Lusaka, Zambia - The results of Zambia's presidential by- election were trickling in Friday, showing opposition leader Michael Sata polling well in his strongholds in the capital Lusaka and the Copperbelt mining region.

Results from 16 constituencies in the Copperbelt showed him leading acting president Rupiah Banda by around two votes to one.

Sata had also taken two constituencies in Lusaka region, including Lusaka Central, while Banda had won two constituencies in his home region of Eastern Province.

With only around 20 of a total 150 constituencies announced, it was too early to call the election for either candidate. The final results could take several days.

Washington, Oct 31: Former President Bill Clinton said at a rally that Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama during the financial meltdown acted like “what a president does in a crisis.”

“He said, ‘Tell me what the right thing to do is. What’s the right thing for America? Don’t tell me what’s popular. You tell me what’s right – I’ll figure out how to sell it,’” Clinton said.

Clinton said when the crisis broke, Obama called his own advisers as well as those of the former two-term president, Bill Clinton, Warren Buffet and others.

Nairobi/Goma - Diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where a rebel offensive has forced tens of thousands to flee, were under way Friday as aid agencies warned of a looming humanitarian crisis.

A fragile peace is holding in the east of the country after rebel Tutsi General Laurent Nkunda on Wednesday evening called a ceasefire as his troops were on the verge of taking the major city of Goma.

Fighting had raged for four days, with the Congolese army being driven into full retreat.

UN peacekeepers also joined the battle, pounding Nkunda's National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP) with helicopter gunships.

New York, Oct 31: A growing number of voters have concluded that Republican presidential candidate John McCain’s running mate, Sarah Palin, is not qualified to be vice president, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

Fifty nine percent of voters surveyed said that Palin was not prepared for the job, up nine percentage points since the beginning of the month.

Washington, October 31: The John McCain campaign''s decision to play up the great looks of his running mate Sarah Palin may turn out to be a winning strategy, for Northwestern University researchers have found that both men and women think that female political candidates need to be seen as attractive as well as competent to get their votes.

Srinagar, Oct 31: Filing of nominations for the first phase of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections comes to an end today.

Polling will be held on November 17 in 10 constituencies. The date of scrutiny is November 1 and last date for withdrawal of candidature is November 3.

Meanwhile, the Centre has dispatched 70 companies of para-military forces for ensuring security during the seven-phase elections in the State.

Security officials said that the Centre has so far sent 70 out of 425 sanctioned companies for ensuring security for polls during first phase of polling on November 17.