News brief: Big stories of the day

US secretary of state Mike Pompeo on Monday expressed hope that India will supports its efforts in Venezuela by not purchasing oil from the "authoritarian" Maduro regime. The issue was discussed in a meeting with the visitingIndian foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale, Pompeo told reporters at a news conference here, without providing insight into it.

BoeingCo confirmed late on Monday it will deploy a software upgrade to the 737 MAX 8, a few hours after the Federal Aviation Administration said it would mandate "design changes" in the aircraft by April.

British Prime Minister Theresa May's government on Monday secured a three-part package of changes from the EU to theterms of its withdrawal deal, hoping to win oversceptical MPs.

AlgerianPresident Abdelaziz Bouteflikaabandoned his bid for a fifth term in power on Monday, bowing to weeks of mass demonstrations against his 20-year rule by people demanding a new era of politics in a country dominated by an old guard.

Venezuela's opposition-run congress on Monday declared a "state of alarm" over afive-day power blackoutthat has crippled the OPEC membercountry's oil exportsand left millions of citizens scrambling to find food and water.