News & Announcements

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has suspended its presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu from the party. This was made known in a statement issued by the party’s Deputy National Chairman (Politics), Dr. Bamidele Ajadi.

ADC accused Kachikwu of a false, misguided and defamatory video he made and circulated, among other infractions. Ajadi disclosed that the decision was taken after an emergency National Working Committee (NWC) meeting held on Friday, 2nd September 2022.

The party said categorically that it considered Kachikwu’s action as, “smacking of crass irresponsibility, gross indiscipline, disingenuous scandalization and blackmail and completely unfit of someone who wants to be President of Nigeria.”

“The NWC viewed with great concern the baseless and defamatory video made, published and circulated by Mr. Dumebi Kachikwu, which was intended to disparage and impugn the integrity and image of a peaceful and transformation-oriented African Democratic Congress and its national officers.”

The party also observed that Kachikwu’s speech in the said video contravened the principles and values upon which ADC was founded and the specific provision of Article 16 of the ADC Constitution.
Quoting the party’s constitution, Ajadi said: “Act(s) conduct or utterances likely to bring the party into hatred, contempt or ridicule; engaging in dishonest practices, defrauding the party, its members or officials; engaging in anti-party activities; unauthorized publicity of Party dispute or fractionalization or creating parallel Party organ(s) at any level; engaging in any other activities likely to cause disaffection among Party members or likely to disrupt the peaceful, lawful and efficient conduct of party business; belonging to any such factional group or organ; collusion or conspiracy to convene unauthorized meetings, shall constitute acts of gross misconduct.”

Ajadi also observed that the NWC strongly believes that to demean the character of the founders and financiers of ADC, who have worked tirelessly to build an enviable brand that Nigerians are proud of and which many great minds have stood elections under, smacks of gross indiscipline.

Hence, the party noted that there have been several actions, publications and utterances in the past aimed at maligning the ADC national officers, which the NWC chose to ignore, for peace to reign.
The party added: “The NWC also noted that since the 9th of June 2022 when he was elected the presidential candidate, he has failed, neglected and/or refused to share with the party, any meaningful, constructive or reasonable Presidential Campaign Roadmap for the forthcoming presidential election.
“His negative actions and/or inactions so far, have put in jeopardy the fate and prospects of all our candidates contesting for various offices across the country.

The committee of the whole house, in a very clear and unequivocal term, condemned the said video in its entirety and described it as a piece of badly crafted blackmail and mudslinging, and thereby unanimously recommended his immediate suspension from the party from today, Friday 2nd September 2022.
“This resolution would be forwarded to the National Executive Council for further actions.”

Liz Truss has promised to deal with surging energy costs and to cut taxes after she won the Tory leadership contest to become the next PM.

Her plan, set to be announced on Thursday, is likely to include a freeze on energy bills – though precisely how it would work is still unclear, reports the BBC.

Ms Truss will be formally appointed by the Queen at Balmoral Castle later, after a final speech by Boris Johnson. The 47-year-old, the UK’s third woman PM, will appoint her cabinet.

In her victory speech, Ms Truss promised a “bold” programme of tax cuts to grow the flagging economy and to prevent the UK from tipping into recession.

She will officially take the reins of power on Tuesday, bringing Johnson’s turbulent premiership to an end less than three years after the Conservatives’ resounding election victory in 2019.
Ms Truss’s most pressing decision as premier will be how best to shield households and businesses from the soaring international price of energy.

On Monday, Ms Truss told party activists at London’s Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre she would “deliver on the energy crisis” by dealing with bills and boosting the UK’s domestic energy sources.
Under her plans, it is understood energy firms would be able to take out government-backed loans, which they would use to freeze or lower customers’ bills.

The loans would be repaid from bills over the next 10-20 years.
Scottish Power, which proposed government-backed loans, has estimated that freezing bills for two years could cost nearly £100bn.

Small businesses are also expected to be offered some energy bill relief, though the details may not be included in Thursday’s announcement.

A teacher in Zimbabwe says his salary is not enough to support him and his family of six.
He claims he made more money in the four months he worked on a citrus farm in South Africa.
The Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) says teachers’ current salaries are far too low to cover the cost of living expenses.

A teacher living in Zimbabwe says he made more money working as a citrus farm labourer in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape than he does teaching mathematics in his hometown, GroundUp reports.

