The death toll in Iraq climbed to at least 35 today as violence marred the second round of parliamentary elections since the US-led invasion in 2003. Hundreds of thousands of security forces stood guard as Iraqis flocked to the polls, but insurgents attempted to interrupt the process using mortars, grenades, and bombs. Baghdad bore the brunt, with 25 dead in a building destroyed in a mortar explosion, reports the BBC.
"Today, in the face of violence from those who would only destroy, Iraqis took a step forward in the hard work of building up their country," President Obama said in praising those who did go to the polls.
(More Iraq stories.)