.

Membership would be voluntary, but newspapers would be encouraged to join in part to stave off expensive lawsuits ? the regulator would handle complaints that currently end up in court.

The proposal is similar to the system operating in Ireland, where a press council and ombudsman were set up in 2008 to make the print media more publicly accountable.

Critics of the tabloid press generally backed Leveson's findings.

"I welcome Lord Leveson's report and hope it will mark the start of a new era for our press in which it treats those in the news responsibly, with care and consideration," said Kate McCann, who was the subject of intense press interest after her 3-year-old daughter Madeleine disappeared during a holiday in Portugal in 2007.

Brian Cathcart of the group Hacked Off, which campaigns for victims of press intrusion, said Leveson had produced "a workable, proportionate and reasonable solution to the problems of press abuse."

He said Cameron's "failure to accept the full recommendations of the report is unfortunate and regrettable."

Cameron set up the Leveson inquiry after revelations of illegal eavesdropping by Rupert Murdoch's now-defunct News of the World tabloid sparked a criminal investigation and a wave of public revulsion.

The furor erupted in 2011 when it was revealed that the News of the World had eavesdropped on the mobile phone voicemails of slain schoolgirl Milly Dowler while police were searching for the 13-year-old.

Murdoch shut down the 168-year-old newspaper in July 2011. His U.K. newspaper company, News International, has paid millions in damages to dozens of hacking victims, and faces dozens more lawsuits from celebrities, politicians, athletes and crime victims whose voicemails were hacked in the paper's quest for scoops.

News International chief executive Tom Mockridge said the company was "keen to play our full part, with others in our industry, in creating a new body that commands the confidence of the public."

"We believe that this can be achieved without statutory regulation ? and welcome the prime minister's rejection of that proposal."

Leveson's 4 million pound ($6.4 million) inquiry heard evidence from more than 300 witnesses during months of hearings that provided a dramatic, sometimes comic and often poignant window on the workings of the media. Witnesses ranged from celebrities such as Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling and Hugh Grant ? who both complained of intrusive treatment ? to the parents of Dowler, who described how learning that their daughter's voicemail had been accessed had given them false hope that she was alive.

Leveson said that the ongoing criminal investigation constrained him from accusing other newspapers of illegal behavior, but concluded there was a subculture of unethical behavior "within some parts of some titles."

While many editors have denied knowing about phone hacking, Leveson said it "was far more than a covert, secret activity, known to nobody save one or two practitioners of the 'dark arts.'"

He said newspapers had been guilty of "recklessness in prioritizing sensational stories almost irrespective of the harm the stories may cause."

"In each case, the impact has been real and, in some cases, devastating," the judge said.

The hacking scandal has rocked Britain's press, political and police establishments, who were revealed to enjoy an often cozy relationship in which drinks, dinners and sometimes money were traded for influence and information.

Several senior police officers resigned over the failure aggressively to pursue an investigation of phone hacking at the News of the World in 2007. But Leveson said that "the inquiry has not unearthed extensive evidence of police corruption."

Leveson said over the past three decades, political parties "have had or developed too close a relationship with the press in a way which has not been in the public interest."

Those relationships reached right up to the prime minister's door. Former Murdoch editors and journalists charged with phone hacking, police bribery or other wrongdoing include Cameron's former spokesman, Andy Coulson, and ex-News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks, a friend of the prime minister.

Leveson acquitted senior politicians of wrongdoing, but recommended that political parties publish statements "setting out, for the public, an explanation of the approach they propose to take as a matter of party policy in conducting relationships with the press."

Cameron, who is tainted by his own ties to prominent figures in the scandal, said he accepted that proposal.

But politicians remained far apart on the broader issue of how, or whether, to regulate the press.

Cameron was holding talks Thursday with leaders of the other main parties in an attempt to thrash out agreement.

He faced a battle. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, leader of junior government partner the Liberal Democrats, differed from Cameron in backing the call for a new regulator established in law.

"We owe it to the victims of these scandals, who have already waited too long for us to do the right thing," he said.

Analysts say that it was possible for the coalition government's two parties to join forces and push through a version of the recommended legal changes.

But Steven Barnett, a communications professor at the University of Westminster, said that if that does not happen, he would not trust the British press to set up a truly independent regulator.

"One possibility is that in the end (the report) has no effect whatsoever," Barnett said. "The press can make some noises about regulating themselves. But in the end they will want to control themselves in ways that Leveson himself said was unacceptable."

___

Online: http://www.levesoninquiry.org.uk/

Jill Lawless can be reached at http://Twitter.com/JillLawless

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-11-29-Britain-Phone-Hacking/id-a5922280d20c4fe99aad75462a991387

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Xbox SmartGlass for Android updated with official 7-inch tablet support

Microsoft brought its SmartGlass Xbox 360 second screen app to Android last month, however official support was limited to smartphones. While many found that sideloading got the app running on their other devices, an update today has officially added support for tablets of the 7-inch variety. There's also fixes for specific crashes tied to the achievements and settings screens, but not much else. If you've been waiting to bring your Nexus 7 along as GPS in Forza Horizon or control tracks in Dance Central 3, hit the source link to install the app straight from Google Play.

Filed under: Gaming, Tablets, Microsoft

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Red algae reaches Sydney shores, closes iconic beach

William West / AFP - Getty Images

A swimmer stops short of a red algae bloom at Sydney's Clovelly Beach on Tuesday. Clovelly and Bondi beaches were closed to swimmers.

Sydney's iconic Bondi Beach and Clovelly Beach were closed to swimmers on Tuesday as a red algae bloom drifted close to shore, Agence France-Presse reports.

