Newsline 2 November 2009: Karzai declared winner of Afghan Presidential race; Would van Gogh have supported Wilders? And in a series to mark 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, we visit Poland.

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Karzai wins Afghan Presidential race
Just days before Afghans were due to go back to the polls to choose a President, the country's Election Commission has called off the run-off vote and declared Hamid Karzai the winner. The decision came after his rival Abdullah Abdullah withdrew from the race claiming not enough had been done to ensure the vote would be fair. But Abdullah Abdullah criticised the decision with scathing words about the Commission's integrity.

Would van Gogh have supported Wilders?
It's five years ago today that Dutch writer, film director and opinion maker Theo van Gogh was gunned down in broad daylight by Mohammed Bouyeri. Bouyeri, a muslim of Dutch-Moroccan origin, was outraged by van Gogh's outspoken opinions on what he called "fascist" Islam. van Gogh wasn't shy about provoking his enemies - notoriously referring to Muslims as "goat shaggers," but his murder came as a huge shock in The Netherlands. The debate on the influence of Islam in Dutch society has been raging ever sionce, with right-wimg politician Geert Wilders and his freedom Party taking centre stage. So would Theo van Gogh have voted for Wilders? Read more

Poland, 20 years on
Next Monday, the 9th of november, it will be 20 years since the fall of the Berlin wall - the moment that symbolised the end of communism in eastern Europe. So all this week we'll be broadcasting a series of items focusing on five former communist countries.

We begin today in Poland with a report from Network Europe's Cintia Taylor, who talks to those who lost loved ones in the violence that surrounded the death throes of the communist regime. Read more