After years of authoritarian rule, there is hope that this election in Bangladesh will put the country on a path to democracy.

It is the first time people will be able to have their say since a mass student uprising in 2024 led to the ouster of the country’s longest-serving prime minister, Sheikh Hasina.

Read more: Bangladesh votes in first general election since bloody ousting of Sheikh Hasina

It was a day the world saw Gen Z topple an autocrat.

Once an icon of democracy and economic progress, Hasina is now in self-imposed exile in India, convicted and sentenced to death for ordering a brutal crackdown against protestors.

The UN estimates 1,400 people were killed in less than two months.

Her party, the once-dominant Awami League, is banned from this election, challenging claims from the caretaker government that this will be an entirely free and fair election.

But it is, at very least and for the first time in a very long time, an election where it’s hard to predict the outcome.

Many will be seeing it as a test to assess the strength and impact of the youth vote and student movements in other parts of the world, like Nepal.

In both countries, frustration over a lack of jobs and endemic corruption exploded, unseating long-established leaderships.

But the truth is, it’s the old guard looming large in this vote on the surface.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party is the frontrunner, the largest party, led by Tarique Rahman, son of the former PM Khaleda Zia.

He is part of a well-established dynasty.

Read more:
Bangladesh’s first female prime minister dies
India walks tightrope harbouring deposed Bangladeshi PM

Then there’s Jamaat-e-Islami, banned under Hasina and dedicated to running the country under Islamic law.

In December, the student-led National Citizens Party (NCP) made the controversial choice to ally with the much older party.

The split within the youth vote could limit the political impact and influence of young voters.

But there are a lot of them, about 45% of the 128 million registered voters are between the ages of 18 and 33, according to the Election Commission.

Nobody yet knows what they will do, or the many Awami League voters unable to back their party. So far, there are some early indications of low voter turnout in Awami strongholds.

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In full: Wednesday’s The World

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But more broadly, there is also a lot of hope and optimism in the air in Bangladesh.

There’s a sense of excitement, people speaking freely about their hopes and that openness hasn’t been on show in previous elections.

Many believe this could be an era-defining vote after years of autocracy and a chance to experience a real contest that doesn’t feel fixed.

One trend to watch for is the role of rising anti-India sentiment.

After years of good neighbourly relations, many voters, particularly young people, accuse Delhi of being overbearing and of supporting Hasina’s regime at the expense of democracy.

The ‘fantastic investment’ will be unveiled this weekend

A Wigan pub is set to reopen this weekend following a major refurbishment of more than a quarter of a million pounds.

Wigan’s Simms Road Inn, which is located on Garswood Road in Ashton-in-Makerfield, has a history stemming as far back as 1701 and is uniquely positioned to be also considered a part of St. Helens. Its new look will be unveiled this Saturday on Valentine’s Day (February 14).

The popular pub has been given a revamp following a combined investment of £320,000 from licensee Jack Duffy, his parents Julie and Tony, and operator Admiral Taverns. The new look modernised the venue whilst also retaining a number of its key historical and identifiable features, such as its two open fireplaces.

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The full refurbishment features brand new fixtures and fittings, as well as furniture and flooring. A brand new bar has also been installed, alongside a cosy rug area and expanding its sports set-up with a new darts board and four flat screen televisions which will regularly screen Sky Sports and TNT Sports.

The pub’s exterior has also been completely revamped with new lighting, signage and a fresh coat of paint. Its spacious beer garden, which can seat up to 72 people, has also been updated. Throughout the week, the pub will have a regular schedule of entertainment including a weekly quiz night and live music once a month. They are also organising a charity walk for Williams Syndrome Foundation.

The pub’s drink offerings include Guinness, Peroni, Cruzcampo, Birra Moretti and more, as well as a range of cocktails. There will be a range of offers throughout the week, including two cocktails for £12, as well as a food menu featuring traditional pub favourites like braised steak, homemade pies, and fish and chips, as well as sharing platters and sides like fried mushrooms, garlic bread, prawns, chicken goujons and chilli nachos.

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Licensee Jack, who runs the pub with the support of his parents, said the intention of the new look was to ensure there is something for everyone. He added that his memories of visiting pubs as a child will help him continue to angle the venue as family-friendly. “We’re really thrilled with the results of this fantastic investment so far,” Jack said.

