A look at today’s biggest stories.
Boeing boasted about streamlined approval for the 737 Max. Now it’s cleaning up the mess
Two years ago, Boeing was on top. Its stock was up 40% over the previous year. It was one of the hottest stocks around. The outlook for sales and profit was bright. And the company was about to start delivering its new 737 Max jet.
Ethiopian Airlines pilots followed Boeing’s emergency procedures before crash: report
Pilots flying Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 initially followed emergency procedures that were laid out by Boeing before the plane nose-dived into the ground, according to preliminary findings reported in the Wall Street Journal.
What we aren’t eating is killing us, global study finds
Poor diet is the top risk for death and disability around the world, according to a new 27-year global study of 195 nations.
Tesla reports biggest sales drop in its history
Tesla on Wednesday reported a massive drop in auto sales for last quarter, though the company said it’s confident it will still reach its annual sales goal.
Armed men kidnap an American tourist in Uganda and demand a $500K ransom for her freedom
Four armed men kidnapped an American tourist in Uganda Tuesday and have demanded $500,000 as ransom, the Ugandan Tourism Board and Ugandan police force said.
Pence warns Turkey over its purchase of Russian missile system
Vice President Mike Pence warned Turkey against going ahead with its planned purchase of the Russian-made S-400 missile system, hours after the Turkish foreign minister said the acquisition was “a done deal.”
Carlos Ghosn arrested again, vows he ‘will not be broken’
Ousted Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn has been arrested again in Japan, less than a month after he was released on bail.
Congress asks for Trump’s unseen secret — his tax returns
The request by House Democrats for six years of Donald Trump’s tax returns opens a serious new political, legal, constitutional and personal front in the party’s battle to use its new majority to check a defiant President.
‘World’s best stadium’: Tottenham opens $1.3 billion venue with win
Tottenham Hotspur opens its shiny new £1.3 stadium amid glorious fanfare Wednesday — and a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace in the English Premier League thanks to goals from Son Heung-Min and Christian Eriksen.
Goodbye to the only leader they ever knew
Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the ailing 82-year-old president of Algeria, handed in his resignation on live TV on the evening of 2 April. Unlike previous promises to resign, this time it was effective immediately. He was frail and silent.
Algeria’s Bouteflika asks ‘forgiveness’
Outgoing Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has asked his country for “forgiveness” in a letter published by the Algerian Press Service. The president, who has been in power for 20 years, said he was “proud” of his contributions but realised he had “failed in [his] duty”.
Valencia 2-1 Real Madrid: Zinedine Zidane suffers first defeat since return
Real Madrid suffered their ninth La Liga loss of the season and their first under the returning Zinedine Zidane after being outclassed by Valencia. They have now lost as many league matches this term as in their previous two campaigns combined.
Son becomes a lawyer to win family land back
A Ugandan man, who was only six years old when his father lost his land in a legal dispute, has finally won it back 23 years later, after becoming a lawyer. Jordan Kinyera went through 18 years of education and legal training before taking on the case.
The Cold War-era drink that rivals cola
As a third dessert option was being squeezed on to the kitchen table in front of four sufficiently full young men, all too polite to refuse a final helping, I reflected on how fortunate I and my companion Marco were to be visiting Bratislava with friends who grew up in the city.
Tom Holland wasn’t given a script for ‘Avengers: Endgame’
To halt any spoilers, Spider-Man star Tom Holland was not given a lot of information on the upcoming Avengers movie. The British actor has become notorious for revealing details of upcoming MCU films before they reach the big screen.
Disney recreates iconic ‘Lion King’ scene in new CinemaCon footage
In Disney’s own version of the circle of life, everything old is new again. That includes The Lion King, the remake of which was teased at Disney’s CinemaCon panel Wednesday.
WhatsApp adds new group messaging privacy settings
WhatsApp has rolled out a new common sense privacy setting that may also make it more difficult for harmful content to spread through the platform. Starting Wednesday, WhatsApp users will be able to specify who is able to add them to groups, and to accept or reject invitations sent through DMs. Now, in WhatsApp’s settings, users can choose whether “Everyone,” “My Contacts,” or “Nobody” can automatically add them to groups.
Joe Biden addresses allegations of inappropriate touching in new video
With speculation mounting that he’ll enter the 2020 race for president, former Vice President Joe Biden posted a video to his Twitter and Instagram accounts on Wednesday addressing recent accusations of inappropriate behavior by several women. In the video, Biden begins by apparently defending his touchy-feely persona by saying, “In my career, I’ve always tried to make a human connection.”
The ‘Downton Abbey’ movie will revolve around a royal visit
Apparently, Downton Abbey fans aren’t the only ones eager to drop in on that stately British manor. As revealed in the movie’s first trailer, shown at CinemaCon Wednesday, the story centers on a very special visit from the king and queen. (Since it’s set in 1927, that would be George V and Mary.)
New ‘Hobbs & Shaw’ footage debuts to thunderous cheers at CinemaCon
If the thunderous reaction to Hobbs & Shaw is any indication, the Fast & Furious franchise isn’t slowing down one bit. Universal Pictures showed off new footage from the spinoff at CinemaCon Wednesday, highlighting the chemistry between stars Jason Statham and Dwayne Johnson; impressive action chops from series newcomers Vanessa Kirby and Idris Elba; the film’s British and Polynesian settings; and a shit ton of explosive, physics-defying set pieces.
John Legend’s voice on Google Assistant is finally here
Listen, we all know that John Legend is Chrissy Teigen’s one and only, that is something we ACCEPT and CELEBRATE. But starting Wednesday, everyone with a Google Assistant-enabled device will be able to bring the R&B singer/celebrity husband into their homes.
