New York
Judge denies GM motion to dismiss ignition lawsuit
NEW YORK – A Georgia judge has denied a motion by General Motors to dismiss a wrongful death case against the automaker and set a trial date for April 2016.
The family of Brooke Melton, a 29-year-old nurse who died in a 2010 car crash near Atlanta, sued GM, alleging that a faulty ignition switch in her 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt unexpectedly shut off the engine, causing her to lose control of the car.
They settled last year with GM for $5 million, but the case exposed how GM let millions of cars stay on the road even after discovering ignition switch flaws linked to at least 13 deaths. The case led to GM recalling 2.6 million older small cars to replace faulty switches.
The Meltons filed a new complaint in May that GM fraudulently concealed evidence during the first case.
Myanmar
Kerry seeks to calm tensions in South China Sea area
NAYPYITAW, Myanmar – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Saturday urged China and its neighbors to take new steps to ease tensions over maritime disputes that many fear could spark conflict.
Under the proposal he presented, China and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that have competing claims to territory in the South China Sea would voluntarily halt provocative actions.
Recent activity by several nations, particularly China, in disputed areas has heightened concerns about confrontation, which would destabilize the Asia-Pacific, interfere with international maritime commerce and roil the global economy.
China
Tibet tour bus plummets into valley, killing 44
BEIJING – A tour bus on a highway in Tibet fell off a 30-foot cliff after crashing into an SUV and a pickup, killing 44 people and injuring 11 others, China’s state media reported today.
The bus was carrying 50 people when it careened in mountainous southern Tibet on Saturday, the Xinhua News Agency said.
Most of the passengers were from four Chinese provinces. There were four people in the SUV and a truck driver, but their condition was unclear.
Michigan
Woman, 78, caught with cash in girdle at airport
ROMULUS, Mich. – A 78-year-old Florida woman tried to fly on an international trip from Detroit Metropolitan Airport with almost $41,000 in cash hidden inside her girdle, bra and carry-on bag, federal authorities said.
A complaint filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Detroit said the Clearwater woman was trying to board a flight April 2 to the Philippines with her daughter. She initially said she had $200 in cash but submitted a form declaring she had $1,200, prompting questions.
During a search, Customs and Border Protection officers found $8,000 in wallets in her carry-on bag, $4,000 sewn into a cloth pouch and nearly $1,000 in envelopes, according to the complaint. She then told them she had $3,000 in her blouse and $2,000 sewn into the strap of her bra.
Officers continued to search and said they found about $21,000 in her girdle. The woman told authorities that she had recently sold her home for $120,000, wired some money to the Philippines and had planned to carry a portion of the money with her.
Federal law requires travelers to declare if they are carrying more than $10,000. The woman hasn’t been charged, but the government in the forfeiture complaint said it wants to keep the money.
Associated Press
