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A10 WORLD NEWS
Monday 25 February 2019

Nigeria votes for a 2nd day in places as death toll rises

By CARA ANNA strated extraordinary re- including bad weather.
RODNEY MUHUMUZA silience and abiding faith President Muhammadu
Associated Press in the electoral process," Buhari, a former military
KANO, Nigeria (AP) — Ni- Yakubu said. ruler who unseated the in-
geria faced a second day The national vote compila- cumbent in the 2015 elec-
of voting in scattered areas tion center opened in the tion, seeks a second term
on Sunday in a presidential capital, Abuja, on Sunday against more than 70 can-
election seen as too close evening, with at least one didates. His main rival is
to call, while the death toll state among Nigeria's 36 Atiku Abubakar, a former
from vote-related violence already on the way after vice president and billion-
mounted in Africa's largest completing its vote count. aire businessman who has
democracy. A formal declaration of the made sweeping claims of
The electoral commission presidential winner would reviving an economy still
said it was happy that vot- come "in the not-too-dis- limping back from a rare,
ing was generally peaceful, tant future," the chairman months-long recession.
but it mourned the killing of Torn posters of Nigerian Incumbent President Muhammadu Bu- said. Meanwhile, observers Many Nigerians, appalled
one of its workers by a stray hari are seen in Abuja Sunday Feb. 24, 2019. warned of potential thug- that their country recently
bullet. At least 39 people Associated Press gery as local officials raced became the world leader
have died in extremist and to compile votes across the in the number of people liv-
other attacks, said analysis her soul rest in peace." and even police taken hos- country. ing in extreme poverty, said
unit SBM Intelligence, cit- He didn't give an overall tage in Rivers state, he said. More than 72 million peo- the election will be decid-
ing informants and media death toll, saying he was All were unharmed. ple had been eligible to ed by economic issues. Ni-
reports. focused on election work- Voting continued in parts of vote in Africa's most popu- geria slipped into recession
The election worker was ers, who faced "intimida- Abia, Bayelsa, Benue, Pla- lous country and largest under Buhari when global
killed after completing tion, abduction, hostage- teau, Zamfara and Sokoto economy. oil prices crashed, with
work in Rivers state in the taking and violence." states after the process was The election was held a unemployment growing
restive south, with electoral In one case, he made an extended because of vari- week late after the elec- significantly to 23 percent
chairman Mahmood Yaku- urgent phone call to se- ous issues. toral commission cited sev- and inflation now above 11
bu telling reporters: "May cure the release of workers "Nigerians have demon- eral logistical challenges, percent.q

At least 150 die from tainted liquor in India's northeast

in India's remote northeast, unconscious. They were "We shall not spare anyone
authorities said Sunday. rushed to nearby hospitals involved in manufacture
The victims of one of the and the death toll rose to and distribution of the taint-
most deadly bootleg liquor- 150 by early Sunday, police ed liquor," Minister Sharma
related incidents in India and health officials said. said.
were mostly tea plantation Sharma, the minister, said Locals vandalized home
workers in Golaghat and about 200 people who fell of one of the arrested. Au-
Jorhat districts in Assam sick after drinking the toxic thorities collected samples
state, said Himanta Biswa liquor are in hospitals, some for the medical tests.
Sharma, the state's health in critical condition. Deaths from illegally
minister. Officials said 50 patients brewed alcohol are com-
Assam is India's largest tea- have died in the past 24 mon in India because
producing state, with more hours. the poor cannot afford li-
than 1,000 plantations pro- The owner of a local brew- censed brands from gov-
A doctor attends to a victim, who had consumed bootleg liquor,
at a hospital in Jorhat in northeastern state of Assam, India, Sat- ducing more than 50 per- ing unit and 13 others have ernment-run shops. Illicit
urday, Feb. 23, 2019. cent of Indian tea. been arrested, said top po- liquor is cheap and often
Associated Press The workers consumed the lice official Mukesh Agarw- spiked to increase poten-
tainted liquor laced with al. He said police are pursu- cy.
By WASBIR HUSSAIN and about 200 people methyl alcohol, a chemi- ing other people believed In India's Uttar Pradesh state
Associated Press have been hospitalized af- cal that attacks the central to be connected to the earlier this month, about 80
GAUHATI, India (AP) — At ter drinking tainted liquor nervous system, on Thurs- racket as part of an ongo- people died from tainted
least 150 people have died in two separate incidents day and started falling ing investigation. bootleg liquor.q