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Know Your Rights: Circumstances Where You’ll Be Needing a Lawyer

Nancy Clayson
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Know Your Rights: Circumstances Where You’ll Be Needing a Lawyer

We are living in a world of rules and regulations. Wherever we go, whatever we do, we need to be accountable for our actions. We are required to conform to different guidelines set before us. Since we are in a law laden world, knowing when to defend our rights is really a must.

In defending us, lawyers definitely can do the work. An attorney, counselor, or solicitor is a licensed professional who advises and represents others with regards to legal matters.

Not all legal matters require hiring an attorney, e.g. you are caught violating traffic rules like speeding. Laws are vast and complicated and knowing when to get and not to get a lawyer will help you save effort, time, and resources.

What are the specific cases when you really need a lawyer?

Crime Involvement

 

When you are involved in a criminal offense, you should seek a lawyer to represent you. This area of law deals with offenses that interrupt the regulations of a locale, federal governments, or a state. In this kind of law, there are misdemeanors or just small offenses and felonies or belonging to more serious crimes. Get a lawyer as soon as possible to protect your rights or to defend you whether you are guilty or not. Prevention is better than cure, so get one before you land in jail.

Lawsuits

 

Being a lay man, it will be a struggle to beat deadlines and codes of behavior especially for filling and filing legal documents. You certainly need an assistance of a lawyer for this one. In suing and being sued, the penalties of a damage may result in the loss of a big deal of money or property. To avoid this, you need to get an experienced counselor.

Injuries and Damages

 

Whether you are the one who is injured or the one who injured, get a seasoned attorney. You are not aware of the laws of compensation rates for damages, so getting someone who knows will give you a breather. This way, you will be sure that every money that comes out of your pocket for paying the actual damages is a reasonable one.

Divorce, Wills, and Rights

 

Complicated cases of divorce, wills, and rights where issues of savings, support, property, and investments are quite a feat. Hiring an able attorney to untangle the mess is a must. You need all the help you can get in terms of legal matters since these kinds of cases are going to be emotionally taxing.

Declaring Bankruptcy

 

You cannot file for bankruptcy without a lawyer so you really need one. Never try to navigate all of the legal requirements alone. Get a competitive lawyer. Having an attorney by your side will help you in making important decisions about your business and what you will do if you have to close it down.

Takeaway

Spare yourself from all the problems that could come your way by tapping a lawyer. There are a lot of Corpus Christi lawyers out there who are ready to extend legal assistance. A good legal representation may come with a price but neglect it when you need one may be a more costly act. Armed with these, you now know when to get or not to get a lawyer.

Salvează

South Korea Elections 2017: Country Goes to Poll to Elect New President

Diane A. Wade
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South Korea Elections 2017: Country Goes to Poll to Elect New President

Voters in South Korea are going to polls to elect a new president after a huge corruption scandal brought down the former leader, Park Geun-hye.

Liberal Moon Jae-in is the strong favorite with centrist Ahn Cheol-soo his nearest challenger.

South Korea’s economic issues are a big concern for voters but the election could see a shift in policy towards North Korea.

Moon Jae-in wants to increase contact with North Korea in contrast to impeached President Park Geun-hye who cut almost all ties.

A record turnout is predicted, with numbers boosted by younger voters, as South Koreans choose from 13 candidates.

Polls close at 20:00 local time, with the winner expected to be announced soon after. The new leader is likely to be sworn-in on May 10.

Heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula in recent weeks have made the perennial worries over the South’s volatile neighbor a key issue.

Moon Jae-in, of the Democratic Party of Korea, has advocated greater dialogue with North Korea while maintaining pressure and sanctions.

Both Moon Jae-in and Ahn Cheol-soo have urged President Donald Trump to cool his rhetoric towards North Korea after his administration suggested it could take military action over Pyongyang’s nuclear program.

However, Hong Joon-pyo of the conservative governing Liberty Korea Party has attacked Moon Jae-in’s approach, saying last week that the election was a “war of regime choices”.

North Korea state media said it favored a return to an earlier era of communication and co-operation known as the Sunshine policy, seen as an endorsement of Moon Jae-in who was part of the previous South Korean government which promoted that policy.

All the candidates are promising to protect the fragile recovery in the country’s economy – the fourth largest in Asia – and to bring down youth unemployment, which remains stubbornly high.

There have been vows to reform the family-run conglomerates – chaebols – which dominate the domestic economy.

Whoever wins will have to tackle ties with China, which retaliated economically over the deployment of a US missile defense system in South Korea.

All candidates have been promising a break from the past as symbolized by the deeply unpopular Park Geun-hye.

Ahok Verdict: Jakarta Governor Sentenced to Two Years in Jail for Blasphemy

Diane A. Wade
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Ahok Verdict: Jakarta Governor Sentenced to Two Years in Jail for Blasphemy

Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, the outgoing governor of Indonesian capital Jakarta, has been sentenced to two years in prison for blasphemy and inciting violence.

The governor, also known as Ahok, is an ethnic Chinese and Christian. The case was seen as a test of Indonesia‘s religious tolerance.

Ahok was accused of insulting Islam by referring to a verse in the Koran during a campaign speech.

He has denied blasphemy and plans to appeal. He was taken into custody after the verdict was read out.

His deputy Djarot Saiful Hidayat will take over his duties until his term ends in October.

The sentence is harsher than most observers had expected – prosecutors had called for a suspended one-year sentence.

Image source YouTube

Ahok was “found to have legitimately and convincingly conducted a criminal act of blasphemy, and because of that we have imposed two years of imprisonment,” the judge told the court.

He was accused of blasphemy for comments he made during a pre-election speech in September 2016.

Ahok implied that Islamic leaders were trying to trick voters by using a verse in the Koran to argue that Muslims should not vote for a non-Muslim leader.

The governor’s remarks, which were widely shared in an edited video, sparked outrage among religious hardliners.

They staged regular large rallies calling for him to face trial.

Throughout the trial, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama denied wrongdoing, but did apologize for his comments nonetheless.

