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Friday, January 4, 2013

Transocean agrees to pay $1.4 billion fine for Gulf oil spill

An offshore drilling company agreed to plead guilty on Thursday to a single Clean Water Act charge and pay $1.4 billion in fines for its role in the April 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

The company, Transocean Deepwater Inc. signed a plea and cooperation agreement with the Justice Department that includes payment of both civil and criminal penalties.

The company admitted that members of its crew aboard its Deepwater Horizon rig were negligent in failing to investigate indications that the offshore well was not secure, according a government statement. It noted that Transocean crew members were acting at the direction of BP officials in charge of the drilling operation.

Recommended: 2012 enters the record books. Were you paying attention? A news quiz.

The company is agreeing to cooperate with the Justice Department in its continuing investigation of a disaster that killed 11 rig workers and caused the largest offshore oil spill in US history.

Transocean was a contractor to BP and provided the deep water rig for the drilling operation. BP has agreed to pay $4.5 billion in fines and has pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges related to the 11 deaths.

In November, federal prosecutors indicted two BP drilling supervisors on manslaughter charges for allegedly disregarding indications that the offshore well was about to fail.

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?This resolution of criminal allegations and civil claims against Transocean brings us one significant step closer to justice for the human, environmental, and economic devastation wrought by the Deepwater Horizon disaster,? Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement.

?This agreement holds Transocean criminally accountable for its conduct and provides nearly a billion dollars in criminal and civil penalties for the benefit of the Gulf states,? he said.

The plea agreement is subject to the approval of US District Judge Carl Barbier in New Orleans. It is pending a 21-day period for the Justice Department to receive public comments on the proposed agreement.

The arrangement requires Transocean to pay $400 million in criminal fines and an additional $1 billion in Clean Water Act civil penalties accrued during the three months it took to cap the well.

The company is also required to implement improved operational safety and emergency response procedures at all the company?s drilling rigs in US waters.

?The development and exploration of a domestic source of energy is vitally important, and it can and must be done in a responsible and sound manner,? Ignacia Moreno, assistant attorney general for environment and natural resources, said in a statement.

?This unprecedented settlement under the Clean Water Act demonstrates that companies will be held fully accountable for their conduct and share responsibility for compliance with the laws that protect the public and the environment from harm,? Ms. Moreno said.

Under a proposal presented to Judge Barbier, the government seeks to direct $150 million of the $400 million criminal fine to restoring and preserving the marine and coastal environment in the Gulf region.

An additional $150 million will be directed toward research and training aimed at improving oil spill prevention and emergency response efforts in the Gulf.

The $1 billion in civil payments under the Clean Water Act establishes a new record. Last year, MOEX Offshore, a 10 percent partner with BP in the offshore well, agreed to pay a $70 million civil penalty.

Under a 2012 law, some 80 percent of the $1 billion payment must be used to fund projects to preserve the Gulf environment and boost the region?s economic prospects.

Officials said the government?s criminal investigation of the 2010 oil spill is ongoing. In addition, civil litigation against BP and other companies is continuing, they said.

Recommended: 2012 enters the record books. Were you paying attention? A news quiz.

Significant Question to ask when giving a personal loan online ...

If you're considering giving personal loans online, as a form of investment, there are many sites dedicated to peer to peer lending that can help you out. The very first question you have to ask yourself is how much you can afford to lose. No matter how tight the contracts may be, the market situation changes quickly, and, as with any form of investment, there is a chance that you may lose the money ? so don't put in more than you can afford.

Think Like a Bank

When using peer to peer lending sites, you can either allow the respective company to administer your portfolio entirely, or you can interview the bad credit loan applicants yourself, and decide on a case by case basis. If you're just starting out and you're not entirely sure how things work, it is perhaps better to let the company make the decisions for you, since they already have the experience and some criteria in place to evaluate borrowers.

The system allows you to get considerable returns on investment, on average of 9-10%, so the profits are greater than what you can expect from mostly anything else available on the market today, but the risks are also considerable. Start with a conservative portfolio, and expand later, if you feel this is the right direction for you.

You will probably want to ask the applicants the same questions that a bank would normally ask: their credit score, their current income and income to debt ratio, and so on. Remember that most people use peer to peer lending because they cannot qualify for a loan from a traditional lender, so don't expect to see spotless credit history.

Don't Be Afraid to Say No

You take considerable risks with your money, so you naturally want to make a profit, not to provide charity or a public service. You will probably hear a lot of heartbreaking stories, and you will meet a lot of people in desperate need for financing, but you have to learn how to limit the risks. In other words, you have to learn to simply say no, when you feel the investment would be a wrong choice for you.

If things go wrong, and you have to recover your money via a court of law, you will be asked to prove that the borrower had a sound financial situation at the time when the agreement was signed, and you had reasonable ground to believe that he or she would be able to repay the loan on time. If you cannot prove that, the chances of ever getting your money back are slim, so weigh your options carefully.

The biggest issue with peer to peer lending is balancing privacy options with the right to access information about the borrower. For example, in some cases it may be important to find out why the applicant wants a loan ? it's not the same if they need it to pay for a vacation at a luxury resort or for a home remodeling job. On the other hand, the peer to peer lending companies have consultants and procedures in place, so you can always ask for help if you're not sure what to do. ?

