Defying the danger of militant attacks, Pakistanis streamed to the polls today for a historic vote pitting a former cricket star against a two-time prime minister and an unpopular incumbent.

A fierce battle between US-backed Afghan forces and Taliban militants in a remote corner of eastern Afghanistan left nearly 20 people dead, including 11 Afghan children killed in an airstrike and an American civilian adviser.

Desperate earthquake survivors fought over relief supplies as the first food convoys reached the devastated city of Muzaffarabad in Pakistan, but the help was far from enough and heavy rains held up some helicopter flights to badly hit areas.