No surprise that the "yes" vote won a big victory in Catalonia's independence referendum. The question is whether it was big enough to bring the central government to the negotiating table.
Category: Political issues
Economics trumps language in Belgium
Belgium finally gets a new government: a centre-right pro-business coalition held together by economic policy rather than by linguistic consensus.
Scotland almost live
Scotland votes decisively against reclaiming its independence.
Sweden follows the script
Sweden's new government will almost certainly be led by the Social Democrats, but the electorate has given them something less than an enthusiastic endorsement.
Change at the top in the EU
The European Union is getting a new head of state and foreign minister. The fact that they don't call them that is a symptom of the EU's problems.
Left, right and centre in central Europe
Slovenia is set to get a new centre-left coalition government, which is becoming something of the norm in central Europe. Hungary remains an outstanding exception.
Mr Abbott takes on the Scots
The Australian prime minister has a go at telling Scotland which way it should vote in next month's independence referendum. Scots are unlikely to be impressed.
Coalition with a conscience?
It looks as if the Liberal Party is likely to get a conscience vote on introducing same-sex marriage in Australia. The interesting question is what it will do with it.
Some thoughts about “terrorism”
Terrorism everywhere, it seems: Ukraine, Iraq, Gaza. Or are we using the label as a substitute for serious thought?
Hong Kong’s struggle for democracy
Hong Kong looks like getting the universal suffrage that Beijing promised, but how democratic it will really be remains to be seen.
The World is Not Enough 