Headline
Senegal President Names Opposition Leader, Sonko As Prime Minister
Published
1 year agoon
By
Editor
Left-wing pan-Africanist, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, on Tuesday became Senegal’s youngest president, pledging systemic change after years of deadly turmoil and announcing his mentor, opposition figure Ousmane Sonko, as prime minister.
Faye, 44, has never previously held an elected office. He swept to a first-round victory on a promise of radical reform just 10 days after being released from prison.
He took the presidential oath in front of hundreds of officials and several African heads of state at an exhibition centre in the new town of Diamniadio, near Dakar.
He then returned to the capital, with his motorcade greeted by hundreds of jubilant residents who lined the roads leading to the presidential palace.
His predecessor, Macky Sall, symbolically handed Faye the key to the presidential headquarters before leaving the palace.
“Before God and the Senegalese nation, I swear to faithfully fulfil the office of President of the Republic of Senegal,” Faye had said earlier in the day.
Just hours later, his new administration appointed firebrand opposition leader Sonko prime minister.
READ ALSO: Top 10 Richest Tennis Players In The World
“Mr Ousmane Sonko is named prime minister,” said Oumar Samba Ba, the general secretary of the presidency, as he read out a decree on the public television station RTS.
Sonko, 49, was at the centre of a two-year stand-off with the state that triggered bouts of deadly unrest. He was disqualified from running in the most recent race and picked Faye as his replacement on the presidential ballot.
The former tax inspector is Senegal’s fifth president since independence from France in 1960 and the first to openly admit to a polygamous marriage.
“I am aware that the results of the ballot box express a profound desire for systemic change,” Faye said in a brief speech after taking the presidential oath.
“Under my leadership, Senegal will be a country of hope, a peaceful country with an independent judiciary and a strengthened democracy,” he added.
Faye and Sonko were among a group of opposition politicians freed from prison 10 days before the March 24 presidential ballot under an amnesty announced by former president Macky Sall, who had tried to delay the vote.
READ ALSO: 44-year-old Faye Sworn In As Senegal President
“I have painful memories of the martyrs of Senegalese democracy, the amputees, the wounded and the former prisoners,” Faye said Tuesday, referring to the past three years of political unrest that left dozens dead and hundreds arrested.
“I will always bear in mind the heavy sacrifices made in order never to disappoint you,” he added.
Faye also reiterated to foreign partners “Senegal’s openness to trade that respects our sovereignty and meets the aspirations of our people, in a mutually beneficial partnership”.
Commonly known as Diomaye, or “the honourable one”, his promise of radical change won the election with 54.3 percent of the vote.
Reconciliation, sovereignty
Working with his populist mentor Sonko, Faye’s campaign set out priorities of national reconciliation, easing the cost-of-living crisis and fighting corruption.
He has also vowed to restore national sovereignty over key assets such as the oil, gas and fishing sectors.
Senegal is due to start hydrocarbon production later this year.
READ ALSO: Faye: 15 Things To Know About 44-year-old Senegal’s President
Faye also wants to replace the CFA franc, which he sees as a French colonial legacy, with a new common regional currency, and to invest more in agriculture with the aim of reaching food self-sufficiency.
After three tense years in the traditionally stable nation, his democratic victory has been internationally hailed, by Washington, Paris, the African Union and the European Union.
On the international stage, Faye seeks to bring military-run Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger back into the fold of the regional Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) bloc.
On Tuesday, he urged “more solidarity” between African countries “in the face of security challenges”.
The military regimes in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea all sent representatives to Diamniadio, including Guinean president General Mamady Doumbouya.
Burkina Faso’s leader Captain Ibrahim Traore wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that Faye’s mandate represented a “symbol of a new era for an uninhibited, free and sovereign Africa”.
READ ALSO: Senegal Cuts Internet Access As Citizens Protest Presidential Poll Delay
He added he was ready to work together on “the renovation of sub-regional and international cooperation”.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the inauguration “a testament to the Senegalese people, that they fought for their right to vote”.
