Briefly

BANGLADESH

Polls close, counting begins in election after high turnout

The voting in Bangladesh's national parliament election ended at 4:30 pm on Thursday. The counting began immediately after the vote ended. The voting started at 7:30 am at over 42,000 polling centers nationwide. Long lines of voters stretched outside polling stations in parts of Dhaka on Wednesday night before voting began. According to the Election Commission, a total of 2,028 candidates were contesting for 299 out of the 300 directly-elected parliamentary constituencies. This is the South Asian country's first general election since Sheikh Hasina resigned as prime minister in August 2024 amid nationwide political chaos.

UNITED STATES

House votes against Canada tariffs in rare move

The US House of Representatives on Wednesday narrowly backed a measure disapproving of President Donald Trump's tariffs on Canada, a rare rebuke of the president and leaders of his party in the Republican-majority House. Lawmakers voted 219 to 211 in favor of a resolution to terminate Trump's use of a national emergency to put a levy on Canadian goods, as six Republicans joined all but one Democrat in favor. It was an important symbolic vote in the chamber, where Republicans hold a slim majority. The resolution stands a good chance of passing the Senate, which has voted twice to block Trump from imposing tariffs on Canada despite Republicans holding more seats.

SUDAN

Death toll from ferry sinking rises to 21

The death toll from the ferry accident in River Nile State of northern Sudan has climbed to at least 21, local authorities announced on Thursday. An eyewitness from the area told Xinhua that the boat was carrying more than 30 passengers. "Among the recovered bodies are 16 women and five men," the eyewitness said. Sudan's civil defense authorities have warned of the dangers of traveling in rudimentary wooden boats, particularly during flood seasons.

Xinhua - Agencies