Partly because it has come so late, the ECB action will not prevent countries like Spain from having a pretty terrible few years.

BBC: The ECB puts a sting in the tail

"Fenerbache's offer has come in so late that it would be suicidal for us to respond positively only three days before the start of the championship, " the club website quoted Dassier as saying.

BBC: Confusion reigns over Niang's Marseille future

Commerce Bank, which is now owned by Canada's TD Financial, shook up the market with innovations such as staying open late so customers could come in after work.

ECONOMIST: Retail banks

There are instances of early buyers flipping these brand-name condos for a profit, but speculators who come late to the party are unlikely to do so well.

FORBES: The Glamour Factor

Not since the late 1970s have I come to an England that has so very little reason to be merrie.

WSJ: Joe Queenan's Guide to England | Moving Targets

The debate on the merits of the two approaches is likely to come to a head in late May, with a meeting of the so-called London Group of rich-world government statisticians with an interest in the environment.

ECONOMIST: An invaluable environment