Former United States Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana died on Sunday, according to a statement from the Lugar Center in Washington D.C. He was 87 years old. Lugar served in the U.S. Senate for 36 years, longer than any other member of his party at the time of his retirement…
The human rights record of President Paul Kagame of Rwanda is under renewed scrutiny after he appeared at the weekend with Christian pastor Rick Warren, left, at his Saddleback Church to focus on reconciliation and the recovery of trauma. Kagame, who has a long relationship with Warren’s Baptist-affiliated megachurch in…
The CEO of Boeing admitted Thursday that, following the release of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302 preliminary investigation, it was apparent that a suspect feature called the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, known as MCAS, was activated in response to data errors in the system. “We at Boeing are sorry for…
Investigators say their preliminary findings into what went wrong with Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302, which crashed outside of Addis Ababa with 157 people on board on March 10, suggest that a suspect feature in the Boeing 737 MAX8 was automatically activated before the plane nose-dived to the ground. That’s according…
Ethiopian Airlines pushed back on Tuesday following media accounts suggesting that a preliminary report on the cause of the March 10 crash of Flight ET302 was expected by the end of the month. Some reports quoted airline CEO Tewolde Gebremariam saying that the findings were expected in the next week…
A cannabis company based in the United States says its plans for production operations in Kenya are moving forward – but the Kenyan government is denying that’s true in a country where cultivation and use remain illegal. GoIP Global (GOIG) announced in early March that it has secured the initial…
On Monday morning at 10 a.m., the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) based in Nairobi will begin the first plenary session of the UN Environment Assembly – and they’ll do so with empty seats. That’s because according to estimates, up to 50 passengers aboard Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302, which crashed…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
In Addis Ababa, President Sahle-Work Zewde met with his German counterpart Monday, and told President Frank-Walter Steinmeier that it was the right time for his nation to come to Ethiopia. That seemed evident when Steinmeier also participated in signing ceremonies with Volkswagen, as the German automaker announced an assembly plant…
The London Stock Exchange has named 360 companies from 32 African nations in its new “Companies to Inspire Africa 2019” report. Nigeria and Kenya lead the way, with the report’s foreword written by President Uhuru Kenyatta. “Entrepreneurship is at the heart of Kenya’s vibrant economy, propelling investment, job creation and…
Leading American jeweler Tiffany & Co. announced a new initiative Wednesday to ensure transparency in its diamond sourcing. “Tiffany & Co. will begin sharing with our customers the provenance, meaning region or countries of origin, of our newly sourced, individually registered diamonds – a significant step for diamond transparency,” said…
Contra Nocendi, a Paris-based NGO focusing on human rights in Burundi, Cameroon and other African nations, joined in the chorus of voices to welcome Tuesday’s announcement that journalists who are harassed, detained and killed for their work are Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year” for 2018. “It is always vital…
The CFO of Chinese technology company Huawei, a firm with significant investments across Africa, was detained in Canada earlier this week for extradition to the United States, the company confirmed early Thursday. Meng Wanzhou, the daughter of the global company’s founder, is believed to be under investigation in connection with…
Ethiopia’s rapid reforms under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed appear to be paying dividends in tourism and international travel, with Addis Ababa becoming the new “gateway to Africa.” That’s according to data from industry analysts at Forward Keys, who found an “extraordinary rise” for Ethiopia as a destination and transfer hub…
The surprise resignation of Erik Solheim, the former United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) executive director, took effect Thursday with Tanzanian scientist Joyce Msuya tapped as acting director. The departure of the Nairobi-based Solheim followed a UNEP audit that determined he was rarely in Kenya. A draft of the audit, leaked…
Five Africans have been named recipients of the Franco-German Prize for Human Rights and the Rule of Law, presented jointly on Wednesday by the two European nations. They are among 15 human rights leaders honored by French minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and German foreign minister Heiko Maas. “Through them, our…