US Americans turned out in droves to name their next president, choosing between incumbent George W. Bush and challanger John Kerry, both of whom made last-gasp bids for votes after a bitter marathon that left the race in a dead heat. US President George W. Bush put the final touches on his re-election campaign and flew back to Washington for the election night vigil that would tell whether he would get another four-year lease on the White House. US John Kerry ended more than seven months of almost continuous traveling to challenge George W. Bush for the presidency, vowing to "take America to a better place" if elected. Iraq At least eight people were killed in a string of car bomb attacks across Iraq that targeted symbols of the US-backed government, as saboteurs blasted its vital oil industry to the north leaving pipelines in flames. Iraq The kidnappers of British-Irish aid official Margaret Hassan have threatened to turn her over to the group of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi within 48 hours if Britain does not withdraw its forces from the country, Al-Jazeera television reported. Mideast Israel beefed up security in Tel Aviv after a suicide bombing in its commercial capital punctured hopes that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's absence could slow the cycle of violence. Afghanistan Islamic militants holding three foreign UN election workers in Afghanistan were locked in negotiations with groups trying to secure their release, as Muslim leaders condemned the kidnapping. Netherlands Dutch police said they have arrested about 20 people for handing out tracts inciting hatred of Muslims, following the slaying of controversial Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh. Germany Britain's Queen Elizabeth II began her first state visit to Germany in 12 years with a speech in which she recognised "the appalling suffering of war on both sides". UAE Arab nations mourned the death of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahayan, the founding father and president of the United Arab Emirates.