just far welcome what are you hearing about the bomb attack near the city of kirkuk at the moment. ok what i heard so far what happened in career cooped up three people where. were killed through the blast that's happened there through the two voters and one observer but to no there's nothing. and that's the only what we know so far ok now with regard to the election the prime minister partially lifted a curfew to encourage more people to vote this appeared to have made any difference from what you could tell whether what i can tell i wasn't. going to one of the polls opposing stations you could see that the streets were empty and the curfew was there and you see people walking maybe three to four kilometers in order to reach the voting stations and off today so that the turnout is very low even at the afternoon day a body decided to change it but according to what i saw on my impression because i came back the streets were still almost empty and when i talked also told deserver here they told me that there was no change even after stopping the curfew and the turnout at the end was

reportedly been killed in a bomb attack the explosion happened just south of the oil rich city of kirkuk this comes just hours after polls closed in iraq's first parliamentary elections since the government declared victory over islamic state militants security forces in the area say the blast is linked to the election. iraqi voters cast their ballots amid tight security but turnout was lower than expected partly because islamic state militants had threatened attacks at polling places because if you want cars in areas surrounding polling stations had kept some voters away but the only reported violence was a car bomb attack in kirkuk which killed the vehicles passengers some voters were frustrated by long lines at polling booths others found their names weren't on voting lists in areas with a live. prime from the government of d.l. i've been living here since two thousand and six and there's been three elections and it's the same story the same problems we come to the polling station and they say your name's not here so we need proof of nationality we need another id what law many voters

in a bomb attack near the city of kirkuk in what officials say was linked to the elections. our middle east correspondent, martin patience, reports from baghdad. iraq is at a turning point. people here hope that this election will represent a fresh start. but the fear is the country could slip back into violence. despite the islamic state group being pushed out of most of iraq, the threat of attacks remains. translation: we hope that new politicians will be elected who will change things for young people. we have got university degrees but we are sitting at home unemployed. translation: god willing, the situation will improve, the younger generation will get jobs, electricity will get better, and most importantly we'll have security. prime minister haider al—abadi won praise for his fight against the islamist militants. translation: today, iraq is powerful and unified

at least three people have been killed the explosion happened just south of the oil rich city of kirkuk and this news just cut comes just hours after polls closed in iraq's first parliamentary elections since the government declared victory over islamic state militants security forces in the area say the blast is linked to the election. iraqis have gone to the polls i cited strict security controls and border fencing insite though a high priority for the voting public and the candidates in the ballot the influence of neighboring iran several mean runners have close ties with turan wins from them in gains from shia muslim candidates iran's dominant faith could bolster support for the regime the fight for power is mainly split between the pro western incumbent prime minister had a body and had a midi from the iranian backed militia popular mobilization forces seen as having led the fight against islamic states. armory is close to the people because he fought while others were sitting on chairs and

five—year period in london in the 1970s and 80s. in 1983. elections. the islamic state group. of kirkukls say was linked to the elections. 0ur middle east correspondent martin patience reports from baghdad. iraq is at a turning point. people here hope that this election will represent a fresh start. but the fear is the country could slip back into violence. the threat of attacks remains. who will change things for young people. at home unemployed. and most importantly, we'll have security. against the islamist militants. for all iraqis. through this election. he needs all the votes he can get. shia politicians. whose marginalisation in the first place led to the rise of is. east. this is a critical moment for iraq. to rebuild the country. but iraq's unity is fragile. sectarian divisions could once again tear this country apart. many iraqis fear their country could be a casualty of any struggle. martin patience, bbc news, baghdad. than a week could be heading for a series of explosive eruptions. the hot magma up through the ground. with the acrid air. andrew plant reports. thick streams

three people have been killed in a bomb blast near the iraqi city of kirkuk in what officials say islections — the first since victory was declared over so—called islamic state. it's believed two of the dead were voters and the third was an election observer. in the poll itself the current prime minister haider al—abadi is facing stiff competition from political parties with closer ties to iran. whoever becomes the next leader will face major economic challenges after £100 billion was spent fighting is. 0ur middle east correspondent martin patience reports from baghdad. iraq is at a turning point. people here hope that this election will represent a fresh start. but the fear is the country could slip back into violence. despite the islamic state group being pushed out of most of iraq, the threat of attacks remains. translation: we hope that new politicians will be elected who will change things for young people. we have got university degrees but we are sitting at home unemployed. translation: god willing, the situation will improve, the younger generation will getjobs, electricity w

