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A6 WORLD NEWS
Monday 1 august 2022

China says remains of

rocket booster fall to Earth

A woman casts her vote for legislative elections, at a polling station in Dakar, Senegal, Sunday,
July 31, 2022.
Associated Press
Senegal’s legislative election tests

ruling party influence

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, the Long By Babacar Dione and Car- cation of what could hap- able to think of a third term.
March 5B Y3 carrier rocket, carrying Wentian lab module ley Petesch pen in 2024. On the other hand, if the
blasts off from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in (AP) — Voting was under- “For (the ruling party), it is ruling power wins the bal-
Wenchang in southern China’s Hainan Province Sunday, July
24, 2022. way Sunday for Senegal’s a question of doing every- lot, its supporters can push
Associated Press legislative election, a vital thing to maintain an ab- the president towards a
(AP) — Debris from a rocket that boosted part of Chi- test for opposition parties solute majority in the Na- third term,” he warns.
who are trying to minimize tional Assembly in order to Sall hasn’t talked about a
na’s new space station into orbit fell into the sea in the the ruling party’s influence be able to govern quietly third term but has prom-
Philippines on Sunday, the Chinese government an- before the 2024 presiden- until 2024 … and guarding ised to address the nation
nounced. tial election amid worries the possibility of passing Monday, the day after the
Most of the final stage of the Long March-5B rocket that President Macky Sall certain laws to prepare for election. “Only the people
burned up after entering the atmosphere at 12:55 may seek a third term. all eventualities at the end have the last word,” Sall
a.m., the China Manned Space Agency reported. The About 7 million voters are of Sall’s second term,” said said after casting his ballot
agency said earlier the booster would be allowed to eligible to elect 165 depu- Mame Ngor Ngom, a po- in Fatick, his hometown 189
fall unguided. ties in the National Assem- litical analyst. Even though kilometers (117 miles) from
The announcement gave no details of whether re- bly amid a politically tense Sonko’s candidacy was Dakar. “After having exer-
maining debris fell on land or sea but said the “land- atmosphere in the West rejected by the Constitu- cised their right to vote, ev-
ing area” was at 119 degrees east longitude and 9.1 African nation. Violent pro- tional Council, he has orga- eryone must go about their
degrees north latitude. That is in waters southeast of tests broke out last year af- nized opposition supporters business quietly. Life goes
the Philippine city of Puerto Princesa on the island of ter Sall’s main opponent, across Senegal. A victory on and the Senegalese na-
Palawan. Ousmane Sonko, was ar- for the opposition “would tion is still united, strong.”
There was no immediate word from Philippine authori- rested on rape charges, be synonymous with the Dissatisfaction with Sall has
ties about whether anyone on the ground was affect- and more than a dozen rejection of a possible third risen as possible adversar-
ed. people were killed. Sonko, candidacy for Sall and ies — including the popu-
China has faced criticism for allowing rocket stages who came in third in the a probable victory in the lar former mayor of Dakar,
to fall to Earth uncontrolled twice before. NASA ac- 2019 election, denies the next presidential election,” Khalifa Sall, and ex-presi-
cused Beijing last year of “failing to meet responsible allegations and his support- Ngom said. Sall’s Benno dent Abdoulaye Wade’s
standards regarding their space debris” after parts of ers have been vocal about Bokk Yakaar ruling party son Karim Wade — have
a Chinese rocket landed in the Indian Ocean. their opposition to the pres- currently holds 75% of the been targeted by the judi-
The country’s first space station, Tiangong-1, crashed ident. This year, he and an- legislature’s seats. Serigne ciary and disqualified from
into the Pacific Ocean in 2016 after Beijing confirmed other of Sall’s major oppo- Thiam, a political science running for office. Many ac-
it lost control. An 18-ton rocket fell uncontrolled in May nents were disqualified as expert at Cheikh Anta Diop cuse Sall of using his power
2020. candidates, which sparked University in Dakar, says the to eliminate opponents.
China also faced criticism after using a missile to de- more widespread anger opposition is pushing the Anger has also grown amid
stroy one of its defunct weather satellites in 2007, cre- and protests in which three subject of a possible third economic worries as prices
ating a field of debris that other governments said people died in June. term over other issues. for fuel and food have sky-
might jeopardize other satellites. Senegal, with a population “If the opposition wins, the rocketed due to the war in
The July 24 launch of the Long March-5B, China’s most- of 17 million, is known for its president will no longer be Ukraine.q
powerful rocket, carried the Wentian laboratory into stability in a region that has
orbit. It was attached on Monday to the Tianhe main seen coups in three coun-
module, where three astronauts live. tries since 2020 and where
The remains of a separate cargo spacecraft that ser- leaders have changed
viced the station fell into a predetermined area of the laws to remain in power for
South Pacific after most of it burned up on reentry, the third terms. Sunday’s elec-
government announced earlier.q
tion will give a clearer indi-