While the red algae, known as Noctiluca scintillans or sea sparkle, has no toxic effects, people are still advised to avoid swimming in areas with discolored water because the algae, which can be high in ammonia, can cause skin irritation.?

"It has got quite a fishy smell to it,"?lifeguard Bruce Hopkins told?the Australian Associated Press.?"It can irritate some people's skin but generally not much more than that."

William West / AFP - Getty Images

A boy walks along Sydney's Clovelly Beach on Tuesday.

William West / AFP - Getty Images

A seagull stands in a red algae bloom at Sydney's Clovelly Beach on Tuesday.

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Source: http://photoblog.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/27/15479564-red-algae-reaches-sydney-shores-closes-iconic-beach?lite

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New molecular culprit linked to breast cancer progression

ScienceDaily (Nov. 23, 2012) ? Johns Hopkins researchers have uncovered a protein "partner" commonly used by breast cancer cells to unlock genes needed for spreading the disease around the body. A report on the discovery, published November 5 on the website of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, details how some tumors get the tools they need to metastasize.

"We've identified a protein that wasn't known before to be involved in breast cancer progression," says Gregg Semenza, M.D., Ph.D., the C. Michael Armstrong Professor of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and director of the Vascular Program at Hopkins' Institute for Cell Engineering. "The protein JMJD2C is the key that opens up a whole suite of genes needed for tumors to grow and metastasize, so it represents a potential target for cancer drug development."

Semenza and his colleagues made their finding when they traced the activity of HIF-1, a protein known to switch on hundreds of genes involved in development, red blood cell production, and metabolism in normal cells. Previous studies had shown that HIF-1 could also be hijacked to switch on genes needed to make breast tumors more malignant.

Would-be tumor cells face a host of challenges as they make the transition from working with their host to working against it, such as the need to evade the immune system and to produce more cancer cells, explains Weibo Luo, Ph.D., an instructor in the Institute for Cell Engineering and Department of Biological Chemistry who led the project. All of these efforts require switching on the right genes for the job.

To learn more about how HIF-1 works, the researchers tested a range of human proteins to see whether they would interact with HIF-1. They then sifted through the 200 resulting hits, looking for proteins involved in chemical changes to sections of DNA that determine whether or not the genes they contain are available for use. "In order for HIF-1 to switch genes on, they have to be available, but many of the genes HIF-1 activates are normally locked down in mature cells," explains Luo. "So we thought HIF-1 must have a partner that can do the unlocking."

That partner turned out to be JMJD2C, Luo says. Delving deeper, the researchers found that HIF-1 switches on the JMJD2C gene, stimulating production of the protein. HIF-1's presence also enables JMJD2C to bind to DNA at other HIF-1 target genes, then loosen those DNA sections, enabling more HIF-1 to bind to the same sites and activate the target genes.

To test the implications of their discovery, the research team injected mice with breast cancer cells in which the JMJD2C protein was not produced. Tumors with depleted JMJD2C were much less likely to grow and metastasize to the lungs, confirming the protein's role in breast cancer progression, says Luo.

"Active HIF proteins have been found in many types of tumors, so the implications of this finding go beyond breast cancer," says Luo. "JMJD2C is both an important piece of the puzzle of how tumors metastasize, and a potential target for anti-cancer therapy." Other authors of the research report are Ryan Chang, Jun Zhong, Ph.D., and Akhilesh Pandey, M.D., Ph.D., all of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

This work was supported by grants from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (contracts N01-HV28180 and HHS-N268201000032C), and by funds from the Johns Hopkins Institute for Cell Engineering.

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Journal Reference:

1. W. Luo, R. Chang, J. Zhong, A. Pandey, G. L. Semenza. PNAS Plus: Histone demethylase JMJD2C is a coactivator for hypoxia-inducible factor 1 that is required for breast cancer progression. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2012; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1217394109

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/2nYvEp2kt_g/121124090511.htm

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Boeing using DOMA as excuse to deny benefits to married gay couples (Americablog)

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'Dallas' star Larry Hagman dies in Texas

In this Thursday, Oct. 9, 2008 photo, actor Larry Hagman listens to a reporter's question while visiting the Southfork Ranch in Parker, Texas, made famous in the television show "Dallas." Actor Larry Hagman, who for more than a decade played villainous patriarch JR Ewing in the TV soap Dallas, has died at the age of 81, his family said Saturday Nov. 24, 2012(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

In this Thursday, Oct. 9, 2008 photo, actor Larry Hagman listens to a reporter's question while visiting the Southfork Ranch in Parker, Texas, made famous in the television show "Dallas." Actor Larry Hagman, who for more than a decade played villainous patriarch JR Ewing in the TV soap Dallas, has died at the age of 81, his family said Saturday Nov. 24, 2012(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

This 1981 file photo provided by CBS shows Larry Hagman in character as J.R. Ewing in the television series "Dallas." Actor Larry Hagman, who for more than a decade played villainous patriarch JR Ewing in the TV soap Dallas, has died at the age of 81, his family said Saturday Nov. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/CBS, file)

FILE - This 1967 file photo shows Barbara Eden, left, and Larry Hagman in a scene from the television show "I Dream of Jeannie." Actor Larry Hagman, who for more than a decade played villainous patriarch JR Ewing in the TV soap Dallas, has died at the age of 81, his family said Saturday Nov. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/NBC, file)

FILE - In this Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2003 file photo, actor Larry Hagman sits in front of a poster of himself during a news conference in Berlin during a tour to promote the German translation of his autobiography. Actor Larry Hagman, who for more than a decade played villainous patriarch JR Ewing in the TV soap Dallas, has died at the age of 81, his family said Saturday Nov. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

FILE - In this Nov. 4, 2011 file photo, actor Larry Hagman pauses during an interview on location during the filming for the upcoming new television show "Dallas" in Dallas. Actor Larry Hagman, who for more than a decade played villainous patriarch JR Ewing in the TV soap Dallas, has died at the age of 81, his family said Saturday Nov. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)

J.R. Ewing was a business cheat, faithless husband and bottomless well of corruption. Yet with his sparkling grin, Larry Hagman masterfully created the charmingly loathsome oil baron ? and coaxed forth a Texas-size gusher of ratings ? on television's long-running and hugely successful nighttime soap, "Dallas."

