The papers' World News sections make depressing reading today.  The Hamas 'victory' in Gaza is regarded as a terrifying omen for all.

The move is a blow to Fatah, Israel, the west's foreign policy and, not least, the men and (especially) women of Gaza. However, as The Guardian points out, the gloom spreads further still:

'The pro-western Arab states, Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, are devastated by the Hamas victory, which fuels their own fears of domestic Islamist opposition and strong dislike of Iran's role in Iraq and Lebanon.' Little to celebrate at the birth of 'Hamastan''

The FT ('Gaza falls to Hamas hardliners') and The Telegraph ('Fundamentalists threaten Israel from all sides') add their own sense of doom. But its the personal perspective of a Gaza resident in The Independent that reminds us of the impact on people's daily lives in Gaza ('Amid this chaos, suffering will get worse')

And to think that sorting out the Middle East was going to be part of Blair's legacy.

A bad week all round.

Also in today's news

If you read CentreForum's recent pamphlet on demographics ('From boom to bust? Fertility, ageing and demographic change', you will want to read 'Suddenly the old world looks younger' in this week's Economist.