“We look forward to welcoming regular and new customers through the doors this week. We have loved every minute of our time at the Simms Road Inn so far and I would like to thank everyone, from our family and friends to our customers and of course the team at Admiral Taverns, for all their ongoing support so far. I look forward to everything the future holds for this fantastic community pub!”

Ashleigh Kirk, Business Development Manager at Admiral Taverns, added: “Jack, Tony and Julie have brought a real passion and dedication to the pub since taking it over and they have built a strong community focused local that I am sure residents will enjoy.

“On behalf of myself and everyone at Admiral Taverns, I wish them and the entire team at the Simms Road Inn the best of luck in the future.”

Simms Road Inn is on 532 Garswood Rd, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan, WN4 0XH.

Emergency services were called to Bowburn where the A177 meets the A688 at 9.56pm on Wednesday (February 11).

One person was trapped inside their vehicle, the ambulance service said, and two were taken to University Hospital North Durham for further treatment, including one who suffered chest and leg injuries.

A North East Ambulance Service spokesperson added: “We received a call to 999 at 9.56pm on Wednesday (February 11) to reports of a three-vehicle road traffic collision at the junction of the A177 and A688 near Bowburn.

“One person was trapped inside their vehicle. We sent a duty officer, doctor from Great North Air Ambulance Service, our hazardous area response team and two emergency ambulance crews.

“Two patients were taken to University Hospital North Durham for further treatment, one of which had chest and leg injuries.”

The Northern Echo has contacted Durham Constabulary for information.

The family say they were forced to flee

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A home underwent an exorcism after a family were forced to flee due to disturbances reportedly caused by a poltergeist.

The Fahey family – parents Jackie and Ester, daughter Martha, son Michael, his fiancée Mary and Martha’s baby Sarah-Louise – lived in Corab during the 1990s.

After Sarah-Louise’s birth, the household was plagued by paranormal activity.

The disturbances ranged from peculiar odours and objects being moved or destroyed, to unexplained sounds and sudden temperature plunges.

What frightened the family most was that many of the bizarre occurrences appeared to originate in Sarah-Louise’s bedroom, reports Galway Beo.

One evening they heard her distressed cries coming from her room and rushed to check on her.

They discovered the infant sitting upright, surrounded by her soft toys arranged in a perfect circle.

The situation deteriorated to such an extent that the family eventually vacated the property, with Michael and a mate remaining behind.

The case attracted nationwide media coverage and ultimately the family secured help from professional para-psychologist Sandra Ramdhanie.

The Faheys took Sandra to the property and showed her Sarah-Louise’s bedroom, as this was where they suspected the majority of the haunting occurred.

Sandra claimed she uncovered that an infant had died in the dwelling a century earlier, claiming it was envious of the care which Sarah-Louise was getting and that was why it haunted the property, particularly her bedroom.

An exorcism was performed, with Sandra lighting candles and incense, urging the family to direct all their love towards the ghost baby.

The poltergeist departed from the house peacefully, restoring normalcy.

In a conversation with RTÉ at that time, Michael expressed: “Firm beliefs in any type of things to do with ghosts and poltergeists and I actually believe in the psychic part of it as well.”

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers on Thursday that it believes the teenage daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is close to being designated as the country’s future leader as he moves to extend the family dynasty to a fourth generation.

The assessment by the National Intelligence Service comes as North Korea is preparing to hold its biggest political conference later this month, where Kim is expected to outline his major policy goals for the next five years and take steps to tighten his authoritarian grip.

In a closed-door briefing, NIS officials said they are closely monitoring whether Kim’s daughter — believed to be named Kim Ju Ae and around 13 years old — appears with him before thousands of delegates at the upcoming Workers’ Party Congress, said lawmaker Lee Seong Kweun, who attended the meeting.

First appearing in public at a long-range missile test in November 2022, Kim Ju Ae has since accompanied her father to an increasing number of events, including weapons tests, military parades and factory openings. She traveled with him to Beijing last September for Kim’s first summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in six years on the sidelines of a World War II event.

Speculation about her political future intensified last month when she joined her parents on a New Year’s Day visit to Pyongyang’s Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, a sacred family mausoleum displaying the embalmed bodies of her late grandfather and great-grandfather, the country’s first- and second-generation leaders. Some experts saw the visit as the clearest sign yet that she’s positioned to be the heir to her 42-year-old father.

