The fathers of the constitution fudged their definition of Spain's three most independent-minded regions the Basque Country, Catalonia and Galicia by calling them nationalities (ie, neither full-blooded nations nor mere regions).

ECONOMIST: Catalonia is set to have a big role in Spain��s politics

But defenders of the right to kill selectively cite the shooting down of Japan's Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto in the second world war, which was quite a cold-blooded business though he was clearly an enemy combatant.

ECONOMIST: Assassinations

Some sort of agreement on Europe far short of full-blooded Euroscepticism seems as important for the Tories as choosing the right leader if the party is to act as a credible opposition, never mind win the next election.

ECONOMIST: The Tory leadership

Whatever assurances the Americans may have given Mr Netanyahu, it is likely, if the proximity talks stall again, that they will bring their own bridging proposals to the table or even launch a full-blooded plan of their own.

ECONOMIST: The Middle East peace process

No firm has combined such red-blooded dedication to profit and high pay with so little appreciation of the state's generosity, in saving it from following Lehman and in propping up finance with subsidies and guarantees (which are now being reconsidered see article).

ECONOMIST: Goldman Sachs and the SEC

Its narrative structure is conventional the girl's trials and tribulations, the cynic with a soul who has lost faith in the world, and the eloquent, cold-blooded thug but within these confines the characters have a shape of their own and the dialogue is refreshingly sharp.

ECONOMIST: French fiction

Relatives of David Ranta rejoiced in a Brooklyn courthouse Thursday as Ranta convicted more than two decades ago in the cold-blooded slaying of a prominent rabbi was released after prosecutors conceded their review of his murder case determined it was fatally flawed.

WSJ: Questions linger in 1990 murder of rabbi in NYC