Nhamburo (not his real name) from Norton, like many other professionals in Zimbabwe, is discouraged from seeking work in South Africa because of the recent spate of xenophobic attacks and uncertainty over the future of the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP).

Nhamburo teaches form four and six, equivalent to South Africa’s grades 10 and 12, at a government school in a Harare township. He has a degree in Mathematics from University of Zimbabwe and has been teaching since the early 1990s.

He earns a monthly income equivalent to R3 600. A full-time farm worker in the Eastern Cape should be earning more than R4 000 a month.

Nhamburo is dejected. “My salary is barely enough to buy food for my family. I spent a lot of money on upskilling myself by doing various courses. But I’m struggling to raise my four children.”

According to Nhamburo, many teachers are forced to charge for extra lessons in order to make a living wage. He currently charges the equivalent of about R500 per month for extra maths lessons to a few pupils. He says teachers have previously gone on strike to demand higher wages.

“It’s discouraging that as teachers we often have to do our job while hungry and disgruntled.”
Nhamburo says he often relies on getting to work on the school bus and learners sharing their lunch with him in exchange for extra lessons. “This is not good and is very unethical but there is nothing I can do,” he says.

Nhamburo says he and other teachers who helped mark the national exam papers last year are yet to be paid.

“I used my own money for transport and food when I was marking the 2021 Ordinary and Advanced Levels examinations. The government owes me 38,000 Zimbabwe Dollars (about R2,050) for that. I’m also owed US$470 (about R8,200) in allowances for taking part in this year’s census programme. I have given up after knocking on the doors of officials demanding my money,” says Nhamburo.

In 2009, he spent four months working on a citrus farm near Gqeberha and says he earned far more during this period than the income of a teacher in Zimbabwe at the time. He says he only returned to Zimbabwe after failing to obtain a work permit. He says many people were hopeful when the political leadership changed and because they would then be paid in US dollars.

He says:
It is a fact that life in Zimbabwe is deteriorating. Prices of basic commodities are increasing and only a few people can afford them. Many people used to flee to neighbouring countries like South Africa and Botswana but these countries have tightened their work visa requirements.Acting National Secretary General of the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA), Goodwill Taderera said the average income for most public schools is 36,000 Zimbabwean dollars (about R1,900) in addition to an allowance of US$175 (about R3,000).

He said teachers are demanding a monthly salary of US$840 (about R14,600). “We are still far from attaining that,” he said, noting that they are not even up the US$540 (about R9,300) they used to get up till 2018.
“It is unfair for our members because goods and services are very expensive when you are [converting Zimbabwean currency to the] US dollar. This leads teachers to leave classes and go onto the streets to convert their salaries into US dollars,” he said.
This is because the currency is so bad that the Zimbabwean money they receive will devalue if they wait to exchange it.

Taderera said ZIMTA has programmes to mitigate the suffering of its members but there was still a long battle ahead.
“We established the ZIMTA Provident Fund for teachers to access loans and payments upon retirement. We also assist with legal representation,” said Taderera.

Meanwhile for teachers like Nhamburo, the prospects of leaving Zimbabwe are slim. He says though he recently had plans to apply for a job in South Africa, he was discouraged by the current wave of xenophobia. He says the United Kingdom has become more enticing for relocation but he cannot afford to move now.

An Indian mother fought off a tiger with her bare hands to save her toddler from its Jaws.
As reported by Channels TV, Archana Choudhary, stepped out of her house in the central state of Madhya Pradesh on Sunday night as the 15-month-old boy wanted to relieve himself.
A tiger believed to have strayed from the nearby Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve pounced on them, local official Sanjeev Shrivastava told AFP.

It attacked and tried to sink its teeth into the child’s head but the mother leapt to the rescue, he said.
The tiger kept trying to snatch the boy until villagers heard her screams and rushed to her rescue.
The tiger then slunk away into the forest.

“She has been admitted to the hospital. She is out of danger and recovering. The baby is also doing fine,” Shrivastava said.

The mother suffered punctured lungs and wounds to her abdomen while the toddler had deep gashes on his head.

The Times of India newspaper said a search operation was underway to push the tiger back to its territory and that villagers had been told to stay indoors at night.

