Counting has got underway in Bangladesh after parliamentary elections marred by deadly clashes. Ms Hasina's main rival is former prime minister Khaleda Zia, the leader of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, whom a court deemed ineligible for the race for office because she is in prison for corruption. In Ms Zia's absence, opposition parties have formed a coalition led by Kamal Hossain, an 82-year-old Oxford-educated lawyer and former member of Ms Hasina's Awami League party. Local media said up to 16 people had been killed today in clashes between opponents and police in six districts across the country. This election, some 104 million people are eligible to vote, including many first-time voters.

Source: Irish Examiner December 30, 2018 12:00 UTC