WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain face the verdict of U.S. voters on Tuesday after a long and bitter struggle for the White House, with Obama holding a decisive edge in national opinion polls.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrat Barack Obama leads Republican John McCain in five of eight key battleground states as Americans prepare to vote in the White House race, according to a series of Reuters/Zogby polls released on Tuesday.

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia slashed interest rates on Tuesday, presaging cuts expected in Europe later this week in the face of mounting evidence that the global financial crisis has already pushed much of the world into a damaging recession.

AP - Barack Obama radiated confidence and John McCain displayed the grit of an underdog Monday as the presidential rivals reached for the finish line of a two-year marathon with a burst of campaigning across battlegrounds from the Atlantic Coast to Arizona.

AP - A Florida school board voted late Monday night to keep the name of a Confederate general and early Ku Klux Klan leader at a majority black high school, despite opposition from a black board member who said the school's namesake was a 'terrorist and racist.'

AP - Japanese stocks surged Tuesday as brightening investor sentiment boosted banks and exporters after a long weekend. Electronics shares rallied on reports that Panasonic Corp. may acquire rival Sanyo Electric Co.

AP - Barack Obama came up a big winner in the presidential race in Dixville Notch and Hart's Location, N.H., where tradition of having the first Election Day ballots tallied lives on.

AP - Byron Leftwich led two touchdown drives after Ben Roethlisberger reinjured his throwing shoulder and the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Washington Redskins 23-6 on Monday night.

Reuters - Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain face the verdict of U.S. voters on Tuesday after a long and bitter struggle for the White House, with Obama holding a decisive edge in national opinion polls.

Reuters - Democrat Barack Obama leads Republican John McCain in five of eight key battleground states as Americans prepare to vote in the White House race, according to a series of Reuters/Zogby polls released on Tuesday.

Reuters - Australia slashed interest rates on Tuesday, presaging cuts expected in Europe later this week in the face of mounting evidence that the global financial crisis has already pushed much of the world into a damaging recession.

Reuters - A U.S. military tribunal at Guantanamo sentenced Osama bin Laden's media secretary to life in prison on Monday after convicting him of conspiring with al Qaeda, soliciting murder and providing material support for terrorism.

AFP - Americans vote in an election of rare historic potential Tuesday with front-running Democrat Barack Obama seeking to become the first black president and Republican John McCain hoping for a poll-defying comeback.

AFP - Rebels in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo accused the government of declaring 'war on its people' by refusing to negotiate in a conflict that has driven more than a million people from their homes.

SEOUL (Reuters) - A new North Korean missile base being built near its border with China is larger in scale than existing bases and can eventually launch intercontinental missiles, South Korea's defense minister said on Tuesday.

BEIJING (Reuters) - China will issue a 'human rights action plan' that an official said will seek to improve citizens' rights over the next two years, state media reported Tuesday.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore's attorney general accused the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday of waging a two-decade campaign to besmirch the Singapore judiciary, at the start of a contempt of court case brought against the newspaper.

AP - Barack Obama radiated confidence and John McCain displayed the grit of an underdog Monday as the presidential rivals reached for the finish line of a two-year marathon with a burst of campaigning across battlegrounds from the Atlantic Coast to Arizona.

AP - Even in reliably red states where Barack Obama has little chance of winning on Tuesday, unprecedented numbers of registrations and early votes have been tallied, and elections officials are predicting a record turnout in places where neither candidate even bothered to campaign.

Reuters - A new North Korean missile base being built near its border with China is larger in scale than existing bases and can eventually launch intercontinental missiles, South Korea's defense minister said on Tuesday.

Reuters - China will issue a 'human rights action plan' that an official said will seek to improve citizens' rights over the next two years, state media reported Tuesday.

Reuters - Singapore's attorney general accused the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday of waging a two-decade campaign to besmirch the Singapore judiciary, at the start of a contempt of court case brought against the newspaper.

SYDNEY/LONDON (Reuters) - Australia cut interest rates sharply on Tuesday, presaging likely reductions in Europe later this week, and evidence of recession mounted despite glimmers of hope from major banks.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Riding a wave of resentment against Republican President George W. Bush, Democrats headed toward winning possibly their biggest majorities in the U.S. Congress in decades in Tuesday's elections, polls showed.