A rise in human-animal conflicts has been seen across South Asia as ever more forest is lost to urban expansion.
Nearly 225 people were killed in tiger attacks between 2014 and 2019 in India, according to government figures.

More than 200 tigers were killed by poachers or electrocution between 2012 and 2018, the data showed.
India is home to around 70 percent of the world’s tigers and the tiger population was estimated at 2,967 in 2018.

Since it is the relocation season in Nigeria. The rate at which Nigerians have been relocating abroad is quite alarming. They are not to be blamed or questioned. Their actions have been triggered by the poor economic situation of the country, insecurity and little or no access to the basic necessities of life. 
However, if you intend to leave the country, there are about 48 countries you should consider. Sierra Leone is one of the African countries you can relocate to. 

This article will give you an insight into all you need to know about Sierra Leone before relocating there.
Sierra Leone is an African country with Freetown as its capital. It is often referred to as ‘Salone’ by the locals of the country. It is one of the friendliest countries in Africa, which shares its borders with Guinea on the north and east, Liberia on the south and on the west with the Atlantic Ocean. 
According to worldometer.com, as of August 2022, Sierra Leone’s population amounts to 8.3million. The country ranks number 103 in the list of most populous countries. Sierra Leone’s population consists of foreigners of African descent.

1. LANGUAGES The official language spoken in Sierra Leone is the English language. It is popularly used by the literate. Other languages spoken are Creole, and Mende spoken in the South and in the North.

2. ETHNIC GROUPS

Sierra Leone comprises about ten main ethnic groups, they include: 
Temne MendeLimbaFulaMandigoCreoleKono KurankoSherboOku

3. RELIGION

Sierra Leone is a Muslim-dominated country. The Muslims are mostly Sunni Muslims and dominate about 78% of the country. The Christians are about 20% but mostly Protestants and the other percentage belong to the traditional African religion and other beliefs.
4. VISA

Do you know you can visit Sierra Leone without a visa? Yes, you can. Sierra Leone is a visa-free country for countries under the Economic West African States (ECOWAS). This is because Sierra Leone is a member of this African organisation. So this means, as a Nigerian, you don’t need an entry visa to travel to Sierra Leone if you don’t intend to spend more than 90 days. The maximum duration of stay is just 90 days, which is equivalent to three months. 

According to visualise, as a Nigerian travelling to Sierra Leone, you need to do the following:
Nigerian citizens can arrive in Sierra Leone without a visa.After arriving, Nigerian citizens can go to the Sierra Leone immigration counter. Show travel documents like an original passport or travel document of Nigeria. Once you get an entry stamp, you can enter Sierra Leone and stay for the duration of your stamping. To extend your stay in Sierra Leone beyond 90 days, you must visit the Department of Immigration and Emigration in Sierra Leone to issue a permit for you. 

5. CURRENCY SPENT IN SIERRA LEONEThe currency spent in Sierra Leone is called Sierra Leonean Leone. The currency is illustrated by the symbol ‘Le’.

6. MINIMUM WAGE/ AVERAGE MONTHLY SALARY According to minimum wage.org, the current minimum wage in Sierra Leone is 500,000 Leonean leones per month. It was changed on the 1st of January, 2015. 

Salaryexplorer.com also asserted further that salaries range from 1,440,000 SLL (lowest average) to 25,500,000 SLL (highest average, the actual maximum salary is higher). This average monthly salary includes housing, transport, and other benefits. However, salaries differ depending on the career.

7. EMPLOYMENT Getting a job in Sierra Leone can be very difficult due to the level of unemployment in the country. According to undp.org, there is a high chance of employment for qualified professionals in fields like information technology (IT), software engineering or development, healthcare professionals or qualified Science Teacher. It would be quite easy for you to get jobs without connections or lobbying. 
You can as well start up a business. The government of Sierra Leone created a conducive environment for Nigerians to start-up businesses.

8. HOW TO GET A WORK PERMITAs of June 1, 2022, all foreign nationals intending to work in Sierra Leone are advised to get a National Identification Number and a resident permit before applying for for a work permit at the National Civil Registration Authority. Once the work permit expires, foreigners can apply for an extension at the embassy in Freetown.

