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Jared Kushner to Be Questioned over Russia Ties

Diane A. Wade
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Jared Kushner to Be Questioned over Russia Ties

Jared Kushner will be questioned by a committee investigating alleged ties between the Trump team and Russia.

According to the White House, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and aide has volunteered to speak to the Senate Intelligence Committee.

The committee is examining Russia’s alleged interference in November election.

The US intelligence community believes alleged Russian hacking during the presidential election was done to help Donald Trump defeat Hillary Clinton.

Russia has denied the allegations and President Trump has branded the story “fake news”.

There are two congressional investigations into the issue, plus an FBI one.

Image source Wikimedia

The Senate committee wants to question him about two meetings he allegedly arranged with senior Russians, officials told the New York Times say.

However, Jared Kushner’s staff have said that so far his offer to be questioned has not been answered.

Jared Kushner, 36, was a senior adviser to Donald Trump during the election campaign

His first meeting was with Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak at Trump Tower in New York in December. The second was with the head of Russia’s state-owned development bank.

White House staff told the New York Times nothing significant was discussed and members of the president-elect’s team routinely met Russians and other foreign delegations.

Meanwhile, Jared Kushner has been picked to lead a new White House team that aims to overhaul government bureaucracy.

It will have sweeping powers to reform procedures, with technology and data a key area and the help of Apple CEO Tim Cook and Microsoft founder Bill Gates reportedly enlisted.

Jared Kushner told the newspaper the “government should be run like a great American company”.

He is a property investor and media executive who is married to Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka.

Jared Kushner already advises the president on foreign relations, and is said to have been influential in helping President Trump choose staff for his campaign and in government.

Top Tips For Taking Advantage Of Professional Writing Services

Nancy Clayson
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Top Tips For Taking Advantage Of Professional Writing Services

Millions of students worldwide choose to hire professional writing services when it comes to important academic assignments that can affect final results and grades. Foreign students find these services invaluable as young people that came from various countries may struggle with English language and it is extremely difficult for them to concentrate on making a research analysis and making sure they used the right grammar tense or the appropriate vocabulary.
The best way that guarantees excellent results and flawless paper is finding a reliable custom writing service that ensures high quality of every order and on time delivery.  Needless to say, that finding trustworthy service also demands time as today there are a lot of frauds online that easily could destroy your reputation and provide the customer with plagiarized material. Before placing an order make sure the company credible, read reviews and find out about its reputation. Addressing professional writers from https://essayfactory.uk/buy-essay is the best option that provides customers with following benefits:

  • 100% original, unique and made from scratch essay of outstanding quality;
  • Professional editing services and proofreading;
  • Compliance with customer’s deadlines;
  • Customer-friendly pricing policy. Available discounts;
  • Native English speaking writers from UK who understand requirements set by professors and have experience of meeting them;
  • Complete privacy and money back guarantee;
  • Perfect formatting of every paper;
  • 24/7 Customer support, and many more.

Choosing the right custom writing service students will get:

  • Free inquiry;
  • Free outline;
  • Free title page;
  • Free bibliography page;
  • Free unlimited revisions;
  • Free plagiarism check.

Moreover, every customer in ensured to get:

  • Top-notch quality of every order, excellence in providing best results;
  • Professionalism of experienced writers;
  • Individual approach to every costumer and respect to their needs.

Common mistakes every student does when writing an academic essay

Every student who is interested in improving writing skills and wants to write all academic assignments personally should know more about common mistakes that are often made in the process of writing:

  • Use of informal type pf language. It is recommended to avoid short forms, contractions, phrasal verbs, clichés, idioms, colloquial expressions, simplistic vocabulary, over-generalisation, emotional language is also not desirable;
  • Student shouldn’t refer blindly to statistics without reference to their source personally;
  • Incomplete sentences or series of short sentences. Don’t forget that complete sentence requires a subject and a verb;
  • It is also better not to use the second person pronoun you but to replace it with the pronoun one;
  • A lot of students don’t leave enough time for proofreading and editing, therefore, miss a lot of spelling mistakes and typos;
  • Make sure you title will be short and able to reflect the content of your essay;
  • Mistakes in citing and references are as well quite common.

Plan you work in advance and there will be plenty of time to ensure academic paper’s quality.

 

Be On The Lookout For Bounce House Injuries

Sonia Pantiss
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Be On The Lookout For Bounce House Injuries

This May is the one-year anniversary of one of the worst bounce house injury incidents in recent memory.

In England, high winds swept a large bounce house off its moorings and carried it about 150 yards through the air while a 7-year-old was trapped inside it. Summer Blackie was rushed from an Easter celebration in Essex, which is about 30 miles outside London, to a nearby hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. At the time, authorities stated that the people in charge of the bounce house failed to secure it properly, but there were also some concerns over the inflatable playhouse’s structural integrity.

Less than a year earlier at that same park, several children were trampled when a bounce house suddenly and unexpectedly deflated.

Bounce House Injuries in California

Inflatable playhouse safety has improved a little since 2014, when a national magazine first shed light on the ongoing bounce house safety epidemic. According to one study, thirty-one children a day received treatment in hospital emergency rooms because of bounce house injuries; the average victim was seven years old and had typically sustained either a serious fracture or a spinal cord injury.

Unfortunately, many of the inflatable playhouses at today’s birthday parties, end-of-season sports team celebrations, and other assorted get-togethers were all made during this period. Experts point to several reasons for the uptick in injuries since 1995:

  • Bounce houses are much more popular than they were in the 1990s.
  • Many inflatable playhouses are much larger than they once were. Their steep slides and extremely big play areas greatly increase the risk of serious falls and of children playfully careening into one another.
  • While toy manufacturers make bounce houses bigger, they also make them from rather flimsy materials that are easy for parents to assemble.

As a result, many advocates say that bounce houses are just as hazardous as backyard trampolines, one of the most infamous dangerous toys to ever come off an assembly line.

Legal Issues

Manufacturers have a duty to make products that are both safe and effective. The exact nature of this duty usually comes from Section 2-134 of the Uniform Commercial Code. It states that manufactured goods must:

  • Pass Without Objection: If the buyer expresses concern about a potential defect, the seller cannot insist that the buyer is worried about nothing.
  • “Fair Average Quality”: Essentially, the good must be reasonably consistent with any written product description.
  • Conform to Promise or Affirmation: Similarly, if the label makes any claim about the product’s safety, use, or whatever, the product must meet or exceed the expectations that the manufacturer creates.
  • Fit for Ordinary Purpose: In this context, bounce houses must be able to accommodate lots of giggling children on a sunny afternoon, no matter what “warnings” the manufacturer affixes to the label.

These warranties cannot be waived unless the seller includes written language like “as is” or “without warranty.”

In a suit for damages against the manufacturer, the toy maker often hides behind the unintended use doctrine. This tactic is especially common in bounce house injury cases.

In this context, the “unintended use” is essentially a failure to follow safety instructions. Many bounce house manufacturers routinely include safety warnings with their products, such as only allow one child at a time into the bounce area, do not set up the inflatable if winds are higher than 10mph, and so on.

However, the manufacturer is still liable in situations that involve a foreseeable unintended use. The classic example is people who use screwdrivers to open paint cans. Even if the manufacturer warns people not to use screwdrivers in this way, they will still do it, so the use is foreseeable. Instead, the unintended use doctrine usually only applies if the product is used in a clearly unsafe and unforeseeable manner, something like using a gas-powered lawn trimmer to cut hair.

