Boeing to issue layoff notices to hundreds of employees
Boeing will issue hundreds of layoff notices to engineers in Washington state this week.
The Daily Herald reported April 17 that a memo from the company’s vice president of engineering for Boeing Commercial Airplanes John Hamilton says the cuts are necessary to stay competitive.
Hamilton also said in the memo that more cuts in engineering could come later this year.
In just over the past year, Boeing Commercial Airplanes reduced its workforce by more than 9,000, mainly through buyouts and retirements. AP
China defends N. Korea trade after its trucks haul missiles
China is defending its trade practices with North Korea after Chinese-made vehicles were seen carrying ballistic missiles during a military parade despite international sanctions against selling military hardware to Pyongyang.
Photos provided by the North Korean government showed the submarine-launched missiles loaded aboard trucks bearing the logo of Sinotruk, a Chinese company.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said April 18 that China conducts “normal business interactions” with its neighbor North Korea, but adheres to the United Nations sanctions.
A representative of a Sinotruk dealer says about 1,000 of its trucks are exported to North Korea annually under contracts that specify they’re for civilian use.
The April 15 parade in Pyongyang to honor the country’s founder featured a senior North Korean official warning of nuclear war if the country is attacked. AP
U.S. national security adviser discusses Afghanistan in India
President Donald Trump’s national security adviser has discussed the situation in Afghanistan with India’s prime minister, nearly a week after the U.S. military dropped a massive non-nuclear bomb in the country that it said killed 94 militants.
H.R. McMaster’s meeting April 18 with Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked the first visit by a Trump administration official to India, a key ally in Asia.
The U.S. Embassy says the two also discussed ways to increase defense and counter-terrorism cooperation, and McMaster assured Modi of India’s status as a major defense partner in the global fight against terrorism.
Indian TV stations broadcast images of McMaster and Modi, each flanked by officials, sitting together at Modi’s home in the Indian capital.
McMaster’s visit followed stops in Kabul and Islamabad. AP