I've decided today will be International News Day here at TAI -- along with our usual twaddle, that is. So let's turn our attention to India, the world's largest democracy and one of the predicted global economic powerhouses of the 21st century...or as someone once opined, "Too large to succeed, too important to fail." In the regional elections held Monday, the Hindu-nationalist BJP party swept three important states, setting up a showdown general election next year for Sonia Gandhi, leader of Congress. And speaking of female Indian politicians, here's an article on that very group from today's NYTimes: "progress or window-dressing?" One could surely ask the same question here in the US.