If the jury determines that the manufacturer sold an unsafe toy, the plaintiff is entitled to significant compensation for both tangible losses, such as medical bills, and intangible losses, such as pain and suffering. Punitive damages are available as well, in many product liability lawsuits.

 

San Diego Police Debuts Mobile Drug Tests

Nancy Clayson
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San Diego Police Debuts Mobile Drug Tests

Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, San Diego Police Department officers began swabbing drivers’ cheeks to look for evidence of marijuana and other impairing drugs.

In March 2017, the San Diego Police Foundation donated two Dräger DrugTest 5000 machines to the department. Each machine is about the size of a bookshelf stereo system, and after an officer obtains a saliva sample, the gadget can determine if the sample contains any opiates, methamphetamine, amphetamine, marijuana, cocaine, methadone or benzodiazepines (the main ingredient in Diazepam, Lorazepam, Valium, Xanax, and other prescription tranquilizers). Then, to determine if the driver was impaired, police must extract a blood sample from the driver. At an earlier news conference, Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman said her department was concerned that Proposition 64, which legalized marijuana in some instances, would increase the number of drug-impaired drivers, and the percentage had already risen significantly in recent years. Chief Zimmerman said that, for now, officers would only use the Dräger DrugTest 5000 at checkpoints.

If the driver refuses to provide a saliva sample, officers will probably arrest the driver based on circumstantial evidence, assuming they believe the driver to be impaired.

DUI Drug Law in California

 

Proposition 64 did not “legalize” marijuana for all purposes, because it is still a drug under California law. So, driving while high violates Vehicle Code 23152(f), which states that it is illegal for any person to drive any vehicle while under the influence of any drug.

“Any” means “any.” That includes recreational-use marijuana, a prescription benzodiazepine, and even certain over-the-counter medications. In August 2015, a Fairfield man was arrested for driving under the influence of caffeine. Officers reportedly pulled over a man who was driving erratically, and they found some caffeine-based powder performance enhancers in his car. Prosecutors later dismissed those charges, but only because they felt they did not have enough evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.

The caffeine case illustrates the two-pronged nature of DUI drug cases in California. First, prosecutors must prove that the driver had ingested a drug, and the aforementioned saliva swab satisfies this element, at least with regard to the substances that the gadget is designed to detect. Under current law, officers usually do not need search warrants to obtain saliva evidence, because the test is noninvasive and the results normally cannot be saved and used for any other purpose.

Second, prosecutors must prove that the driver was under the influence of that substance. In this context, “under the influence” means that “your physical or mental abilities are impaired to such a degree that you no longer have the ability to drive with the caution characteristic of a sober person of ordinary prudence under the same or similar circumstances.”

There is a preliminary element as well, because the defendant must be “driving” the vehicle. This element is the same in both DUI drug and alcohol cases.

 

Driving the Car

It may be possible to contest the “driving” element in some cases, because it’s not unusual for a person to be behind the wheel but not “driving” the car in the ordinary sense of the word. Perhaps the driver is parked on the street or idling at a corner waiting for a passenger. Or, perhaps the person is in the car to have a private conversation over the phone or with someone else who is physically present.

Although the weight of authority indicates that all four of the above situations constitute driving, since the defendant has the ability to drive, a number of years ago, a California appeals court ruled that the car must be in motion for the defendant to be “driving” the car. So, especially in the latter two situations where there was no intent to drive, prosecutors may not be able to satisfy this element.

This question sometimes comes up in DUI drug cases because the defendant is parked and sleeping off the effects of a previously-ingested drug.

Nature of Substance

In some states, there is a list of prohibited substances, and if the driver did not ingest something on the list, the driver is not guilty as a matter of law. But in California, there’s that nasty “any” word in the statute, as discussed above.

Under the Influence

Prosecutors must rely on circumstantial evidence to establish this element, and that usually means the field sobriety tests. There are three approved FSTs in California:

  • HGN: It may sound odd, but the horizontal gaze nystagmus test (following a point with the eyes without moving the head) is arguably the most reliable and most unreliable FST. If administered properly under controlled circumstances, it is about 80 percent accurate, even though drug impairment is not the only cause of nystagmus. But, the environment at the scene, and even at the stationhouse, is usually not controlled.
  • HTT Walk: Conditions also play a significant role in the heel-to-toe walk test, because it is easier to walk heel-to-toe over an actual line (like a parking lot stripe) than an imaginary line, it is easier to walk heel-to-toe over a flat surface than an uneven one, and so on.
  • OLS: Officers frequently testify that the defendant “failed” the one leg stand due to technicalities like starting with the wrong foot or holding the foot at a slightly incorrect angle.

In these cases, the prosecutor must also prove that the defendant performed poorly on the FSTs because of the substance, and not because of fatigue, nervousness, or some other reason.

 

Alexei Navalny Arrest: EU Demands Immediate Release of Russian Protesters

Diane A. Wade
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Alexei Navalny Arrest: EU Demands Immediate Release of Russian Protesters

The EU has demanded the release “without delay” of more than 500 people detained in protests across Russia on March 26.

The US state department also said protesters should be able to “exercise their rights without fear of retribution”.

The protesters urged Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to quit over corruption allegations.

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who called the protests and was one of those arrested, appeared at court on March 27.

Alexei Navalny, 40, tweeted from the building: “Hello everyone from Tversky Court. The time will come when we will have them on trial (but honestly).”

He also said that PM Dmitry Medvedev should be summoned by the court as the chief organizer of the protests.

Alexei Navalny has yet to go before a judge but is likely to face charges relating to organizing banned protests and could be held for 15 days.

March 26 protests drew thousands of protesters nationwide, including in Saint Petersburg, Vladivostok, Novosibirsk, Tomsk and several other cities, as well as Moscow.

At least 500 protesters were detained. Most of the marches were organized without official permission.

TV footages showed demonstrators chanting “Down with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin!”, “Russia without Putin!” and “Putin is a thief!”.

Correspondents say the marches appear to be the biggest since anti-government demonstrations in 2011 and 2012.

An EU spokesman said the Russian police action had “prevented the exercise of basic freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly, which are fundamental rights enshrined in the Russian constitution”.

The statement added: “We call on the Russian authorities to abide fully by the international commitments it has made… and to release without delay the peaceful demonstrators that have been detained.”

State Department spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement: “The Russian people, like people everywhere, deserve a government that supports an open marketplace of ideas, transparent and accountable governance, equal treatment under the law, and the ability to exercise their rights without fear of retribution.”

Alexei Navalny called for the nationwide protests after he published reports claiming that PM Dmitry Medvedev controlled mansions, yachts and vineyards – a fortune that suggests income that far outstrips his official salary.

His report, posted on YouTube, has been viewed more than 11 million times.

It includes the accusation that Dmitry Medvedev had a special house for a duck on one of his properties – and on March 26, some demonstrators held up images of yellow rubber ducks.

Others showed up with their faces painted green, a reference to a recent attack in which Alexei Navalny was hit with green liquid.

Salvează

Uber Pulls Driverless Cars After Arizona Crash

Clyde K. Valle
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Uber Pulls Driverless Cars After Arizona Crash

Uber has decided to pull its driverless cars from the roads after a car crash which left one of the vehicles on its side.

