Newsline July 24: Opposition candidates are raising the reformist flag in tomorrow's elections in Iraq's Kurdish region; corruption in New Jersey - 44 are arrested in the US state on charges of corruption including politicians and rabbis and a rap on the knuckles for the Dutch secret service.

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Iraq's Kurds go to the polls
Kurdish Iraq votes tomorrow in regional, presidential and legislative elections. And while the sitting party expects to remain in power, smaller groups have raised the flag for reform and sparked a debate over the oil-rich region's future.
 
Corruption probe in NJ nets dozens
A 10-year federal investigation in the US state of New Jersey has exposed political corruption, human organ sales and money laundering from New York to Israel. 44 people have been arrested including several rabbis, dozens of politicians and state officials. 

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Illegal surveillance
An Amsterdam court has ruled the Dutch secret service acted illegally when it tapped the telephones of a journalist from De Telegraaf newspaper. It's a controversial case of journalistic freedom versus state security which won't be dying down anytime soon.