Two men in Minneapolis were arrested within minutes of the election result, for celebrating the Obama victory - they ran round their neighbourhood completely naked, and were unlucky enough to bump into two policemen (who must have voted for McCain).

More than half of the babies born in Kisumu Hospital, Kenya, have been named after either Barack or Michelle Obama. The hospital is close to the village where Mr Obama's father was born and raised.

The new President faces calls for action on US human rights violations even before he enters office; Amnesty International has called for the President-elect to close Guantanamo Bay, ban torture and investigate the abuses alleged under the current administration's pursuit of the war on terror.

The group has made a request for Obama to tackle the issue in his first 100 days of office, challenging the new president to bring the US into line with international obligations.

The election decided more than just who would become the commander-in-chief, but also the fate of state-level proposals and legislation around the country.

In California, voters chose to restrict marriage to heterosexual couples by a narrow margin of 52% support, reversing a court decision made just months previously.

Washington state voted to allow doctor assisted euthanasia for the terminally ill, while Michigan voted to allow the medical use of marijuana. South Dakota and Colorado both rejected measures that curtailed the right to abortion.

American corporations did their bit to help voter turn out this year - Starbucks, Krispy Kreme and Ben & Jerry's all offered freebies to people who said or could prove they had voted. Goodies on offer included a free coffee grande, doughnuts sprinkled like the stars-and-stripes, and a free scoop of any flavour.

An adult toy store in New York led the way for the nation's independent businessmen, offering...well, I'm sure you can guess! However, questions have been rasied over the legality of such promotions under American election laws.

And a final word; Barrack Obama is NOT a Muslim, despite what some Portsmouth students insist.

This was a rumour reporteddly started by some of McCain supporters early in the year's campaigning, and was reinforced by both Mr Obama's name, his Kenyan descent, and a near-slanderous front cover of the New Yorker magazine.

Barrack Obama is in fact a Christian, and has reportedly been active in his chosen church for many years; the real question is not is he a Muslim, but is he really a devout Christian or just playing politics?