9. CRIME RATE AND SECURITYAccording to travel.state.gov, it is advisable that foreigners exercise increased caution in Sierra Leone due to the high level of crime rate in the country.
Crimes like robbery, assault, political violence, and home invasions occur in Sierra Leone. There is also an extreme threat of pickpocketing, mugging, scamming and a high rate of corruption.
Travelsafe-abroad.com advises foreigners to avoid travelling at night or flashing belongings and money in public. Apart from the crime rate, transportation anywhere outside Freetown is risky this is due to the poor state of the roads. Rural roads are usually very difficult to use during the rainy season. This implies that driving at high speed or aggressively and the use of unfit vehicles can be dangerous on such roads to avoid accidents.

10. TOP ATTRACTIONS IN SIERRA LEONE
According to crazytourist.com, the following are the top attractions in Sierra Leone.

1. Freetown
This is the capital of Sierra Leone. It is one of the finest places to visit in the country. It houses one of the largest natural deep-water harbours in the world. It also has a beach filled with powdery sand. These beaches, named Lakka Beach and Lumley Beach, are located in the Aberdeen district. 
This beautiful city also has an amazing park for primates known as the Tacugama Chimpanzee sanctuary, where primate animals live.

2. Banana Island 
Banana Island is located in the western area, south of Freetown. It has a deep tropical feel with all the alabaster-hues beaches and lush rainforest. This is the best place to plan a getaway in case you need a break from the big city. It has good guesthouses and hotels you can lodge in for a few days. 

3. Bunce Island 
This is one of the attractions in Sierra Leone that represents the slave trade period. It is one of the British slave stations. It is located a few miles north of Freetown. Tourists visit this place to enjoy bird watching, local fish trips and also sightseeing. This island has the largest British slave castle. Lovers of history are advised to see this historical site for slave trade history.

4. Tiwai island
This place is known as a big island in the Mende language. It is a wildlife sanctuary and a tourist site. It is located on the Moa River in the southern province. It is home to various species of animals and different primates in the world. It also houses various pygmy hippopotami. 

5. Turtle Island
This is one of the exciting and remote places in Sierra Leone. Tourists visit this place to explore various cultures of societies mixed with minimal connection with the modern world. Getting to this destination requires you to travel by sea. The isolated island, coconut trees, and sandbars are part of the amazing features that make this place distinct. 
Recreational activities like fishing, swimming, sightseeing, and snorkelling are carried out on Turtle Island. 

6. Tokeh
This is a coastal resort centre in Sierra Leone.  It is home to one of the largest and most attractive beaches in West Africa. It attracts a lot of tourists due to its mountain, forest, beautiful resort hotels, and the nearby island known as Tokeh Island.

Tokeh Island is one of the amazing places you would love to be. It gives comfort, style, and a relaxing environment that makes you feel at home. 

7. Gola forest reserve
This is the largest rainforest in the lowland area of Sierra Leone. It is located in Kenema District and also consists of some portions of Gaura, Tunkia, Nomo and Koya. It is usually visited by tourists because it houses a diverse population of species and particularly endangered animals. This is the perfect place for camping, trekking, bird watching and vacation. A lot of tourists lodge overnight.

8. Outamba Kilimi National Park
This is Sierra Leone’s first national park, which comprises two areas, as its name implies; Outamba and Kilimi. This park consists of a perennial lake known as Lake Idrissa. This park is a haven for a wide range of wildlife and mammals like elephants, hippopotamus, chimpanzees, and different species of birds. It accommodates a lot of tourists with its exceptional thatched huts. 

11. AVERAGE COST OF LIVINGAccording to living cost.org, the cost of living in Sierra Leone is analyzed below.
Cost of living One person Family of 4 Total with rent $748 $1619️ Without rent $348 $984 Rent & Utilities $400 $635️ Food $250 $652 Transport $50 $141 

The cost of living in Sierra Leone is $748 which is 1.25 times less expensive than the world average. Sierra Leone ranked 110th out of 197 countries by the cost of living and the 131st best country to live in. The average salary after taxes in Sierra Leone is $1508, which is enough to cover living expenses for 2 months.
According to numbeo.com, the analysis of the cost of living is shown below:

Rent Apartment

(1 bedroom) in City Center 9,497,448.05 Le

Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center 1,401,059.06 Le

Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center 11,194,762.47 LeApartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Center 2,802,118.12 Le

Feeding Prices of groceries include:

