On Monday, Europe stood with the US in saying it was too soon to make a decision on whether to temporarily ground Boeing's newest version of the 737, the MAX 8, after it was involved in its second fatal crash in less than six months. But today, following the lead of China and carriers in South Korea and Latin America, several European nations announced they would take the same step. The jets have now been grounded in at least 15 countries. US Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao insists they are putting safety first and monitoring the situation. But is the FAA putting profit over safety?
Three years after Britain voted to leave the European Union, lawmakers have failed to agree on how to do it. Parliament rejected Prime Minister Theresa May's withdrawal plan on Tuesday by a vote of 391 to 242. Last-minute negotiations with the EU were not enough to secure the support of hardliners in the prime minister's own Conservative Party. Parliament is expected to vote tomorrow on whether to leave the EU on schedule, on March 29, without a deal.
The United States is withdrawing all remaining diplomatic personnel from its embassy in Venezuela's capital, Caracas, because of worsening conditions in the country, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said late Monday. The move is a setback for the Trump administration, which had vowed to keep diplomats in the country to legitimize the opposition challenger to President Nicolás Maduro, who cut diplomatic ties with the United States in January. The US/EU sanctions are yielding their desired results in Zimbabwe, similar to 1970s Chile. The major difference between the situations is that the Maduro regime has some significant international support (Russia, China, Iran, Turkey). If the US calls their bluff and sends troops to Venezuela, who knows if Russian President Vladimir Putin or someone else will respond? Meanwhile, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his ZANU-PF party appear to be isolated internationally, except for South Africa's African National Congress. Just a few thoughts from afar. The only difference between Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido and Zimbabwean opposition leader Nelson Chamisa, who have both been regime change mouthpieces and agents since political birth, is that Guiado is president of Venezuela's National Assembly, which in both the short and long term makes him far more dangerous.
In its latest offensive, the Saudi coalition has targeted civilians in the district of Kushar in Yemen. On Sunday, scores of innocent women and children died as they sought shelter from indiscriminate bombing. Kushar has become the latest site for fighting between Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces. What's going on here?
GUESTS:
Dr. Kenneth Surin — Professor emeritus of literature and professor of religion and critical theory at Duke University.
Obi Egbuna — Activist and US representative for the Zimbabwean newspaper The Herald.
Louay Alwazir — Yemeni-American architect turned activist.
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