42.31 pc turnout in first phase of Bihar polls till 1 pm
Patna (PTI): A total of 42.31 per cent of 3.75 crore voters exercised their franchise till 1 pm in the first phase of Bihar assembly elections on Thursday, an official said.
Gopalganj district recorded the highest polling percentage so far at 46.73, followed by Lakhisarai (46.37) and Begusarai (46.02).
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and INDIA bloc's CM candidate Tejashwi Yadav were among the top leaders who cast their votes in the first phase of the high-stakes assembly polls, seen as a litmus test for the ruling NDA.
In a post on X, opposition RJD alleged, "During the voting in the first phase, electricity is being cut off intermittently at the strong booths of the Mahagathbandhan with the intention of slowing down voting. Slow voting is being deliberately caused. Please, the Election Commission, take immediate cognisance of such rigging with 'malicious intent' and 'mala fide intentions' and take prompt action."
Chief Electoral Office, however, dismissed the allegations, saying, "This allegation is completely baseless and misleading. Voting is taking place smoothly at all polling stations in Bihar. The Election Commission of India is following all standard protocols to ensure that the voting process is fair, transparent, and uninterrupted. There is no basis for such misleading propaganda."
Voting began at 7 am for 121 seats amid tight security arrangements, an official said, adding it will continue till 5 pm.
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South African police arrest suspect in mass shooting that killed 12, including 3 children
Johannesburg (AP): A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting which claimed the lives of 12 people including three children at an unlicensed pub earlier this month, South African police said on Monday.
The man is suspected of being one of the three people who opened fire on patrons in a pub at Saulsville township, west of South Africa's capital Pretoria, killing 12 people including three children aged 3, 12 and 16.
At least 13 people were also injured during the attack, whose motive remains unknown.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested on Sunday while traveling to Botlokwa in Limpopo province, more than 340 km from where the mass shooting took place on Dec 6.
An unlicensed firearm believed to have been used during the attack was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.
“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 Road in Westenburg precinct. During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand gun, believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” police said in statement.
The suspect was arrested on the same day that another mass shooting at a pub took place in the Bekkersdal township, west of Johannesburg, in which nine people were killed and 10 wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons.
Police have since launched a search for the suspects.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and recorded more than 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.
The country of 62 million people has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns, according to authorities.
According to police, mass shootings at unlicensed bars are becoming a serious problem. Police shut down more than 11,000 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.
