DAKAR: Senegal will vote in legislative elections on Sunday to determine whether the new president and government can gain control over the national assembly and push through their reform agenda.
The high stakes in the election threaten to spark renewed unrest following a period of calm.
The run-up to the presidential election in March saw some of the worst violence in the country’s recent history.
Campaigning has grown heated recently and comes at a precarious time for the new government.
It is navigating a spiraling fiscal crisis that could undermine its ability to deliver on promises to boost the economy and create jobs.
Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, known for his fiery rhetoric, said this week that his supporters had come under attack and urged them to take revenge.
He has also warned that restraint should not be mistaken for weakness.
“Let them not say that we’ve changed and that since we came, everyone can do as they please,” he said on Tuesday evening.
“We could have used our strength, but we didn’t.”
Top priorities for Senegalese voters are jobs and the economy, as inflation has squeezed livelihoods and the nation’s growing youth population struggles to find employment.
More than 7 million registered voters can vote for candidates for the 165-seat assembly, choosing between 41 registered parties or other entities. Polls open at 8 a.m. and close at 6 p.m.
“We want a lower cost of living, affordable water, electricity, and transport, so everyone can work and live decently,” said Cheikh Diagne, a street seller in downtown Dakar.
Babacar Ndiaye, research director at the think tank WATHI, said that Senegalese have historically favored the president during previous parliamentary elections.
“When they choose a president, they give that president the means to work and govern,” he said.
“Every time a president has won, he has also gained an absolute majority in the National Assembly.”
The West African country is plunging toward a debt crisis after the new government said it had discovered the budget deficit was much wider than reported by the previous government.
A $1.9 billion IMF program is on hold while the government audit is reviewed.
The main threat to the ruling party Pastef’s ambitions is the unexpected alliance of two opposition parties, including the Republic party headed by former Prime Minister Macky Sall.
The race also includes two smaller opposition coalitions.
The one led by Dakar’s mayor, Barthelemy Dias, has clashed with supporters of Pastef.
Mariam Wane Ly, a former parliamentarian and trailblazer for women in politics in Senegal, said the campaign period had given leaders a chance to explain their agendas.
She expected Pastef to win the majority it seeks.
“I think it’s going to make up for all the unhappiness,” she said.
Senegal heads to the polls amid fiscal crisis, threat of unrest
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Senegal heads to the polls amid fiscal crisis, threat of unrest
Moderna pulls application for COVID-flu combination shot
- The combination shot comprises a new COVID vaccine and an influenza vaccine
- The company has previously said it does not expect a delay in the FDA’s decision
NEW YORK: Moderna said on Wednesday it has withdrawn an application seeking approval for its flu and COVID combination vaccine candidate to wait for efficacy data from a late-stage trial of its influenza shot, which is due later this year.
The company said it pulled the application in consultation with the US Food and Drug Administration. It is the latest sign of increased regulatory scrutiny of the vaccine approval process since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took the top US health job earlier this year.
Moderna’s decision comes a day after the US FDA said it would require new clinical trials for approval of annual COVID-19 boosters for healthy people under 65.
The combination shot comprises a new COVID vaccine and an influenza vaccine, both under development by Moderna.
The company has previously said it does not expect a delay in the FDA’s decision for the next-generation COVID vaccine, which is due by the end of the month.
Shares of the company have been battered by declining COVID revenue as well as investor concerns spurred by the appointment of Kennedy, who is a vaccine skeptic, as secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services.
Moderna has been banking on revenue from newer mRNA shots to make up for falling sales of its COVID vaccine and less-than-expected uptake of its respiratory syncytial virus vaccine, which sent its shares down nearly 60 percent last year.
The company in early May pushed back the time frame for the likely approval of its combination vaccine — meant to protect adults aged 50 and above against both COVID-19 and influenza — to 2026.
The FDA last week approved rival Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine more than a month after missing the deadline for the shot’s approval, and limited its use to people with conditions that put them at risk due to the illness.