Images posted online showed the car on its right side on an Arizona street, next to another badly damaged vehicle.

The car – a Volvo SUV – was in self-driving mode at the time of the crash, on March 24, Uber said. No one was hurt.

A spokeswoman for the police in Tempe, Arizona, said the accident occurred when another vehicle “failed to yield” to the Uber car at a left turn.

Uber spokeswoman Josie Montenegro said: “There was a person behind the wheel. It is uncertain at this time if they were controlling the vehicle at the time of the collision.”

The company’s self-driving cars always have a human in the driving seat who can take over the controls.

Uber pulled its self-driving vehicles off the road in Arizona at first, followed by test sites in Pennsylvania and California – all three states where it operated the vehicles.

The incident follows a tumultuous few weeks for the car-hailing app service, after several negative stories about workplace practices and ethics.

A number of Uber’s executives have quit in recent weeks, including the president, Jeff Jones.

United Airlines Leggings Scandal

Nancy Clayson
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United Airlines Leggings Scandal

United Airlines has come under fire on social media after two girls were reportedly barred from flying for wearing leggings.

The incident happened on a flight from Denver to Minneapolis on March 26, activist Shannon Watts said.

United said the girls were travelling on a special pass, for employees and their guests, which has a dress code.

The airliner has since clarified that all regular, paying customers are welcome to wear leggings.

The girls were “United pass travelers”, which are tickets for company employees or eligible dependents, it explained in a Twitter exchange on the issue.

“United pass travelers” are eligible for free or heavily discounted air travel.

The dress code for pass-holders states they should not wear “form-fitting lycra/spandex tops, pants and dresses”, among various other stipulations, including no exposed midriffs, no mini skirts and no flip-flops.

United Airlines has decided to honor airline tickets sold for as little as $0 because of a computer error

Shannon Watts tweeted about what happened to five girls when they tried to board a flight at Denver airport.

The activist said a United gate agent was “forcing” the girls, one of them aged 10, to change their clothes or wear dresses over the leggings.

Shannon Wats said three of the girls were allowed to fly after putting dresses over the top of their clothing, but two were prevented from boarding.

She criticized the airliner for its actions, asking: “Since when does United police women’s clothing?”

United later released a statement explaining the dress code requirement of its United pass travelers.

The statement said: “When taking advantage of this benefit, all employees and pass riders are considered representatives of United. And like most companies, we have a dress code that we ask employees and pass riders to follow.”

It added that the passengers on that flight had not complied to the dress code.

Shannon Watts’ tweets have been shared and responded to by thousands of users, including Patricia Arquette.

Flight attendant and author Heather Poole, who does not work for United, defended the airline’s policy on Twitter, saying the dress codes for staff travelling on free passes are common practice in the industry, and have evolved over the years.

Park Geun-hye Scandal: South Korean Prosecutors Seek Arrest Warrant

Diane A. Wade
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Park Geun-hye Scandal: South Korean Prosecutors Seek Arrest Warrant

Prosecutors asked for an arrest warrant for South Korea’s former president Park Geun-hye, for her role in a corruption scandal.

Earlier this month, Park Geun-hye lost her presidential immunity and was dismissed from her post when the constitutional court upheld a decision by parliament to impeach her.

She is accused of allowing her close friend Choi Soon-sil to allegedly extort money from big companies.

Park Geun-hye, 65, has denied the allegations.

She apologized to the public last week, before being questioned by authorities for 14 hours.

On March 27, South Korean prosecutors said in statement: “The case is very grave as the suspect has demonstrated acts of abuse of power by making companies give money and infringing on the freedom of corporate management by using powerful position and authority as president.”

They argue that evidence like computer hard drives might be destroyed if Park Geun-hye is not arrested.

Image source Wikimedia

Choi Soon-sil has been charged with bribery and corruption and is already on trial.

She is accused of using her presidential connections to pressure companies to give millions of dollars in donations to non-profit foundations she controlled.

Lee Jae-yong, the acting head of electronics conglomerate Samsung, was arrested for his role in the scandal.

Park Geun-hye is alleged to have been personally involved in this, and to have given Choi Soon-sil unacceptable levels of access to official documents.

Parliament voted to impeach Park Geun-hye in December 2016.

On March 10, the constitutional court ruled that Park Geun-hye’s actions “seriously impaired the spirit of… democracy and the rule of law”.

Judges said the president had broken the law by allowing Choi Soon-sil to meddle in state affairs, and had breached guidelines on official secrets by leaking numerous documents.

Park Geun-hye had “concealed completely Choi’s meddling in state affairs and denied it whenever suspicions over the act emerged and even criticized those who raised the suspicions,” the ruling said.

The Seoul Central District Court will now determine whether there are grounds to issue the arrest warrant for Park Geun-hye.

If it is issued, prosecutors will have up to 20 days to continue investigations and file charges against her, Reuters reports.

As president Park Geun-hye had enjoyed immunity and repeatedly refused to take part in questioning.

Now Park Geun-hye could face several charges, including abuse of power, coercion, bribery and leaking government secrets.

Alexei Navalny Arrested at Moscow Anti-Corruption Protest

Diane A. Wade
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Alexei Navalny Arrested at Moscow Anti-Corruption Protest

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been arrested at an anti-corruption protest he organized in Moscow.

Thousands of people joined rallies nationwide, calling for the resignation of PM Dmitry Medvedev over corruption allegations.

At least 500 other protesters were detained in Moscow and across Russia.

Most of the marches were illegal, organized without official permission.

TV footages showed demonstrators chanting “Down with [Vladimir] Putin!”, “Russia without Putin!” and “Putin is a thief!”.

Correspondents say the marches appear to be the biggest since anti-government demonstrations in 2011 and 2012.

Alexei Navalny was detained as he arrived to join the rally in central Moscow. Protesters then tried to prevent a police van from taking him away.

Image source Wikimedia

In a tweet after his detention, Alexei Navalny urged fellow protesters to continue with the demonstration.

He said: “Guys, I’m fine. No need to fight to get me out. Walk along Tverskaya [Moscow main street]. Our topic of the day is the fight against corruption.”

Alexei Navalny later said police stormed the office of his foundation and detained its staff, who were broadcasting the protests live.

Demonstrations were also held in Saint Petersburg, Vladivostok, Novosibirsk, Tomsk and several other cities, where arrests had also been reported.

In Moscow, protesters filled Pushkin square and some climbed the monument to poet Alexander Pushkin shouting “impeachment”. Turnout was estimated to be between 7,000 and 8,000, according to police.

The police said 500 protesters had been arrested in the capital alone, but a rights group, OVD Info, put that number at least 700.

The Kremlin has not commented on the demonstrations. It had said on Friday that plans for an unauthorized protest in central Moscow were an illegal provocation.

State TV channels did not cover the demonstrations.

Local media reports suggested the authorities pressured students not to attend. In some cities, exams were scheduled on March 26.

Alexei Navalny announced his intention to run for president in 2018 against Vladimir Putin.

However, he is barred from doing so after being found guilty in a case he said was politicized.