Ahead of the verdict, protesters for and against Ahok had gathered outside the court demanding respectively his acquittal or a long prison sentence.

Disappointed with the eventual verdict, some protesters demanded Ahok to be hanged.

Around 15,000 security personnel from the police and military are providing security at the scene, with riot police and armored vehicles separating the rival groups.

Ahok became governor after his predecessor, Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, was elected president in 2014.

As an ethnic Chinese Indonesian and Christian Ahok is a double minority, and was Jakarta’s first non-Muslim governor for 50 years.

His political success was also seen as a significant development given the violent anti-Chinese riots that occurred in the city in 1998.

Before the blasphemy allegations, Ahok had been widely hailed as a straight-talking politician with a strong anti-corruption stance.

However, the controversy overshadowed scheduled elections last month.

Despite Ahok’s enduring popularity with many in Jakarta for his efforts to improve living standards, he lost to conservative Muslim candidate Anies Rasyid Baswedan.

Indonesia is the world’s most-populous Muslim country. About 85% of Indonesia’s population are Muslim, but the country officially respects six religions.

Aaron Saucedo: Phoenix Serial Killer Arrested Last Month

Nancy Clayson
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Aaron Saucedo: Phoenix Serial Killer Arrested Last Month

Arizona serial killer suspect was arrested last month, Phoenix police say.

Aaron Saucedo, 23, is responsible for a series of deadly shootings in Phoenix in 2016.

The suspect had already been charged with murder in connection with a killing in August 2015, police say.

Now Aaron Saucedo has been linked to the deaths of eight other people, between January and July 2016.

Police handout

Police say they have not identified a motive but believe the man acted alone. Aaron Saucedo’s lawyer has not commented.

The 2015 victim was a 61-year-old man who had dated the suspect’s mother, Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams said.

The other victims, including a 12-year-old girl and a 55-year-old woman, seem to have been targeted at random.

Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton said: “Today is a good day in the city of Phoenix.”

Police gave few details on how they linked the man to the killings, which stopped last July amid extensive media coverage.

However, they said the evidence included surveillance video, witness statements and ballistics material.

Aaron Saucedo faces 26 additional felony counts, including multiple counts of homicide, aggravated assault and drive-by shootings.

The Maricopa County attorney has not yet decided which charges to formally bring against Aaron Saucedo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDdYXDtyGk8

Boston Double Murder: Two Doctors Killed in Luxury Penthouse

Nancy Clayson
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Boston Double Murder: Two Doctors Killed in Luxury Penthouse

Two doctors have been found dead in a luxury penthouse in Boston – reportedly tied up and with their throats slit.

A suspect, named Bampumim Teixeira, is in custody after police exchanged fire with him while responding to reports of an intruder at the high-rise flats on May 5.

The bodies of anesthetists Richard Field and Lina Bolanos, engaged to be married, were found inside.

The suspect was in hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

According to police, a suspect fired at officers who were responding to a report of a man with a gun at a luxury high-rise in South Boston.

The officers apprehended Bampumim Teixeira inside the penthouse flat before discovering Dr. Richard Field, 49, and Dr. Lina Bolanos, 36, who were already dead, the Boston Globe reported.

A message of retribution was apparently written on the wall, an official told the newspaper. Their hands were tied and throats cut, the paper said.

Dr. Richard Field – who is from London, according to his Facebook page – reportedly texted a friend in a plea for help.

The motive is still unclear but police believe the victims may have known the suspect due to the building’s tight security.

Bampumim Teixeira was recently released from prison after serving nine months for bank robbery.

He was due to appear in court for his arraignment on May 8, according to Jake Wark, a spokesman for Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel Conley.

Dr. Lina Bolanos was a pediatric anesthesiologist at Massachusetts Eye and Ear while Dr. Richard Field worked at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School.

Akzo Nobel Rejects Third Takeover Offer from Rival PPG Industries

Clyde K. Valle
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Akzo Nobel Rejects Third Takeover Offer from Rival PPG Industries

Akzo Nobel has rejected a third takeover offer by US rival PPG Industries, leaving the door open to a hostile bid.

The Dutch company said the 26.9 billion euro offer undervalued Akzo and showed a “lack of cultural understanding of the brand”.

Akzo Nobel, which claims its own plans for growth are superior, has been urged to reject a merger by the Dutch government and its own workers.

However, some Akzo investors favor a deal.

PPG said it was disappointed by Akzo Nobel’s decision and would “review” the company’s response.

It comes several weeks after PPG increased its offer to buy Akzo Nobel for the second time as it seeks to create an industry leader in the paints and coatings sector.

Image source Wikimedia

PPG suggested the bid was its last friendly attempt to merge with Akzo and has not ruled out putting the matter directly to shareholders.

Responding on May 8, Akzo CEO Ton Buchner said his team had conducted an “extensive review” of the bid and had again found it wanting.

“The PPG proposal undervalues AkzoNobel, contains significant risks and uncertainties, makes no substantive commitments to stakeholders and demonstrates a lack of cultural understanding,” he said.

Akzo says its own plans for the company – which involve spinning off its chemicals division into a separate business – would better serve shareholders.

It has promised to increase its dividend for 2017 by half and pay a 1 billion euro special cash dividend in November.

However, Akzo also faces mounting pressure from some of its biggest shareholders to consider a deal, having repeatedly refused to enter talks with PPG’s management.

Last month, the activist investor Elliot Investors also called for a vote to oust chairman Antony Burgmans – a proposal Akzo rejected.

In its favor, Akzo has won political support against a tie-up, with four provincial governments having warned of its impact on jobs.

Akzo also says that PPG would struggle to get the deal past Dutch competition regulators, which poses a risk to shareholders.

As part of its latest offer, PPG offered commitments on jobs and to pay a break fee in case the deal was rejected by officials.

Akzo Nobel shares fell more than 2% in morning trading in Amsterdam but have jumped about 30% this year.

Talcum Powder Case: Johnson and Johnson Ordered to Pay $110 Million to Lois Slemp

Nancy Clayson
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Talcum Powder Case: Johnson and Johnson Ordered to Pay $110 Million to Lois Slemp

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has been ordered by a US court to pay more than $110 million to a woman who says she developed ovarian cancer after using its talcum powder.