KISUMU, Kenya (Reuters) - Kenyans in Barack Obama's ancestral homeland prayed for victory Tuesday and relatives prepared to roast a bull in celebration if he becomes the first African-American president of the United States.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - An agreement allowing U.S. forces to stay in Iraq for three years should be put to the public in a referendum, Iraq's Sunni Arab vice president said on Tuesday.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - An Iranian female student, who was arrested in Tehran last month, is accused of acting against national security, the judiciary said Tuesday.

AP - Democrat Barack Obama's bid to become the first black president faced the final test of his remarkable two-year journey Tuesday, while Republican John McCain pressed for an Election Day upset.

AP - Pakistan's prime minister says the next U.S. president must halt missile strikes close to the Afghan border or risk losing the war on terror.

AP - Oil prices fell below $63 a barrel in Asia Tuesday after more evidence of a U.S. recession piled up and hopes China will prop demand waned.

AP - European markets edged higher Tuesday following mixed trading in Asia overnight with activity subdued ahead of the U.S. presidential election and Thursday's interest rate decisions from the European Central Bank and the Bank of England.

AP - Barack Obama came up a big winner in the presidential race in Dixville Notch and Hart's Location, N.H., where tradition of having the first Election Day ballots tallied lives on.

Reuters - Australia cut interest rates sharply on Tuesday, presaging likely reductions in Europe later this week, and evidence of recession mounted despite glimmers of hope from major banks.

Reuters - Kenyans in Barack Obama's ancestral homeland prayed for victory Tuesday and relatives prepared to roast a bull in celebration if he becomes the first African-American president of the United States.

Reuters - An agreement allowing U.S. forces to stay in Iraq for three years should be put to the public in a referendum, Iraq's Sunni Arab vice president said on Tuesday.

AFP - Americans opened the voting in their historic election on Tuesday, with front-running Democrat Barack Obama seeking to become the first black president and his Republican rival John McCain hoping for a poll-defying comeback.

LONDON/SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia cut interest rates sharply on Tuesday, presaging expected reductions in Europe later this week, and EU leaders pressed for an overhaul of global market rules.

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Senior Vatican and Islamic scholars launched their first Catholic-Muslim Forum on Tuesday to improve relations between the world's two largest faiths.

AP - Republican John McCain was counting on a narrow path to an upset victory Tuesday while Democrat Barack Obama pinned his hopes for becoming the nation's first black president on a ground organization designed to swell precincts with voters across the country.

AP - Barack Obama came up a big winner in the presidential race in Dixville Notch and Hart's Location, N.H., where tradition of having the first Election Day ballots tallied lives on.

AP - Democrats counted on solidifying their thin leadership grip on the Senate as voters flocked to the polls Tuesday to fill 35 Senate seats. Embattled Republicans braced for losses but hoped they would be modest ones.

AP - Democrats reached for a blowout at the polls Tuesday in heavy early congressional balloting that could add more than 20 seats to their House majority.

AP - Wall Street was raring for an Election Day rally Tuesday, sending stock futures soaring as millions of Americans battered by tumbling home prices, tight credit and an uncertain job market headed to the polls. Ahead of the market's open, Dow futures rose 183, or 1.96 percent, to 9,515.

AP - Byron Leftwich led two touchdown drives after Ben Roethlisberger reinjured his throwing shoulder and the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Washington Redskins 23-6 on Monday night.

Reuters - Australia cut interest rates sharply on Tuesday, presaging expected reductions in Europe later this week, and EU leaders pressed for an overhaul of global market rules.

Reuters - Iran's parliament sacked the interior minister on Tuesday in a blow to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ahead of next year's presidential election.

Reuters - Senior Vatican and Islamic scholars launched their first Catholic-Muslim Forum on Tuesday to improve relations between the world's two largest faiths.

LONDON/SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia cut interest rates sharply on Tuesday, presaging expected reductions in Europe later this week, and EU leaders pressed for an overhaul of global market rules.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's parliament sacked the interior minister on Tuesday in a blow to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ahead of next year's presidential election.

AP - Democrat Barack Obama joined the nation's earliest voters Tuesday as people around the nation began lining up to cast ballots in a historic election pitting Republican John McCain against the man seeking to become the first black president in U.S. history.

AP - Voting problems surfaced in several areas early Tuesday as people turned out in droves as balloting commenced along the Eastern Seaboard and in mid-Atlantic states.

AP - Barack Obama brought his two young daughters to the ballot box Tuesday as he cast a vote in the election he hopes will make them the first black family to occupy the White House.

AP - A ferry packed with commuters that was buffeted by sudden monsoon winds and huge waves overturned Tuesday, killing at least 40 people including 11 children, officials said.

