Abbey's new strategy is to turn its back on diversification to sell the junk bonds, train- and aircraft-leasing businesses and so on and shrink to its origins as a boring old British mortgage bank.

ECONOMIST: British banking

They sell power-generation equipment and aircraft and train engines.

ECONOMIST: Cleaning up

Israeli aircraft train over Bulgaria and Cyprus and have conducted war games with Turkey's neighbour and traditional rival, Greece.

ECONOMIST: Israel and Turkey

Smoking, once prohibited only in a few train carriages or sections of aircraft, is now banned totally in many offices, on most public transport and even in many bars.

ECONOMIST: When children should be screened and not heard