Alexei Navalny said on his website that protests were planned in 99 cities, but that in 72 of them authorities did not give permission.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mf6hGYmGUSY

Cameo Nightclub Shooting: One Dead and 15 Injured in Cincinnati

Nancy Clayson
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Cameo Nightclub Shooting: One Dead and 15 Injured in Cincinnati

A 27-year-old man has been killed and 15 others injured in a shooting at the Cameo Nightclub in Cincinnati, Ohio on March 26.

A “dispute” between several men escalated into a gunfight in the crowded venue, Police Chief Eliot Isaac said.

Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley said at a news conference that there was no indication the shooting was terrorism-related.

John Cranley went on: “However, to the victims, what difference does it make?”

Eliot Isaac said a “couple of hundred people” were inside the “very large establishment” when the incident occurred.

“Several local men got into some kind of dispute inside the bar and it escalated into shots being fired from several individuals,” he said.

Image source NBC

He said that despite security checks, several firearms had been brought into the nightclub. Investigators are still trying to identify the shooters.

One of the injured is in a very critical condition, Police Chief Eliot Isaac said, adding that emergency services began to receive calls at about 01:30 local time reporting that shots had been fired.

Earlier Captain Kimberly Williams told journalists there were at least two reported gunmen, who were still at large.

The Cameo Night Club had had problems in the past “but this is by far the worst”, she said. A shooting inside the club occurred on New Year’s Day in 2015, and in the car park in September that year, officials said.

Ohio Governor John Kasich said he was “saddened” by the shooting.

It comes less than a year after gunman Omar Mateen opened fire at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida.

Omar Mateen killed 49 people in the deadliest mass shooting in US history.

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

Salvează

Carrie Lam Becomes Hong Kong’s First Female Chief Executive

Diane A. Wade
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Carrie Lam Becomes Hong Kong’s First Female Chief Executive

Carrie Lam has become the first woman to hold Hong Kong’s top job.

The 59-year-old had the backing of the Chinese government in Beijing and was widely expected to win.

Hong Kong has a degree of autonomy from Beijing but protests have been growing over Chinese interference.

Hong Kong’s chief executive is not chosen by public vote but by a 1,200-strong committee dominated by pro-Beijing electors.

Pro-democracy groups held protests outside the election venue, calling the process a sham.

In her acceptance speech, Carrie Lam said her first priority during her five-year term would be to reduce social tensions.

She welcomed and encouraged a spectrum of voices and vowed to “tap the forces of our young people”: “They are often at the forefront of society, pulling and pushing us as a whole to make progress.”

Carrie Lam also promised to uphold Hong Kong’s “core values” such as “inclusiveness, freedoms of the press and of speech, respect for human rights” and the rule of law.

Image source Wikipedia

Her main rival, former finance chief John Tsang, was the public’s favorite, according to opinion polls.

The third candidate, and the most liberal, was retired judge Woo Kwok-hing.

Carrie Lam garnered 777 votes to John Tsang’s 365. Woo Kwok-hing received 21.

Calls for fully free elections have failed, despite intense demonstrations, known as the “umbrella protests”, in 2014.

Hong Kong’s Election Committee picked Carrie Lam to succeed current leader CY Leung, who will step down in July. She was formerly his deputy.

Carrie Lam, a long-time civil servant, is nicknamed the nanny because of her background running numerous government projects.

During the 2014 protests, which were spearheaded by young people, Carrie Lam took the unpopular stance of defending Beijing’s concessions for political reform.

This allowed Hong Kong people to choose their leader but only from pre-approved candidates.

Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong, who was among those protesting and was a lead figure in the umbrella movement, has called the electoral process “a selection rather than an election”.

When the result was announced, he tweeted that Carrie Lam had been elected with “only 777 votes”.

On Facebook, an online protest was launched called No Election in Hong Kong Now, which showed a video montage of regular citizens going about their business as the election took place to highlight how they were not entitled to participate.

CY Leung has proved unpopular with large swathes of Hong Kong residents who consider him too tightly aligned to Beijing.

At the end of the 2016, CY Leung made the unexpected announcement that he would not run again, citing family reasons.

Hong Kong is governed under the principle of “one country, two systems”, under which China has agreed to give the region semi-autonomous status since its 1997 handover from Britain.

The Election Committee includes 70 members of the territory’s legislature, the Legislative Council – half of whom are directly elected.

However, most of the Election Committee is chosen by business, professional or special interest groups.

Critics say entities that lean towards Beijing are given disproportionately large representation.

In 2016, pro-democracy activists secured 325 seats on the committee – the highest number ever, but not enough seats to determine the next chief executive.

Donald Trump to Focus on Tax Reform after Healthcare Bill Failure

Diane A. Wade
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Donald Trump to Focus on Tax Reform after Healthcare Bill Failure

Donald Trump will turn to tax reform, following his failure to get his healthcare bill through Congress on March 24.

The draft bill would have scrapped the Affordable Care Act of former President Barack Obama, which was opposed by President Trump’s Republican party for years.

ObamaCare requires all Americans to have health insurance but offers subsidies to people on low incomes.

President Trump’s healtcare bill was withdrawn because of a lack of support from Republicans.

They control both houses of Congress, and the withdrawal is a major setback for the new president.

Donald Trump campaigned on his skills as a dealmaker.

Image source Flickr

He told reporters at the White House: “I would say that we will probably start going very, very strong for the big tax cuts and tax reform. That will be next.”

However, the tax cuts were supposed to be paid for by savings from the withdrawn healthcare bill.

Without the spending cuts in the failed bill, any tax cuts will add to the federal budget deficit.

President Trump lashed out at Democrats in Congress after the bill was withdrawn, blaming them for not backing his legislation.

However, it was House Republicans who ensured it was shelved, after Speaker Paul Ryan decided he could not get enough backing from his own party.

Paul Ryan said: “Doing big things is hard.”

Donald Trump refrained from criticizing Mr Ryan, whose job as speaker of the House involves rallying support for controversial bills.

“We learned about loyalty; we learned a lot about the vote-getting process,” the president said.

On March 25, Donald Trump repeated his claim that ObamaCare would “explode”, tweeting: “We will all get together and piece together a great healthcare plan for THE PEOPLE. Do not worry!”

ObamaCare has been troubled by increases in insurance premiums. It also imposes tax penalties on uninsured Americans – many of them low- to moderate-income earners.

However, it also bans insurance companies from denying health coverage to people with pre-existing health conditions and allows young people to remain on their parents’ plans until age 26.

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said on March 24 that tax reform was “a lot simpler” in many ways than healthcare reform.

Steve Mnuchin said that his goal remained to get tax measures through Congress by August this year.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer admitted that this goal was “an ambitious one”, but one that the administration was “going to try to stick to”.

Salvează

Large Electronic Devices Ban on Flights Comes Into Effect in US and UK

Diane A. Wade
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Large Electronic Devices Ban on Flights Comes Into Effect in US and UK

A ban on large electronic devices in cabin baggage on flights from Turkey and some countries in the Middle East and North Africa to the US and UK has come into effect.

According to officials, devices “larger than a smartphone” must travel in the hold because of an increased risk that they could contain explosives.

At least one airline is allowing devices to be used up until boarding.

The US ban covers eight countries, while the UK restrictions apply to six.

Nine airlines from eight countries – Turkey, Morocco, Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait – are affected by the US ban. They operate about 50 flights a day to the US.

UAE airline Emirates is offering complimentary packing and shipping services at gates to enable passengers to use their electronic devices after check-in and until boarding.

