Final turnout in first phase of Bihar polls 65.08 pc, highest in state's history: EC
Patna (PTI): The final turnout in the first phase of the Bihar assembly polls is 65.08 per cent, the highest in the state's history, the Election Commission said.
A total of 3.75 crore people were eligible to cast their votes at 45,341 polling stations, including 36,733 in rural areas, on November 6 to decide the electoral fate of 1,314 candidates, of whom 1,192 are men and 122 women.
As per the latest update provided by the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Bihar, the "historic" turnout of 65.08 per cent is 7.79 per cent more than the consolidated polling percentage of the previous assembly polls held in 2020, when 57.29 per cent of the electors had cast their votes.
Of the 3.75 crore voters, 1.98 crore are men and 1.76 crore women. Women had come out in large numbers to exercise their franchise in the November 6 polls.
Two districts – Muzaffarpur and Samastipur – recorded over 70 per cent voting. While Muzaffarpur registered 71.81 per cent turnout, it was 71.74 per cent in Samastipur.
Besides, other districts that recorded a high polling percentage were Madhepura (69.59), Saharsa (69.38), Vaishali (68.50) and Khagaria (67.90).
Patna district recorded 59.02 per cent voting, while Lakhisarai registered 64.98 per cent, Munger 62.74 and Siwan 60.61.
The remaining 122 seats of the 243-member assembly will vote on November 11, while the counting will take place on November 14.
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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.
