Hard choice awaits Theresa May, Boeing loses China's faith

[Click here for the web version of this email]( [FIRST THING With John Stupart]( Wednesday, 27 March 2019 “All roads lead to Johannesburg. If you are white or if you are black they lead to Johannesburg. If the crops fail, there is work in Johannesburg. If there are taxes to be paid, there is work in Johannesburg. If the farm is too small to be divided further, some must go to Johannesburg. If there is a child to be born that must be delivered in secret, it can be delivered in Johannesburg.” Alan Paton Story of the Day [China, the Pondo king and Namaqualand: In pursuit of the ‘Disney playground’ deal]( By Kevin Bloom The king of Western Pondoland’s contracts with a Chinese company could see an untouched stretch of the Wild Coast undergo massive development. The same company has plans to dam the Orange River in the Northern Cape and put up gas-to-power plants. Is any of it likely to happen? Even if not this time, the paper trail speaks of the intentions at the core of Operation Phakisa and China’s Belt and Road Initiative – enormous development projects that are driving our changing climate. WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING [Hardliners waver over Brexit deal]( Theresa May might well get her Brexit deal passed after all, but she may not like the cost. Several key pro-Brexiteers, including Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg, have indicated that they would support a deal, but hinted at their demand that May step down. With the deadline of Friday now looming, May could have to choose between her principles and keeping her job. [China suspends 737 Max certificate]( China has put a stop to the airworthiness certification of the Boeing 737 Max until it can review proposed modifications. New anti-stall software patches from Boeing will not be an automatic green light for China, which is now taking a very cautious approach to putting the 737 Max back in the sky. The announcement comes less than a day after a massive $35-billion deal between Airbus and China for the A320, the main competitor model to the 737 Max. [Conor McGregor accused of sexual assault]( The once Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in Ireland. The woman made the claim in December, triggering an investigation into McGregor now. The UFC star, currently on the cusp of retiring, has not yet been formally charged. [More parents added to college admissions scandal]( Gregory and Amy Colburn have been added to the list of parents, including various celebrities, who enlisted the help of what was essentially an Ivy League fixer. The Colburns allegedly conspired to commit fraud and money laundering in order to get their darling child into college. Rich people duping the system, however, is almost certainly not exclusively a white-collar American practice. Picture of the Day By EPA-EFE/MICHAEL REYNOLDS Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu, back centre, holds up the pen used by US President Donald Trump to sign an order recognising Golan Heights as Israeli territory, in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, 25 March 2019. [Fight for the Facts]( In an age where it’s difficult to tell the difference between real politics and fake news, quality independent journalism is more important than ever. Daily Maverick has become renowned as a news source that you can trust because our journalists tirelessly research and investigate the stories we publish. [Click here to sign up]( to become a Maverick Insider and help us Defend Truth. In Numbers 14 The minimum number of senses in the average human being. Having only five is a myth. Facts of the Day Today is International whisk(e)y day. Hug a single malt near you. There is no alpha wolf in a wolf pack. Featured Articles [Revealed: At least 20 percent of party leaders have a shady past]( [Revealed: At least 20 percent of party leaders have a shady past]( By Rebecca Davis [How sneaky Agrizzi captured a whistle-blower]( [How sneaky Agrizzi captured a whistle-blower]( By Jessica Bezuidenhout [Eskom’s nine circles of hell, and election politics]( [Eskom’s nine circles of hell, and election politics]( By Marianne Merten [Mining royalty payments system ‘a sham’, says Corruption Watch]( By Greg Nicolson [‘Let’s hope Moody’s cuts us some slack’ — Davies]( By Aisha Abdool Karim [Fearful foreign nationals hide indoors after two looters shot dead during xenophobic attacks in Durban]( By Lelethu Tonisi Opinionistas [ANC electoral list means Zuma’s slate is back for another five years]( A column by Omry Makgoale [Should I vote ANC?]( A column by Oscar Van Heerden [A user’s guide to combating disinformation — how to take on dark forces]( A column by William Bird Weather BFN: min: 13° max: 30°, cloudy CPT: min: 14° max: 22°, cloudy DBN: min: 19° max: 24°, cloudy EL: min: 17° max: 27°, cloudy JHB: min: 13° max: 21°, cloudy MHK: min: 17° max: 29°, cloudy NLP: min: 16° max: 26°, rainy PE: min: 18° max: 24°, cloudy PMB:min: 16° max: 26°, cloudy Financial Data Oil=$68.15 0.24%▲ Gold=$1317.47 0.17%▲ R/$=14.44 0.18%▲ R/€€=16.25 -0.28%▼ R/£=19.04 -0.03%▼ JSE All Share=55638 -0.08%▼ DJIA =25657.73 0.55%▲ BTC$=3975.18 1.03%▲ [FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO A FRIEND]( [Fb] [Tweet] [Link] [Yt] Copyright © 2019 Daily Maverick, All rights reserved. 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