CHICAGO: Boeing Co said it plans to cut its monthly 737 aircraft production by nearly 20 percent in the wake of two deadly crashes, signaling it does not expect aviation authorities to allow the plane back in the air anytime soon.
Deliveries of Boeing’s best-selling aircraft were frozen after a global grounding of the narrowbody model following the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines jet on March 10, killing all 157 people onboard.
Production will be cut to 42 airplanes per month from 52 starting mid-April, the company said in a statement, without giving an end-date.
U.S. and airline officials said they now believe the plane could be grounded for at least two months, but an even longer grounding is a serious possibility.
The crash in Ethiopia and the crash of a Lion Air plane in Indonesia last October that killed all 189 people on board have left the world’s largest planemaker in crisis.
(Agencies)
DINARD: Foreign ministers from the world’s seven most developed nations met on Friday in northern France.
They sat together to push the fight against global inequality and cyber-crime despite the conspicuous absence of US top diplomat Mike Pompeo.
The two-day Group of Seven (G7) meeting took place under cloudy skies in the Breton resort of Dinard against the background of a litany of global troubles ranging from Libya to Brexit.
BEIJING: Beijing authorities have started new plans to improve supervision of the rural environment by fighting contamination of pesticides and fertilizers, international media reported.
An action plan has specified 20 tasks by 2020 in the protection of drinking water sources in rural areas including installing sewage and garbage processing facilities, scaling back the use of pesticides, fertilizers and agricultural use of water and promoting public awareness of environmental protection in the countryside.
LONDON: British Prime Minister Theresa May on Friday wrote to European Council (EC) President Donald Tusk asking to delay Brexit until June 30, media reports said.
This is to give some more time to the divided British lawmakers to agree a withdrawal deal.
In the letter written to Tusk, Theresa said that the United Kingdom proposes that this period should end on 30 June 2019.
She added that if an agreement was reached before this, then the extension should be ended early. (Agencies)
HERAT: Hundreds of Taliban fighters stormed a district in Afghanistan’s western Badghis province, killing dozen government forces, provincial officials said.
The Taliban killed 36 members of the government forces and captured several security checkpoints in attacks that began on Wednesday night, Waris Sherzad, district governor of Bala Murghab, said late on Thursday. Fighting was ongoing, he said.
Fighting in Afghanistan has escalated ahead of the usual spring season, as both sides seek to increase leverage in talks on a peace settlement.
It attacked from four directions, capturing five security checkpoints, Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi said.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s defense ministry, in a series of tweets, said its forces chose to “tactically retreat” from the checkpoints to prevent civilian casualties.
(Agencies)
SYDNEY: Facebook Inc said it would toughen measures to fight fake news in Australia, media reports said.
It said it will also ‘briefly block’ foreigners from buying political advertisements in the lead-up to a national election, which is due in a few weeks, according to reports.
In Australia, it is, however, not clear which foreigners sought to buy campaign ads. However, the government warned in 2017 of Chinese interference attempts and said in February a foreign government had hacked parliament’s computer network.
Facebook’s move also comes particularly in the wake of the mass shooting at a mosque in New Zealand.
According to reports, foreigners would be forbidden from buying advertising mentioning political parties, slogans and logos. (Agencies)
WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump has said the United States and China were very close to a trade deal, media reports said.
He said it could be announced within four weeks, however, warning Beijing that it would not be easy to allow trade to continue without a deal.
The U.S. and China are currently engaged in intense negotiations to end a months-long trade war.
Hopes of a resolution got high after both countries expressed optimism after talks in Beijing last week.
“We’re very close to making a deal. This, however, doesn’t mean a deal is made,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. (Agencies)
NEW DELHI: At least four Indian soldiers were killed in an ambush by Maoist rebels on Thursday international media reported.
The attack comes ahead of the elections starting next week.
The report added that Border Security Force troops were on a foot patrol in Chhattisgarh when they were attacked. Six troops were also wounded.
NEW DELHI: India’s Congress president Rahul Gandhi filed his nomination on Thursday, Indian media reported.
Rahaul the Gandhi scion, is contesting from two constituencies — Wayanad Lok Sabha seat in Kerala, and Amethi in Uttar Pradesh.
Rahul’s sister, Priyanka Gandhi, accompanied him to Wayanad.
Rahul Gandhi had earlier hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying money for the proposed NYAY scheme will come from pockets of thieves that Modi have protected.
Likewise, Smriti Irani of BJP will beginning a two-day visit to Amethi from today. (Agencies)
CANBERRA: Australia’s Parliament passed legislation on Thursday that could imprison social media executives if their platforms stream violent images such as the New Zealand mosque shootings.
Critics warn that some of the most restrictive laws about online communication in the democratic world could have unforeseen consequences, including media censorship and reduced investment in Australia.
The government introduced the bills in response to the March 15 attacks in Christchurch in which an Australian white supremacist apparently used a helmet-mounted camera to broadcast live as he shot worshippers in the two mosques, killing 50 people and wounding dozens.
The government wanted the House of Representatives to pass the law on Thursday, Parliament’s last sitting day before elections are expected to be held in May.