Source: http://www.personalfinanceopinions.com/2013/01/significant-question-to-ask-when-giving.html

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Wednesday, January 2, 2013

61 killed in New Year's stampede in Ivory Coast

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast - Authorities say that at least 61 people were killed in a stampede when New Year's revels turned into a panicked stampede in Abidjan, Ivory Coast's commercial centre.

State radio and a fire department rescue worker, who refused to give his name, said that many more people were injured in the incident at about 2 a.m. after a fireworks display in the Plateau district of Abidjan.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/61-killed-years-stampede-abidjan-ivory-coast-134610846.html

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Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Predicting more Balotelli drama

I?m really getting out there on this one, eh? Predicting more Mario Balotelli drama is like predicting that a whistle will sound prior to kickoff at a match.

The hook here is the ?where.? This drama will unfold at The City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England, also known as the Etihad Stadium, a.k.a. home of Manchester City. Because apparently the man-child and trouble-child striker isn?t going anywhere.

City boss Roberto Mancini says Balotelli is likely staying put in the upcoming transfer window. His reasoning: City owner Sheikh Mansour likes the guy. What Mancini just told Italy?s La Gazzetta dello Sport:

I think Mario will stay but the future depends mostly on him. Sheikh Mansour likes Balotelli because he recognizes the talent and he exports the name of the City over the world. ? We need to consider that Mario was made as a major investment, and this is not a club that throws its capital through the window.?

Mancini went on to say that the 22-year-old must become more professional in his career. No kidding.

While it?s true that 22 remains relatively young, and that we have seen immature athletes raise their level of professional comportment as they move along in age, there?s also a starting point to be considered.

That is to say, Balotelli?s starting point means he has a long, long way to go just to arrive at ?low-level problem? status. The young Italian has proven time and again to be petulant, impulsive, selfish and / or irresponsible on game day. So, if Mancini or Sheikh Mansour or anyone else truly believes sufficient progress will be made, and wants to risk City?s ongoing title defense on it, well, shame on them.

Because you know what they say about the fooling someone once, fooling them twice, etc.

Source: http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/31/bold-2013-prediction-more-mario-balotelli-drama-at-man-city/related/

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Home Based Business Ideas | Small Business Assistance

December 31st, 2012 by admin Leave a reply ?

Home Based Business Ideas Image You?ve heard of all the successful home based business ideas and wonder if you could come up with something as fresh and innovative in order to gain your own independence and career freedom.? You can.? There are a number of home based business ideas running around your head.? You just need to learn to focus them to find the right home based business idea for you.

Before you run off with one of those many home based business ideas, consider if a home based business is right for you.? It may seem wonderful to not have to make that morning commute each day and to be your own boss, but making those home based business ideas successful takes a lot of work and focus.? You need to be prepared to put in a lot of work to start your business and more work to make it successful.? Also, you need to know that you can balance the work it will take to turn those home based business ideas into a reality with your personal life.

Still, if you feel you have the focus and desire to be your own boss, then it is time to look at those home based business ideas.? Not sure what to do?? Start off by thinking about the things you love to do.? You know, those things that you get involved in and you hate to walk away from.? Home based business ideas come out of the things you love, so make a list.? Then take those ideas and narrow them down to a few things you could turn into a business.

Once you know what you love and have some home based business ideas, don?t fret if you think they have been done before.? They may have, but you may do it better.? Or, there may only be a few companies that offer the same services your home based business ideas would offer.? If you have broad home based business ideas, try to narrow them down to a few niches.? Figure out how you can make those home based business ideas a little different from the competition.

Research becomes your friends when you are going through your home based business ideas.? Check out the competition online or in your area.? See how you can take your idea and make it work for clients.? Maybe talk to some consumers to see what aspects of your home based business ideas they would be interested in or need.? This information will guide you through? your list of home based business ideas until you find the one that will work best for you.

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Source: http://www.scoremonroe.org/home-based-business-ideas.html

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Internship Avaliable | Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group

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Source: http://www.skagitfisheries.org/2012/12/internship-avaliable/

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Gunmen fire on protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square

An Egyptian woman holds a poster with Arabic that reads, "my Christian siblings.. happy new year.." in front of the presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt, Monday, Dec. 31, 2012. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

Egyptian protesters decorate a Christmas tree near the presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt, Monday, Dec. 31, 2012. Protesters will celebrate New Year's eve in front of the presidential palace. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

An Egyptian woman walks in front of barbed wire near the Prime Minister's office in Cairo, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. Egyptian Prime Minister Hesham Kandil says his country will resume talks in January with the International Monetary Fund over a $4.8 billion loan, after they were suspended during this month's political turmoil over the now-adopted constitution. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

Egyptians read slogans on a poster displayed in a temporary exhibit of revolutionary paraphernalia in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. Arabic reads, " Morsi, you don't have any legality." (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

CAIRO (AP) ? Egyptian security officials say masked gunmen drove into Cairo's Tahrir Square and opened fired on an anti-government sit-in, seriously wounding two activists.

They said the four gunmen also vandalized vehicles in the area, including those of the U.S. Embassy, early Monday. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

The U.S. Embassy, which is off Tahrir Square, said vandals attacked an Embassy van, slashing its tires and breaking a window. It warned U.S. citizens in a warden message against going to the square in downtown Cairo, where New Year's celebrations are planned later. The square was the center of Egypt's uprising two years ago.

The sit-in was to protest against Islamist President Mohammed Morsi's moves to pass a disputed constitution.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-12-31-Egypt/id-cd3854a76a71470282abe64b65e60b20

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