Although he first gained fame as nice guy Capt. Tony Nelson on the fluffy 1965-70 NBC comedy "I Dream of Jeannie," Hagman earned his greatest stardom with J.R. The CBS serial drama about the Ewing family and those in their orbit aired from April 1978 to May 1991, and broke viewing records with its "Who shot J.R.?" 1980 cliffhanger that left unclear if Hagman's character was dead.

The actor, who returned as J.R. in a new edition of "Dallas" this year, had a long history of health problems and died Friday due to complications from his battle with cancer, his family said.

"Larry was back in his beloved hometown of Dallas, re-enacting the iconic role he loved the most. Larry's family and closest friends had joined him in Dallas for the Thanksgiving holiday," the family said in a statement that was provided to The Associated Press by Warner Bros., producer of the show.

The 81-year-old actor was surrounded by friends and family before he passed peacefully, "just as he'd wished for," the statement said.

Linda Gray, his on-screen wife and later ex-wife in the original series and the sequel, was among those with Hagman in his final moments in a Dallas hospital, said her publicist, Jeffrey Lane.

"He brought joy to everyone he knew. He was creative, generous, funny, loving and talented, and I will miss him enormously. He was an original and lived life to the fullest," the actress said.

Years before "Dallas," Hagman had gained TV fame on "I Dream of Jeannie," in which he played an astronaut whose life is disrupted when he finds a comely genie, portrayed by Barbara Eden, and takes her home to live with him.

Eden recalled late Friday shooting the series' pilot "in the frigid cold" on a Malibu beach.

"From that day, for five more years, Larry was the center of so many fun, wild and sometimes crazy times. And in retrospect, memorable moments that will remain in my heart forever," Eden said.

Hagman also starred in two short-lived sitcoms, "The Good Life" (NBC, 1971-72) and "Here We Go Again" (ABC, 1973). His film work included well-regarded performances in "The Group," ''Harry and Tonto" and "Primary Colors."

But it was Hagman's masterful portrayal of J.R. that brought him the most fame. And the "Who shot J.R.?" story twist fueled international speculation and millions of dollars in betting-parlor wagers. It also helped give the series a place in ratings history.

When the answer was revealed in a November 1980 episode, an average 41 million U.S. viewers tuned in to make "Dallas" one of the most-watched entertainment shows of all time, trailing only the "MASH" finale in 1983 with 50 million viewers.

It was J.R.'s sister-in-law, Kristin (Mary Crosby) who plugged him ? he had made her pregnant, then threatened to frame her as a prostitute unless she left town ? but others had equal motivation.

Hagman played Ewing as a bottomless well of corruption with a charming grin: a business cheat and a faithless husband who tried to get his alcoholic wife, Sue Ellen (Gray), institutionalized.

"I know what I want on J.R.'s tombstone," Hagman said in 1988. "It should say: 'Here lies upright citizen J.R. Ewing. This is the only deal he ever lost.'"

On Friday night, Victoria Principal, who co-starred in the original series, recalled Hagman as "bigger than life, on-screen and off. He is unforgettable, and irreplaceable, to millions of fans around the world, and in the hearts of each of us, who was lucky enough to know and love him."

Ten episodes of the new edition of "Dallas" aired this past summer and proved a hit for TNT. Filming was in progress on the sixth episode of season two, which is set to begin airing Jan. 28, the network said.

There was no immediate comment from Warner or TNT on how the series would deal with Hagman's loss.

In 2006, he did a guest shot on FX's drama series "Nip/Tuck," playing a macho business mogul. He also got new exposure in recent years with the DVD releases of "I Dream of Jeannie" and "Dallas."

The Fort Worth, Texas, native was the son of singer-actress Mary Martin, who starred in such classics as "South Pacific" and "Peter Pan." Martin was still in her teens when he was born in 1931 during her marriage to attorney Ben Hagman.

As a youngster, Hagman gained a reputation for mischief-making as he was bumped from one private school to another. He made a stab at New York theater in the early 1950s, then served in the Air Force from 1952-56 in England.

While there, he met and married young Swedish designer Maj Axelsson. The couple had two children, Preston and Heidi, and were longtime residents of the Malibu beach colony that is home to many celebrities.

Hagman returned to acting and found work in the theater and in such TV series as "The U.S. Steel Hour," ''The Defenders" and "Sea Hunt." His first continuing role was as lawyer Ed Gibson on the daytime serial "The Edge of Night" (1961-63).

He called his 2001 memoir "Hello Darlin': Tall (and Absolutely True) Tales about My Life."

"I didn't put anything in that I thought was going to hurt someone or compromise them in any way," he told The Associated Press at the time.

Hagman was diagnosed in 1992 with cirrhosis of the liver and acknowledged that he had drank heavily for years. In 1995, a malignant tumor was discovered on his liver and he underwent a transplant.

After his transplant, he became an advocate for organ donation and volunteered at a hospital to help frightened patients.

"I counsel, encourage, meet them when they come in for their operations, and after," he said in 1996. "I try to offer some solace, like 'Don't be afraid, it will be a little uncomfortable for a brief time, but you'll be OK.' "

He also was an anti-smoking activist who took part in "Great American Smoke-Out" campaigns.

Funeral plans were not immediately announced.