New generation of politicians
A practising Muslim from a humble background with two wives and four children, Faye represents a new generation of youthful politicians.
He has voiced admiration for US ex-president Barack Obama and South African anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela.
However, Faye and the government he will shortly lead face major challenges.
The biggest appears to be creating enough jobs in a nation where 75 percent of the 18-million population is aged under 35 and the unemployment rate is officially 20 percent.
Faced with such dire economic prospects at home, many young Senegalese have chosen to risk their lives to join migrants trying to reach Europe.
AFP
You may like
French Army To Leave Senegal Amid Africa Downsizing
Senegal’s President Dissolves Parliament
Senegal’s New President Orders Economic Recovery Plan
Meet Marie Khone And Absa, Senegal President Faye’s Wives [PHOTOS]
Meet Africa’s Seven Youngest Presidents, Military Leaders [Age, PHOTOS]
44-year-old Faye Sworn In As Senegal President
Headline
Fake Labubu Dolls Worth Millions Seized In London Raid Amid Growing Safety Fears
Published
22 hours agoon
August 3, 2025By
Editor
Thousands of fake Labubu dolls believed to be worth millions of pounds have been seized at an industrial estate on the outskirts of London following a major crackdown led by Trading Standards and law enforcement agencies.
The operation, which followed weeks of investigation, traced the fake merchandise from a corner shop in Swansea, south Wales, to a warehouse complex in London.
Officers discovered rooms stacked floor-to-ceiling with fake goods, but it was the imitation Labubu dolls at the centre of a viral TikTok craze that drew the most concern.
The dolls, produced by popular toy company Pop Mart, have surged in global demand, with some genuine pieces retailing for up to £80. The popularity of the brand helped the company double its revenue to £1.33 billion last year, according to Forbes. However, authorities say the boom has also attracted criminal enterprises looking to profit from the trend through counterfeit production.
READ ALSO:‘This Is Why I Hate London’, Ivan Toney Fumes After His Car Is Broken Into
“The head comes off. The feet pull off. The eyes aren’t glued in,” said Rhys Harries, a Trading Standards officer, while examining one of the seized dolls. “These are clear choking hazards.”
Using a plastic tool modelled after a child’s throat, Harries demonstrated how easily parts of the fake dolls could become life-threatening. “These parts would get stuck and potentially cause choking,” he warned.
The scale of the operation was alarming. Border Force officials say they have intercepted hundreds of thousands of fake Labubu dolls at UK ports in recent months, with many traced back to manufacturers in China, Hong Kong, and Turkey.
In one case, a mother from Caerphilly, Jade, recounted how fake Labubu dolls she bought for her six-year-old son Harri’s birthday began falling apart within hours. “The hook came off and ended up in his mouth,” she said. “Luckily he was old enough to spit it out and tell me.”
READ ALSO:Bank CEO Beaten To Death In London
Despite knowing the dolls were fakes, Jade said she bought them due to the high cost of the original ones and peer pressure from other children. She got the knock-offs for just over £10 each.
Authorities say the rush to cash in on the craze has led to the use of substandard and potentially dangerous materials, including toxic plastics. Kate Caffery, deputy director of intelligence and law enforcement at the UK’s Intellectual Property Office, said counterfeiting is the second most lucrative source of criminal income worldwide, after drug trafficking.
“There’s a complete disregard for safety,” Caffery said. “They’re made from anything from the inferior to the outright dangerous.”
TikTok collector and plush toy enthusiast Meg Goldberger, 27, said she struggled to find genuine dolls due to scalpers bulk-buying authentic stock and reselling them at inflated prices. “They sell out in seconds,” she said. “Some resellers are using bots to buy hundreds at once.”
