The Vatican's centuries-old secrecy over the way it handles its money will no longer be an excuse to avoid its obligations under international and Italian criminal law to combat money-laundering operations by third parties, says the BBC's David Willey in Rome.

BBC: Vatican sets up watchdog to combat money laundering

But oh, the things she's seen on my end: the excuse-making, the nightgown under the trench coat to drive the car pool, the panic every time I see a gray hair--and that's just the small stuff.

CNN: Washington Diary: Should a Mom Rat on Her Daughter?

The government would accuse Labour of opportunism but Messrs Cameron, Osborne and Hague - who served their apprenticeships under John Major - will remember that Labour's resolutely pro-European leader John Smith found an excuse to vote with the Eurosceptics over the Maastricht Treaty, producing chaos and division in the government.

BBC: Eurozone: Osborne v new coalition?

If this is indeed why the topic is so under-blogged, it may well be an unmovable reality of blogging, but it is a pretty poor excuse and we should be challenging each other to do better.

FORBES: Bloggers and Economists are Failing on Immigration