AP - Wall Street is up sharply in early trading, setting the stage for an Election Day rally as investors look forward to putting the uncertainty of the presidential voting behind them.

Reuters - Australia cut interest rates sharply on Tuesday, presaging expected reductions in Europe later this week, and EU leaders pressed for an overhaul of global market rules.

Reuters - An Iranian female student, who was arrested in Tehran last month while visiting from the United States, is accused of acting against national security, the judiciary said on Tuesday.

AFP - Americans crowded polling stations on Tuesday to vote in their historic election, with front-running Democrat Barack Obama seeking to become the first black US president and Republican rival John McCain battling for a comeback.

AFP - The Democratic Republic of Congo's newly-appointed prime minister headed to rebel-threatened Goma on Tuesday, amid growing international concern for more than a million people displaced by fighting in the region.

NEW YORK/LONDON (Reuters) - Global credit markets showed some signs of a thaw on Tuesday as Australia cut interest rates sharply ahead of expected reductions in Europe later this week, though the deep freeze in bank lending still appeared far from over.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New orders received by U.S. factories took a surprisingly steep tumble for a second month in a row during September, according to a Commerce Department report on Tuesday underlining an accelerating decline in manufacturing activity as the economy heads into recession.

AP - Republican John McCain has cast his ballot at a church near his central Phoenix home.

AP - AT&T Inc., the country's largest Internet service provider, is testing the idea of limiting the amount of data that subscribers can use each month.

AP - Gen. David Petraeus, the new chief of the U.S. Central Command who is credited with turning the tide in Iraq, took a firsthand look at the war in Afghanistan on Tuesday.

AP - Wall Street is enjoying an Election Day rally Tuesday, surging as investors brushed off weak economic data and looked forward to putting the uncertainty of the presidential voting behind them. The Dow Jones industrial average soared about 300 points, and the other major indexes rose well over 2 percent.

Reuters - Global credit markets showed more signs of a thaw on Tuesday and Australia cut interest rates sharply ahead of expected reductions in Europe this week, but the deep freeze in bank lending appeared far from over.

Reuters - New orders received by U.S. factories took a surprisingly steep tumble for a second month in a row during September, according to a Commerce Department report on Tuesday underlining an accelerating decline in manufacturing activity as the economy heads into recession.

AFP - Americans crowded polling stations on Tuesday to vote in their historic election, with front-running Democrat Barack Obama fighting to be the first black US president and Republican John McCain hoping for an upset win.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain faced the verdict of U.S. voters on Tuesday after a long and bitter struggle for the White House, with Obama holding a decisive edge in national opinion polls.

NEW YORK/LONDON (Reuters) - Global credit markets showed more signs of a thaw on Tuesday and Australia cut interest rates sharply ahead of expected reductions in Europe this week, but the deep freeze in bank lending appeared far from over.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New orders received by U.S. factories tumbled for a second straight month in September, underscoring the grim economy awaiting the winner of Tuesday's presidential election.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Explosions killed at least 13 people in Baghdad on Tuesday, with one blast targeting a Shi'ite member of the first U.S.-backed Iraqi governing body.

KIROLIRWE, Congo (Reuters) - Congolese rebel leader Laurent Nkunda threatened on Tuesday to take his eastern guerrilla war westwards to the capital Kinshasa unless the government agreed to talks on the country's future.

AP - Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama joined voters eager to cast ballots on Tuesday before making one last pitch for supporters to turn out for their historic presidential contest.

AP - Long lines and malfunctioning machines greeted voters Tuesday as polls across the country were deluged by people wanting to cast ballots in this historic race between Barack Obama and John McCain.

AP - Seeking a transcendent victory, Democrat Barack Obama made a final-hour push for Republican-leaning Indiana on Tuesday after casting his own ballot with his young daughters at his side.

AP - Gen. David Petraeus, the new chief of the U.S. Central Command who is credited with turning the tide in Iraq, took a firsthand look at the war in Afghanistan on Tuesday.

AP - Ben Roethlisberger underwent an MRI exam Tuesday on his injured right shoulder, and the Pittsburgh Steelers won't know if he can play Sunday against the Colts until they get the results.

Reuters - Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain faced the verdict of U.S. voters on Tuesday after a long and bitter struggle for the White House, with Obama holding a decisive edge in national opinion polls.

Reuters - Global credit markets showed more signs of a thaw on Tuesday and Australia cut interest rates sharply ahead of expected reductions in Europe this week, but the deep freeze in bank lending appeared far from over.