"I can honestly say that we've lost not just a great actor, not just a television icon, but an element of pure Americana," Eden said in her statement Friday night. "Goodbye, Larry. There was no one like you before and there will never be anyone like you again."

___

Associated Press writers Erin Gartner in Chicago and Shaya Mohajer in Los Angeles, and AP Television Writer Frazier Moore in New York contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-11-24-Obit-Hagman/id-f3b8c8e70efe4f2f94cbc4abf13ca654

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Don't be fooled! Great camera deals are harder to spot on Black Friday

While there are plenty of deals and discounts to be had on TVs, phones, laptops and other tech products, camera-wise, there aren't a lot of reasons to wait in line until midnight after Thanksgiving dinner. That's because the year's best cameras ? many of which are rounded up here ? simply aren't subject to fire-sale pricing.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/49903755#49903755

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Friday?s Political Ledes (TIME)

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China puts Himalayan claims on passport map, India maps its own

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India is stamping its own map on visas it issues to holders of new Chinese passports that contain a map depicting disputed territory within China's borders, the latest twist in tension in Asia over China's territorial claims.

China's new microchip-equipped passports contain a map that marks its claims over disputed waters and also show as its territory two Himalayan regions that India also claims.

The map means countries disputing the Chinese claims will have to stamp microchip-equipped passports of countless visitors, in effect acquiescing to the Chinese point of view.

In response, India is issuing visas stamped with its own version of the borders, sources with knowledge of the dispute told Reuters.

"The correct map of India is stamped on to visas being issued on such passports," said one of the sources, who declined to be identified.

China's long-standing territorial disputes with Japan and Southeast Asian neighbors have grown heated in recent months.

On Thursday, the Philippines responded angrily to the new passports, saying Chinese carrying the document would be violating Philippine national sovereignty.

India and China fought a brief, high-altitude border war in 1962.

The nuclear-armed neighbors have held multiple rounds of talks to resolve their disputed Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh regions where they fought the war but have made little progress.

In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry Hua Chunying told a daily news briefing that China has selected the maps as background on the inside pages of the passports issued by the Ministry of Public Security in May.

"The design is not targeting a specific country," Hua said. "We hope that the relevant countries take a rational and sensible attitude ... to avoid causing interference with normal Sino-foreign personnel exchanges."

(Additional reporting by Sui-Lee Wee in Beijing; Editing by Robert Birsel)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/china-puts-himalayan-claims-passport-map-india-maps-133555413.html

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Category	IT - Software
Job Type	Full-Time
Shift Timings	Morning Shift
Requires Traveling	Yes
Career Level	Manager (Manager/Supervisor)
Number Of Vacancies	2
Required Qualification	Masters or BS in Business Administration, Management or Software Management.
Required Experience	4 Years
Salary Per Month	25,000 - 40,000 PKR
Required Gender	Any
Posted on	22/11/2012
Last Date	29/11/2013
Company	Precise Technology Consultants
Location	Peshawar, Pakistan

Job Description
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Reports performance, work flow and end deliverables in writing on weekly basis to CEO.
Identifies trendsetter ideas by researching industry and related events, publications, and announcements; tracking individual contributors and their accomplishments.
Locates or proposes potential business deals by contacting potential partners; discovering and exploring opportunities.
Screens potential business deals by analyzing market strategies, deal requirements, potential, and financials; evaluating options; resolving internal priorities; recommending equity investments.
Closes new business deals by coordinating requirements; developing and negotiating contracts; integrating contract requirements with business operations.
Identify new sales opportunities Provide timely feedback to management regarding performance.
Tracks and report current status of potential projects, markets, Customer news, and developments
Ensures all communication with customers are in accordance with our standards and correct in content and format
Solicits customer feedback through the project proposal and execution phases
Maintains customer,potential customer contact lists
Protects organization's value by keeping information confidential.
Supervise administrative issues related to the office.
Performs other duties as assigned

Job Specification
Proficiency with commonly used software tools and methodologies.
Superior interpersonal and written,oral communication skills with the ability to relate well and cooperate with others to effectively coordinate activities and accomplish goals;
Proven success in developing new business and generating sales leads

Do not make any payment to any company, a genuine employer will never ask you to pay in any case. (read more)

Source: http://www.mustakbil.com/job/68293/

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Chile Earthquake: 6.1-Magnitude Quake Strikes Near San Antonio

March 2011

A magnitude 8.9 quake strikes off the northeast coast of Japan, sending a tsunami across the Pacific and killing a still-undetermined number of people.<br> <em>Caption: Vehicles are crushed by a collapsed wall at a carpark in Mito city, in Ibaraki prefecture on March 11, 2011, after a massive earthquake rocked Japan. (JIJI PRESS/AFP/Getty Images)</em>

October 2011

A 7.1 magnitud earthquake strikes eastern Turkey near the city of Van. More than 604 people are kiled, more than 4,100 injured. <br> <em>Caption: Turkish rescue workers search for survivors in the rubble of a collapsed hotel in Van, Turkey, Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011. (AP Photo/Bertan Ayduk)</em>

October 2010

A volcanic eruption and a tsunami kill more than 500 people in Indonesia.<br> <em>Caption: Misbah, sits with her two year old daughter Sylvia in her collapsed house at Tumalei village in the Metawai islands, West Sumatra, on October 31, 2010. (BAY ISMOYO/AFP/Getty Images)</em>

February 2010

A 8.8 magnitude quake shakes Chile, generating a tsunami and killing 524 people.<br> <em>Caption: A man removes earthquake debris from his home near a ship sitting in the middle of the road in Talcahuano, Chile, on Sunday, March 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)</em>

