Manassas, Virginia - Virginia has rarely seen such excitement in a presidential election, but this usually reliably Republican state has become a key battleground in 
2008 that could decide who gets into the White House.

As tens of thousands of voters turned out across the country Tuesday to choose between Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama, Virginia residents were particularly aware of their place in this historic election as they waited in line at polling stations.

Vilnius - The four parties that will form the next Lithuanian coalition government launched talks in the capital, Vilnius, Tuesday aimed at drawing up a program for their four-year term.

Nine days after their first informal get-together on election night, the four leaders are believed to be formalising their alliance by means of two documents: one detailing the most urgent measures facing the new administration and another outlining an intended legislative program over a full parliamentary term.

Bangkok - Democrats Abroad members will be gathering in special venues throughout Asia, from a secret "watering hole" in alcohol-free Kabul to a popular barbecue house in Bangkok, to watch the US election results on Wednesday, Asia time.

If pre-election interest is anything to go by, the turnout to watch the televised results abroad is expected to break records for Democrats Abroad - the official arm of the Democratic Party for Americans living outside of the United States.

"Democrats Abroad in Thailand has more than tripled our membership in the past 10 months," said Phil Robertson, chairman of Democrats Abroad Thailand. "I've never seen such excitement over an election."

Johannesburg - A crisis summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to discuss the nearly two-month impasse in Zimbabwe's power-sharing negotiations will be held this weekend in South Africa, the department of foreign affairs confirmed Tuesday.

"It (the summit) will be held Sunday in South Africa," foreign affairs spokesman Ronnie Mamoepa told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

Asked if all 15 SADC members would be attending, Mamoepa said, "As far as we're aware, yes."

On the Zimbabwean side, "I'm sure all the political parties that are involved in the negotiations will be invited - (President Robert Mugabe's) Zanu-PF and the two (Movement for Democratic Change) MDC formations," he said.

The notification for the assembly polls in Delhi will be issued today.

Lt. Governor of Delhi Tejinder Khanna will issue the notification.

After the formal notification, nomination for the polls will begin. Voting for Delhi is scheduled to be held on November 29.

Last date for nomination is 11 November. Scrutiny of papers will be done on the next day 12 Nov. November 14 has been fixed for as the date for withdrawal of nominations.

Counting of votes will be done on 8th of December. The term of present assembly will come to an end on December 17.

Islamabad - Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari will request the Saudi leadership to defer payments on oil exports for the next two years to help his country avert a balance of payment crisis when he arrives in the kingdom on an official visit on Tuesday, his spokesman said.

"The president will discuss several regional and bilateral issues, including means to strengthen the bilateral relations and ways to tackle the menace of terrorism and extremism when he meets King Abdullah," spokesman Farhatullah Babar said.