Presidents

The first round of Finland's presidential election has been and gone. No candidate made it to the golden 50% mark, so there will be a run-off election on February 5. The election had a respectable 75% turnout.

Michael D. Higgins has won the race to be the next President of Ireland, with 40% of the 1st preference votes and a majority of 61.6% after the 4th count. With a disappointing 56% turn-out, the Irish Labour Party candidate beat a late challenge by entrepreneur Sean Gallagher, standing as an independent.

The New Zealand Herald has finally woken up to Ireland's upcoming presidential election, profiling the two leading candidates: gay rights campaigner and independent senator David Norris and former Martin McGuinness, D

The Royal honeymooners are (apparently) honeymooning in the Republic of the Seychelles. The Seychelles is one of the 32 republics within the Commonwealth of Nations.

Monarchists like to go on about the cost of a republic versus the monarchy, often claiming without any actual evidence that a republic would be more expensive. One of their favourite claims used to be that if we become a republic, the taxpayer would have to pick up the tab for a new "Presidential Palace".

The Federal Republic of Germany has elected a new head of state today. Despite what monarchists say, the election was not "divisive" although the number of rounds raised questions about the future of the Chancellor.