B’desh to deploy army ahead of general polls
Dhaka, Dec 18: Amid continued tensions, army personnel will be deployed across Bangladesh to assist the civil administration in ensuring security ahead of the country’s general elections slated for January 7, 2024, according to a poll body official. Bangladeshi Election Commission Secretary Md Jahangir Alam told journalists that President Mohammed Shahabuddin on Sunday approved in principle the deployment of the army during the upcoming general elections, reports Xinhua news agency. Army personnel would be deployed as a striking force, Jahangir Alam said, adding that the decision came from a meeting between the president and the chief election commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal on Sunday. Earlier, the commission announced its plan to deploy troops across the country for 13 days starting on December 29 in preparation for the crucial polls against a backdrop of heightened political tensions. (IANS)
Internet services face disruptions across Pakistan
Islamabad, Dec 18: Internet services faced disruptions almost across the country on Sunday night as a large number of users complained about difficulties in accessing social media sites, Pakistani media reported. The apps, especially the website versions have been down since around 7 p.m. local time, Geo News reported, citing Downdetector. Karachi, Lahore, Mir Pur Khas, and Rawalpindi were the most affected cities in the country. Some users have taken to WhatsApp to report issues as well. The reason behind the outage is yet not clear as the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has not issued any statement on the matter, the media outlet reported. (IANS)
Twelve shot dead in Mexico Christmas party
Mexico City, Dec 18: At least 12 people were shot dead during a Christmas party in the municipality of Salvatierra of Guanajuato state, Mexico, authorities have said. The bloodshed occurred on Sunday during a Christmas posada, a traditional Mexican celebration, in the community of San Jose del Carmen, the Guanajuato Attorney General’s Office said, adding that an investigation is under way. A group of armed attackers arrived unexpectedly and opened fire at posada participants, the majority of them young people, leaving 12 dead and 10 injured, Xinhua news agency reported., The wounded were taken to hospitals in the municipality, authorities said, without providing details about their conditions. In recent years, violence has increased in the region due to the dispute between criminal groups seeking control. (IANS)
N Korea fires ‘unspecified ballistic missile’
Seoul, Dec 18: North Korea fired an unspecified ballistic missile toward the East Sea on Monday, the South Korean military said, just hours after it launched a short-range missile, amid speculation the latest one could be an intercontinental ballistic missile. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launch but did not give further details, Yonhap news agency reported. North Korea fired a short-range missile from in or around Pyongyang at 10:38 p.m. Sunday. (IANS)