Iraq: Millions of Iraqis began voting on Saturday for Iraq?s landmark referendum.
More than 15 million Iraqis registered to vote "yes" or "no" to a new draft constitution, prepared by the current government led by Shiites and Kurds.
Islamic militant groups have threatened violence and told civilians to boycott the polls.
Iraqi and US security forces are on high alert and all traffic into Baghdad has been stopped during the voting.
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani was among the first to cast his vote and said ?We have got support from all the areas?the Kurdish and Shia tribes will vote yes on the referendum and so will Arab Sunni tribes?.
Live television pictures showed voters entering a polling station in the Karrada district of central Baghdad, amid tight security.
Iraqi police and soldiers are guarding more than 6,000 pollings centers around the country, with foreign troops ready to defend against insurgent attacks if needed.
Shia-Sunni tussle
Iraq's Shiite Muslim majority and the ethnic Kurdish community, which together make up more than 75 per cent of the 27 million population, are generally expected to vote "yes" to the constitution.
Many in the Sunni Muslim minority are opposed, although in the past week some Sunni groups have said they now back the constitution following the promise of some amendments next year.
The referendum will pass and the constitution will be ratified if more than half the voters countrywide say "yes" and two thirds of voters in three of Iraq's 18 provinces do not vote "no".
If the draft Constitution is passed, Iraqis will go on to elect a government for a 4-year term in December.
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