Former US president Bill Clinton will spend at least two years in his new role as the top United Nations envoy promoting recovery in tsunami-hit countries and demanding accountability for the unprecedented billions of dollars donated by countries and individuals.

US TV news opted to be safe, not sorry, in covering the election results.

Republicans and Democrats battled for control of Congress today in mid-term US elections clouded by terrorism, the threat of war and a shaky economy, with voters marking ballots for governor from Maine to California.