Lois Slemp, 62, from Virginia, Missouri said she developed the cancer after four decades of using talc products.

Prosecutors argued J&J did not adequately warn about the cancer risks associated with the items.

Experts say links with ovarian cancer are unproven. The pharmaceutical company says it will appeal.

The verdict in a St Louis state court is the largest so far to arise out of about 2,400 lawsuits against J&J over its talc-based products, Reuters reports.

Lois Slemp is currently undergoing chemotherapy after her ovarian cancer initially diagnosed in 2012 returned and spread to her liver.

Image source Flickr

She said the products she used included J&J’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower Powder.

“Once again we’ve shown that these companies ignored the scientific evidence and continue to deny their responsibilities to the women of America,” said Ted Meadows, a lawyer for Lois Slemp.

The verdict included $5.4 million in compensatory damages and $105 million in punitive damages against J&J.

J&J said it planned to appeal and said in a statement: “We are preparing for additional trials this year and we continue to defend the safety of Johnson’s Baby Powder.

“We deeply sympathize with the women and families impacted by ovarian cancer.”

J&J lost three jury verdicts in 2016 in cases related to its talc-based products, but won its first trial in March, when a jury in Missouri sided with the company.

Montreal Flooding: State of Emergency Declared

Nancy Clayson
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Montreal Flooding: State of Emergency Declared

Montreal authorities have declared a state of emergency in the Canadian city due to flooding caused by torrential rains and melting snow.

The state of emergency was declared on May 7 and will remain in place for 48 hours, city officials said.

Across the province of Quebec, nearly 1,900 homes have already been flooded across 126 towns and cities, authorities say.

Some 1,200 troops have reportedly been deployed to help evacuate people.

Image source The Canadian Press

Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan said: “Our troops are responding quickly and professionally and are already beginning to deliver critical support to Canadians affected by the flooding.”

The state of emergency was declared in Montreal after three dikes gave way in the city’s north.

The town of Rigaud, west of Montreal, has been particularly hard hit and a state of emergency has also been declared there.

Montreal Mayor Hans Gruenwald Jr. has ordered mandatory evacuations in flood zones.

“People had to be evacuated, and we put them in boats and they are crying like babies,” he said.

“I am sorry, they are at a point where now they are not in a position to decide anymore their own future.”

The flooding is not limited to Quebec, and unusually high rainfall has also caused flooding in the province of Ontario.

Lake Ontario has reached a water level not seen since 1993 in southern Ontario, the Canadian Press news agency says.

Warmer temperatures have also caused snow to melt in British Columbia in Canada’s west, combining with the rain to cause flooding and mudslides.

France Elections 2017: Emmanuel Macron Elected President with 65.5% of Votes

Diane A. Wade
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France Elections 2017: Emmanuel Macron Elected President with 65.5% of Votes

Emmanuel Macron has decisively won the French presidential election, projected results say.

The centrist candidate defeated far-right candidate Marine Le Pen by about 65.5% to 34.5% to become, at 39, France’s youngest president, the results show.

Emmanuel Macron will also become the first president from outside the two traditional main parties since the modern republic’s foundation in 1958.

He said that a new page was being turned in French history.

Emmanuel Macron said he had heard “the rage, anxiety and doubt that a lot of you have expressed” and vowed to spend his five years in office “fighting the forces of division that undermine France”.

He said he would “guarantee the unity of the nation and… defend and protect Europe”.

Image source Wikimedia

Thousands of Emmanuel Macron’s supporters gathered to celebrate outside the Louvre in central Paris. Emmanuel Macron has now arrived to join them.

Security remains tight in Paris and there were reports of police firing tear gas at several hundred anti-capitalist protesters near the Ménilmontant metro in the 20th arrondissement.

The Macron team said that the new president had had a “cordial” telephone conversation with Marine Le Pen.

In a speech Marine Le Pen thanked the 11 million people who had voted for her. She said the election had shown a division between “patriots and globalists” and called for the emergence of a new political force.

Marine Le Pen said her National Front party needed to renew itself and that she would start the “deep transformation of our movement”, vowing to lead it into upcoming parliamentary elections.

She also said she had wished Emmanuel Macron success in tackling the “huge challenges” facing him.

President François Hollande congratulated Emmanuel Macron and said the result showed the French people wanted to unite around the “values of the republic”.

Initial figures suggested the turnout was lower than the past two elections.

Kim Hak-song: North Korea Confirms It Detains US Citizen

Diane A. Wade
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Kim Hak-song: North Korea Confirms It Detains US Citizen

North Korea has announced it has detained US citizen Kim Hak-song on suspicion of “hostile acts” against the state.

Kim Hak-song worked at the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST) and was held on May 6, state-run news agency KCNA said.

Three other US citizens are currently held in North Korea, including Kim Sang-duck, who had taught at PUST.

The US has in the past accused North Korea of detaining its citizens to use them as pawns.

KCNA said that “a relevant institution” was “conducting [a] detailed investigation” into Kim Hak-song’s alleged crimes.

It gave no further details.

A State Department official said Washington was “aware of reports that a US citizen was detained in North Korea”, adding it would liaise with the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang, which helps look after US interests in North Korea.

Kim Hak-song had previously described himself as a Christian missionary who intended to start an experimental farm at PUST, Reuters reported, citing an online post by Kim Hak-song.

PUST is a university that mostly teaches the children of North Korea’s elite.

It was founded in 2010 by a Korean-American Christian entrepreneur, with much of the costs funded by US and South Korea Christian charities.

Several foreign lecturers are thought to teach at the university.

The detention comes amid heightened tensions between North Korea and the US.

Pyongyang has threatened to carry out a new nuclear test – while the US has sent a warship to the region and vowed to stop the North from developing nuclear weapons.

On May 5, North Korea accused US and South Korean agents of plotting to kill its Supreme Leader, Kim Jong-un.

The US and South Korean governments did not comment on the allegations, but experts were skeptical about the claim.

