Now the dust is settling a little on the Israeli election result, what are we to make of it? Regional expert and Ekklesia associate Dr Harry Hagopian provides a sober assessment, focussing especially on Yair Lapid, kingmaker and leader of Yesh Atid (There is a Future). Insofar as Israel-Palestine is concerned, Lapid should insist upon a more centrist view that would stop the unremitting colonisation of Palestinian lands and encourage saving the last gasp of the two-state solution, he suggests.

All the major media outlets have now called the United States presidential election for Barack Obama, who has been re-elected for a second term.

After a week of protest over alleged fraud in the 4 December parliamentary election, the Russian Orthodox Church has called for stricter controls on the process.

A YouGov poll for Scotland on Sunday over the Bank Holiday weekend suggests a breakthrough for the Greens, up to seven per cent and ahead of the Lib Dems.