September 2009

A magnitude 8.0 earthquake unleashes tsunamis of up to 40 feet (12 meters) and killing 194 people in the South Pacific, including 34 in American Samoa.<br> <em>Caption: This photo taken on September 29, 2009, after an 8.0-magnitude quake and tsunami struck in the early morning offshore shows a damaged building and truck in Pago Pago, on American Samoa. (JOHN NEWTON/AFP/Getty Images)</em>

September 2007

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake rattles Sumatra Island, triggering regional tsunami alerts and damaging scores of buildings.<br> <em>Caption: Vehicles pass a damaged road littered with cracks in Ketahun, on 16 September, 2007, four days after the first massive temblor rocked the region. (ADEK BERRY/AFP/Getty Images)</em>

September 2007

An earthquake measured at a magnitude of 8.4 near Sumatra triggers a wave in the coastal city of Padang. The tremor kills at least 25 people and injures around 50. <br> <em>Caption: A man rides his bicycle past a collapsed house in Lubuk Pinang, Muko Muko, on 16 September, 2007. (ADEK BERRY/AFP/Getty Images)</em>

April 2007

At least 28 people in the Solomon Islands die in a tsunami and earthquake measured at a magnitude of 8.1.<br> <em>Caption: Children walk through their destroyed homes as aid starts arriving in Gizo after it was hit by a tsunami earlier in the week, on 07 April, 2007. (WILLIAM WEST/AFP/Getty Images)</em>

July 2006

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake triggers a tsunami off Java Island's southern coast, killing at least 600 people.<br> <em>Caption: A hotel owner sits next to rubbles in Pangandaran, 19 July, 2006, after a earthquake-triggered tsunami hit south coast of Java island, on 17 July. (BAY ISMOYO/AFP/Getty Images)</em>

March 2005

A magnitude 8.6 quake in northern Sumatra kills about 1,300 people.<br> <em>Caption: People mourn the loss of members of their family on March 31, 2005, in Gunungsitoli on the Island of Nias, Indonesia, after a massive earthquake struck on March 28. (Ian Waldie/Getty Images)</em>

December 2004

An Indian Ocean tsunami, triggered by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake, kills 230,000 in a dozen countries.<br> <em>Caption: Hands stretch out for bags food as it is given out at a refugee camp for people who have become homeless after a massive tsunami wave swept across coastal Sri Lanka on December 31, 2004, in Tangalle, Sri Lanka. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)</em>

December 2003

A 6.6 magnitude earthquake strikes the Iranian city of Ban in the southeastern Kerman province, killing more than 26,271 people and injuring 30,000. <br> <em><br>An elderly Iranian woman gestures in front of the ruins of the quake-devastated Iranian city of Bam. (MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images)</em>

August 1976

A magnitude 8.0 earthquake hits near the islands of Mindanao and Sulu in the Philippines, generating a tsunami and leaving at least 5,000 dead.<br> <em>Caption: Aerial views of damaged buildings in Cotobato City, Philippines, in August 1976. (AP Photo)</em>

May 1960

A magnitude 9.5 earthquake in southern Chile and ensuing tsunami kill at least 1,716 people.<br> <em>Caption: A soldier stands guard nearrubble strewn around an electrical shop which was shattered by an earthquake in Concepcion, Chile, on May 24, 1960. (AP Photo)</em>

March 1964

A 9.2 magnitude earthquake in Prince William Sound, Alaska, and the resulting tsunami kill 131 people. <br> <em>Caption: A photographer looks over wreckage as smoke rises in the background from burning oil storage tanks at Valdez, Alaska, on March 29, 1964. (AP Photo)</em>

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/21/chile-earthquake-61-magnitude_n_2174106.html

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Congolese rebels seize Goma, take airport

GOMA, Congo (AP) ? A rebel group believed to be backed by Rwanda seized the strategic, provincial capital of Goma in eastern Congo on Tuesday, home to more than 1 million people as well as an international airport in a development that threatens to spark a new, regional war, officials and witnesses said.

Explosions and machine-gun fire rocked the lakeside city as the M23 rebels pushed forward on two fronts: toward the city center and along the road that leads to Bukavu, another provincial capital which lies to the south. Civilians ran down sidewalks looking for cover and children shouted in alarm. A man clutched a thermos as he ran.

Thousands of residents fled across the border to Rwanda, the much-smaller nation to the east which is accused of funneling arms and recruits to the M23 rebels.

By early afternoon the gunfire had stopped and M23 soldiers marched down the potholed main boulevards, unimpeded. Their senior commanders, who the United Nations has accused of grave crimes including recruiting child soldiers, summary executions and rape, paraded around the town in all-terrain vehicles, waving to the thousands of people who left their barricaded houses to see them.

The United Nations peacekeepers, known by their acronym MONUSCO, were not helping the government forces during Tuesday's battle because they do not have a mandate to engage the rebels, said Congolese military spokesman Olivier Hamuli, who expressed frustration over the lack of action by the peacekeepers.

"MONUSCO is keeping its defensive positions. They do not have the mandate to fight the M23. Unfortunately, the M23 did not obey the MONUSCO warnings and went past their positions (at the airport). We ask that the MONUSCO do more," he said.

A U.N. spokesman said in New York said that the nearly 1,500 U.N. peacekeepers in Goma held their fire to avoid triggering a battle. The peacekeepers "cannot substitute for the efforts of national forces" in Congo, said spokesman Eduardo del Buey.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Tuesday that the mandate of the U.N. forces in Congo "must be reviewed." Speaking in Paris, he said it is "absurd" that the U.N. has 17,000 peacekeepers in all of Congo but they "couldn't stop several hundred men" in Goma.

The French minister also said a rapprochement between Congo and Rwanda was critical to solving the crisis. Fabius said he's been in touch with officials in both countries.

