Wednesday: Boeing pilots had seconds to avert disaster in a simulation

Boeing, Cyclone Idai, McGregor View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Wednesday, March 27, 2019 [NYTimes.com »]( Europe Edition [Your Wednesday Briefing]( By MELINA DELKIC Good morning. Boeing pilots had just seconds to avert disaster in a simulation, a potentially big day for Brexit, and a cyclone continues to devastate southeastern Africa. Here’s the latest: [A Boeing 737 Max 8 at the Boeing plant in Renton, Wash.] A Boeing 737 Max 8 at the Boeing plant in Renton, Wash. Ruth Fremson/The New York Times In a Boeing simulator, pilots had just seconds to avert disaster During tests last week that recreated the scenario on the doomed Lion Air flight in October, pilots discovered they had [less than 40 seconds to override a new automated system]( on Boeing’s 737 Max 8 jets. The tests simulated a single sensor failing, which triggered software designed to help prevent a stall. To keep the plane from going into an unrecoverable nose dive in less than a minute, the pilots had to make a series of rapid-fire control changes. The pilots in the tests succeeded, but they had a good understanding of how the system worked. In the Lion Air crash in Indonesia, pilots who were seemingly unaware of the system tried more than two dozen times to override the plane’s automated response. Software update: Boeing is expected to propose changes to give pilots more control of the system and make it less likely to trigger erroneously, according to three people familiar with the matter. Next: Questions are emerging around [whether the F.A.A. has gone too far]( in allowing Boeing to regulate itself. A Senate committee on Wednesday is likely to press the F.A.A.’s acting administrator on this, as well as why regulators agreed with Boeing that pilots didn’t need to be trained on the new system. ______ [Prime Minister Theresa May addressing the House of Commons in London on Monday.] Prime Minister Theresa May addressing the House of Commons in London on Monday. Mark Duffy/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Parliament to vote on Brexit plans The British Parliament will [vote on a series of alternative plans for the country’s withdrawal]( today, testing to see if any option can command a majority. The week is shaping up to be critical, both for Prime Minister Theresa May and for those who oppose her withdrawal plan from the bloc, which would provide for a status quo transition period but would eventually take Britain out of Europe’s main economic structures. After [lawmakers voted to wrest control of the process]( on Monday, Mrs. May is still hoping that no alternative will command more support than her blueprint, giving her a realistic shot at pushing her plan through by presenting it as the only alternative to a no-deal Brexit or a long extension. Alternatives: Lawmakers have [submitted at least 16 proposals]( for votes. The options include a second referendum on Brexit and a departure that keeps Britain in E.U. economic structures. ______ [A town in Mozambique, which was hit especially hard by Cyclone Idai.] A town in Mozambique, which was hit especially hard by Cyclone Idai. Themba Hadebe/Associated Press Cyclone-ravaged southeastern Africa faces hunger and disease Cyclone Idai, which delivered devastating rains, floods and winds to Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi, created [a crisis on par with those in war-torn Yemen, Syria and South Sudan, according to the U.N.]( At least 600,000 people have been displaced, water and food are in short supply, and the first cases of cholera are being reported by the Red Cross. Death tolls are uncertain, and the extent of the storm’s damage is still emerging. In Mozambique, which was hit especially hard, the government said that at least 400 people have died. How you can help: Here’s [a list of aid organizations]( that have begun a broad effort to provide food, shelter and medicine to those affected by the cyclone. ______ [Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel addressing AIPAC in Washington via satellite feed.] Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel addressing AIPAC in Washington via satellite feed. Kevin Lamarque/Reuters Netanyahu says Golan Heights recognition sets new precedent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on his way back to Israel from Washington to confront an escalating conflict with Hamas, said that President Trump’s recognition of Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights [set a precedent for territories captured during wars](. “When you start wars of aggression, you lose territory, do not come and claim it afterwards. It belongs to us,” he said. He later told reporters: “Everyone says you can’t hold an occupied territory, but this proves you can. If occupied in a defensive war, then it’s ours.” The remarks, just ahead of the general elections in two weeks, were likely to cheer right-wing Israelis who believe that international acceptance of Israeli control of the Golan could pave the way for the annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank. Context: Israel [seized the Golan Heights from Syria during the Six-Day War of 1967](. It was largely depopulated, with thousands of