The results from last Saturday's elections show Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's coalition won a strong victory over Shi'ite religious parties.

VOA: special.2009.02.07

Preliminary,unofficial results indicated a strong showing by the centrist coalition led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

VOA: standard.2010.03.08

Switzerland said it had paid no ransom for her release by gunmen in a region with a strong al-Qaeda presence.

BBC: Yemen kidnappers free Swiss teacher Sylvia Abrahat

By the time Bush got around to issues people care about -- prescription drugs, education, environment, Social Security, Medicare, keeping the economy strong -- Al Gore owned the field.

CNN: Bill Press: Bush and Gore enter final stretch

Kidal, 1, 500km (930 miles) north-east of the capital Bamako, was until recently under the control of the Ansar Dine Islamist group, which has strong ties to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).

BBC: Kidal airport, Mali, August 2012