The rebels are believed to be backed by Rwanda, and to a smaller extent by Uganda, which are accused of equipping them with sophisticated arms, including night vision goggles and 120 mm mortars. Evidence is mounting of the involvement by the neighboring country and on Friday, the United Nations Group of Experts is expected to release its final report, detailing the role the neighboring nations played in the recruitment, financing and arming of the rebel movement, which was born in April.

Congolese government spokesman Lambert Mende said that Rwandan soldiers had crossed into Goma, hiking over footpaths across a volcano that looms between the two countries.

"Goma is in the process of being occupied by Rwanda," said Mende, speaking from Congo's distant capital of Kinshasa. "We have people who saw the Rwandan army traverse our frontier at the Nyamuragira volcano. They have occupied the airport and they are shooting inside the town. Our army is trying to riposte but this poses an enormous problem for them ? this is an urban center where hundreds of thousands of people live," he said.

A Congolese colonel, who was at the frontline in Goma before the city fell, said that the soldiers he saw were Rwandan. Neither his claim nor Mende's could be independently verified.

Congo's President Joseph Kabila flew to Uganda Tuesday for talks with President Yoweri Museveni, a Ugandan government spokesman confirmed. The official spoke in Kampala on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to divulge the information.

M23 rebel spokesman Col. Vianney Kazarama confirmed that they had taken the airport and the city. "We are now inside the city of Goma," he said.

Goma, a city of low-lying buildings, many topped by rusted corrugated roofs, was last threatened by rebels in 2008 when fighters from the now-defunct National Congress for the Defense of the People, or CNDP, stopped just short of the city. Their backs to the wall, the Congolese government agreed to enter into talks with the CNDP and a year later, on March 23, 2009, a peace deal was negotiated calling for the CNDP to put down their arms in return for being integrated into the national army.

The peace deal fell apart this April, when up to 700 soldiers, most of them ex-CNDP members, defected from the army, claiming that the Congolese government had failed to uphold their end of the deal. Like in 2008, they again advanced toward Goma. This time, the city fell and the disastrous consequences for the population were already on display.

At a municipal hospital, 19-year-old Nene Lumbulumbu described how she was cleaning her house, when she was hit by a stray bullet in the torso. A father stood over his little girl's bed, clutching an X-ray showing the bullet lodged in her chest. He had sent her to fetch water in this city where most live without running water. She was brought back by neighbors, after being hit by a bullet.

The hospital was treating children whose arms were sheared off by exploding shells, and teenagers paralyzed from the neck down. Hospital director Justin Lussy said the injuries were just the tip of the iceberg.

"Regional and international actors must now prevent this turning into a new regional war," said the International Crisis Group in a statement. "The past week has shown history repeating itself in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, with the same tragic consequences for civilians in the region."

If the rebels succeed in taking Bukavu, it will mark the biggest gain in rebel territory since at least 2003, when Congo's last war with its neighbors, including Rwanda and Uganda, ended.

Jean-Claude Bampa, who lives near the road to Sake, the first town on the drive to Bukavu, spoke on the telephone over loud gunfire in the background. "I can hear gunshots everywhere, it is all around my home," he said on Tuesday morning. "We are stuck inside and are terrified. I pray this will be over soon."

___

Associated Press West Africa bureau chief Rukmini Callimachi reported from Dakar, Senegal.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/congolese-rebels-seize-goma-airport-130750430.html

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Alessio Sakara planning appeal of DQ loss

Saturday's UFC 154 bout between Alessio Sakara and Patrick Cote ended in controversy as Sakara was disqualified by referee Dan Miragliotta for throwing illegal blows to the back of Cote's head. UFC president Dana White said Miragliotta did a "horrible job" because he allowed Cote to take too many hits and called the fight a DQ and not a no contest. However, Miragliotta told Yahoo! Sports on Saturday that the commission in Montreal told him the fight had to end in a disqualification, not a no contest.

Miragliotta also explained what constitutes an illegal blow to MMA Junkie:

"Even though most of your hand is hitting the back of the head, if your pinkie knuckle is hitting him in the ear, it's a legal shot," said Miragliotta. "Maybe that's what people don't understand. They said, 'Oh, it's the back of the head.' It is the back of the head, but it's hitting him in the ear.

But Sakara's manager denies that Miragliotta warned Sakara, as Miragliotta said he did. He also says he didn't see the blows to the back of the head. Luckily, we have the magic of photography to see.

This one, from Yahoo! Sports photographer Tracy Lee, shows Sakara's hand brushing Cote's ear.

This angle shows a clear blow to the back of the head, though. Shot from above the top of the cage, there is no impediment in showing where Sakara was hitting Cote. Sakara's camp is planning to appeal the ruling. Meanwhile, White already said a rematch between the two will happen.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/alessio-sakara-planning-appeal-dq-loss-190105957--mma.html

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Daily Chronicle | DeKalb property tax levy hearing set for Monday

DeKALB ? The residents of DeKalb will be able to sound off Monday on how much of their property taxes should pay for the city?s pension costs.

A public hearing on the property tax levy is scheduled for Monday, with final action on the levy to be taken at the council?s Dec. 10 meeting. The hearing will start at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 200 S. Fourth St.

The DeKalb City Council voted Nov. 13 to cap its property tax levy at $9.67 million, meaning any dollar amount below that is fair game. The revenue collected will be used in the city?s fiscal 2014 budget, which begins in June 2013. If the city received the full amount of its levy request, a property owner would pay 79 cents for each $100 for their property?s equalized assessed value.

Laura Pisarcik, the city?s finance director, said existing homes and businesses should not see their property taxes rise, because property values in the city have dropped by 8 percent. The property tax rate for 2011 taxes paid in 2012 was 72 cents per $100 of equalized assessed value.

