At least two army officers are suspected of paying former guerrillas to stage fake bomb plots ahead of the start of Mr Uribe's second term in August, in order to allow the army to foil them.

ECONOMIST: Bombings, real and otherwise

In Labour's second term, the chancellor has run down this surplus and borrowed heavily in order to finance a spending spree.

ECONOMIST: Public finances: Who's going to pay for it all? | The