Reuters - New orders received by U.S. factories tumbled for a second straight month in September, underscoring the grim economy awaiting the winner of Tuesday's presidential election.

Reuters - Explosions killed at least 13 people in Baghdad on Tuesday, with one blast targeting a Shi'ite member of the first U.S.-backed Iraqi governing body.

AFP - Millions of US voters poured into polling stations Tuesday to decide the historic US election, with Democrat Barack Obama fighting to be the first black US president and Republican John McCain hoping for an upset win.

AFP - UN chief Ban Ki-moon said he would personally mediate in the crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo where new clashes broke out Tuesday, threatening a week-old ceasefire.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Explosions killed at least 13 people in Baghdad on Tuesday, with one blast targeting a Shi'ite member of the first U.S.-backed Iraqi governing body.

AP - Republican John McCain implored Colorado voters Tuesday to ignore the pundits and polls and help deliver the battleground state. 'America is worth fighting for. Nothing is inevitable here,' the GOP nominee told his final rally of a marathon campaign.

AP - Ken Mink, a 73-year-old full-time student, scored two points Monday night in Roane State Community College's 93-42 victory over King College's junior varsity. Mink entered the game with about 16 minutes left in the second half and attempted one shot in about three minutes. Seven minutes later, he went back in the game, was fouled and made two free throws.

AP - Ben Roethlisberger underwent an MRI exam Tuesday on his injured right shoulder, and the Pittsburgh Steelers won't know if he can play Sunday against the Colts until they get the results.

AFP - Millions of US voters flooded polling stations Tuesday, looking to elect front-running Democrat Barack Obama the first black US president or hand Republican John McCain an upset win in their historic clash.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks had their biggest Election Day rally ever on Tuesday as investors looked forward to the end of the uncertainty surrounding the long fight for the White House, while global credit markets showed more signs of a thaw.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An insurgent attack that killed nine U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan and nearly overran a NATO outpost was carried out with the aid of two local Afghan government officials, the U.S. military said on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Additional help for distressed U.S. automakers is under consideration by Democratic congressional leaders, but the shape of any assistance and a timeframe for action must await the outcome of Tuesday's election, aides said.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks rose in the biggest Election Day rally ever on Tuesday, as investors looked forward to the end of the uncertainty surrounding the long fight for the White House, and as energy companies' shares followed oil prices higher.

AP - Democratic Sen. Barack Obama and Republican Sen.

AP - Lines stretched around buildings and crossed city blocks as people waited to cast ballots in the historic presidential race between Barack Obama and John McCain. Touchscreen voting machines malfunctioned in some precincts, yet voting Tuesday appeared to go smoothly overall.

AP - Preliminary results from a national Associated Press exit poll of voters in Tuesday's elections:

AP - Iran's parliament dismissed a Cabinet minister Tuesday over his fake degree from Oxford University, a vote seen as a humiliating blow to hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who faces elections next summer.

AP - A man was convicted of first-degree murder Tuesday for killing his wife and 11-year-old stepson out of anger over the time she spent with members of her church. The jury found Jeremias Bins guilty of two counts of first-degree murder for the 2006 slayings. Superior Court Judge John Lu sentenced Bins to two consecutive life terms in prison.

AP - For the next three to four months, the New Jersey Devils are going to learn about life without Martin Brodeur. The 36-year-old Brodeur, a four-time Vezina Trophy winner who is on the verge of becoming the NHL's all-time winningest goaltender, will be sidelined until at least February after tearing a distal biceps in his left elbow last weekend.

Reuters - U.S. stocks had their biggest Election Day rally ever on Tuesday as investors looked forward to the end of the uncertainty surrounding the long fight for the White House, while global credit markets showed more signs of a thaw.

Reuters - An insurgent attack that killed nine U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan and nearly overran a NATO outpost was carried out with the aid of two local Afghan government officials, the U.S. military said on Tuesday.

Reuters - Additional help for distressed U.S. automakers is under consideration by Democratic congressional leaders, but the shape of any assistance and a timeframe for action must await the outcome of Tuesday's election, aides said.

AFP - Millions of US voters flooded polling stations Tuesday, looking to elect front-running Democrat Barack Obama the first black US president or hand Republican John McCain an upset win in their historic clash.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain began a nervous wait for results in their fight for the White House on Tuesday as the presidential rivals split the outcome in the first two states decided.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City's budget gap will climb to $4 billion in fiscal 2009 and 2010, an administration official said on Tuesday, underscoring the damage inflicted by Wall Street's financial crisis.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican John McCain defeated Democratic rival Barack Obama on Tuesday in presidential voting in Kentucky, scoring a victory in a state that has backed the winning candidate for more than 40 years, media projected.