?They won?t really see an increase on their property taxes from the city,? Pisarcik said, adding that the city has no control over other local taxing bodies, like school districts and park districts.

Property taxes are time-sensitive.Pisarcik said the city has to set a levy ceiling at least 20 days before passing the ordinance, and that ordinance must be filed with the DeKalb County Treasurer by the end of December.

By setting the ceiling at $9.67 million, the council will be capturing $40,000 in revenue from new construction. Second Ward Alderman Tom Teresinski supported capturing new construction because he felt that the city?s revenue had to increase.

?If we don?t collect the new construction and collect on the [various tax abatements the city has made], we?re effectively lowering our overall tax amount,? Teresinski said.

However, by not setting the ceiling at $10 million, the city is not able to pay for its mandatory pension costs with property taxes alone. It is city policy to use property taxes to fund the pensions of city staff, police officers and firefighters.

Pisarcik said the city would be able to fund all the police and fire pensions, and 45 percent of the pensions of city staff. The other 55 percent will have to be made up from one of the city?s other funds, she added.

Sixth Ward Alderman Dave Baker said he thought that if property taxes were going to be raised to capture revenue from new construction, the money should be used for more than just pensions. He suggested using the money to hire more police officers.

?If we?re not careful, and we earmark for pensions only, we may lose sight of the real needs that are not addressed,? Baker said.

If you go
What: DeKalb City Council public hearing on property tax levy
When: 7 p.m. Monday (Committee of the Whole meeting - 6 p.m.)
Where: City Hall, 200 S. Fourth St., DeKalb

There are 31 hours, 14 minutes remaining to comment on this story.

Source: http://www.daily-chronicle.com/2012/11/14/dekalb-property-tax-levy-hearing-set-for-monday/axwnrxs/

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Designing Your Backyard

Many of us tend to spend the majority of our lives in our homes. When we aren't working or out on errands, we may sit in front of the television or perhaps curl up in a chair and enjoy a good book. Although it certainly can be comfortable to live in the home in this way, there is also a lot of space that is outside of the home that should be considered as well. As a matter of fact, if you have the outside of the home set up properly, you may find that you are enjoying it just as much as you are enjoying the indoors.

One of the first things that you are going to need to consider is the overall planning of the patio itself. There are a number of different options that are available to those who want to have a patio built that is going to be both beautiful and usable. You need to decide if you are going to go with something simple, such as a concrete slab or if you're going to go with something more decorative, such as flagstone. It really is a personal decision but it is one that you are going to have to live with for many years. Make sure that you give it the attention that it deserves.

As far as the outdoor furniture is concerned, there are also many options that are open to you. One of the more popular options for outdoor living is having a wicker patio set in the area. Wicker, when it is of high quality tends the weather very well and he can provide you with both beauty and comfort when you are seated outdoors. It should be noted, the wicker is generally going to have some type of cushion and you would want to make sure that it was suitable for outdoor use. If you don't, you will likely end up with some type of problem which would make it very frustrating, to say the least.

Have you considered adding something else to the area which will make it more family friendly? If a pool would work well in your area may be one consideration or have you considered the possibility of an outdoor kitchen? Outdoor kitchens can help you to use the patio in a very unique way and will also help you save on energy costs during the summer months. It is fantastic when family and friends are able to gather in such an area and enjoy a meal that is cooked outside.

Finally, consider the extras that may be included, such as Jumpsport trampolines or perhaps some sort of outdoor equipment that would be suitable for children. Just make sure that these are safely installed but that they are also somewhat temporary. It is likely that the children are going to eventually outgrow the use of these items and that it will be more of an adult area that everyone will enjoy. Of course, you do always have the possibility of grandchildren, and they are certain to enjoy the outdoor environment as well.

About the Author:
The author have been in the landscaping industry for many years and likes to offer some tips for outdoor design. She recommend quality wicker patio set for those who like to have outside dining and jumpsport trampolines for those who have childrens. These items are currently popular for outdoor furnishing.

Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Designing-Your-Backyard/4274934

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Driver?s Parade: A Fluff Lap in Old American Convertibles [2012 F1 U.S. Grand Prix]

Every F1 race features a driver?s parade before the drivers take to the starting line, and today?s contest at the Circuit of the Americas was no different. Except it was; this is Texas, and parading the F1 drivers around the track in some funny European car just wouldn?t do. Instead, the racers took to the [...]

Source: http://www.raginpagin.com/louisiana/showthread.php?127252-Driver?s-Parade-A-Fluff-Lap-in-Old-American-Convertibles-2012-F1-U-S-Grand-Prix&goto=newpost

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Workplace Diva: TTYLSOS: Young Employees Suck At Confrontation

Your "Millennial" co-worker is upset, and if you keep it up she might just send you a text message!

Your young co-workers who say stupid things like "who is Gene Wilder?" and think they should have already had your job yesterday are struggling with confrontation at work. Give them any negative feedback, or simply disagree with their ideas, and they somehow think you're all up in their grill "yelling" at them. They're more likely to complain about it electronically, too. As Chicago Tribune writer Rex Huppke e-xplains:

"One of the primary reasons in this past year or two that I've been called in to coach executives or companies around generational differences is to help them leverage the skills and talents of millennials," said Linda Gravett, a psychologist and senior partner with the Cincinnati-based human resources consulting firm Gravett & Associates. "Many of them have trouble handling conflicts and don't have confrontational skills or seem able to deal with conflicts in a straightforward way."

Gravett said that in a recent focus group with 10 millennials, the subjects said they prefer to text someone they're having a problem with rather than speak by phone or face to face.

"I asked them why they won't just talk to someone over coffee or something," she said. "And they said, 'Oh, that's too personal.'"