three people have been killed in a bomb blast near the iraqi city of kirkuk in what officials say is first since victory was declared over so—called islamic state. it‘s believed two of the dead were voters and the third was an election observer. in the poll itself, the current prime minister haider al—abadi is facing stiff competition from political parties with closer ties to iran. whoever becomes the next leader will face major economic challenges after one hundred billion dollars was spent fighting is. our middle east correspondent martin patience reports from baghdad. iraq is at a turning point. people here hope that this election will represent a fresh start. but the fear is the country could slip back into violence. despite the islamic state group being pushed out of most of iraq, the threat of attacks remains. translation: we hope that new politicians will be elected who will change things for young people. we have got university degrees but we are sitting at home unemployed. translation: god willing, the situation will improve, the younger generation will getjobs, electricity

few minutes, the reuters news agency is reporting that three people have been killed bya bombing in kirkukng that situation very closely. back to the election itself. it's the country's fourth vote since the invasion of 2003 that removed saddam hussein from power. as our correspondent, yalda hakim reports, safety and the economy have dominated the campaign. security is tight. islamic state have threatened these elections, the candidates and polling stations. the authorities are taking no chances. just two years ago, large parts of this country were still part of the islamic state's caliphate. but across this nation, iraqis are cautiously optimistic that these polls mark a turn point. translation: i voted because i wanted change in this country, nothing more. this country has suffered so much, and we hope the good people win. people with ethics and conscience and faith in god. there is still a lot of anger towards the authorities in baghdad. translation: we want the entire situation in iraq to be changed. we want new schools to be built, we want jobs. there's nothing right now. in 80 years,

about the corruption and also the credibility of running this particular election especially as in kirkuk for example there will be a further election coming forth in december about its status until something like this restores confidence something like that is very difficult to conduct despite the efforts the government is making to try and rectify this if there is a strong widespread feeling a fraud having taken place could it spot violence well it's already sparked a number of demonstrations all over the country and particularly in the north so one would imagine that will continue and in fact this will prolong the process of the entire electoral. not only count but the outcome therefore who is going to be politicking in order to. create it for discover moment which by the rules of the constitution is in any case a long drawn out process because that in itself the coalition building was expected to take several months but how much how much longer could it take before we see a functioning government in iraq well it's quite difficult to know because see requirements of the constitution is

sir mark sykes had succeeded in drawing the line he wanted from a curry in the west to kirkuk in the east but for some in government this was not enough. the british were using the jewish national movement to secure palestine for themselves is this is what high vitamin is really good. defiant to open ears to downing street in the foreign office in the colonial office and it's paving the way towards that critical decision in november of one nine hundred seventeen and so i think you can direct you can draw a direct connection between britain's sudden ignored of and of zionism an idea that ideal. and what they were dissatisfied with in the term the psychs pico. i am fight for men was a chemistry lecturer in manchester who had become a prominent member of the british zionist movement he was politically well connected and rubbed shoulders with senior figures in government so high on vitamin was russian by birth he was a chemist. and then he joined the zionist movement. he climbed in the zionist movement he moved to great britain before the war well before the war maybe ten years before th

the federation the northern city of kirkuk used to be held by kurdish peshmerga now iraqi forces have taken charge when rich could group is also known as mini iraq because of its mixed population including kurds turkmen christians and arabs during this election the focus is on using the strength of diversity to solve the issue and. targets and topics. as a stance between the complement of the iraqi and car cork the real test will be in places like ramadi and other sunni majority areas which were under rice and much of the roads and buildings have been destroyed in many residents are still displaced iraqis are worried about sectarian divisions and political corruption. after we saw candidates back stabbing each other in some familiar old faces we began to have doubts if any change will happen in these elections although many people say they are not afraid of mice and attacks securing the election is a challenge on saturday important border crossings will remain closed for the twenty four hour curfew. prime minister. by the onces mostly shia national coalition to win while vice presiden