Alongside this unfamiliar vista of London was the much more familiar view of journalists loading up on free coffee and croissants.

WSJ: Shard Is London's Latest Excuse to Party, Whinge

All this will help blunt criticism of Japan in the United States, where it is often accused of free-loading on America's defence budget.

ECONOMIST: Will East Asia keep its balance? | The

"Traffic managers, " said Dennis Abrevaya and Robert Owens, in near unison, from the cab of their delivery truck, which was parked at the loading dock of Bloomingdale's on East 60th Street on a recent Friday afternoon.

WSJ: Decoding Traffic In a Jammed City