Elections: Us voters expect political change after mid-term poll

The US mid-term elections are only hours away and many American voters believe the political landscape is about to change dramatically. With much discontent over the ailing economy and the current big spending administration of President Barack Obama, the Republicans are preparing to cut a swathe through Democrat support in Congress. Obama has enjoyed one-party rule in Washington since taking power nearly two years ago. But pollsters predict that is about to end. In response, one of the Democrat’s big guns, former US President Bill Clinton went out rallying last minute support.

“I am concerned that in the throws of this terrible recession we’ve been in, where people are so upset, that we’ve been a fact-free election where a lot of voters are going to get the exact result they don’t want. This is not about right and left. This is about tomorrow versus yesterday,” said Clinton. 

Sensing victory in the wind Tea Party favourites have been out and about getting their message home. According to polls, 50 per cent of likely voters say they will vote Republican. So Democrats are bracing themselves for a bad election and tough political battles ahead when a new Congress takes power in January.

Al Qaeda claims attack on Baghdad church

Funerals have taken place for some of the Christian worshippers killed in one of the bloodiest attack on Iraq’s Christian minority in seven years.

Fifty two hostages and police officers were killed when Iraqi security forces stormed Our Lady of Salvation, one of Baghdad’s largest Catholic churches, to free more than a hundred hostages seized by gunmen.

Al Qaeda says it was behind the attack but this man believes the blame lies elsewhere..

“I blame the government, the world must know, the government we have is one that America installed. Thank you Bush, thank you Obama. Thank you USA!!”

At least sixty-seven people were wounded in the raid on the church which was seized by guerrillas during Sunday mass in the deadliest attack since August.Six gunmen are also said to have died in the fighting.

The group reportedly demanded the release of al Qaeda prisoners in Iraq and Egypt.

Terrorism: Greek police seek answers to wave of parcel bombs

Greek police have called on the public to help them in their investigation following the interception of a booby trapped parcel addressed to the French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

It was one of four devices discovered in Athens – two of which police made safe after carrying out controlled explosions. The fourth injured an employee at a courier company when it went off.

The authorities have released pictures of two detainees suspected of planting the parcel bombs. They are said to be in their twenties and were allegedly carrying weapons.

Three of the packages were destined for the Mexican, Dutch and Belgian embassies.None contained enough explosive to kill.

Security officers claim one of the suspects is wanted in relation to a previous bus bombing.

Two years ago Greece experienced a wave of gas canister and bomb attacks following the killing in 2008 of a teenager by police.The bombs were usually claimed by leftist groups.

UN urges Ivory Coast rival to accept poll result

The United Nations has called on Ivory Coast’s presidential candidates to accept the results of Sunday’s poll.

There was a turnout of more than 80 percent and no major incident, fanning hopes the vote will reunite a country torn apart by a bloody civil war.

The UN’s top official in Ivory Coast, Y.J. Choi wants the will of the people respected: “Given the extraordinary success of yesterday I am more confident than ever that the results will be respected and there will be no violence.”

The incumbent Laurent Gbagbo is favourite to remain in office.

But one of his main rivals, Henri Konan Bedie or Alassane Ouattara is widely expected to force a run-off.

The national election commission has until Wednesday to tally and announce the results.

Attack: PKK denies planting Istanbul bomb

The PKK, has denied being behind a suicide bomb attack in Istanbul that left 32 people injured on Sunday night. The armed militant Kurdish group has released a statement extending its ceasefire until Turkey’s general elections next June.

But the country’s EU affairs minister refused to be drawn on the PKK’s denials.

“Turkey is determine to fight against terror, but Turkey has determine to increase the individual rights of our citizens. We believe that democracy and security should be on a balance platform,” said Egemen Bagis.

Turkey’s state news agency says the bomber used a type of explosive that’s been used by the PKK and by far-left groups, including the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front,(DHKP/C).

The DHKP/C was involved in a 2001 suicide attack on a police station near the central Taksim Square in which two people were killed.

Governments tighten air cargo security

Security surrounding the sending of freight by air is being tightened around the world following the interception of two US-bound bombs at the weekend.

The German and Dutch governments are among several banning passenger and cargo flights from Yemen while Britain is also stopping all air freight sent from Somalia.

One bomb which was found on a cargo plane in Central England had passed through Germany before reaching the UK.

A crisis meeting in Downing Street has also decided to suspend the carriage of toner cartridges in passengers’ hand luggage leaving UK airports – a move which will not help beleaguered airline operators according to Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary.

“Can we have some common sense response to this, to maybe cargo aircraft to to cargo packages, but we really don’t need any more complicated and completely ineffectual security measures for passengers at airports, given that most of the existing ones have no bearing on security whatsoever,” said O’Leary.

The toner ban comes after the bombs were planted inside printer ink cartridge containers. They were filled with an industrial explosive.

US authorities say Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri is now the prime suspect in the bomb plot.

The second device was intercepted in Dubai.Both bombs originated in Yemen but Somalia is also considered a risk because of a possible link between al Qaeda terrorists in the two countries.

From: Euronews