AP - John McCain carried Kentucky, and Barack Obama countered with a Vermont victory as he bid to become the first black president Tuesday night, first spoils in the race for the White House. Democrats gained a Senate seat, the first of several they had in their sights in a country at war and anything but prosperous.

AP - Democratic former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner breezed to victory in his bid for the Senate on Tuesday, snagging a southern seat long held by Republicans and fueling expectations that Democrats would solidify their now-thin leadership grip over the chamber.

AP - Barack Obama was the overwhelming choice of the one in 10 voters who went to the polls for their first time Tuesday — a racially diverse group of mostly twentysomethings, half of whom call themselves Democrats.

AP - Lines stretched around buildings and down city blocks as people waited hours to cast ballots in the historic presidential race between Barack Obama and John McCain. Touchscreen voting machines malfunctioned in some precincts, yet voting Tuesday appeared to go smoothly.

AP - Israel launched an airstrike on Gaza early Wednesday after its troops clashed with Hamas militants who fired mortars into Israel, leaving six Palestinians dead. It was the first battle since a June truce mostly quieted violence in the volatile territory.

AP - Jose Canseco went to a Tijuana pharmacy looking for something to boost his testosterone level — low after years of admitted steroid use — and got himself in trouble again. Limping slightly and saying he's tired, depressed and nearly bankrupt, the former slugger pleaded guilty Tuesday to a misdemeanor offense of trying to bring a fertility drug across the Mexican border. He was sentenced to 12 months' unsupervised probation.

Reuters - Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain began a nervous wait for results in their fight for the White House on Tuesday as the presidential rivals split the outcome in the first two states decided.

Reuters - New York City's budget gap will climb to $4 billion in fiscal 2009 and 2010, an administration official said on Tuesday, underscoring the damage inflicted by Wall Street's financial crisis.

AFP - Democrat Barack Obama faced a tense wait Tuesday to see if millions of American voters would enshrine him as the first black president or whether Republican John McCain would mount a shock comeback.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrat Barack Obama scored a big win against Republican John McCain in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, but the White House rivals were running close in other key battleground states that will decide the next U.S. president.

PERTH (Reuters) - Oil fell more than $1 to hover below $70 a barrel on Wednesday, as investors took profit after prices leapt 10 percent in the previous session, but losses were tempered as traders awaited the results of the U.S. presidential election before making any major moves.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats expanded their U.S. Senate majority on Tuesday but failed to beat one of their top targets, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican Interior Minister Juan Camilo Mourino was in a small aircraft that crashed into rush hour Mexico City traffic on Tuesday killing six people, Mexican radio said, citing an air traffic controller.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Frederick Williams, a Marine Corps veteran scraping by on unemployment benefits, describes his living situation as 'not homeless but close to it' and says he never cared enough to vote -- until Tuesday.

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip killed five gunmen and a ground raid killed a militant on Tuesday, Palestinian medics said, in the first armed clash in Gaza since a ceasefire took hold there in June.

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea said on Wednesday its leader Kim Jong-il, thought to have suffered a stroke in August, inspected two military units and released pictures of his visits.

AP - Barack Obama has seized command of the race for the White House.

AP - Democrats have retained and expanded their control of the Senate, picking up at least four seats now held by Republicans in Tuesday's election.

AP - Barack Obama salted away the votes of women, blacks and Hispanics by commanding margins, while John McCain won the favor of white voters — but by a margin well short of what propelled President Bush to a second term, according to preliminary exit polls.

AP - Democrats have defeated GOP Rep. Tom Feeney of Florida as they push toward big gains in their House majority.

Reuters - Democrat Barack Obama scored a crucial breakthrough win in Ohio to take a commanding lead in the White House race on Tuesday, leaving Republican John McCain fighting for his political life in a string of close battleground states.

Reuters - Oil fell more than $1 to hover below $70 a barrel on Wednesday, as investors took profit after prices leapt 10 percent in the previous session, but losses were tempered as traders awaited the results of the U.S. presidential election before making any major moves.

