WASHINGTON: A sweeping US foreign aid package, including $60 billion for Ukraine, passed a key procedural vote Sunday, although opposition from right-wing Republicans may block it from becoming law. The $95 billion package includes funding for Israel’s fight against Hamas militants and for key strategic ally Taiwan, but the lion’s share would help pro-Western Ukraine … Read more
DAKAR: Senegalese lawmakers on Monday got physical as they debated an unprecedented move to delay this month’s presidential election, which also sparked clashes outside parliament and prompted international concern. The mood in the parliament chamber was close to boiling point by early afternoon, with some deputies shoving and pushing one another, leading to a temporary recess. … Read more
NAIROBI: Europe may have to deal with a new flow of Sudanese migrants if a ceasefire agreement isn’t signed soon between Sudan’s warring sides and relief efforts aren’t strengthened, the head of the United Nations refugee agency said Monday. “The Europeans are always so worried about people coming across the Mediterranean. Well, I have a warning … Read more
Economic manifestos: Pakistani political parties head to polls with focus on inflation, power bills, climate change KARACHI: As Pakistan prepares to go to national elections in less than a week, prominent political parties have issued their manifestos glazed with ambitious blueprints of an economic turnaround, promising to address historic inflation, reduce power tariffs, and initiate … Read more
Pakistani painters sit idle as digital ads rule campaigns ahead of February polls KARACHI: Muhammad Irshad recently whitewashed a wall in a densely populated, low-income neighborhood in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi with a solution made of lime and water and then painted on it an election promotion in vibrant colors. While past elections … Read more