Kim Hak-song’s arrest makes him the fourth US citizen to be held by North Korea.

France Elections 2017: Polls Open in Second Round of Presidential Election

Diane A. Wade
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France Elections 2017: Polls Open in Second Round of Presidential Election

Polls opened in France, where voters are choosing their next president after an unpredictable campaign that has divided the country.

The second round contest pits centrist Emmanuel Macron, a 39-year-old former investment banker, against the 48-year-old far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen.

Citizens in some overseas territories and many French expats abroad have begun voting.

The polls opened in metropolitan France at 08:00 local time on May 7 and close at 19:00.

Polling stations will remain open in some big cities until 20:00 local time, with early estimates of the result due to be reported immediately after they close.

The two candidates, who topped a field of 11 presidential hopefuls in the first round election on April 23, have offered voters starkly different visions of France.

Emmanuel Macron, a liberal centrist, is pro-business and a strong supporter of the EU, while Marine Le Pen campaigned on a France-first, anti-immigration program.

Image source AFP

The National Front leader wants France to abandon the euro in the domestic economy, and hold a referendum on the country’s EU membership.

Emmanuel Macron is widely expected to win the vote, but analysts have said high abstention rates could damage his chances.

The run-off will be keenly watched across Europe, ahead of elections in Germany and the UK and as Britain negotiates its exit from the EU.

In whittling down a field of candidates to Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen, French voters rejected the two big political parties – the Socialists and the Republicans – that have governed for decades.

The presidential campaign has been marked by its unpredictability, and in a final twist on May 5, soon before campaigning officially ended, Emmanuel Macron’s En Marche! political movement said it had been the victim of a “massive” hack, with a trove of documents released online.

The Macron team said real documents were mixed up with fake ones, and electoral authorities warned media and the public that spreading details of the attack would breach strict election rules and could bring criminal charges.

En Marche compared the hack to the leak of Democratic Party emails in last year’s US presidential election that was blamed on Russian hackers.

Emmanuel Macron has previously accused Moscow of targeting him with cyber attacks, which Russia strongly denied.

On May 6, President François Hollande promised to “respond” to the attack.

Management of the economy, security, immigration and France’s relationship with the EU have all been key issues in the campaign.

One of the overriding issues is unemployment, which stands at almost 10% and is the eighth highest among the 28 EU member states. One in four under-25s is unemployed.

The French economy has made a slow recovery from the 2008 financial crisis and both candidates say deep changes are needed.

Marine Le Pen wants the pension age cut to 60 and to “renationalize French debt”, which she argues is largely held by foreigners.

Emmanuel Macron wants to cut 120,000 public-sector jobs, reduce public spending by €60 billion ($65 billion), plough billions into investment and reduce unemployment to below 7%.

If voters opt for Emmanuel Macron, they will be backing a candidate who seeks EU reform as well as deeper European integration, in the form of a eurozone budget and eurozone finance ministers.

Marine Le Pen promises quite the opposite. She wants a Europe of nations to replace the EU.

They are similarly divided on other foreign policy issues. Emmanuel Macron opposes any rapprochement with Russia, while Marine Le Pen met Vladimir Putin in Moscow recently and has previously stated her approval of Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea.

The presidential election will be followed by legislative elections on June 11 and 18. Emmanuel Macron, who quit the Socialist government of President Hollande to found his new political movement, has no lawmakers, and Marine Le Pen has only two.

Whoever wins the presidency will need to perform well in those crucial elections if they want to win a parliamentary majority to push through their proposals.

Boko Haram Releases 82 Chibok Girls After Negotiations

Roy Siemens
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Boko Haram Releases 82 Chibok Girls After Negotiations

Boko Haram has released 82 schoolgirls from a group of 276 they abducted in north-eastern Nigeria three years ago, President Muhammadu Buhari’s office says.

The girls were handed over in exchange for Boko Haram suspects after negotiations.

They will be received by President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja on May 7, a statement said.

The abduction of the so-called “Chibok girls” triggered a global outcry and sparked a huge social media campaign.

Before the latest release, about 195 of the girls were still missing.

The number of Boko Haram suspects released by authorities remains undisclosed.

Christian pastor Enoch Mark, whose two daughters were among those kidnapped, told AFP: “This is good news to us. We have been waiting for this day. We hope the remaining girls will soon be released.”

It was unclear whether his daughters had been freed.

A statement from a spokesman for President Muhammadu Buhari said he was deeply grateful to “security agencies, the military, the Government of Switzerland, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and local and international NGOs” for playing a role in the operation.

After the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno state, was raided in April 2014, more than 50 girls quickly escaped and Boko Haram then freed another 21 in October 2016, after negotiations with the Red Cross.

The campaign for the return of the girls drew the support of then First Lady Michelle Obama and many Hollywood stars.

Last month, President Muhammadu Buhari said the Nigerian government remained “in constant touch through negotiations, through local intelligence to secure the release of the remaining girls and other abducted persons unharmed”.

Many of the Chibok girls were Christian, but were encouraged to convert to Islam and to marry their kidnappers during their time in captivity.

Boko Haram has kidnapped thousands of other people during its 8-year insurgency aimed at creating an Islamic caliphate in north-eastern Nigeria.

More than 30,000 others have been killed, the government says, and hundreds of thousands have been forced to flee from their homes.

Salvează

C919: China’s First Big Jetliner Completes Maiden Flight

Clyde K. Valle
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C919: China’s First Big Jetliner Completes Maiden Flight

The C919, China’s first large domestically made passenger aircraft has completed its maiden flight, mounting a major challenge to Boeing and Airbus.

After about 90 minutes in the air the C919 landed safely back at Pudong airport in Shanghai.

The plane is a key symbol of Beijing’s soaring ambitions to enter the global aviation market.

Made by state-owned company COMAC (Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China), it has been in planning since 2008 but the flight was repeatedly pushed back.

For May 5 maiden flight, the C919 carried only its skeleton crew of five pilots and engineers and took off in front of a crowd of thousands of dignitaries, aviation workers and enthusiasts.