Milk (regular), (1 liter)     37,837.78 Le

Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g) 11,483.09 Le

Rice (white), (1kg) 12,513.58 Le

Eggs (regular) (12) 26,322.70 Le

Chicken Fillets (1kg) 64,695.50 Le

Beef Round (1kg) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) 40,431.00 Le

Apples (1kg) 38,286.00 LeBanana (1kg) 11,092.01 Le

Oranges (1kg) 11,765.86 LeTomato (1kg) 37,992.98 Le

Potato (1kg) 27,056.18 LeOnion (1kg) 18,566.44 Le

Lettuce (1 head) 9,690.09 Le

Water (1.5 liter bottle) 17,604.87 Le

Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) 79,044.81 Le

Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) 18,615.17 Le

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle) 31,711.30 Le

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) 12,942.52 Le

Childcare Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child 674,226.78 Le

International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child 80,907,213.04 Le

Transportation
One-way Ticket (Local Transport) 2,114.67 Le

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) 15,921.17 Le

Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff) 14,806.24 Le

Taxi 1-hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) 88,652.57 Le

Gasoline (1 liter) 13,700.75 Le

UTILITIES
Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 85m2 Apartment 2,277,305.27 Le

1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local (No Discounts or Plans) 845.87 Le

Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) 1,374,890.00 Le  
12. AVERAGE TRAVEL COST

The cheapest way to get to Sierra Leone from Nigeria is by road and it costs $330- $480.

Travelling by flight cost $850.00- $1,000.00 

US tech companies that receive federal funding will be barred from building “advanced technology” facilities in China for 10 years, the Biden administration has said.
The guidelines were unveiled as part of a $50bn (£43bn) plan aimed at building up the local semiconductor industry, reports the BBC.

It comes as business groups have pushed for more government support in an effort to reduce reliance on China. They are faced with a global microchip shortage which has slowed production.
“We’re going to be implementing the guardrails to ensure those who receive CHIPS funds cannot compromise national security… they’re not allowed to use this money to invest in China, they can’t develop leading-edge technologies in China…. for a period of ten years,” according to US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo., explaining the US Chips and Science Act.

“Companies who receive the money can only expand their mature node factories in China to serve the Chinese market.” The US and China are locked in a long-running dispute over trade and technology.
In August, US President Joe Biden signed a law committing $280bn (£232bn) to high-tech manufacturing and scientific research, amid fears that the US is losing its technological edge to China. The investments include tax breaks for companies that build computer chip manufacturing plants in the US.

The US currently produces roughly 10% of the global supply of semiconductors, which are key to everything from cars to mobile phones, down from nearly 40% in 1990. The Chinese Embassy in Washington had opposed the semiconductor bill, calling it reminiscent of a “Cold War mentality.”
Some US chipmakers are already experiencing the impact of Washington’s crackdown on selling US technology to China. Earlier this month, Nvidia and AMD were told by US officials to stop the sale of artificial intelligence chips to China. Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities called the restrictions a “gut punch” for Nvidia.

“This is really a shot across the bow at China and it’s really going to fan those flames in terms of geopolitical (tensions),” Ives had told the BBC.

Mikhail Gorbachev, the former Soviet leader who helped to end the Cold War, died at the age of 91.
According to Russian news agencies, Gorbachev died at the Central Clinical Hospital on Tuesday.
The late Soviet leader is renowned for bringing the Cold War to an end without bloodshed.
The Cold War, which lasted from 1947 to 1991, was a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their allies.

For his role in ending the conflict, Gorbachev was awarded the 1990 Nobel Peace Prize.
Gorbachev, who became the Soviet leader in March 1985, survived a coup in 1991 but was unable to stop the disintegration of the Soviet Union.
The coup was carried out by the Communist Party, KGB, and military officials opposed to his leadership style.

He was the eighth and final leader of the Soviet Union and was also the general secretary of the Communist Party until 1991.

Despite his role in helping to end the Cold War and averting a potential nuclear war, Gorbachev was not widely revered in Russia.
Tass, the Russian news agency, said he will be buried beside his wife at Novodevichy cemetery in Moscow.

A pregnant lady, identified only as Chinaza, has approached doctors at the National Hospital Abuja to seek a buyer for her unborn child.

According to The Punch, when the 23-year-old lady got pregnant, she left her parent’s house in Imo State to live with her friend in Lagos State.

