Trump appoints new chief of staff
WASHINGTON • US President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he had chosen staunch ally Mark Meadows to be his new chief of staff – the fourth person to hold the position since Mr Trump took office.
Mr Meadows, a Republican congressman from North Carolina, will replace the ultra-conservative Mr Mick Mulvaney, who had been serving as acting chief of staff since Mr Trump fired Mr John Kelly in December 2018. Mr Mulvaney will become the US special envoy for Northern Ireland, said Mr Trump.
Last October, in the midst of impeachment proceedings against Mr Trump, Mr Mulvaney was criticised for his admission during a press conference that the President had tied military aid for Ukraine to Kiev opening a probe into the Democrats.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Boeing faces $28m fine by FAA
NEW YORK • The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recommended on Friday that Boeing be fined nearly US$20 million (S$28 million) for installing equipment in the 737 Max and other aircraft before its approval.
The announcement came hours after Democrats on the House Transportation Committee slammed both the company and the agency for failing to ensure the safety of the Max jets. Two of the planes crashed in 2018 and last year, killing 346 people and leading to the model’s worldwide grounding.
NYTIMES
Delhi riots: India revokes TV ban
NEW DELHI • The Indian government backtracked yesterday after slapping a 48-hour ban on two television channels for what officials called biased coverage of the New Delhi riots.
A blackout of Asianet News and MediaOne was ordered on Friday, but lifted after an outcry from opposition groups and protests by the channels to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
Information Minister Prakash Javadekar said Prime Minister Narendra Modi requested the ban be revoked on learning of it. A government order had accused the channels of covering last month’s deadly riots in the capital “in a manner that highlighted the attack on places of worship and siding towards a particular community”.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE