Curfew ahead of polls

Iraqi police imposed a curfew yesterday in the northern city of Mosul, banning vehicles and barring its residents from leaving their homes until they go to cast their ballot in this weekend's provincial elections, an Iraqi police official said.

It was the first step in a series of blanket security measures scheduled to take effect before the elections, which included closing Iraq's international borders, ordering traffic bans across Baghdad and major cities and halting air traffic. More than 14,400 candidates are competing for 440 seats in 14 of the country's 18 provinces.