That also means passengers flying on two-leg trips from other countries to the US through Dubai can use their laptops on the first leg of their flights.

Image source Public Domain Pictures

The UK ban meanwhile affects all flights out of Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Lebanon.

This ban applies to any device, including smartphones, larger than 6.3in long, 3.7in wide or 0.6in deep. However, most phones will be smaller than the limit.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has urged the US and UK to lift the bans as soon as possible.

The US Department for Homeland Security has cited attacks on planes and airports over the past two years as the reason for the ban,

Bombs, it said, had been hidden in such items as a soft drink can, used in the downing of a Russian airliner over Egypt in October 2015 with the loss of 224 lives, and the laptop used in the unsuccessful Somali attack  in 2016.

According to the Guardian, European security experts are to meet next week to discuss the US and UK bans.

Royal Jordanian Airlines has tweeted suggestions of things to do during a long flight instead of using an electronic device.

It followed up with another tweet suggesting that passengers “do what we Jordanians do best – stare at each other!”

Aviation experts say the ban could hit airline profits as risks include a fall in passenger numbers, decreasing customer satisfaction and higher costs linked to screening baggage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymcFZXoe63U

London Attack: Police Investigate Whether Khalid Masood Acted Alone

Roy Siemens
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0
London Attack: Police Investigate Whether Khalid Masood Acted Alone

Seven of the 11 people arrested since the London attack have been released with no further action, police have said.

Two men remain in custody, while two women have been released on bail until late March, the Metropolitan Police said.

Police are trying to establish whether attacker Khalid Masood acted alone.

Meanwhile, the Saudi Arabian government has confirmed that Khalid Masood worked in the country as an English teacher in two different spells between 2005 and 2009.

Four people were killed and 50 injured after Khalid Masood drove his car into people on Westminster Bridge and stabbed an officer guarding Parliament.

Officer Keith Palmer, 48, died of his wounds. Khalid Masood was shot dead by police.

Police said their investigation into the attack would focus on Khalid Masood’s “motivation, preparation and his associates”.

On March 24, Metropolitan Police Assistant Deputy Commissioner Mark Rowley said officers would investigate whether Khalid Masood “acted totally alone inspired by terrorist propaganda, or if others have encouraged, supported or directed him”.

Image source Met Police

The Saudi Arabian embassy in London said Khalid Masood had been in the country from November 2005 to November 2006 and April 2008 to April 2009, when he worked as an English teacher.

In 2015, Khalid Masood obtained an Umra visa – allowing pilgrimage to Mecca – and was in the country from March 3 to 8.

The embassy said: “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia strongly condemns Wednesday’s terrorist act in London, as it does all forms of terrorism.

“The attack in London this week has again demonstrated the importance of international efforts to confront and eradicate terrorism.”

Two of Khalid Masood’s victims, Aysha Frade – a teacher in her 40s – and US tourist Kurt Cochran, 54, died on March 22.

Retired window cleaner Leslie Rhodes, 75, from Clapham, south London, died on March 23 when his life support machine was turned off.

Fifty people were injured in the attack, with 31 receiving hospital treatment. Two are in a critical condition, and one has life-threatening injuries.

Two officers remain in hospital with “very significant” injuries, one of whom has been identified as Officer Kristofer Aves.

Donald Trump and Paul Ryan Pull Healthcare Bill

Diane A. Wade
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0
Donald Trump and Paul Ryan Pull Healthcare Bill

Both houses of Congress are controlled by the GOP, but Donald Trump’s healthcare bill was withdrawn on March 24 because it could not get the votes required.

President Donald Trump has blamed Democrats for the failure of his healthcare bill.

Speaking to the Washington Post, he said: “We couldn’t get one Democratic vote, and we were a little bit shy… so we pulled it.”

The last-minute retraction is seen as a huge blow to the president.

Repealing and replacing ObamaCare was one of Donald Trump’s major election pledges.

House Speaker Paul Ryan said he and President Trump agreed to withdraw the vote, after it became apparent it would not get the minimum of 215 Republican votes needed.

Republicans have a majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

However, multiple reports suggested that between 28 and 35 Republicans were opposed to President Trump’s draft American Health Care Act (AHCA).

Some were said to be unhappy that the bill cut health coverage too severely, while others felt the changes did not go far enough.

The new healthcare bill also appeared unpopular with the public – in one recent poll, just 17% approved of it.

Image source Getty Images

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated the AHCA would reduce the deficit by $336 billion between 2017 and 2026.

However, the number of Americans without health insurance would stand at 52 million by the same time – an extra 24 million compared with ObamaCare.

Speaking after the withdrawal, President Trump repeatedly said ObamaCare would “explode”.

However, he refrained from criticizing Paul Ryan, whose job as speaker of the House involves rallying support for controversial bills.

President Trump said: “I like Speaker Ryan. I think Paul really worked hard.”

Paul Ryan also told reporters the president had been “really been fantastic”.

Donald Trump said the Republicans would probably focus on tax reform for now.

“We have to let ObamaCare go its own way for a little while,” he told reporters at the Oval Office, adding that if the Democrats were “civilized and came together”, the two parties could work out a “great healthcare bill”.

“We learned about loyalty; we learned a lot about the vote-getting process,” he said.

Earlier Paul Ryan told reporters: “We are going to be living with ObamaCare for the foreseeable future.

“I will not sugar-coat this. This is a disappointing day for us. Doing big things is hard.

“We were a 10-year opposition party where being against things was easy to do.”

Leader of the House minority Democrats Nancy Pelosi described the retraction as “a victory for the American people”.

Venezuela: President Nicolas Maduro Asks for UN Support to Boost Medicine Supply

Diane A. Wade
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0
Venezuela: President Nicolas Maduro Asks for UN Support to Boost Medicine Supply

Venezuela has asked for help from the United Nations to boost the country’s supplies of medicines.

President Nicolas Maduro said the UN had the expertise to normalize the supply and distribution of drugs in the country.

Venezuela‘s Medical Federation said recently that hospitals had less than 5% of the medicines they needed.

Nicolas Maduro blames the problems on an economic war against his government and the sharp fall in oil prices.

Image source Wikimedia

In a TV appearance, he said: “I’ve asked for support from the United Nations to help treat the economic and social injuries that have hit our people.”

The opposition says President Maduro’s mismanagement is to blame for Venezuela’s worsening economic crisis.

Shortages of food and many other essential items mean Venezuelans have to face long queues almost daily to buy basic goods.

Medicines are no exception.

Correspondents say Nicolas Maduro’s acknowledgement that Venezuela needs outside help is indicative of the dire situation the country is in, despite having some of the largest oil reserves in the world.

Don’t Let the Wheels Fall off on Your Car Crash Claim

Dana R
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0
Don’t Let the Wheels Fall off on Your Car Crash Claim

Being involved in a car crash can have a devastating impact on both your physical and mental well-being; when financial woes are added on top of all of that, everything can seem a whole lot worse. Because of this, you should always attempt to seek as much professional legal help — in this day and age, there are a whole host of options out there. If you were the victim of a car crash, whether you were driving, a passenger or even a pedestrian, then you should most certainly make a compensation claim — below are a few of the steps that you should take in order to make one.