Reuters - Democrats expanded their U.S. Senate majority on Tuesday but failed to beat one of their top targets, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

Reuters - Mexican Interior Minister Juan Camilo Mourino was in a small aircraft that crashed into rush hour Mexico City traffic on Tuesday killing six people, Mexican radio said, citing an air traffic controller.

Reuters - Frederick Williams, a Marine Corps veteran scraping by on unemployment benefits, describes his living situation as 'not homeless but close to it' and says he never cared enough to vote -- until Tuesday.

Reuters - Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip killed five gunmen and a ground raid killed a militant on Tuesday, Palestinian medics said, in the first armed clash in Gaza since a ceasefire took hold there in June.

AFP - Democrat Barack Obama took a huge step towards becoming the first black US president , as television networks projected he would win Pennsylvania to leave Republican John McCain a razor-thin route to the presidency.

AFP - Hope for a new era in ties with the United States spread worldwide Tuesday with the spotlight fixed on Democratic frontrunner Barack Obama even before results of the presidential vote were known.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrat Barack Obama captured the White House on Tuesday after an extraordinary two-year campaign, defeating Republican John McCain to make history as the first black to be elected U.S. president.

PHOENIX (Reuters) - Republican John McCain congratulated Democrat Barack Obama on winning the presidency on Tuesday, saying 'the American people have spoken.'

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats expanded their U.S. Senate majority in Tuesday's election, but aides said they would likely fall just short of one big enough to block Republican procedural hurdles that can kill legislation.

ATLANTA (Reuters) - In churches and bars, on the street and in private homes, African Americans celebrated on Tuesday in anticipation of a longed-for victory by Democrat Barack Obama in the U.S. presidential race.

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican Interior Minister Juan Camilo Mourino was killed on Tuesday when a small plane he was in crashed into evening rush hour Mexico City traffic.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures fell more than $2 on Wednesday as the dollar gained after U.S. media projected Democrat Barack Obama won the U.S. presidential election.

AP - Barack Obama swept to victory as the nation's first black president Tuesday night in an electoral college landslide that overcame racial barriers as old as America itself.

AP - Republican John McCain concedes the presidential race to Barack Obama, saying the Democrat has achieved a 'great thing' for himself and the country with his historic victory.

AP - Democrats fattened their majority control of the Senate on Tuesday, ousting Republican Sens. Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina and John Sununu of New Hampshire and capturing seats held by retiring GOP senators in Virginia, New Mexico and Colorado.

AP - House Democrats solidified their control of the northeast and made gains in the South on Tuesday by defeating Republicans from Connecticut to Arizona as they pushed for historic gains in their majority.

AP - Now the hard part. Barack Obama essentially came out of nowhere, beat the Democratic establishment, conquered doubts about his experience and overcame questions about his race to be elected the first black president after a grueling campaign that lasted nearly two years.

AP - Democrats picked up a governor's seat Tuesday as voters in Missouri elected Attorney General Jay Nixon in an open race. In Indiana, voters re-elected Gov. Mitch Daniels Tuesday as the Republican easily turned back a Democratic challenger hoping to benefit from an expected strong turnout for Barack Obama.

AP - Looking ahead to the possibility of an Obama administration, some baseball agents already are thinking about trying to beat a possible tax increase for their well-paid clients.

Reuters - Democrat Barack Obama captured the White House on Tuesday after an extraordinary two-year campaign, defeating Republican John McCain to make history as the first black U.S. president.

Reuters - Republican John McCain congratulated Democrat Barack Obama on winning the presidency on Tuesday, saying 'the American people have spoken.'

Reuters - U.S. President George W. Bush on Tuesday called Democrat Barack Obama to congratulate him on winning the presidential election, the White House said, adding that Bush invited him and his family to visit to the White House soon.

Reuters - Democrats expanded their U.S. Senate majority in Tuesday's election, but aides said they would likely fall just short of one big enough to block Republican procedural hurdles that can kill legislation.

Reuters - In churches and bars, on the street and in private homes, African Americans celebrated on Tuesday in anticipation of a longed-for victory by Democrat Barack Obama in the U.S. presidential race.

Reuters - Mexico's Interior Minister Juan Camilo Mourino was killed on Tuesday when the small plane in which he was traveling crashed into evening rush hour traffic in the capital Mexico City.

AFP - Americans elected Democrat Barack Obama as their first black president, in a transformational election which will reshape US politics and reposition the United States on the world stage.

AFP - From the bars of London to the small Japanese town of Obama, it seemed like the whole world tuned in Wednesday to watch one of the most eagerly anticipated US presidential elections for decades.