South Korean officials initially expressed doubt that she could be chosen as a North Korean leader, citing the country’s deeply conservative culture and tradition of male-dominated leadership. But her increasingly prominent appearances in state media have prompted a reassessment.

In its previous assessment of Kim Ju Ae’s status in September, the NIS told lawmakers that Kim Jong Un’s decision to bring her along on his trip to China was likely part of an effort to build a “narrative” possibly paving the way for her succession.

“In the past, (NIS) described Kim Ju Ae as being in the midst of ‘successor training.’ What was notable today is that they used the term ‘successor-designate stage,’ a shift that’s quite significant,” Lee said.

According to Lee, the agency cited her growing presence at high-profile military events, her inclusion in the family visit to Kumsusan, and signs that Kim Jong Un was beginning to seek her input on certain policy matters.

Not much is known about Kim’s daughter

Despite her increased visibility in propaganda, North Korean state media have never published the name of Kim Jong Un’s daughter, only referring to her as his “respected” or “most beloved” child.

The belief that she is named Kim Ju Ae is based on an account by former NBA star Dennis Rodman, in which he recalled holding Kim Jong Un’s baby daughter during a trip to Pyongyang in 2013. South Korean intelligence officials believe she was born sometime that year.

In 2023, South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers that Kim Jong Un and his wife also likely have an older son and a younger third child whose gender is unknown.

Since its foundation in 1948, North Korea has been ruled by male members of the Kim family, beginning with the country’s founder Kim Il Sung and followed by his son, Kim Jong Il.

Kim Jong Un was just 26 when he was officially named heir during a 2010 party conference, two years after Kim Jong Il suffered a debilitating stroke. Following his father’s death in December 2011, he was abruptly thrust into the throne with relatively little preparation.

Some analysts suggest that Kim Jong Un’s decision to debut his daughter early possibly reflects his own experience of being rushed into power.

Party congress may offer hints toward succession plans

Kim Ju Ae’s first known visit to Kumsusan last month was also her father’s first visit to the site in three years. Given the palace’s status as a key symbol of the Kim family rule, the trip should be seen as a symbolic gesture by Kim Jong Un to present his daughter as his heir before his grandfather and father as he prepares for the major ruling party congress, said Cheong Seong-Chang, a senior analyst at South Korea’s Sejong Institute.

The Workers’ Party congress in late February, last held in 2016 and 2021, could provide a stage for Kim Jong Un to formalize his succession plans, possibly by giving his daughter the party’s first secretary post, its No. 2 job, although such a decision might not be immediately disclosed to the outside world, Cheong said.

Other analysts question whether she would receive such a high-profile post or any formal party role, given that party rules require members to be at least 18.

If Kim Jong Un does use the party congress to cement his daughter as successor, the signs would be more subtle, said Koh Yu-hwan, former president of South Korea’s Institute of National Unification.

For example, the party may issue self-praise about how North Korea has survived longer than most other Communist states and credit that to how the country established a “successful inheritance of the revolution,” he said.

“If you see comments like that, it would be reasonable to think that Ju Ae has been cemented,” as heir, Koh said.

A force spokesperson said they responded to a report of a sudden death

CCTV has captured the moment a mum was given a rude awakening after police stormed her Stoke-on-Trent home in a mix-up. Kellie Simm says the shock intrusion felt like ‘something out of a film’ but she understood that police were just doing this job.

The 42-year-old was resting in bed shortly after her husband had left for work when she was disturbed by a large noise downstairs. Ring Doorbell footage captured three Staffordshire Police officers rushing towards her front door, with one stumbling along the way.

The botched welfare check happened at around 7.40am on Tuesday (February 10) following reports of a sudden death on The Moat, in Weston Coyney, reported StokeOnTrent Live.

Kellie told StokeonTrentLive: “They came storming into the house shouting ‘Police, police, police!’. I genuinely thought my husband had been in a car crash. He’d just left for work a few minutes earlier. I was still sort of asleep, so I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming when they came in through my bedroom door.