Germany defends EU-Israel deal as ‘important forum’ for talks
- EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas said “a strong majority” of the 27 member states had backed the review
- Kornelius reiterated Germany’s “great concern at the humanitarian situation in Gaza“
BERLIN: Germany on Wednesday defended an EU-Israel cooperation deal, a day after the bloc had ordered a review of it in a bid to pressure Israel over the Gaza war.
Without explicitly confirming media reports that Berlin had opposed the review, foreign ministry spokesman Christian Wagner said that “the EU-Israel Association Agreement is an important forum that we must use in order to discuss critical questions” over the situation in Gaza.
The review announced on Tuesday comes as some European nations take a tougher line with Israel over the devastating impact of its offensive in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the territory.
EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas said “a strong majority” of the 27 member states had backed the review.
Diplomats said 17 EU states pressed for the review under an article of the agreement that calls for a respect for human rights, with the Netherlands spearheading the latest push.
On Monday the leaders of Britain, France and Canada condemned Israel’s “egregious actions” in Gaza and warned of joint action if it did not halt its heightened military offensive there.
On Wednesday Stefan Kornelius, spokesman for Chancellor Friedrich Merz, reiterated Germany’s “great concern at the humanitarian situation in Gaza” but stopped short of mentioning any possible further action.
Wagner also confirmed that on Tuesday nine German nationals had been evacuated from Gaza “in close co-ordination with the Israeli government,” together with three of their immediate family members.
Indian Navy inducts first vessel built in ancient shipbuilding style
- Ship design is based on 5th-century artwork found in Ajanta Caves
- The ship’s first transoceanic voyage is planned from Gujarat to Oman
New Delhi: The Indian Navy inducted on Wednesday its first vessel constructed using traditional shipbuilding techniques dating back to the 5th century.
The 21-meter wooden ship is a stitched ship, a type of boat that is carvel-built, with its planks stitched together using cords or ropes. The technique was popular in ancient India in constructing ocean-going vessels.
Named Kaundinya, the ship is a recreation of a vessel inspired by a painting from the Ajanta Caves — a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Maharashtra state, where ancient Buddhist rock-cut monuments feature exquisite murals dating from the 2nd century B.C.E. to the 5th century C.E.
“The whole concept was to kind of connect to our ancient methodology of how the construction takes place and also, subsequently, connect to the historical maritime routes which Indian seafarers took during that particular time,” Cdr. Vivek Madhwal, spokesperson of the Indian Navy, told Arab News.
Funded by the Ministry of Culture, the project was launched in July 2023 and constructed by artisans from Kerala, who were led by master Indian shipwright Babu Sankaran. The vessel was completed in February this year.
The INSV Kaundinya’s induction into the Indian Navy took place in the presence of Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat at the Naval Base Karwar in Karnataka, on the country’s western coast along the Arabian Sea.
The ship will sail its first transoceanic voyage from Gujarat to Oman.
“That is one of the routes which was used by the ancient seafarers,” Madhwal said, adding that new routes will be considered in the future, after the first journey.
The Indian Navy collaborated with the Department of Ocean Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras to conduct model testing of the vessel’s hydrodynamic behavior at sea. The navy has also tested the wooden mast system, which was constructed without the use of contemporary materials.
“Every aspect of the ship had to balance historical authenticity with seaworthiness, leading to design choices that were both innovative and true to the maritime traditions of ancient India,” the Indian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
“The combination of a stitched hull, square sails, wooden spars, and traditional steering mechanisms makes the vessel unlike any ship currently in naval service anywhere in the world.”
Saudi hospitality reaches Dhaka as immigration officers assist Hajj pilgrims
- Saudi Arabia launched Makkah Route initiative for Bangladeshi pilgrims in 2019
- About 87,000 Bangladeshis are expected to travel to Kingdom for Hajj this year
DHAKA: Bangladeshi pilgrims are enjoying the care and attention of dozens of Saudi officers who under the Makkah Route initiative are working around the clock at Dhaka’s main airport to ensure smooth immigration for Hajj.
