The Department for International Development’s (DfID) extensive use of US organisations to strengthen parliaments in developing countries risks using British taxpayers’ money to promote “less accountable” American-style political systems at the expense of those based on the Westminster model, MPs have warned.

Violence marred Sunday's controversial general elections in Bangladesh, causing several deaths in clashes between opposition supporters and police. The outcome of the contest is not in doubt, as the poll was only contested in 147 of the 300 parliamentary seats up for grabs. With the opposition BNP party and its allies boycotting the poll, governing Awami League candidates or allies have a clear run in the remaining 153 seats.

Speaker of the National Assembly Dr Fehmida Mirza and the visiting US Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Tara Sonenshine joined by US Ambassador Cameron Munter Wednesday. inaugurated the Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Service (PIPS) here.

Better public diplomacy needs to be used in order to prevent a wave of legislation proscribing shechita, the kosher slaughtering of animals, Rabbi Goldberg, Deputy Director of the Rabbinical Centre of Europe (RCE), told a committee of the Knesset, Israel's parliament.

...what triggered this is that I’ve just noticed that the House of Lords actually had a debate on the coordination of UK soft power at the beginning of May. It’s all quite sensible. There’s a link to the transcript and a briefing note...