Maybe it is just that Berlusconi makes Clinton and Mitterand together look prudish, but one has to envy Lawrence Canon being in Italy so close to the action. With a few loosely connected salicious rumours strung together into a series of questions, this could be an interesting news conference. Canon has a hard enough time answering questions on issues that he ought to know. Imagine what his response be to "Minister Canon, is it true that your partook in the customary orgy after meeting with Prime Minister Berlusconi?"

And now for ...