29 NOVEMBER 1997, page 31

South Sea Bubble

THE IMF's first team of brokers' men were lucky and got posted to Bangkok, the sec- ond team must rub along in Jakarta, but the third has drawn the hardship posting: win- ter in......

Chocolate Bankers

THE disturbing news from the Bank of England is that it has run out of gold and bank-notes. A reader writes to complain: `For several years I have bought chocolate in the form......

Brown, Green And Drab

THE Pink Panther excepted, this Brown and Green Budget was drab. That was a shame, and an opportunity missed. This Chancellor aspires to be a tax reformer, and goodness knows we......

City And Suburban

That's not Gordon's dog, it's an independent dog, so don't blame him when it bites you CHRISTOPHER FILDES T he Green Budget confirms my belief that Gordon Brown has been......

One World Of Risk

I AM glad not to have entrusted my old age to a Japanese life assurance company. Oth- erwise I might need to commit ritual sui- cide before it does. Last week a bank went down,......