In late 2018, Ethiopian Airlines’ chief pilot urgently reached out to Boeing regarding the safety of the 737 Max airliner, following the fatal crash of a Lion Air flight just a month earlier. The Lion Air incident raised alarms about potential issues with the plane’s flight control system, prompting the Ethiopian pilot to seek guidance on emergency procedures.

Despite similar inquiries from U.S. pilots receiving detailed briefings from Boeing, the manufacturer only referred the Ethiopian pilot to a public document issued after the Lion Air crash. Boeing cited its involvement in the Indonesian investigation as a reason for not providing further information.

Three months later, tragedy struck when an Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max crashed shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa, killing all 157 people on board. Investigations revealed that the crash was caused by the same flawed flight control system that had been a concern for the Ethiopian pilot months earlier.

This sequence of events raises serious questions about Boeing’s communication and safety protocols in addressing critical concerns raised by international pilots regarding the 737 Max.

New research conducted by Africa No Filter and strategic advisory firm Africa Practice reveals that African nations pay 4.2 billion dollars on debt servicing alone. 

The study, titled The Cost of Media Stereotypes to Africa, employs a combination of quantitative analysis and qualitative insights to explore the financial repercussions of media bias. The research focuses on electoral processes in four African nations: Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Egypt, comparing media coverage with that of Malaysia, Denmark, and Thailand – nations with similar country risk profiles. 

To estimate the economic cost of biased media coverage, researchers calculated potential savings in debt servicing costs for Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, and South Africa. The study used academic estimates indicating that media sentiment can influence borrowing interest rates by up to 10%, with a 10% improvement leading to a 1% decrease in rates. 

By comparing actual debt servicing costs with those adjusted for improved media sentiment, the researchers estimated potential savings of up to 0.14% of GDP per year. Extrapolating this to the entire continent, Africa loses up to $4.2 billion annually due to unrepresentative negative media narratives. 

PETA supporters protested outside the Ethiopian Airlines departure terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Friday October 11, escalating their campaign against the airline’s transport of endangered long-tailed macaques from Mauritius and Southeast Asia for use in U.S. experiments. The organization claims that Ethiopian Airlines has flown thousands of monkeys in the cargo holds of passenger planes, despite previously assuring PETA that it had a policy against such practices.

The airline is under scrutiny for its alleged connections to an illegal international monkey-smuggling ring, raising concerns about the welfare of the animals and public health risks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has acknowledged that imported monkeys have carried serious diseases, including tuberculosis and other pathogens classified as bioterrorism agents.

“Ethiopian Airlines puts monkeys through hell in its cargo holds and shows zero regard for public health in the process,” said Dr. Lisa Jones-Engel, a primate scientist at PETA. “We call on the airline to stop flying monkeys to certain death in laboratories and risking the spread of dangerous diseases that could sicken and kill Americans.”

The European Investment Bank (EIB Global) has signed agreements with seven EU Member States pledging just over €74 million to a new envelope under the ACP Trust Fund. This funding will promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth and human development, especially in least developed countries and fragile states in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. The ACP Trust Fund envelope supported by EU Member States will target EU Global Gateway projects in ACP countries and support the UN’s Agenda 2030 as well as the Sustainable Development Goals.

“This is a great example of Team Europe partners working together. I look forward to welcoming future donors to the fund so that, together, we can invest in energy, health, climate, food security and digital solutions that will foster green and inclusive growth – ultimately boosting prosperity in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific,” said EIB Vice-President Thomas Östros.