So don't take it personally, Gen X mid-level careerist. Your Millennial co-worker thinks you were a big meanie for questioning the workability of her innovative business idea the company hasn't tried since 2007, but don't expect her to tell you to your face. Consultants are now referring to this workplace communication problem as the new "diversity." Uh-huh. I call it the "stop hiding behind text messaging and tell me to my face when you have a problem with me" problem.

Of course, with age comes an increasing intolerance for stupid B.S., and developing good workplace communication skills can take years, if not decades. We were all there once, just like reporter Luke Russert offending House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi with his stream of poorly-thought-out questions, and we didn't have nearly as many electronic crutches to lean on for support. Nowadays confrontation is no sweat, and we know when not to sweat the small stuff.

So maybe we shouldn't be too hard on the younger generation. Help us help you, Millennials, in a Jerry McGuire kind of way. Talk to us. In person. But preferably not in a bathroom while wearing nothing but a towel. Problems are always better sorted out face to face, and your older co-workers are more likely to take the problem, and you, more seriously when you talk instead of text.

Older employees might have to be the ones to get personal by starting the "are you having a problem with me?" conversation. I know, I know, Gen Xers: You're insanely busy and you don't have time for all the he-said-she-yelled dramarama. It's not personal, it's business, right? But the young workplace warrior in the next cubicle is struggling to learn this fact of business life. This is where the rubber meets the road, or the fingers meet the keyboard as the case may be.

So spell it out, in black and white, clear as crystal. Use Grandpa Joe as a confrontational template if you must. Yes Millennials, someone made a Willy Wonka movie long before Tim Burton did, and it starred a funny guy named Gene Wilder. You ought to check out Young Frankenstein, too. I still love this video.

Source: http://workplacediva.blogspot.com/2012/11/ttylsos-young-employees-suck-at.html

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Judge Approves Record $22.5M FTC Fine Penalizing Google For Tracking Safari Users

The Federal Trade Commission building is seen in Washington on March 4, 2012. (Photo : Reuters)

A U.S. federal judge has approved a $22.5 million Federal Trade Commission (FTC) fine to penalize Google for an alleged privacy breach.

The approval from U.S. District Judge Susan Illston came late Friday, Nov. 16, rejecting a consumer-rights group's plea for a tougher punishment. Illston issued her ruling just a few hours after a hearing in San Francisco, which focused on a fine representing the agreement Google reached months ago with the FTC.

The privacy case revolves around allegations that the search giant fooled millions of Web surfers using Apple's Safari web browser into believing their online activities could not be tracked by Google provided they did not change the browser's privacy settings. Although that assurance was even posted on Google's Web site earlier this year, Google was inserting computer coding designed to bypass Safari's automatic settings. The coding enabled Google to peer into the online activities of Safari users, regardless of their browser settings.

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According to the FTC, the stark contradiction between Google's stealth tracking and its false privacy assurances to Safari users broke a vow the company had made in another settlement with the FTC last year. Google had pledged not to mislead people regarding its privacy practices.

The FTC praised its actions as proof of its efforts to protect the public interest. A consumer rights group, however, attacked the settlement arguing that in fact it represents ineffectual regulation. As the FTC is wrapping up a separate investigation into complaints that Google has been hurting competition and raising online ad prices by emphasizing its own services in its leading search engine, the consumer rights group is trying to raise more awareness about the Google - Safari Web browser issue.

Judge Illston, meanwhile, found that the fine, as well as other facets of the settlement, were all "fair, adequate and reasonable."

"We're glad the court agreed there was no merit to this challenge," the search giant said in a statement following the ruling, according to the San Jose Mercury News.

Consumer Watchdog, however, is not ready to let things go just yet. Gary Reback, an attorney for the consumer rights group, said he is hoping to pressure the FCT to take Google to court in the antitrust investigation rather than negotiating new consent decrees and reaching other types of settlements, as it did in dealing with the Safari privacy issue.

A consent decree "is not a good way to police Google," Reback told MercuryNews in an interview on Friday, after the court hearing. Some of the Internet companies that have filed complaints against the search giant in the antitrust case have also hired Reback as their attorney.

According to FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz, regulators should decide whether to sue, settle, or simply close the antitrust probe into Google's practices by the end of the year.??

?

Source: http://www.mobilenapps.com/articles/5166/20121118/ftc-google-fine-safari-privacy-tracking.htm

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Records show oil platform fire not first accident for Houston-based Black Elk Energy

by Scott Noll / KHOU 11 News

khou.com

Posted on November 16, 2012 at 6:37 PM

Updated yesterday at 6:40 PM

HOUSTON ? Hours after an explosion severely injured several workers in the Gulf of Mexico Friday, the KHOU 11 News I-Team has uncovered new details about the company that operates that oil platform.

According to federal records, Friday?s explosion was the third accident involving Black Elk Energy in the last two years.

In August 2012, investigators say a crane on another platform was lowering two workers in a basket.? Witnesses say the equipment failed and those workers ended up in the Gulf of Mexico.? Neither was hurt.

In February 2011, federal records show a small fire broke out on a platform 116 miles from shore.? Investigators say that fire was quickly put out using fire extinguishers.? A battery charger was blamed for that fire.

The I-Team also learned that in September 2012, Black Elk Energy paid a $307,500 fine. According to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, the company did not complete a required leak test on surface controlled subsurface safety valve.? According to the BSEE, when that valve was tested, it leaked more gas than regulations allowed.? In addition, the feds say it took Black Elk Energy 117 days to repair or replace the valve.

A worker at Black Elk Energy told the I-Team that the company?s safety team was tied-up and not available to comment.

Source: http://www.khou.com/home/Fridays-Explosion-Not-First-Problem-For-Energy-Company-179737951.html

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