Image source COMAC

Ahead of the flight, state TV said the plane would fly at an altitude of only 3,000m (9,800 feet), some 7,000m lower than a regular trip, and reach a speed of around 300km/h (186mph).

The Chinese plane is designed to be a direct competitor to Boeing’s 737 and the Airbus A320.

In an interview carried out in March but released on Chinese TV shortly before the launch, test pilot Cai Jun said he had full confidence in the plane.

“A pilot knows clearly the condition of a plane. He knows very well whether it will work. So I’m not afraid at all, but focusing more on whether the plane is in its best shape now,” he said.

Cai Jun also described halting an earlier taxiing test in late 2016 because of a problem with the brakes.

“It’s just like driving a car. I put the brakes on, and the plane started to shake,” he said.

The pilot said he had had to argue with the plane’s engineers help refine the design.

“For the designers, the plane is their baby, which they believe is perfect. But our task is to tell them that their baby is not perfect, it has strengths and weaknesses, and they have to make improvements,” Cai Jun said.

The C919 still relies on a wide array of imported technology though, it is for instance powered by engines from French-US supplier CFM International.

Orders have already been placed for more than 500 of the planes, with commitments from 23 customers, say officials, mainly Chinese airlines. The main customer is China Eastern Airlines.

Europe’s aviation safety regulator has started the certification process for the C919 – a crucial step for the aircraft to be successful on the international market.

China has had ambitions to build its own civil aircraft industry since the 1970s, when leader Mao Zedong’s wife, Jiang Qing, personally backed a project.

However, the Y-10, built in the late 1970s, was impractical due to its heavy weight and only three of the aircraft were ever made.

It is estimated that the global aviation market will be worth $2 trillion over the next 20 years.

Stephen Colbert Investigated by FCC over Anti-Trump Joke

Sonia Pantiss
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Stephen Colbert Investigated by FCC over Anti-Trump Joke

Stephen Colbert is to be investigated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over a joke about President Donald Trump.

The FCC chairman Ajit Pai said the commission received several complaints about the monologue, which some viewers branded homophobic.

It concerned references involving Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.

On Twitter, angry users set hashtag #FireColbert trending worldwide.

Ajit Pai told radio host Rich Zeoli he had now had a chance to watch the controversial clip, which aired on Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show on May 1.

“We have received a number of complaints,” he said.

Image source Wikimedia

“We’ll follow the standard operating procedures, as we always do, and make sure we evaluate what the facts are and apply the law fairly and fully.”

CBS could be fined if the FCC decides that Stephen Colbert’s joke was indecent.

The FCC definition includes remarks that appeal to “an average person’s prurient interest and, taken as a whole, lack serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value”.

Despite demands for him to be fired over the alleged slur, Stephen Colbert said on May 3 that he would change “some of the words” in the monologue but did not regret it.

Stephen Colbert then offered an olive branch to the LGBT community, saying: “Anyone who expresses their love for another person in their own way is, to me, an American hero.”

One Trump supporter who took part in the movement #GaysForTrump, tweeted on May 3 that Stephen Colbert’s original rant was “homophobic” and “disgusting”, while others repeated calls for his sacking.

However, many defended the comedian.

Others noted that Donald Trump had himself been recorded using inappropriate language.

Former Republican Governor and presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee argued that Stephen Colbert should be protected by the First Amendment, which enshrines the right to free speech in the US.

5 Key Areas Of Business To Channel Your Focus

Dana R
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5 Key Areas Of Business To Channel Your Focus

https://www.pexels.com/photo/architecture-building-business-city-316879/

Running a business comes with a lot of complexities. Not only do you need to be able to wear a bunch of different hats, you have to be able to excel in a range of different areas if you want succeed. Whether you choose to outsource some of the responsibility or take on some of the tasks yourself, you’ll often find that there are five key areas of business to focus on in order to grow your business and see it flourish. To harness your business’ potential power, here is where you should be channeling your efforts.

Customers

Your customers should always be your primary focus. Without them, you have no business. Whether you operate in B2B markets or a consumer based industry, without the people that are prepared to part with money for your product or service, you can not find success. So, you need to be able to focus on understanding your customer by doing your own research or using something like shopper lab and tailoring your marketing and sales efforts towards their needs.

Promotions

Your promotional activity can see you through hard times and help to grow your customer base. But, for your marketing to be successful, you need to be able to ensure it is both targeted and integrated. By making sure that your efforts are tailored to your customer market segment and consistent across all of your marketing channels, you’ll stand a better chance at not only targeting the right people but winning their business too.

Employees

Regardless of your business operations or industry, your employees will always be the backbone of your business. Not only do they make the day to day running possible, but they can often be responsible for some of your successes. Keeping your employees safe, content and nurtured is crucial in any business. If you want to do well, your employees need to be looked after. People work for people, and people make a business what it is. Focus on training, offer benefits and above all else, always be a fair boss.

Suppliers

Whether you offer a service or a product, your supplies will always hold a certain level of power. Even if you have a great relationship, you will always find that what they do is crucial to your operations. It’s in your best interest to channel efforts into keeping your suppliers happy. You might need to push down costs or ask for a higher quality of supply in the future, and without a strong relationship, they may not be inclined to help you out with that.

Profits

In business, your profits are everything. Without a profit, it’s not justifiable to be in business. So, alongside nurturing the four other key areas of your business, you need to be able to keep the idea of maximizing profits at the center of what you do. Whether that’s negotiating better overheads, running a killer promotion, or hiring a new member of staff – if it’s not going to improve your profits now or in the future, you may need to rethink taking any action.

France Elections 2017: Emmanuel Macron Targeted By Massive Hacking Attack

Diane A. Wade
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France Elections 2017: Emmanuel Macron Targeted By Massive Hacking Attack

Emmanuel Macron’s campaign says it has been the target of a “massive hacking attack” after a trove of documents was released online.

The campaign of French presidential candidate said that genuine files were mixed up with fake ones in order to confuse people.

It said it was clear that hackers wanted to undermine Emmanuel Macron ahead of May 7 second round vote.

The centrist will face off against far-right candidate Marine Le Pen.

