Australia election called

Australian prime minister John Howard today called a general election for November 24 that will decide the fate of his 11-year reign and whether Australia will start bringing home its troops from Iraq.

Mr Howard, Australia’s second-longest serving leader, faces a tough battle to win a fifth term in office against labour party opposition leader Kevin Rudd, a Chinese-speaking former diplomat, who for months has held a commanding lead over the conservative Howard in opinion polls.