Car crash

Immediately after the crash you should do all that you can to ensure that your claim remains as strong as it deserves to be and you get the maximum compensation owed to you in regards to a personal injury claim. First of all, you should always remember to remain as calm as possible and not let your emotions, that will understandably be all over the place at this point, get the best of you. Whatever you do you should not abuse the cause of the crash in any way: you should not swear or use abusive or offensive language towards them, and you must certainly not physically abuse them. If you do so, then you could be liable for a whole host of other legal ramifications. Secondly, even if it doesn’t seem as if the damage is too extensive or significant, you should still seek to call the police; doing so will mean there is an official report and document on the case to look back on if the case goes to court. At some point in the near future after the crash, you should seek to get a copy of the police report as it will contain all the vital information needed for you to be able to properly and successfully take the claim forward. Make sure to check out these five things you should not do after the crash, which includes leaving the scene prematurely or without some sort of documentation or record.

As soon as you are able to once you have in fact left the scene is to make notes on all the documentation you have received pertaining to the crash and the claim. This is because of the fact that you have to retain it all and could be asked to show evidence of it and any point; it should be readily available at all times. These notes could include: a written up report of what took place and the way in which you were treated by the cause of the crash in the aftermath; photographs of any injuries either yourself or your vehicle have received as a result of the crash; receipts that are in relation to any healthcare you or the car have to have to received subsequently, i.e. details about any X-Rays you’ve had or any work done to your car at a garage and any other receipts that relate to anything else you’ve had to spend money on or lost money on because of the crash, like a letter from your employer that verifies the fact that you’ve not been able to work.

You should then begin to take action in regards to getting the ball rolling with the claim itself. You should seek legal aid and guidance but should be aware that that a ‘one size fits all approach’ cannot be taken. There are different legal teams and companies that deal with different types of crashed; for instance, if you are a motorbike driver and have been involved in a crash, you should seek assistance from a specifically trained motorcycle accident lawyer so that you can rest assured that the people on your side know full-well what they are dealing with. Similarly, attorneys such as David & Philpot, P.L. offer an extensive knowledge, skill and experience when it comes to helping victims pursue compensation when they have been involved in an accident with a commercial vehicle, i.e. a truck. If you have been involved with an accident that involves a commercial vehicle, then the likelihood is is that the damage you or your vehicle received is extensive — you can take the pressure of dealing with your financial worries away by seeking the right assistance, leaving you more time to fix yourself or your vehicle by way of hospital treatment or garage treatment respectively. And all the while, you should be thoughtful of the way in which you carry yourself and the way in which you refer to certain aspects of the crash so that you never hamper your case in the eyes of the law. First and foremost, you should never refer to the incident as an ‘accident’ or that it was ‘accidental’, despite what other people may call it. You shouldn’t call it an accident because of the fact that this may hinder your claim in regards to the authorises believing it wasn’t as severe as you are making it out to be in your reports and photographs.

Commercial vehicle crash

The amount of compensation you will be liable to claim depends on the severity of the crash and the vehicles involved, but most importantly it depends on how you deal with the aftermath. There are online resources that assist with the calculation of the price of a car accident claim, such as this one found here — when using this type of service, you should always be aware that the estimate it provides should be taken as a guideline only, and not the actual figure. So, if you ever find yourself unfortunate enough to be on the end-result of a car crash, then make sure to follow the advice and steps above so that you can optimise your chance of getting all the compensation that is rightly owed to you. No matter how safe you are as a driver, it only takes one bad driver to turn your day, and possibly your life, around. If they do, make sure you do all you can to make sure that they don’t get away with it lightly.

Hosni Mubarak Released from Jail

Roy Siemens
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0
Hosni Mubarak Released from Jail

Egypt’s ousted President Hosni Mubarak has been released from jail, six years after being overthrown.

Hosni Mubarak, 88, left a military hospital in southern Cairo and went to his home in the northern suburb of Heliopolis, his lawyer said.

The former was ordered freed earlier this month after Egypt’s top appeals court cleared him over the deaths of protesters in the 2011 uprising.

Hosni Mubarak became president in 1981 after Anwar Sadat’s assassination.

He had been at Maadi Military Hospital since 2013, when he was transferred there on bail from Torah prison.

Hosni Mubarak was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted in 2012 of complicity in the killing of protesters who died at the hands of security forces in February, 2011.

Another trial was held and a judge decreed in May 2015 that Hosni Mubarak could be released from detention.

However, the government of President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi was reportedly reluctant to free Hosni Mubarak because of the public backlash that might accompany such a move.

Abdul Fattah al-Sisi served as Hosni Mubarak’s military intelligence chief and led the military’s overthrow of his democratically elected successor, Mohamed Morsi, in 2013.

In all, more than 800 people are believed to have been killed as security forces clashed with protesters in Cairo, Alexandria, Suez and other cities around Egypt during the 18-day uprising that forced Hosni Mubarak to resign.

Trump Healthcare Bill: President Sets Ultimatum on Vote

Diane A. Wade
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0
Trump Healthcare Bill: President Sets Ultimatum on Vote

President Donald Trump has set March 24 ultimatum for the vote on the new health care bill in the House of Representatives.

The American Healthcare Act is intended to replace parts of President Barack Obama’s signature law, ObamaCare.

However, March 23 vote was delayed because of opposition from some Republicans – despite President Trump’s repeated attempts to persuade them to back the legislature.

The president now says he wants to move on and vote – whatever the result on March 24.

White House budget director Mick Mulvaney said this was exactly the message delivered to Republican lawmakers at a meeting behind closed doors on March 23.

Image source Wikipedia

House Speaker Paul Ryan said: “For seven-and-a-half years we have been promising the American people that we will repeal and replace this broken law because it’s collapsing and it’s failing families, and tomorrow we’re proceeding.”

Meanwhile, New York’s Republican representative Chris Collins said: “The president has said he wants a vote tomorrow, up or down.

“If for any reason it is down, we are just going to move forward with additional parts of his agenda.”

Repealing and replacing ObamaCare was a major plank of Donald Trump’s election campaign.

March 23 vote postponement is a setback for the president who had insisted he would win the numbers to pass it through the lower chamber of Congress on that day.

Earlier on March 23, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said President Trump had made a “rookie’s error for bringing this up on a day when clearly you’re not ready”.

The healthcare bill needs 215 votes to pass but ran into opposition mainly from conservative Republicans who believed it did not roll back enough of Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act.

ObamaCare helped 20 million previously uninsured Americans get health insurance but has been plagued by increases in insurance premiums, which were also a problem before the health law.

Donald Trump promised a new law that would cover more people and at a lower cost.

The Republican bill keeps some of the popular elements of ObamaCare but limits future federal funding for Medicaid, which covers low-income people.

A new estimate by the Congressional Budget Office released on March 23 said recent changes to the bill would make it costlier than previously thought.

The number of uninsured Americans would rise to 24 million by 2026 under the new law, the budget analysis said.

Groups representing doctors, hospitals and the elderly have said they are opposed to the Republican bill.

Devin Nunes Sorry for Wiretap Brief

Diane A. Wade
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0
Devin Nunes Sorry for Wiretap Brief

Devin Nunes, the chairman of the House intelligence committee, has apologized for not informing Democratic colleagues before going public with allegations about surveillance of President Donald Trump’s team.

He apologized privately and vowed to work with them on the issue, a committee aide said.

