India's massive population and rapid economic growth is one of the biggest stories of the century so far. But with this huge growth comes all sorts of big challenges relating to bureaucracy, crime, culture, commerce, and social ills.

TORONTO — Some laughs with Rob Ford have uncharitably come at his expense. There’s the time he fell off the scale during his campaign to lose some of his considerable weight, and his stumble and roll while imitating a quarterback during recent festivities for the Grey Cup, Canada’s version of the Super Bowl. It became a viral GIF in no time. To supporters, these slapstick moments likely enhance his everyman appeal. But there’s a side to what has become the Rob Ford reality show that doesn’t leave many laughing.

Given the remarkable backlash from the markets and entrepreneurs of France against Socialist President Francois Hollande, you might expect France's major center-right party, UMP, to be gathering momentum. In fact, quite the opposite is happening. Rather than take initiative, the party is locked in an embarrassingly and potentially dangerous internal leadership battle, and things are getting so bad that people are now begging for a Nicolas Sarkozy comeback.