Senegal's $30M Statue May Need to Add Clothes

Senegal's government is considering taking action against one of its most prominent women for a hemline that's too high—by about 30 feet. Having spent $30 million on a giant statue of an African family meant to tower over the capital Dakar, President Abdoulaye is considering a costly revision because the female figure in the sculpture shows too much thigh for the Muslim country.

President Wade, 83, had previously said he was involved with the design of the sculpture, which is taller than the Statue of Liberty, but apparently failed to notice the skimpy loincloths sported by the towering family. The last-minute indecision has left some residents of Dakar bemused: "I think they should have thought about this before, they've spent so many millions on it already," one student tells Reuters. "The money could be going elsewhere."
(More Senegal stories.)