The documents were leaked on a file sharing website on May 5 and the Macron camp condemned the action just before the official campaigning period ended at midnight.

Candidates and the media now face restrictions until the polls close on May 7, meaning Emmanuel Macron cannot issue further statements.

Opinion polls had indicated the former economy minister carried a lead of 20 percentage points or more over Marine Le Pen.

About nine gigabytes of data were posted online by an anonymous user.

Emmanuel Macron’s En Marche movement said internal campaign documents, including emails and financial data, had been taken in an “act of massive, co-ordinated hacking”.

“The leaked files were obtained several weeks ago by hacking personal and professional email accounts of several officials of the movement,” the party said in a statement.

Image source Wikimedia

The campaign said the documents showed only legitimate campaign activities.

France’s election commission warned that publication or republication of the leaked information could be a criminal offence.

That too remains unclear. The Macron camp has not blamed any specific party but said the hack clearly aimed to damage it and undermine French democracy.

It compared it to the leak of Democratic Party emails in last year’s US presidential election that was blamed on Russian hackers.

WikiLeaks, which published those emails, posted a link to the Macron documents on Twitter but implied it was not responsible.

Emmanuel Macron’s team has already been the victim of hacking attacks, for which it has blamed groups based in Russia and Ukraine. It suspects the Kremlin of wanting to help Marine Le Pen, who supports a pro-Moscow foreign policy.

Macron campaign servers went down for several minutes in February after attacks apparently originating in Ukraine. Last month, security experts from the company Trend Micro said that Russian hackers were targeting Emmanuel Macron’s campaign, using phishing emails, malware and fake net domains in an attempt to grab login names, passwords and other credentials of campaign staff.

Russia has denied that it is behind attacks aimed at Emmanuel Macron.

On May 4, Emmanuel Macron filed a lawsuit over online rumors that he had a secret bank account in the Caribbean.

The centrist candidate called the allegations “fake news and lies” and said some of the sites spreading them were “linked to Russian interests”.

Separate security alerts in and around Paris marred May 5 final scramble by the candidates to court voters.

A suspected radical Islamist possessing weapons and a pledge of allegiance to ISIS was arrested north of Paris.

Greenpeace activists scaled the Eiffel Tower to unfurl a banner, sparking an emergency police meeting.

French voters have rejected the two big political parties – the Socialists and the Republicans – that have governed for decades.

Voters will be making a decision on the country’s future direction and on its place at the heart of the EU.

If they opt for liberal Emmanuel Macron, they will be backing a candidate who seeks EU reform as well as deeper European integration, in the form of a eurozone budget and eurozone finance ministers.

If instead they choose far-right Marine Le Pen she promises quite the opposite. She wants a Europe of nations to replace the EU.

“I give myself six months to negotiate with the EU the return of sovereignty. Then it will be the French who decide,” Marine Le Pen tweeted.

The assumption is that Marine Le Pen would fail and a referendum would take place initially on France’s membership of the euro.

After the Brexit vote in the UK and the election of President Donald Trump, France is the latest country to deal a blow to politics as usual.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57s055REz3M

France Bans Underweight Models

Lisa.Felice
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France Bans Underweight Models

A law banning the use of unhealthily thin fashion models has come into effect in France.

According to the new law, models will need to provide a medical certificate attesting to their overall physical health, with special regard to their body mass index (BMI).

BMI is a measure of weight in relation to height.

France’s health ministry says the aim is to fight eating disorders and inaccessible ideals of beauty.

Image source Wikimedia

Digitally altered photos will also have to be labeled from October 1.

Images where a model’s appearance has been manipulated will need to be marked photographie retouchée (English: retouched photograph).

A previous version of the bill had suggested a minimum BMI for models, prompting protests from modeling agencies in France.

However, the final version, backed by lawmakers in 2015, allows doctors to decide whether a model is too thin by taking into account their weight, age, and body shape.

Employers breaking the law could face fines of up to 75,000 euros ($82,000) and up to six months in jail.

France is not the first country to legislate on underweight models – Italy, Spain and Israel have all done so.

Anorexia affects between 30,000 to 40,000 people in France, 90% of whom are women.

Growing a Landscaping Business: What you Need to Know

Dana R
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Growing a Landscaping Business: What you Need to Know

Are you a landscaper looking to grow your business? It is no easy feat to get a landscaping business off of the ground and running efficiently and properly. If you have managed to achieve it, then it’s time to look at the next phase of your company’s lifecycle; growth.

Growing a Landscaping Business the Right Way

You are now at a new crossroads. The survival stage of your business cycle has ended and it’s time to begin growing a landscaping business that is profitable and sustainable. The crux of growth comes from establishing systems and policies within your business.

The systems and policies must provide clear instructions on the operations of your business. Every business activity must be logged to enable you to track your business data. This data provides you the information on where you need to focus on improvement and where you are doing well.

People are the other major impact on your business. Hiring the right people can increase productivity and profit. Unfortunately, poor hires can sometimes cost your business time and money.

Establishing clear policies on hiring and human resources is a crucial area to concentrate on when growing a landscaping business. By creating exact roles and functions of your people and benchmarks of what you expect in their performance, you can track their results.

Growing a landscaping business is determined by your own abilities to execute. You need to be constantly aware of areas in your business that need your attention. Managing the growth of your business can be as challenging as planning it. Make sure that you work with the best people to ensure your chances of success.

Image result for Landscaping Business

You Need a Solid Plan for Growing a Landscaping Business

These systems and policies must be included in your business plan. Things have now taken a new direction for your landscaping business and you need to take this time to adjust your plan.

Adjustments are everything and forming your new plan will require you to review and update all of your business goals and milestones. If you have business mentors, then use their knowledge and experience to help you with updating your business plan.

Mentors can help reduce your learning curve dramatically. You can benefit from their past mistakes and the lessons they have learned. Take this lessons and use them in your own business.

