But thanks to a sorry saga of his cabinet's incompetence, corruption and ill-fortune (see article) his poll ratings have been plumbing new depths for most of the year.

ECONOMIST: Japan

If Spurs' fans were dispirited by their team's continuing ill-fortune, it was not on show - and their vociferous support was almost rewarded after 22 minutes when Myhill turned Bale's long-range free-kick on to the bar.

BBC: Tottenham 0-1 Hull

IR You repeat the standard claim that Babbage's ill-fated attempt to build a computer cost a fortune and was eventually abandoned.

ECONOMIST: Letters

Modern computerisation projects, in contrast, tend to have far more in common with Babbage's ill-fated attempt to build a mechanical computer, which cost a fortune and was eventually abandoned.

ECONOMIST: Millennium issue