Headline

Tragedy Averted As Cargo Plane Makes Emergency Landing Shortly After Takeoff

Published

4 months ago

January 19, 2024

Editor

An Atlas Air Boeing 747 cargo plane made an emergency return to Miami International Airport following an engine problem shortly after takeoff, the airline said — prompting another investigation into the aviation giant.

The plane, which was headed to Puerto Rico, landed safely late Thursday “after experiencing an engine malfunction soon after departure,” an Atlas Air spokesperson told AFP in a statement. No injuries were reported.

“The crew followed all standard procedures and safely returned to MIA,” the spokesperson said, adding that the airline would investigate the cause of the incident.

A post-flight inspection revealed a softball-size hole above the second engine, said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in a notice.

The National Transportation Safety Board told AFP that it has opened an investigation into the case.

Boeing said in a separate statement that it is supporting its customers and will aid with the NTSB review.

The plane uses four engines made by GE Aerospace, which is also providing technical assistance as investigations proceed.

Atlas Air, which started operations in 1992, said on its website that it runs the world’s biggest fleet of Boeing 747 freighter aircraft.

Heightened scrutiny

US aviation giant Boeing is under intense global scrutiny over its 737 MAX 9 jet, following a scare on an Alaska Airlines plane this month when a panel came off mid-flight and forced an emergency landing.

There were no fatalities or serious injuries in that case either, but US regulators grounded 171 MAX 9 planes with the same configuration as the jet involved in the incident.

Boeing shares took a hit earlier in the month, with the FAA launching a safety probe into the January 5 Alaska Airlines incident too.

Woman in court for allegedly causing neighbour’s miscarriage
The FAA said this week that its probe would extend to Boeing’s manufacturing practices and production lines.

This was the first major in-flight safety issue on a Boeing plane since two fatal 737 MAX crashes, one in 2018 and one in 2019, led to a nearly two-year grounding of the aircraft.

Several incidents involving Boeing planes have since garnered attention, with an All Nippon Airways flight reportedly having to turn back on Saturday after a crack was found on the cockpit window of the Boeing 737-800.

On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was forced to delay his return from Switzerland due to what a US official called a “critical failure” of his airplane, also a Boeing.

A separate plane was sent to retrieve Blinken, with aides returning to Washington by commercial flight.

While US air safety regulators have completed inspections on 40 grounded 737 MAX planes, they have not specified when the aircraft would be cleared to return to service.

Headline

Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger Finalise Regional Alliance Project

Published

28 mins ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

Junta-run Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have finalised plans to form a confederation after turning their backs on former colonial ruler France to seek closer ties with Russia.

Their foreign ministers met Friday in Niger’s capital Niamey to agree on a text establishing the Confederation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

“The objective was to finalise the draft text relating to the institutionalisation and operationalisation of the Confederation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES)”, said Niger Foreign Minister Bakary Yaou Sangare as he read the final statement late Friday.

He said the text would be adopted by the heads of state of the three countries at a summit, without specifying the date.

“We can consider very clearly, today, that the Confederation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) has been born,” Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop said after meeting General Abdourahamane Tiani, the head of Nigerien military regime.

The third foreign minister at the meeting was Burkina Faso’s Karamoko Jean-Marie Traore.

The Sahel region has been subject to deadly jihadist violence for years, which they accused France of not being able to curb.

The three countries said late January they were quitting The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which they said was under French influence, to create their own regional grouping.

AFP

Headline

Paul Kagame, Chimamanda Adichie, Aig-Imoukhuede, Other Africans Make Top 100 Influential Global

Published

5 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

Combo of Paul Kagame, Chimamanda Adichie, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede,Remi Dairo.

Rwanda President, Paul Kagame, Nigeria’s Chimamanda Adichie, and Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, have been listed among top 100 influential global voices 2023/24.

Others list are president, the president , Institute of Productivity and Business Innovation, Africa and the Chief Operating Officer of Productivate Plus LLC, headquartered in Houston, Texas, Mr Remi Dairo; Adebayo Ogunlesi; Jumoke Adenowo, Ibukun Awosika; Malala Yousafzai, Strive Masiyiwa, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum.

In recognition of this groundbreaking record, Dairo was honoured by the Leaders Without Borders Development Centre at the event which took place on 19th April at House of Lords, Palace of Westminster, United Kingdom in recognition of being a global voice.

Commenting, Dairo said, “I feel so excited and motivated for the journey of my efforts and contribution to productivity in the community is globally recognized. The journey started in Nigeria as the School of Productivity in 2007 and metamorphosed into the Institute of Productivity and Business Innovation (IPBiM) in 2017.”

Remi Dairo is the president of the Institute of Productivity and Business Innovation Management (IPBIM), a distinguished African institution with global outreach that globally focuses on African institutions of productivity and innovation learning. The institution is in partnership with some of the world’s best institutions around the globe.

Headline

Disregard Claim Of Me Bringing Investors To Nigeria – Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Published

16 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

The Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has denied sending a WhatsApp message claiming she’s bringing investors to Nigeria due to Tinubu’s “commendable policies”.

A message had been circulating on Whatsapp alleging that former Minister of Finance has been contacted by President, respected instutitions and investors who congratulated her because Nigeria has finally found a “focused leader.”

Anything forwarded to you purporting to be a WhatsApp message from me is fake – Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala debunks news claiming she?s bringing investors to Nigeria due to Tinubu?s ?commendable policies?

Reacting via her X handle, Okonjo-Iweala described it as fake. She wrote;

‘’It’s been brought to my attention that another FAKE message has been manufactured and is being forwarded on WhatsApp in my name. I want to make clear that this fake message is not from me. I am pleased that those who know me instantly recognized this as fake.

“Thanks to friends who brought this to my attention. Please be aware that I do not use WhatsApp broadcasts, thus anything forwarded to you purporting to be a WhatsApp message from me is FAKE.

“This is a bad example of the use of social media. I want to warn those in the business of manufacturing FAKE messages, that they will not succeed.”