All this good stuff, however, has little to do with the CBD, the 193 parties to which began one of their two-yearly meetings this week in Nagoya (America is not one of them, having not ratified the convention).

ECONOMIST: Convention on Biological Diversity

In Worthing, the Conservatives and Lib Dems gained one seat each, with other parties losing two of their councillors.

BBC: Labour retain control of Hastings and gain seats

This usually means that one of the two national parties (Congress or BJP) cobbles together a coalition with the help of a motley crew of regional chieftains and caste-based outfits.

WSJ: Sadanand Dhume: Don't Bet on India to Elect the Thatcherite

Now, a statement that observes the fact that there is often gridlock in Washington and that the contentiousness between the two parties sometimes prevents us from getting things done is not one we would disagree with.

WHITEHOUSE: Press Briefing

Yet it seems more likely that a grand coalition, especially one led by a weakened Ms Merkel, would prove both short-lived and ineffective, with the two parties scampering to blame each other for unpopular measures and positioning themselves to exploit another early election.

ECONOMIST: Germany

The 27 candidates (including Obama and Romney) on at least one state ballot is a record number, he says, which is an indication of the level of public unhappiness with the two parties.

BBC: US election: The third-party candidates