Heavy security as Iraq goes to polls

There is heavy security across Iraq as the country votes in its first parliamentary elections since US troops withdrew three years ago. Polling began at 07:00 local time (04:00 GMT) and closes at 18:00. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is hoping to win a third term in office amid a growing insurgency in the west of the country. Iraq is experiencing its worst unrest since 2008, with 160 people killed in the past week alone. Some 22 million Iraqis are registered to vote, with almost 50,000 polling stations open across the country, according to BBC.