Investigators found invoice books showing the dolls were destined for locations across the UK. Some of the seized dolls will be used as evidence, while the rest will be stored in a secure location before being recycled or destroyed.
Pop Mart has been contacted for comment on the counterfeit issue, which authorities say is now a national concern.
Headline
Young Catholics Converge On Rome For Pope Leo’s Vigil
Published
2 days agoon
August 2, 2025By
Editor
Thousands of young Catholics began assembling Saturday for an evening prayer vigil led by Pope Leo XIV, the culmination of a week-long pilgrimage and a key event in the Jubilee holy year that is expected to draw up to a million people.
The “Jubilee of Youth” — when the Vatican invites Catholics aged 18 to 35 to the seat of the global Church’s power — has seen young pilgrims from around the world flood Rome, waving flags, singing or praying in groups.
It comes nearly three months after Leo, 69, the first American pontiff, began his papacy, and 25 years after the last such massive youth gathering in Rome under Poland’s Pope John Paul II.
On Saturday morning, thousands of young pilgrims had already gathered at the vast open space in Rome’s eastern Tor Vergata neighbourhood where the pope will lead the vigil, the ground already dotted with blankets and mattresses.
READ ALSO:Full List: 57 Lawyers Nominated For SAN Status
Elsewhere in the Eternal City, numerous groups of young people were seen preparing to set off for the venue.
On the plaza outside the Basilica of St John Lateran, they filled water bottles, applied suncream and checked bags of food and snacks — ready to spend the next 24 hours surrounded by a swarm of people and then sleep under the stars.
Victoria Perez, who carried a Spanish flag, could not contain her excitement at seeing “the Pope up close.
“It’s the first time I’m going to see him, and I can’t wait,” the 21-year-old told AFP, excited to experience the “night of prayers under the stars”.
French pilgrim, Quentin Remaury, 26, said he had been inspired by the late Pope Francis’s rousing message to youth during a 2016 visit to Krakow, Poland.
READ ALSO:Gunmen Invade Catholic Seminary School In Edo, Kill One, Abduct Three
“Pope Francis told us to ‘get off your couches,’ and that really gave me a boost,” he said.
– ‘What is his message?’ –
Since the youth jubilee began on Monday, attendees have participated in various Church-planned events throughout the city.
On Friday, approximately 1,000 priests were on hand to take confession at Circus Maximus, one of Rome’s top tourist spots.
Some 200 white gazebos lined the hippodrome where chariot races were once held, and youths lined up to speak to priests in 10 different languages.
Of the many languages heard on the streets of the Italian capital this week, Spanish seemed to dominate. The Vatican has said that more than 146 countries were represented, and it expects up to a million people to attend the vigil.
READ ALSO:Okuama-Ewu identifies 11 persons Killed By Military, 413 Houses Destroyed
The pilgrimage is taking place as economic uncertainty and anxiety over climate change rise among the under-30s, with many saying they were curious to hear the Church’s position on global warming, wars and economic inequalities.
Samarei Semos, 29, said she had travelled three days from her native Belize to get to Rome.
“We are still trying to understand his leadership,” she said of the new pope, adding she hoped he would have a strong say about “third world countries”.
As Parisian student Alice Berry exclaimed, “What does he have to say to us? What is his message for young people?”
– Raising voices –
The youth pilgrimage also comes amid global alarm over the humanitarian situation in Gaza, and more than three years of war in Ukraine.
READ ALSO:Pope Leo XIV Outlines A Path For A Modern Church That Follows Francis’ Steps
The Vatican has praised young Catholics who managed to travel to Rome from war-scarred countries, with Pope Leo saying the voices of the world’s youth “will be heard to the end of the earth”.
In an unprecedented move, Leo hosted a mass on Tuesday for Catholic social media influencers, signalling the Vatican’s openness to supporting the Internet-savvy youth.
More than 4,300 volunteers will be working the event to welcome the young pilgrims, along with over 1,000 police, according to organisers.
