They sing, dance and crack jokes. Stage entertainers ? No, Swiss politicians on the campaign trail. Read more and watch the videos...

How often does your MP attend parliament? And when attending, does he or she do anything? A French website has been designed to answer precisely those questions, and spare constituents the hassle of having to frisk government records. Read more...

Four of our Afghani Observers, who have been to the polls today, explain how their country has changed since the fall of the Taliban in 2001 and what they're hoping to see from their next president. Read more...

Egyptians are not amused by “I love you, Man” (Paramount Pictures), the latest summer comedy to come from across the Atlantic. The reason: the main character’s dog is named after the country's former president, Anwar Sadat. Read more…

Several weeks before the Lebanese legislative elections, Druze political leader Walid Jumblat essentially shot himself in the foot by insulting his Maronite Christian and Sunni party allies in a conversation that wasn't as private as he thought. Read more...

Malagasy President Marc Ravalomanana has just stepped down and handed power over to the army. Why, after being re-elected for a second term two years ago, does this Malagasy politician find himself walking out the back door? Rewind to the start of the crisis...

Guinea-Bissau awoke on Monday morning without a president. Head of State Joao Bernando Vieira was gunned down as he tried to escape from a group of soldiers who attacked his home. Our Observers from Guinea-Bissau speak about the tragic events of the day. Read more...

On Feb. 11 Iran marks the 30th anniversary of the Islamic revolution that brought Ayatollah Khomeini to power. We asked the same four questions to our Iranian observers, some living in the country and some living abroad. Read more...

Ed Mazza is the Observer's regional editor for the United States. He'll be following the 2008 election online and posting daily roundups of the latest from the campaigns and the blogosphere. Read his blog review...

An advert for Madonna's concert in Cardiff (from http://madonnalicious.typepad.com)

Never one to keep shy of controversy, Madonna raised something of a storm as she kicked off her latest international tour on Saturday. In a video aired during the show, Republican White House candidate John McCain appeared alongside images of Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, while Democrat rival Barack Obama enjoyed the company of Mahatma Gandhi. Read more...