The unbelievable truth about Ireland and its banks

Robert Peston | 00:00 UK time, Wednesday, 30 March 2011

Ireland's central bank and new government will confirm on Thursday that the hole in the country's banks is even wider, deeper and darker than seemed to be the case last November, when those bust banks forced the country to go with a begging bowl to the European Central Bank (ECB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for 67.5bn euros (£59bn) of rescue loans. More

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Iceland! Sweden!

Dutch bankers' bonuses axed by people power

Britain has a rival when it comes to bashing bankers. After a furious row over pay packages at Amsterdam-based ING in which thousands of customers threatened to make mass withdrawals, the Netherlands is now vying for the title of Europe's most bonus-hating country.

A growing Dutch political storm could end with a blanket ban on bonuses to financiers who work for institutions bailed out by the taxpayer. More

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with notably rare exceptions

Today’s competitive markets, whether we seek to recognise it or not, are driven by an international version of Adam Smith’s “invisible hand” that is unredeemably opaque. With notably rare exceptions (2008, for example), the global “invisible hand” has created relatively stable exchange rates, interest rates, prices, and wage rates.

Henry then asks readers to chime in with other uses of the “with notably rare exceptions” phrase. Among the entries:

With notably rare exceptions, Newt Gingrich is a loyal and faithful husband.

With notably rare exceptions, Japanese nuclear reactors have been secure from earthquakes.

Though unredeemably(sic) opaque, Mr. Madoff’s operations delivered excellent returns, with notably rare exceptions.

With notably rare exceptions, the levees protecting New Orleans have held fast in the face of major hurricanes.

With notably rare exceptions, locking all exits to the workplace is a harmless way to improve your employees’ productivity.

With notably rare exceptions, petroleum extraction has minimal environmental impact. More