The Economist May 23rd - May 29th 2009

Good news from India
The voters of the world's biggest democracy have given their government a precious second chance:

In the past five years Congress could blame such shortcomings on the vagaries of coalition politics. But it lost that alibi this week. Unencumbered by its useless former allies, it now has a clear mandate to provide the country with educated minds, well-fed bellies, irrigated fields and uninterrupted electricity, without busting the budget. Promises to do just that featured prominently in Congress’s manifesto, just as they did in the election of 2004. If the hand comes up empty again, India’s voters will push someone else’s button next time.