“They took a quick look and then said they’d got the wrong address and dashed off. One officer told me they’d just had a call saying that someone had suffered a heart attack and fell down the stairs. I thought it was strange because you don’t usually send three police cars, a forensic van and two ambulances to a heart attack.

“One of the police came back later and apologised for the whole thing. He asked if I wanted the incident number so I could make a complaint. I told him it was completely fine, I know they were just trying to act fast to help somebody. Who could be mad about that? I’m just glad my door was unlocked after my husband left so they didn’t have to break it down!”

Although Kellie was not angered by the incident, she admitted it did give her a real fright.

“Honestly, I totally cacked myself,” she explained. “It was like some drugs bust straight off TV. Obviously I knew I wasn’t in trouble or anything, but it still scares you. We live on what is normally a very nice, quiet street. So to have police burst through your door that early in the morning is definitely a shock.”

Kellie says her concerns were instead focused on her neighbours. She added: “Afterwards I went outside to see what was going on. There was a big commotion down the road. I couldn’t see much, but I saw some people were very upset an hour later. I knew something must have seriously gone wrong.

“I was really hoping it was nothing sad or sinister. My neighbours are all lovely and we get along really well. I’d hate to see anything happen to any of them. I hope everyone is as good as they can possibly be.”

Staffordshire Police confirmed a woman was tragically found dead on the same street.

A force spokesperson said: “At around 7.30am today, we responded to a report of a sudden death in Weston Coyney. Sadly, a woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

“In an effort to reach the casualty as quickly as possible and potentially administer life-saving medical care, officers initially entered the wrong address before speaking with ambulance staff who confirmed the correct address. Ambulance staff were already at the scene so there was no delay in treatment.”

Concerns were raised about allowing the homes to be built and adding to an already overloaded sewage system.

New homes are set to be built on the edge of Thriplow, despite concerns that the sewage facility is already operating over capacity. Concerns were raised that there could be “serious problems” if more demand was placed on the overloaded system.

It was also argued that it is the responsibility of Anglian Water to invest in the area’s sewage network. The 26 new homes are due to be built at Thriplow Farm, off Fowlmere Road.

Developer MPM Properties (TH) Ltd said the homes would be a mix of houses and flats, and that 40 per cent would be made available as affordable housing. An area of public open space is also due to be created to the west of the development.

A representative of the developer told councillors at a South Cambridgeshire District Council meeting on Wednesday (February 11) that the development would “exactly meet the affordable housing needs of the community”.

They highlighted that the site is allocated for development in the neighbourhood plan, and said the proposals put forward “closely match” the layout set out in that plan, while “minimising built form and maximising open space“.

Anglian Water objected to the development, since the Foxton Water Recycling Centre lacks capacity to take sewage from the new homes. The report said no funding has been allocated to expand the facility, and that there is an “environmental risk” of adding to the demand.

Despite this, planning officers at the district council had recommended that the development should be approved, subject to conditions. They recognised the Foxton sewage works does not have capacity and that the “system overflows are used in circumstances other than exceptional circumstances”.

However, they said the increase in foul flows from the proposed development would be “very limited”, and that it would be “less than one-per cent” of the daily operating levels at the sewage works. Officers also highlighted proposed conditions for the developer to install low water usage fixtures to ensure the average water use per person per day would be 110 litres.

Councillor Dr Richard Williams said he had “significant concerns” about adding to the already overloaded sewage system and said they had to take sewage spills “seriously”.

He said: “The report recognises that Foxton is already overloaded, the approach proposed is that it is already overloaded, it therefore does not matter if we overload it a little bit more, but if we adopt that approach everywhere we could get into serious problems.”

Cllr Williams added that the district council has “some power over this” and should say no to the development. He said: “This is a problem that needs to be sorted, I accept it is not the applicant’s fault, but it is a very serious issue.”

However, Councillor Dr Tumi Hawkins said Anglian Water had a legal obligation to provide sewage capacity for developments, and said the authority should not be “held to ransom” by the water company.

She said: “Frankly, they need to stop paying shareholders and start spending money improving the sewage system in our region, that is my view.”

Officers also highlighted that Anglian Water had asked for a condition that the company would need to approve the connection to the public sewer beforehand, which they said had been added to the list of proposed conditions. When a decision was put to a vote the majority of councillors agreed to approve the plans.

For more planning notices in your area visit publicnoticeportal.uk .