UK in complete disarray with May losing second Brexit vote
As British Prime Minister Theresa May loses her second bid to get the Brexit deal passed through the parliament, the UK political system is in complete disarray.
After losing the vote, May announced that the MPs will vote again Wednesday on whether the UK should leave the European Union with “a deal” or in a disorderly fashion, with “no deal”. Furthermore, if the “no deal” scenario is also rejected, the MPs will vote on extending the Brexit deadline beyond the scheduled 29 March date.
Cardinal convicted in Australia for child sexual abuse
Cardinal George Pell Wednesday became the most senior Catholic figure ever to be convicted in sexual offences against children. Pell has been sentenced for six years after he was convicted of sexually abusing two boys in a Melbourne cathedral in 1996. Pell was a former Vatican treasurer and had grown to be a close advisor of the Pope. His trial and subsequent conviction has rocked the Catholic Church establishment in Vatican.
US trade rep says US-China trade deal can’t be taken for granted
A China-US trade deal is looking increasingly uncertain with the US trade representative Robert Lighthizer now saying that “major, major” issues still need to be resolved before the two states can reach an agreement. “We’re either going to have a good result or we’re going to have a bad result before too long… I’ll work as hard as I can, and the president will tell me when the time is up, or the Chinese will,” he added. The trade rep Tuesday refused to set a deadline for the ongoing talks.
IMF hails Greece’s economic performance in unlikely praise
In a surprising move, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has hailed Greece as one of the best performing economies in Europe. Over the past decade, Greece suffered a severe economic meltdown and had to be bailed out by the European countries and the IMF. Though IMF’s latest report noted that Greece still needs to undertake massive structural reforms and the unemployment levels in the country still remain very high, it said there were a lot of positive developments to point to.
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido being probed for electricity blackouts
As President Nicolas Maduro’s tussle for power continues in Venezuela, opposition leader Juan Guaido faces new charges. Venezuela has been facing an electricity blackout for the past few days. The country’s attorney general has accused Guaido of allegedly sabotaging the national power grid. Guaido, who is trying to oust Maduro, has blamed corruption and incompetence for the blackout.
Here are the countries that have halted Boeing 737 Max operations
Following the crash of Ethiopian Airlines-operated Boeing 737 Max Sunday, several countries have grounded the particular aircraft. This Bloomberg report lists which countries have halted the operations of Boeing 737 Max and which are yet to make a decision. India became the latest country to ground the jets late Tuesday.