Some more facts on the ground

It looks like Eastern Ukraine is splitting off. Not easy to imagine it being glued on again. When does life return to normal, domestically and internationally? Perhaps when there is no need to deter Putin.

The country we live in

No comment is adequate

As long as you don't say bears shit in the forest

Pointless fuss, obvious truth, there was going to be no progress anyway

Ukraine

People in the area are worried. Can Putin back down, if he wanted to?

Somebody has to stand up for the EU

As part of a developing 4 party system, the Lib Dems carve out a defining stance

Looking ahead

This article is interesting for 2 reasons. It assumes Assad will come out on top, which is noteworthy for an American publication. And it raises a discussion about what Syria will be like in future, which does bear thinking about (and influencing?).

After the weekend

Clearly the US has little choice but to acquiesce in the outcome in the Ukraine, which is looking very messy. While a bit of huffing and puffing might help to preserve the Western Ukraine, why does the US advertise its impotence by issuing empty threats?

Slow progress towards a sensible policy on Syria

The Telegraph publishing such a view is news

How far will it go?

Stakes are rising in the Ukraine

The next British government

A well-informed and non-partisan analysis. There aren't many of those, but of course it could still be wrong.

Getting ugly

We don't need a new war between Russia and the rest of the world, whether hot or cold. But it needs to 2 to keep the peace.

Time to take this possibility seriously?

Scottish independence has been a distraction from real politics up to now, a hypothetical game of currency and membership of international organisations. Might it actually happen? Even to admit the possibility changes some games.

A no-superpower world?

Not much news -- this is the latest example of a something that is well known and isn't news, as is this. Until we can see which way Ukraine and India go, this bears pondering (the big picture, never mind the detail)

The economy - astonishing

Hard to believe. Can it last longer than last year's cricket upturn?

Who lies more?

The fact of these claims being made certainly is news, but it would be very hard to work out what the truth is.

Accountability

At least in one country the legislature is being allowed to push for oversight by an elected body. Will any others follow?

A broader political debate in Britain

It seems this stop-UKIP campaign has failed, and that UKIP might do well in the European elections. What is the next threshold, how does UKIP get there and how will its opponents try to prevent it?

Another mystery

People have lost their ability to live with uncertainty, so will this will be another source of conspiracy theories?

The US concession?

Will the last peace talks succeed in the last round, or are we heading for a new game that might end with a unitary state between the sea and the Jordan?