Roman authorities have tightened security in the city — which has seen an unprecedented number of people, with both tourists and pilgrims inundating the city.
AFP

Ukrainian drone strikes killed three people and wounded two others overnight in western Russia, regional governors said on Saturday.
One woman was killed and two other people were wounded in an attack on an enterprise in Penza, the region’s governor, Oleg Melnichenko, wrote on Telegram.
An elderly man was killed inside a house that caught fire due to falling drone debris in the Samara region, Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev posted on Telegram.
In the Rostov region, a guard at an industrial facility was killed after a drone attack and a fire in one of the site’s buildings, acting Rostov governor Yuri Sliusar said.
READ ALSO:CAF Awards 2024 Final Nominees Revealed [Full list]
“The military repelled a massive air attack during the night,” destroying drones over seven districts, Sliusar posted on Telegram.
Russia’s defence ministry said its air defence systems had destroyed 112 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory — 34 over the Rostov region — in a nearly nine-hour period, from Friday night to Saturday morning.
In Ukraine’s central-eastern Dnipropetrovsk region, overnight Russian drone attacks left three people wounded, governor Sergiy Lysak wrote on Telegram.
Several buildings, homes and cars were damaged, he said.
READ ALSO:Tension In Edo Over List Of Commissioner-nominees
Russian forces have claimed advances in Dnipropetrovsk, recently announcing the capture of two villages there, part of Moscow’s accelerated capture of territory in July, according to AFP’s analysis of data from the US-based Institute for the Study of War.
Kyiv denies any Russian presence in the Dnipropetrovsk area.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has consistently rejected calls for a ceasefire in the more than three-year conflict, said Friday that he wanted peace but that his demands for ending Moscow’s military offensive were “unchanged”.
Those demands include that Ukraine abandon territory and end ambitions to join NATO.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, meanwhile, said only Putin could end the war and renewed his call for a meeting between the two leaders.
“The United States has proposed this. Ukraine has supported it. What is needed is Russia’s readiness,” he wrote on X.
AFP
- NAS Offers Free Medical Services To Over 800 Residents In Imo Community
- We May Not Have A Country If APC Retains Power In 2027 – El-Rufa’i Warns
- 2027: Otuaro Urges N’Delta Youth To Resist Politicians’ Ploy To Destabilise Region
- Opposition Will Collapse In Edo Before 2027, Says Okpebholo
- Afenifere Hails UN For Declaring July 7 World Amotekun Day
- Seadogs Champions Social Justice Through Inaugural Art Exhibition In Owerri
- UNICEF, U-Report Build Capacity Of Youth Advocates On Child-Friendly Budgeting
- Hotel Under Construction Collapses In Edo Kills Owner
- Anambra guber: Soludo Raises Alarm, Alledges Plot By APC To Manipulate Election
- 7 Essential Blood Tests Every Adult Should Take Regularly
Trending
- News5 days ago
BREAKING: Tinubu Appoints New Federal Fire Service Boss
- News2 days ago
JUST IN: NNPCL Boss, Ojulari Allegedly Forced To Resign
- News4 days ago
[OPINION] The Gaffe And The Uproar: Okpebholo In The Public Eye
- News3 days ago
Group Rejects Bill Seeking To Install Ooni, Sultan As Permanent Co-chairmen, Council Of Traditional Rulers
- Metro3 days ago
How We Killed Nurse, Child In Abuja School After Collecting Ransom – Suspect
- Entertainment2 days ago
Popular Nollywood Actress Dies
- Metro4 days ago
Police Arrest Suspected Stolen Goods Dealer In Akwa Ibom, Recover Items
- Metro2 days ago
My Wife Used To Slap Me, Lock Me In The Room, Man Tells Court
- News4 days ago
JUST IN: Tinubu Approves Tenure Extension For Customs CG
- News2 days ago
Immigration Issues Travel Advisory To Nigerians On US Visas