EUROPE: Up to 100 Iraqis living in Ireland will travel to Britain today and tomorrow to vote in the country's general election.
A democratic government will be elected for the next four years, marking "a new beginning" for the country's future, according to Khalid Ibrahim, spokesman for an Iraqi human rights organisation in Ireland.
"It is a celebration. We are all travelling to Manchester to vote," he said. "There will be a very high turnout of voters for this democratic election for a permanent government for four years."
The two main challenges facing the incoming government would be to tackle terrorism and rebuild the country. "We have many intellectuals and the country is rich. Four years is enough time to deal with these two major tasks," he added.
Mr Ibrahim said he was "very optimistic" that the vast majority of people living in Iraq, including the Sunni community, would participate in this election.
Fifteen countries have facilities for Iraqi citizens to cast their vote.
Mr Ibrahim is hopeful that Ireland will eventually have polling stations for Iraqi citizens, of whom some 500 live in Ireland.