The Tsunami that occurred in November 2004 killed over 140,000 people, leaving several million homeless in Aceh Province and Sri

The late-December tsunami ushered in 2005 on a somber note, with the death toll at over 140,000 and rising. Several million have been left homeless along the Indian Ocean coast, in particular in Indonesia’s Aceh province and in Sri Lanka. The rebuilding, along with the immediate need for emergency food and medical assistance, will require a global relief effort.

In the American electoral system, people don’t really vote for presidential candidates. Instead, voters cast their ballots for "electors" who support each candidate. Each state has as many electors as the total number of its representatives in Congress. This equals two senators per state plus the number of its representatives in the House. The candidate who has the most votes in a state wins all of the state’s electors. To win the presidential election, a candidate must gain at least 270 of the 538 total electoral votes.