In Ms Stowe's experience, there are seasonal variations in divorce - but the blips tend to come in the spring and early summer - when school exams are over and term is coming to an end.

BBC: Season of ill will?

As I said earlier, the Australians committed a greater number of forces back in the spring when the President dedicated more American forces, so some of this has come as a part of the security build up toward the elections, some of this may come as new force contributions.

WHITEHOUSE: Press Briefing

With VAT and the Arab Spring falling out of the figures, 2012 is the year when the headline rate of inflation should come tumbling down.

BBC: Reasons to be cheerful (part 1)