About 87,000 Bangladeshi pilgrims are expected to perform the spiritual journey that is one of the five pillars of Islam. This year, the Hajj is expected to start on June 4 and end on June 9.
Most of the pilgrims are departing under the flagship pre-travel program, which the Kingdom launched in 2019 to help pilgrims meet all the visa, customs and health requirements at their airport of origin and save them long hours of waiting before and on arrival in the Kingdom.
“It’s a very pleasant experience for the pilgrims as they receive the heartiest welcome by the Saudi immigration officials,” Lokman Hossain, director of the Hajj Office at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, told Arab News on Wednesday.
“The immigration officials here serve the pilgrims very gently and always with a welcoming smile. It’s something that they can anticipate as the Kingdom’s hospitality for Hajj pilgrims … This is something extraordinary, and offers the pilgrims a comfort in their journey to the holy places.”
Bangladesh is among seven Muslim-majority countries — including Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Morocco, Turkiye and Cote d’Ivoire — where Saudi Arabia is operating its Makkah Route initiative.
“The moment pilgrims enter into the airport, their Saudi immigration formalities are taken care of by the immigration staffers stationed here temporarily by the Kingdom’s authorities,” Hossain said.
“There is no need to wait in any queues. Saudi immigration officials are offering instant services to our pilgrims with more than a dozen service counters. Women immigration staffers are also deployed here, which brings ease for our women pilgrims also.”
The moment they enter the Makkah Route facilities at the airport, the pilgrims are “treated like distinguished guests,” he added.
“Sometimes, the pilgrims receive greetings in their local language too. It creates a sense of comfort in the pilgrims’ minds.”
Special pilgrimage flights from Dhaka started in late April, as many pilgrims arrive early to make the most of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fulfill their religious duty. More than 51,400 Bangladeshi pilgrims have already traveled to the Kingdom as of Tuesday.
“Makkah Route initiative is a very significant and helpful offer for our pilgrims,” Hossain said. “Our pilgrims are enjoying this facility.”
Indian Navy inducts first vessel built in ancient shipbuilding style
- Ship design is based on 5th-century artwork found in Ajanta Caves
- The ship’s first transoceanic voyage is planned from Gujarat to Oman
NEW DELHI: The Indian Navy inducted on Wednesday its first vessel constructed using traditional shipbuilding techniques dating back to the 5th century.
The 21-meter wooden ship is a stitched ship, a type of boat that is carvel-built, with its planks stitched together using cords or ropes. The technique was popular in ancient India in constructing ocean-going vessels.
Named Kaundinya, the ship is a recreation of a vessel inspired by a painting from the Ajanta Caves — a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Maharashtra state, where ancient Buddhist rock-cut monuments feature exquisite murals dating from the 2nd century B.C.E. to the 5th century C.E.
“The whole concept was to kind of connect to our ancient methodology of how the construction takes place and also, subsequently, connect to the historical maritime routes which Indian seafarers took during that particular time,” Cdr. Vivek Madhwal, spokesperson of the Indian Navy, told Arab News.
Funded by the Ministry of Culture, the project was launched in July 2023 and constructed by artisans from Kerala, who were led by master Indian shipwright Babu Sankaran. The vessel was completed in February this year.
The INSV Kaundinya’s induction into the Indian Navy took place in the presence of Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat at the Naval Base Karwar in Karnataka, on the country’s western coast along the Arabian Sea.
The ship will sail its first transoceanic voyage from Gujarat to Oman.
“That is one of the routes which was used by the ancient seafarers,” Madhwal said, adding that new routes will be considered in the future, after the first journey.
The Indian Navy collaborated with the Department of Ocean Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras to conduct model testing of the vessel’s hydrodynamic behavior at sea. The navy has also tested the wooden mast system, which was constructed without the use of contemporary materials.
“Every aspect of the ship had to balance historical authenticity with seaworthiness, leading to design choices that were both innovative and true to the maritime traditions of ancient India,” the Indian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
“The combination of a stitched hull, square sails, wooden spars, and traditional steering mechanisms makes the vessel unlike any ship currently in naval service anywhere in the world.”
