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Palin’s brewhaha
Leaderless and unbiddable, the Tea Party activists have no clear agenda and no direction. Many feel as betrayed by Republican leaders in Congress as by the president and his party
Deficit windmills
The government may have the legal authority to cut deficits fast but what matters is whether it has the stomach for an inevitable political fight
Sants marches out
Mr Sants may not have cited Mr Osborne’s proposal to abolish the FSA as a reason for his departure from the body, but it clearly played a role in his decision
Election deadlock
An outright majority for one party may be the safer outcome as it would give a clear and decisive mandate but a hung parliament would post manageable risks
Ukrainian U-turn?
It is now up to Mr Yanukovich to show not only that Ukraine has changed, but also that he is no longer the man he was and his attitude has evolved in step with his country
Japan’s debt woes are overstated
Japan is not in the rudest of fiscal health but talk of a massive JGB bubble – let alone default – is farfetched. In one area, though, it is being too complacent. That is in the fight against deflation
Vodafone’s empire
The telecoms group’s structure is holding it back. The chief executive should set a course towards a slimmed-down, focused Vodafone
Secrets and tax
Germany is entitled to buy customer data on Swiss banks. And it is in the public interest for tax cheats to be identified and forced to pay their dues
A breakthrough in Northern Ireland
The mindset of sectarian patronage has to change. Both sides must now commit to co-operation – as servants of all Northern Irish citizens
The exotica of risk
‘Booty futures’, for example, are ways for rebels to bankroll a rebellion against claims on natural resources to be plundered



