Perhaps most ominously, the former Soviet client Daniel Ortega has returned to the presidency of Nicaragua.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Losing Latin America

However, the other country that showed its dark side most ominously in this episode is Argentina.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Argentina's Kirchner, ally of Chavez

Most ominously, both Mr Gove and the Tories' leader, David Cameron, are fond of party-pleasing prescriptions, including policies for which proof of effectiveness is non-existent (school uniforms) or limited (insisting on synthetic phonics for teaching reading).

ECONOMIST: The Conservatives on education

Ominously Blackburn have conceded the most goals in the Premiership - a record easy to understand given some of their first-half defending.

BBC: SPORT | Football | Premiership | Blackburn 3-3 Birmingham

But ominously, one of the most successful of these, run by a company called Chemonics in Helmand province, was targeted by gunmen in May.

ECONOMIST: Nature takes a malign hand

Ominously, Iraq's most prominent Sunni religious organisation was in no doubt who was to blame for the reprisals against its people in the wake of the shrine bombing.

ECONOMIST: Iraq grows ever more sectarian | The

Ominously, though we currently retain reserve currency status, most of the world thinks this is about to change.

FORBES: The Crotty Plan: Cut 25% Off the Federal Budget Now

More ominously for the colonel's enemies, Polo Patriotico won most of the most populous states.

ECONOMIST: The colonel rides on

Opposition leaders, who have seen Mr Moi's cronies steal elections in the past, suggested ominously that the areas worst affected by the confusion were those most heavily populated by their supporters.

ECONOMIST: Kenya