5 Quick Tips for Growing a Landscaping Business

  1. Evaluate your position. Where are you now and what has been the keys to your business survival?
  2. Know where you want to go. What are your new goals for this phase of your business?
  3. Think Big. You have made it this far, what if anything were possible?
  4. Write it down. Goals are just dreams until they are written down and focused on.
  5. Find someone to talk to.A mentor is the greatest advantage you can give yourself to ensure the achievement of your goals.

In Conclusion

Growing a landscaping business is an exciting opportunity. Leverage your resources and grow into the future with further success by using good planning and taking advice from those you trust.

Jordan Edwards Shooting: Officer Roy Oliver Charged with Murder

Nancy Clayson
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Jordan Edwards Shooting: Officer Roy Oliver Charged with Murder

Texas Police Officer Roy Oliver has been charged with murder after shooting teenager Jordan Edwards, who was a passenger in a car as it drove away from a house party in Dallas.

Roy Oliver opened fire on the vehicle, killing 15-year-old Jordan Edwards, with a single bullet in the head on April 29.

Police initially said the car reversed “aggressively” towards the officer, but then admitted that was not the case.

The police use of lethal force against African Americans has been a subject of fierce protest and debate for years.

Image source Mesquite Independent School District

The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office issued a warrant for Roy Oliver’s arrest on May 5.

In a statement, the office said there was evidence to suggest Roy Oliver “intended to cause serious bodily injury and commit an act clearly dangerous to human life that caused the death of an individual”.

The tragedy unfolded after police responded to reports of underage drinking at a house party in Balch Springs, a Dallas suburb.

Officers were inside the home trying to find the owner when they heard what they believed to be gunshots, and people began to flee from the house in panic.

Jordan Edwards was with his two brothers and two other friends in a car that left the party at this time.

Roy Oliver opened fire with a rifle, shooting Jordan Edwards as he sat in the front passenger seat.

The police officer was fired by the department earlier in the week.

A vigil was held for Jordan Edwards on May 4.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXfp8qZ4Sis

Trayvon Martin to Get Posthumous Degree from Florida Memorial University

Nancy Clayson
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Trayvon Martin to Get Posthumous Degree from Florida Memorial University

Trayvon Martin will receive a posthumous college degree from Florida Memorial University, five years after the black teenager was shot dead by neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman.

His family will accept a degree in aeronautical science on his behalf on May 13.

The Florida HBCU said it wants to honor the 17-year-old’s ambition to become a pilot before he died in 2012.

Trayvon Martin’s death prompted nationwide protests and a fierce debate about race relations in the US.

Image source Wikimedia

The unarmed black teenager was walking home from a shop in Sanford, Florida, when he got into an altercation with George Zimmerman.

George Zimmerman, the son of a white father and Hispanic mother, argued he acted in self-defense and with justifiable use of deadly force.

A jury acquitted George Zimmerman of second-degree murder in 2013.

Following the verdict, protests erupted in cities across the US including Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington and Atlanta.

Treyvon Martin case was instrumental in launching the national Black Live Matter social movement.

Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, Trayvon’s parents will accept the degree in Miami Gardens, where his mother went to school.

Roslyn Clark, the university’s president, said in a Facebook post the school was honoring Trayvon Martin for “his long dream and the steps he took during his young life toward becoming a pilot”.

“Sybrina, our alum, epitomizes strength and dignity as she uplifts other victims of violence while effecting change for a more equal and just society,” Roslyn Clark added.

Sybrina Fulton said she was “grateful” for her son’s honorary degree.

She said in a Facebook post: “In 1997 I graduated from FMU with a Bachelors degree in English with a minor in Mass Communications. It’s now 20 years later & now my son #TrayvonMartin will receive his Bachelors in Aviation, something he loved.”

Kanye West Deletes His Twitter and Instagram Accounts

Lisa.Felice
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Kanye West Deletes His Twitter and Instagram Accounts

Kanye West has deleted his Twitter and Instagram accounts, which had tens of millions of followers.

The reasons why were unclear but last November the rapper ended a tour early.

Kanye West had accused fellow rapper Jay-Z of trying to kill him and walked off stage after announcing he would vote for Donald Trump.

Meanwhile, Kim Kardashian, remains on Twitter and has 51 million followers.

Photo Instagram

She has been promoting her and her husband’s children’s clothing line.

Shortly after Kanye West’s accounts were deactivated, Kim Kardashian tweeted that he had hand drawn a logo for the clothing line.

Fans responded by pleading with her to persuade Kanye West to return.

The rapper had already adopted a quieter approach to social media earlier this year and reportedly deleted some of his previous pro-Trump tweets.

Kanye West’s breakdown also came after Kim Kardashian was robbed of jewellery worth an estimated €10 million ($10.5 million) in Paris in October 2016.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUMpQvXPPvg

US Economy Adds 211,000 Jobs in April 2017

Clyde K. Valle
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US Economy Adds 211,000 Jobs in April 2017

US jobs growth was bigger than expected in April as businesses added 211,000 posts.

According to the US Department of Labor figures, the unemployment rate dropped slightly to 4.4%, compared with 4.5% in March.

The rebound in the jobs market could pave the way for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates in June.

The US economy needs to create 75,000 to 100,000 jobs a month to keep pace with growth in the working-age population.

An unemployment rate of anything under 5% is considered to indicate full employment. The rate of 4.4% is the lowest since May 2007.

The rise in employment was driven by the leisure and hospitality sectors, health care and social assistance, financial activities and mining.

The report also showed average hourly earnings rose by 2.5% year-on-year, although this was down slightly on March’s figure.

Recent GDP figures showed the US economy grew at an annual rate of 0.7% in the first three months of this year, the slowest rate since the first quarter of 2014, raising concerns that the economy could be weakening.

Earlier this week, the Fed kept its key interest rate on hold in a range of 0.75% to 1%.

However, central bank also said it viewed “the slowing in growth during the first quarter as likely to be transitory” and still expected economic activity to “expand at a moderate pace”.

Oil Prices Drop Further on Oversupply Concerns

Clyde K. Valle
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Oil Prices Drop Further on Oversupply Concerns

Oil prices have dropped further, adding to near 5% losses seen on May 4, as concerns about a worldwide supply glut resurfaced.

