In the studios at Fox News, Rupert Murdoch's American channel, they could scarcely contain their joy at the "incredible" reports that voter turnout in Iraq had reached 95% "in some areas". "It really is unbelievable," one of the anchors said jubilantly, apparently without intending to cast doubt on the reports.

The channel, which critics have accused of being slavish to the Bush administration, was looking determinedly on the bright side.

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At al-Jazeera, a different picture emerged: at least 32 dead in a day of election-related violence. The Qatar-based satellite channel showed people clearing up at the scene of a bombing and what looked like a ballot paper stained with blood.