Democrats were furious that Devin Nunes went straight to the White House.

They questioned whether the committee’s inquiry into Russia’s alleged role in the election can proceed objectively.

On March 22, Devin Nunes said he had been passed information showing that the post-election communications of Donald Trump’s team had been swept up in an “incidental collection” by intelligence agencies.

The California Republican stressed the allegation did not back President Trump’s claim that Barack Obama ordered Trump Tower wiretapped before last November’s vote.

However, when Donald Trump was asked if he now felt vindicated for his accusations against his predecessor, he answered: “I somewhat do. I very much appreciated the fact that they found what they found.”

Image source Wikimedia

The US intelligence agencies regularly, and legally, monitor foreigners, and the communication of Americans is often incidentally collected. They are not usually named but can be if the context of the intelligence requires it.

Devin Nunes said the material he had seen “bothered” him and that the unmasking of individuals, and the content of some of the material gathered, was “inappropriate”.

Of his decision to go public and brief President Trump, Devin Nunes said: “It was a judgment call on my part.

“Sometimes you make the right decision, sometimes you make the wrong decision.”

A Republican intelligence committee aide told Reuters: “He apologized to the minority on the committee for going public and to the [White House] with his announcement before sharing the information with the minority. He pledged to work with them on this issue.”

Devin Nunes had also stressed that the information in the intercepts he had seen was not linked to an FBI investigation into alleged links between the Trump team and Russian officials during the election campaign.

However, Democrats said Devin Nunes’ actions could scupper the House panel’s investigation.

Democrat Jackie Speier, who serves on the committee, said: “I think over the next few days we are going to assess whether or not we feel confident that [Devin Nunes] can continue in that role.”

Democrat Adam Schiff said: “A credible investigation cannot be conducted this way.”

Devin Nunes has refused to reveal who passed him the information.

When asked whether it was the White House itself, he said he was “not going to ever reveal sources”.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said: “I don’t know why he would come up to the president to brief him on something we had briefed him on.”

Devin Nunes’ disclosure came two days after FBI Director James Comey confirmed the organization was investigating alleged links between the Trump team and Russian officials.

Adam Schiff on Wednesday told MSNBC he believed there was evidence “that is not circumstantial and is very much worthy of an investigation” about the links.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26FRtTJlJ3w

Mysterious Swimming Pool Death In California

Nancy Clayson
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Mysterious Swimming Pool Death In California

A mother is looking for answers after her teenage son mysteriously died in a Los Angeles hotel swimming pool. Most likely, one of three things could have caused his death.

The young man from England was in town with his mother on a multi-city trip around the United States. According to first responders, Daniel Olatunji had been underwater for about seven minutes when he was pulled from the pool. They rushed him to a nearby hospital, but he was declared dead several hours later. His mother said that Daniel was in good overall health and also a strong swimmer. “It’s difficult to have closure without knowing exactly what happened,” she remarked.

When Daniel’s body arrives in London, authorities will probably perform an autopsy.

What Causes Swimming Pool Injuries?

Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death in children between 1 and 4, and for every child that dies, five others are treated for serious injuries in hospital emergency rooms.

Brain asphyxia begins after just four or five minutes under the water. When oxygen runs low, in order to keep itself alive, the brain starts shutting down motor skills and other functions that a person can live without, such as speech, sight, or hearing. Core activities, like memory and other higher brain functions, are the next ones to go. Finally, the brain relinquishes control over the heart, lungs, and other vital organs, causing death.

Regardless of whether the incident happens at a backyard pool or at a hotel pool, the legal issues remain much the same, as outlined below.

As shocking as it may sound, swimming pool poisoning may actually cause more injuries than drowning.

  • Too Many Chemicals: Most swimming pool cleaners contain a number of extremely toxic chemicals, such as bromine, chlorine, and various types of acids, that are possibly fatal if swallowed or inhaled. Many pools, especially high-use pools, are overcleaned.
  • Too Few Chemicals: Undercleaned pools are a problem as well, because it is easy for bacteria to grow and spread in the reasonably warm water.
  • Reactions: Some people have serious allergic reactions to certain substances. Moreover, the same chemicals that clean the water and kill bacteria can also burn eyes, ears, and other parts of the body.

Because of these dangers, there are strict requirements regarding swimming pool chemicals and overall pool cleanliness.

There is one other large category. In 2010, Rachelle Friedman made headlines as the “paralyzed bride” after someone gently pushed her into the shallow end of a swimming pool. The subsequent fall severed a vertebrae in her back, and she has not felt anything below her collarbone since then. In the vast majority of all such incidents, the pusher does not intend to harm the victim in any way whatsoever, but such unintentional harms is the essence of a negligence case.

Any of these three tragedies could have affected Daniel. Although he was a strong swimmer, even good swimmers unexpectedly get hurt. Or, he might have had a very bad reaction to a swimming pool chemical, causing incapacity. As this incident happened on New Year’s Eve, someone could have bumped into him or pushed him into the pool. There’s also the possibility that some combination of events led to his death.

Liability Issues

According to personal injury attorney Joshua Glotzer, “swimming pool owners have a duty of ordinary care to keep their pools safe. Many times, safety laws establish the standard of care in the same way that speed limit laws establish a reasonable speed.” Mr. Glotzer regularly handles negligence cases and more information can be found here https://www.socalpersonalinjurylawyer.com/

Most swimming pool fence requirements are in the Swimming Pool Safety Act. Its provisions mostly concern the prevention of accidental drownings. Some of these standards include:

  • A tarp or other object that completely covers the pool when it is not in use and is strong enough to support a child that falls onto it,
  • Alarms that go off if someone opens a door or window that has pool access or if someone touches the water,
  • A fence that is at least 60 inches high and virtually unclimbable,
  • Any other safety devices recommended by the American Society for Testing and Materials International or the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and
  • A self-latching gate with a mechanism located on the pool side that is at least 54 inches off the ground.

If the owner knew or should have known about an enclosure defect, and that defect caused the victim’s injury, the owner is liable for damages.

California also has standards for swimming pool water quality. Pool suction must meet certain standards; wave action pools must meet additional requirements. Chlorine residue must be no greater than 10ppm and no less than 1 or 2ppm (depending on whether the chlorine also contains cyanuric acid); bromine residue cannot be any higher than 2ppm. These chemical amounts keep the water clean without creating an unduly high injury risk.

Once again, any evidence of noncompliance with these standards is also evidence of negligence, assuming that the owner knew or should have known about the issue.
Finally, California landowners have a duty to prevent third parties from committing foreseeable crimes or otherwise injuring their guests via intentional torts. That same duty probably applies to unintentional torts, like bumping into someone and unintentionally pushing the person into the pool. Arguably, this duty only applies to waterparks, a host of a pool party, and other high-traffic situations.

 

Khalid Masood: London Attacker Identified

Roy Siemens
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0
Khalid Masood: London Attacker Identified

London police has named Khalid Masood as the man believed to have carried out the terror attack in Westminster.

The 52-year-old, who was shot dead by police, had not been the subject of any current police investigations, but had a range of previous convictions.

Khalid Masood was believed to have been living in the West Midlands.

ISIS has said it was behind the attack, in which Officer Keith Palmer, Aysha Frade and American tourist Kurt Cochran were killed.

