More Boeing drama from Italy: Recent investigations by prosecutors in southern Italy revealed that two Italian sub-contractors used cheaper and non-compliant forms of titanium and aluminum to manufacture certain parts for Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, which compromised plane safety, Reuters reports. The sub-contractors used pure titanium instead of the prescribed titanium alloy as well as non-prescribed aluminum alloys to make structural components of the aircraft, which saved significant sums of money. The US planemaker has launched an extraordinary maintenance campaign on the affected aircraft.

Who’s involved? The Italian prosecutors accused seven unnamed people and two-subcontracts of fraud and breach of airplane safety rules. Possible suspects include family-owned Manufacturing Process Specification (MPS) and its predecessor company Processi Speciali, Reuters said, citing two sources. The suspects reportedly supplied parts for section 44 and 46 of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner’s fuselage, built by Leonaordo in southern Italy. Court documents reveal that MPS and Processi Speciali used to supply Leonardo with a fitting that secured the floor beam in one fuselage section, as well as spacers, brackets, and clips for a cargo door flame. Both Leonardo and Boeing dropped MPS from their suppliers list after the probe started.

It’s not clear if charges are coming: The individuals and businesses accused by the prosecutors will have the opportunity to present any new evidence in their defense before the prosecutors determine if they will ask a judge to schedule a trial.

Somalia getting a new USD 70 mn port: Somalia’s coastal town of Hobyo will start construction on a new USD 70 mn port in December, which is slated for operations in three years, Bloomberg reports. Turkish firm Metag Holding will oversee the construction of the port, which will be situated 435 miles northeast of the capital Mogadishu, company representative Mohammed Ali Warsame said. Hobyo is located in the semi-autonomous Galmudug region of the Horn of Africa. Warsame noted that this facility will be the nearest seaport for landlocked Ethiopia, potentially opening up business opportunities with neighboring nations.

The context: This year, diplomatic relations between Somalia and Ethiopia have worsened after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed signed an Mou with the breakaway region of Somaliland in January, seeking access to a port. This action upset Somalia’s federal government in Mogadishu.

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