Brent crude fell 1.8% at $47.49 a barrel, while US crude dropped 2.1% to $44.58 a barrel.

Oil is at its lowest level since November 2016, when OPEC struck a deal to cut output.

Investors are worried that OPEC nations will fail to rein in output further at their next meeting later this month.

Oil prices down by about 15% since the start of the year, despite Opec’s agreement in November which cut output by 1.8 million barrels a day.

Photo Getty Images

Supply is still outpacing demand, with US oil production alone up by 10% since summer 2016.

It now pumps out some 9.3 million barrels a day – not far short of the two giant oil producing nations of Russia and Saudi Arabia.

OPEC and other oil nations are meeting on May 25 where they will discuss the success of the six-month cutback and whether it should be deepened.

Russia, one of the non-OPEC countries to sign up to the cuts, gave mixed signals on May 4 about whether it would continue.

Data released on May 2 indicated US crude stocks fell 930,000 barrels last week. Analysts had been expecting a drop of 2.3 million barrels.

The fall in crude prices hit global energy and commodity stocks.

On May 4, US oil giants Chevron and Exxon Mobil were two of the biggest fallers on Wall Street, dropping 2% and 1.3% respectively.

KPMG Investigated over Rolls-Royce Audit

Clyde K. Valle
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0
KPMG Investigated over Rolls-Royce Audit

UK’s Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has opened an investigation into KPMG’s audit of the accounts of Rolls-Royce.

The FRC will probe the accountancy giant’s oversight of Rolls-Royce’s financial statements covering four years.

It follows Rolls-Royce’s settlement of £671 million ($800 million) with the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) in January over corruption allegations.

KPMG said it was co-operating and was “confident in the quality” of its work.

In a statement, the accountancy watchdog said: “The FRC has commenced an investigation under the Audit Enforcement Procedure into the conduct of KPMG Audit Plc, in relation to the audit of the financial statements of Rolls-Royce Group plc for the year ended December 31, 2010, and of Rolls-Royce Holdings plc for the years ended 31 December 2011 to December 31, 2013.

“The decision to investigate follows the SFO announcement on January 17, 2017, of a Deferred Prosecution Agreement between the SFO and Rolls-Royce which relates to offences including conspiracy to corrupt and a failure to prevent bribery.”

Image source Flickr

The agreements relate to bribery and corruption scandals involving intermediaries in overseas markets such as Indonesia and China.

Rolls-Royce first passed information to the SFO in 2012 after facing “allegations of malpractice” in the two countries, after which the fraud squad launched a formal investigation.

The aero-engine maker said at the time that its own investigations had found “matters of concern” in additional overseas markets.

KPMG, one of the world’s largest accountancy firms, said: “It is important that regulators acting in the public interest should review high profile issues. We will co-operate fully with the FRC’s investigation, which follows the SFO’s investigations into Rolls-Royce.

“We are confident in the quality of all the audit work we have completed for Rolls-Royce, including the 2010-2013 period the FRC is considering.”

The company has audited Rolls-Royce for 26 years, but is due to replaced in 2018 by PwC.

Rolls-Royce apologized “unreservedly” after the SFO settlement.

The SFO revealed 12 counts of conspiracy to corrupt or failure to prevent bribery in seven countries – Indonesia, China, Russia, Thailand, India, Nigeria and Malaysia.

Often described as “a jewel in the UK’s industrial crown”, Rolls-Royce makes engines for military and civil planes, as well as for trains, ships, nuclear submarines and power stations.

However, in addition to the corruption claims, Rolls-Royce has been hit by a string of profit warnings that sparked a tumble in the share price in the past couple of years.

TrumpCare: Republican Healthcare Bill Narrowly Passed By the House

Diane A. Wade
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TrumpCare: Republican Healthcare Bill Narrowly Passed By the House

ObamaCare is “dead”, said President Donald Trump after the Republican healthcare bill was narrowly passed by the House.

The 217-213 vote marked Donald Trump’s first legislative victory and goes some way to keeping a key campaign promise to roll back his predecessor’s law.

Democrats say the American Health Care Act will leave millions uninsured.

The bill now heads to the Senate, where Republicans have indicated they will cast it aside and write a new law.

Protesters shouted “Shame on you!” as lawmakers left Capitol Hill after the knife-edge vote.

However, there were celebrations moments later on the White House lawn, where President Trump laid on a reception for Republicans in the House of Representatives.

Six weeks ago, the Republicans’ healthcare attempts appeared doomed when they did not have enough support to have a vote.

However, that bill has undergone several revisions to satisfy both the conservative and moderate wings of the GOP.

“Make no mistake, this is a repeal,” said a triumphant Donald Trump in the Rose Garden. ObamaCare, he added, was “essentially dead”.

“Premiums will be coming down, deductibles will be coming down, but very importantly it’s a great plan.”

The Democrats think the effect of this bill would be the opposite, stripping insurance from the poor, giving tax breaks to the wealthy and casting doubt on health provisions for the chronically sick.

Senator Bernie Sanders said: “Thousands of Americans would die because they would no longer have access to care.”

Groups representing hospitals and doctors have also expressed concerns about the Republican plan, which they say has yet to be properly assessed.

The ill-fated Republican bill in March would result in 24 million more Americans losing insurance within a decade, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said at the time.

One amendment added since then to placate conservatives means states can opt out of providing essential benefits such as cancer treatment and emergency room visits.

When $8 billion over five years was thrown in towards coverage for sick people who otherwise might face higher costs, several moderate Republicans changed course and backed it.

About 20 million Americans gained healthcare coverage under President Barack Obama’s 2010 Affordable Care Act, but Republicans viewed it as an overreach of the federal government and said patients had less choice and higher premiums.

The New York attorney general said on May 4 that he would challenge the bill in court if it became law, on the basis that it would deny people access to care.

The bill, if it becomes law, would mark a major overhaul in the US health system.

However, key elements could be ditched by Republican senators, who have said they will start fresh.

Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski said she would like “a clean slate”, while Senator Bob Corker said the current bill has “zero” chance in the Senate.

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