But the departure of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, with its 17 seats, was a bitter blow, especially after Mr Barak had supported the party in its battle with another coalition ally, Meretz, over money for its religious schools.

ECONOMIST: The distance between them

Mr Poire did not comment on the signs at a news conference in Mexico City, but he said La Familia had been weakened over the past two years, especially since its leader, Nazario Moreno, was killed in a gun battle with police in December.

BBC: La Familia drug gang: Mexico says cartel 'in retreat'

In Hong Kong, says Jadis Blurton, a psychologist, the number of women coming forward, especially expatriates, has grown in the past five years but they have a battle getting local doctors to treat them.

ECONOMIST: Women with attention deficit disorder

Recognizing that it would probably face a numerically superior adversary on the plains of Central Europe, service leaders developed a doctrine called Airland Battle that stressed the value of advanced technology, especially air power, in prosecuting successful ground campaigns.

FORBES: How The Army Missed Its Chance To Modernize