The entente that could change the world is off to a strong start.  US officials describe the first ever Japan-US-India trilateral talks as a huge success.  Foreign Policy’s The Cable reports: Two State Department officials described the meeting for The Cable. “What I really loved about it was that it just seemed like a very […]

Many Middle East Christians were initially optimistic that the changes sweeping through their region as part of the ‘Arab Spring’ protests would usher in a new era of tolerance. But as the Arab Spring has congealed into a cold and dark regional winter, the FT reports that Christians in Egypt, Syria and Iraq find little […]

An article in Foreign Affairs, a journal so prestigious that it is even received here at the stately Mead manor, adds some establishment weight to worries about China’s economy.  Don’t worry about the Chinese real estate bubble popping some day, says the piece by Patrick Chovanec.  Pointing to a 35 percent fall in Beijing apartment […]

Some interesting predictions coming out of the not-so-United Kingdom: Sir Gus ODonnell, the head of the UK Civil Service, wrote in the Telegraph recently that he thinks that the Kingdom might not be United for too much longer: Sir Gus’s comments about the Union highlight the fact that British voters and politicians are facing serious […]

India, Japan and the US held their first ever strategic trilateral talks about Asia this week, as we noted earlier on Via Meadia.  Something else is trilateral as well:  Myanmar policy.As the Burmese generals have edged away from China’s suffocating embrace, the US sent Secretary Clinton with words of encouragement, and Japan reopened the foreign […]

The Holy Qu’ran has many merits, but if it contains an infallible guide to currency policy, the mullahs of Iran have failed to find it. During the past two days, increased sanctions have caused the Iranian rial, to collapse against the dollar prompting confusion even among the country’s highest officials. The NYT reports: The rial’s […]

The Obama administration has a pretty clear and realistic idea about US goals in Afghanistan, but is having a hard time reaching them.  That at least is the meaning of the very important Washington Post story this morning that covers the outlines of a deal reached between the US and the Taliban and the collapse […]

Sexagenarians take note: in a time of weak markets and shaky pensions, retiring well on a tight budget may be easier than you think. There’s a place where warm weather, good health care, low taxes, friendly neighbors and beautiful surroundings are available year round, cheap, and beachfront homes go for about $100,000.Curious? It’s in a […]

President Bush’s No Child Left Behind act was widely hailed as a bipartisan cure for the problems of American education.  That no longer rings true; the law has been in force for some time and plenty of children are being left behind every day at schools from all over the land.The law’s goals include tracking […]

In yet another sign of closer cooperation between Asian powers and the US, Japan has chosen the F-35 fighter as the jet of choice to upgrade its air force.Reports the WSJ: Washington, Japan’s chief security ally, had quietly pushed the case for a U.S. jet by highlighting the importance of interoperability and the ability to share […]