Syrians fleeing north after Israel captured it. The West Bank has around 1.8 million Palestinian residents, who would vigorously oppose Israeli annexation. ______ Here’s what else is happening Algeria: The army chief of staff called for a declaration [that the incapacitated 82-year-old president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, be deemed unfit to rule]( appearing to pave the way for an end to his 20 years in power. Spain: In one of the strangest international incidents in memory, a Spanish judge says a gang led by a Mexican living in the U.S. [stole material from the North Korean Embassy]( in Madrid and offered it to the F.B.I. Copyright laws: The European Parliament [adopted a tough new law]( meant to force tech firms to aggressively remove unlicensed copyrighted material from their websites proactively, rather than waiting for complaints to come in before acting. Supporters say it would force companies to pay for the content they share online. Ireland: Conor McGregor, the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s biggest star and one of the world’s highest-paid athletes, [is under investigation after a woman accused him of sexual assault]( in December, according to four people familiar with the investigation. He has not been charged with a crime. Poland: The country’s government has portrayed outsiders as a threat to its identity, and at the same time has quietly presided over the [largest influx of migrant workers in the country’s modern history](. Vatican: The leaders of a Vatican women’s magazine have quit, saying that [a hierarchy dominated by men was marginalizing them]( and did not value their work. The magazine has drawn attention for exposing the sexual abuse of nuns by priests. Taliban: Five men held at the U.S. detention camp at Guantánamo Bay for 13 years now [sit across the negotiating table from their captors]( in talks over the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, a twist that underscores the winding, contradictory nature of America’s longest war. The Sacklers: The family, which owns Purdue Pharma, the producer of the opioid painkiller OxyContin, will pay [$270 million to settle a closely watched lawsuit]( brought by the state of Oklahoma over the company’s role in the opioid addiction epidemic. [Jason Erikson, pressman.] Jason Erikson, pressman. Christopher Payne for The New York Times Inside The Times: The photographer Christopher Payne spent two years capturing the craft, precision and unexpected beauty of [our printing plant in New York]( where machines the size of large houses churn out newspapers. ______ Smarter Living Tips for a more fulfilling life. Julia Gartland for The New York Times Recipe of the day: Craving pasta? [Ricotta cheese gnocchi]( with brown butter and sage is a good way to go. The key to overcoming procrastination is to understand that it’s [not the result of laziness or mismanaging time]( but of avoiding unpleasant emotions. Horticulture therapy — gardening — can [help hospital patients recover](. Back Story “Boeing” is synonymous with airplanes — though maybe it should be spelled Böing. [William Boeing]( the company’s founder, was the son of a German immigrant-turned-lumber-tycoon, and seems to have inherited his father’s business acumen in addition to the Americanized version of their family name. [William Boeing in 1938.] William Boeing in 1938. Popperfoto/Getty Images According to Mr. Boeing’s [biography]( on the company’s website, he started flying as a hobby around 1910 and quickly believed that airplanes could make a worthwhile business. “Convinced that there was a definite future in aviation, I became interested in the construction as well as the flying of aircraft,” he once told an interviewer. That interest eventually led to the Boeing Aircraft Company, which initially focused on military planes but has long been known for its commercial aircraft. Mr. Boeing left his namesake company in 1934 to pursue work in other industries, including lumber, real estate, horse breeding and livestock farming, though he continued consulting for Boeing for the rest of his life. Zach Wichter, who has been covering Boeing, wrote today’s Back Story. ______ Correction: [Friday’s Morning Briefing]( referred incorrectly to a litmus test. The test involves a dye derived from lichens, not moss. Your Morning Briefing is published weekday mornings. [Check out this page]( to find a Morning Briefing for your region. (In addition to our European edition, we have Australian, Asian and U.S. editions.) [Sign up here]( to receive an Evening Briefing on U.S. weeknights, and [here’s our full range of free newsletters](. What would you like to see here? Contact us at [europebriefing@nytimes.com](mailto:europebriefing@nytimes.com?subject=Briefing%20Feedback%20(Europe)). LIKE THIS EMAIL? Forward it to your friends, and let them know they can sign up [here](. FOLLOW NYT [Facebook] [FACEBOOK]( [Twitter] [@nytimes]( Prefer a different send time? Sign up for the [Americas]( or [A]( and Australia]( editions. | Get unlimited access to NYTimes.com and our NYTimes apps for just $0.99. [Subscribe »]( ABOUT THIS EMAIL You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's Test Product newsletter. 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