Five men and three women were arrested in London and Birmingham on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts following March 22 attack.

Police says detectives are continuing to search a number of addresses, including one in Carmarthenshire, three in Birmingham and one in east London. Addresses in Brighton and south-east London have also been searched.

Image source NBC News

Khalid Masood drove into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before crashing his car into railings and then running into the grounds of Parliament, armed with a knife.

He stabbed Officer Keith Palmer before being shot dead.

Police said there had been no prior intelligence about Khalid Masood’s intention to carry out an attack.

However, he was known to the police and his previous convictions included causing grievous bodily harm, possession of offensive weapons and public order offences.

Khalid Masood’s first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage and his last in December 2003 for possession of a knife.

He had not been convicted of any terrorism offences.

Scotland Yard said Khalid Masood “is not at this early stage believed to be his birth name” and that research into his aliases was being carried out.

Car rental company Enterprise said the vehicle used in the attack had been rented from its Spring Hill depot in Birmingham.

Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner to Go on Trial on Financial Mismanagement Charges

Diane A. Wade
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0
Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner to Go on Trial on Financial Mismanagement Charges

Argentina’s ex-President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner should stand trial on charges of financial mismanagement, a judge has ruled on March 23.

Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, 64, is accused of fraudulently administering state funds in 2015.

Former economy minister Axel Kiciloff and the former head of the central bank have also been charged.

Cristina Fernandez, who governed from 2007 to 2015, said the case was politically motivated.

She already faces unrelated investigations into alleged corruption.

Judge Claudio Bonadio said a total of 15 people would go in trial in connection with the case.

Cristina Fernandez is accused of ordering the central bank to sell dollars on the futures market at artificially low prices ahead of a widely expected devaluation of the Argentine peso.

This, the allegation goes, caused Argentina to lose hundreds of millions of dollars.

Cristina Fernandez is also being investigated over alleged corruption but the dollar futures case would be the first to reach the trial phase.

She won the presidential election in 2007, succeeding her husband, Nestor Kirchner, in the top office.

In 2011, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was re-elected by a landslide.

Unable under Argentine law to stand for a third consecutive term, she backed Daniel Scioli in the 2015 election campaign.

However, voters chose the conservative mayor of Buenos Aires, Mauricio Macri, instead.

Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner says she has been the target of “political persecution” since Mauricio Macri came to power.

Are We Seeing The Death Of The V8?

Dana R
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Are We Seeing The Death Of The V8?

Over 60 years ago, Chevrolet began production for the first ever small-block V8 engine, kick-starting what would become an American love affair that would last for generations. Since its debut, the small-block V8 has remained in production, making it the longest mass-produced car engine in history. Despite its decades of popularity and innovation, a lot of auto manufacturers are drawing away from the classic American powerhouse in the face of fuel efficiency regulations.

Image from Wikimedia

During the Obama administration, the federal government came to an agreement with large automakers to raise the industry’s fuel efficiency standard to 54.4 miles by the year 2025. Now, a mere eight years to the deadline, car companies are being forced to start adopting alternative energy and smaller, more efficient engines. The results have been pretty bleak for any car-nuts.

The Ford F-150, which ranks among the best-selling vehicles of all time, has recently dropped the V8 engine, substituting it for a more efficient and powerful engine in the form of the EcoBoost V6. General motors have ditched their V8-powered Chevrolet SS from their fleet, which had also enjoyed a lot of popularity in previous years. Even the hallowed Ford GT has come back to the road with a 3.5-litre EcoBoost V6, although this hasn’t made much of a dent in its horsepower. Although more efficient exhaust systems from companies like Borla are still fairly popular among people who modify their own cars, we’re expected to see more and more fuel-efficient models coming straight out of the factory.

Even the most efficient auto manufacturers, some of which don’t have a single V8 in their entire fleet, are beginning to feel the sting of federal fuel economy standards. Mazda, for example, leads the way when it comes to efficiency, averaging out at 30.7 miles to the gallon. Honda comes in second, rated with an average of 28.7 miles to the gallon.

The bottom of the barrel in terms of fuel efficiency includes those that have decided to make do with larger engines, namely well-known American badges. Despite new engines throughout the fleet, Fiat Chrysler, which now owns Jeep and Dodge, has a mere average of 22.2 miles to the gallon across their entire line-up. Ford comes in second worst, with just 23.4 miles to the gallon. General Motors have followed through with a comeback of the Canyon and Colorado mid-sized pickups, which average at just 24 miles per gallon.

Trying desperately to comply with the looming federal regulations, a lot of automakers are making major cuts. Having said that, progress seems to be pretty slow. Mazda has introduced GDI technology in various cars in its fleet. German giants such as Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes have all turned to turbocharging instead. Some companies, including Ford, Chrysler, and Honda, have begun to add cylinder deactivation to emerging models. Despite these steps, the auto industry as a whole doesn’t seem to be on-schedule to meet with the standards the EPA set out during the Obama administration. As Trump tries to roll these back and the green lobby keeps growing, the future is very uncertain.

Essentials You Shouldn’t be Scrimping On With Regards To Your Health

Dana R
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Essentials You Shouldn’t be Scrimping On With Regards To Your Health

It’s a sad truth that being healthy can cost a lot of money when it comes to our health. But even though that is the case there are some things with regards to your health that you should never scrimp and save on. Read on to find out more.

Food

You have a choice when you go to the supermarket. You can choose to go down the candy, cookie and ready meal files, and be tempted by lots of sweet treats that contain buckets of sugar and fat.

Or you can step away from the chocolate bars and head on over to the fresh produce aisle and pick up high fiber, fresh and nutritional options instead. Ok, so they may seem a little more expensive at first glance. But if you plan your meals carefully for the week you can definitely accommodate a healthier food shop, and just think of the benefits that your mind and body that you will gain.  

Bed

They always say if you have any money you should invest it in your bed, and when you realize that you spend at least a third of your life actually in bed, you can see why.

Getting enough rest is vital to our functioning on a day to day basis. As well as being important for physical repairs and psychological stability. So the question should really be can you afford not to spend money on a decent bed?

Medical care

Something that you should never scrimp on in regard to your health is medical care. No matter what stage of the process you are at.

For example scrimping at the beginning of the process may mean that any medical condition that you have, can go undiagnosed for long time, further damaging your health. Or scrimping on treatment can mean, at best that you are ill for longer, and at worst, put your life at serious risk.

Lastly, even if there’s nothing to be done about the illness you have, you still don’t want to be scrimping on palliative and end of life care. This is because it’s this care that makes you as comfortable as possible in your last days.

Skincare

Image here

Now you may see skin care as a luxury. But you need to be aware that your skin takes a real bashing in modern life. With things like pollution, UVA and UVB rays, and air conditioning making it more susceptible to all sorts of problems.

That is why smart people choose to invest a little money in their skin care routine. Of course, you don’t have to break the bank and get a $250 pot of face cream. But a decent brand, used regularly every morning and night; should help your skin retain its bounce and clarity.  

Time to relax

Lastly, having down time is something you should not scrimp on. I know that in this hectic modern world, time is money, and it can be hard to take time off work. Let alone get away for a bit. But it really is important to take a break now and again.

Image here

Without this, you aren’t going to be on top of your game, and it could even endanger your position in the long run. So it definitely worth investing a little time and money in a holiday or two.  

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