China grounds 737-8 planes

As investigators examine the cause of Sunday’s fatal crash of an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX-8, the civil aviation authority in China became the first to ground the aircraft for commercial flights. CNBC cites the authority as saying there was “some degree of similarity” between Sunday’s crash and that of a Lion Air plane taking off from Jakarta in October last year. The BBC reports that more than 90 Boeing 787 Max 8 models are in use in mainland China. More than 300 planes are in operation with different airlines around the world, according to The Guardian. The same paper cites Ethiopian Airlines as saying that the pilot on Sunday’s flight, carrying 157 people, had an excellent record.

Brexit reverse warning

Britain’s foreign minister Jeremy Hunt became the latest cabinet minister to warn that Brexit may not happen at all if parliament does not vote in favour of prime minister Theresa May’s latest deal on Tuesday. “There is wind in the sails of people trying to stop Brexit,” Hunt told the BBC’s Andrew Marr show on Sunday. May had issued a similar warning at a keynote speech in Grimsby on Friday. The Guardian says there is speculation that Eurosceptics will try to force May out of office if she loses the vote. CNBC has called Brexit a “labyrinthine crisis over EU membership”.

Controversy over US plans to charge countries for troops

Plans by the Trump administration, reported by Bloomberg last Friday, that would oblige countries to pay the full price of US soldiers deployed on their soil, plus an additional 50%, have met with opposition. HuffPost reports that Republican representative Liz Cheney, who serves on the Armed Services Committee, called the plan “wrongheaded” and said it would be “devastating to the security of the nation and our allies.”

Indian polls show Modi lead

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi could come close to winning a majority with his coalition according to the latest polls, Reuters reports. The National Democratic Alliance could win 264 of the 543 seats up for grabs in the election, voting for which starts on 11 April. With some 900 million eligible voters, the elections takes place in 7 phases and a result is not expected until late in May, The Guardian says.

Kim Jong-nam suspect released

The Guardian reports that Malaysian authorities have dropped murder charges against Siti Aisyah, one of two women accused of fatally poisoning Kim Jong-nam, the brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The BBC says there appears to have been less evidence against the Indonesian woman than against her Vietnamese co-defendant Doan Thi Huong. Both claim they thought they were taking part in a TV prank show.

Protests against Russian internet isolation

Mass rallies in Moscow and other Russian cities saw thousands protest against proposed new restrictions to the internet, the BBC reports. The plans would allow Russia to isolate its internet service from the rest of the world in the name of security, the government says.

Cycle world champ dies

Kelly Catlin, who won 3 consecutive world titles with team USA in the pursuit between 2016 and 2018 and a silver medal at the 2016 Olympics, has taken her own life at the age of 23. She was taking degree in computational and mathematical engineering at Stanford having already gained a degree in mathematics and Chinese, The Guardian reports.

Captain Marvel storms box office

CNBC reports that box office figures released on Sunday indicate that “Captain Marvel”, the first solo female-led superhero Marvel movie has earned an estimated $455 million worldwide since it was released last Thursday.

Today’s Breakfast Briefing was written by Duncan Roberts