A source in the hospital, who spoke with The Punch on Monday, said Chinaza’s friend’s house was later demolished, adding that they both relocated to Abuja.
The source said, “A pregnant lady came to the hospital over the weekend and said she wanted to sell her unborn baby. She said she mistakenly got pregnant and left her parent’s house in Imo State to stay with her friend in Lagos State.

“While living with her friend, she said her residence was demolished and they travelled to Abuja to live with her friend’s uncle. She said her uncle’s landlady complained about the number of persons occupying the apartment, and they were later asked to leave.

“While wandering around, she said she requested help from a woman she met in Utako, Abuja, and the woman gave her N500. She said the woman told her to come to the hospital to say whatever was on her mind. She has been handed over to the police in FCT. She is still there as I speak.”

When contacted, the hospital’s Public Relations Officer, Tayo Haastrup, promised to get back to The Punch’s correspondent but had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.
The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh, when contacted said, “I am aware of the incident. The lady in question is with us.”

The Chief Executive Officer, Kenya Airways, Allan Kilavuka, has said Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Malawi are withholding about $28 million of revenue from the airline.
Kilavuka said this recently while responding to a query, following reports that the Kenyan government was negotiating with its counterparts in Nigeria and Ethiopia to repatriate millions of dollars earned by Kenya Airways.

Kilavuka, according to TheCable, said the block funds were affecting the carrier’s cash flow.

“The blocked funds are mainly a cash impact as we are not able to access these funds. We are, of course, also concerned about the devaluation of these funds going forward,” ch-aviation quoted him as saying in an email.

“Currently, we have approximately USD28 million blocked in mainly Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Malawi.”
The development adds to the controversy that has since trailed the repatriation of foreign airlines’ revenue trapped in Nigeria after news of the block of about $450 million by the country’s government first surfaced in May.

By July 2022, the trapped funds had increased to over $464 million, according to International Air Transport Association.
The association had said that $1 billion was being withheld in 12 African countries, with Nigeria blocking the most amount.

Algeria, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Zimbabwe jointly withheld a total of $350 million from foreign airlines, as of May. Consequently, airlines have taken drastic steps against Nigeria’s aviation market in an attempt to get their funds.

Emirates had recently announced that it would cease its operations in Nigeria from September 1, 2022, due to its inability to repatriate $85 million worth of local ticket sales.
British Airways also blocked Nigerian travel agents from issuing fresh tickets.

In a frantic move to stop the brewing crisis in the country’s aviation sector, the Central Bank of Nigeria released $265 million to airlines to settle outstanding ticket sales.
The CBN further called for an orderly exit of funds “for those that might be interested in doing so.”Attachments area

Two Air France pilots were suspended after physically fighting in the cockpit on a Geneva-Paris flight in June, an Air France official said Sunday.
The flight continued and landed safely, and the dispute didn’t affect the rest of the flight, the official said, stressing the airline’s commitment to safety.

Switzerland’s La Tribune reported that the pilot and co-pilot had a dispute shortly after take-off, and grabbed each other by their collars after one apparently hit the other. The cabin crew intervened and one crew member spent the flight in the cockpit with the pilots, the report said.

News of the fight emerged after France’s air investigation agency, BEA, issued a report Wednesday saying that some Air France pilots lack rigour in respecting procedures during safety incidents.
It focused on a fuel leak on an Air France flight from Brazzaville in the Republic of Congo to Paris in December 2020, when pilots rerouted the plane but didn’t cut power to the engine or land as soon as possible, as leak procedure requires. The plane landed safely in Chad, but the BEA report warned that the engine could have caught fire.

It mentioned three similar cases between 2017 and 2022 and said some pilots are acting based on their own analysis of the situation instead of safety protocols.
Air France said it is carrying out a safety audit in response. It pledged to follow the BEA’s recommendations, which include allowing pilots to study their flights afterwards and making training manuals stricter about sticking to the procedure.

The airline noted that it flies thousands of flights daily and the report mentions only four such safety incidents.

Air France pilot’s unions have insisted that security is paramount to all pilots and defended pilot actions during emergency situations.
The BEA also investigated an incident in April involving an Air France flight from New York’s JFK airport that suffered flight control problems on approach to its landing in Paris.