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by MONITOR
MR Tony Blair clocked up more air miles with visits to Moscow, Berlin, Luxembourg, Paris, London (for Prime Minister's Questions) and, finally, Brussels. In part he was seeking support for his agenda at the G8 meeting at Gleneagles in July, but he was also explaining why Britain would not give up the EU budget rebate which Margaret Thatcher had negotiated 20 years ago. Predictably, the EU summit in Brussels put its new constitution on ice following the French and Dutch rejections and failed to reach an agreement on the 2007-2013 budget. Chancellor Schroder of Germany told Mr Blair that there was “no place for national egotism” in the EU but is not thought to have told President Chirac also. In Germany, the leader of the opposition Christian Democrats, Angel Merkel, who is thought likely to defeat Herr Schroder at the next election, said she thought Mr Blair was right about the rebate.

Michael Jackson, the singer, was found not guilty on ten charges of child abuse after a 16-week trial in Santa Maria, California. In TV interviews members of the jury said they had their doubts about Mr Jackson but the accusations against him had not been proved “beyond reasonable doubt”. In New York, Dennis Kozlowski and Mark Swartz, the former CEO and chief finance officer of Tyco International, were found guilty of stealing $150 million from the company after a four-month trial. In Italy a referendum that would have made possible embryo experimentation was defeated when the turn-out reached only 30 per cent instead of the 50 per cent required for its validity; the Catholic Church had called on its faithful to abstain from voting.

Ms Ruth Kelly, Education Secretary, announced that by 2010 schools in Britain will be open for breakfast at 8am and allow children to stay for afternoon tea until 6pm, in order to help working parents; lessons will also be provided. The National Audit Office said that more than one-third of Britain's armed forces would have difficulty deploying within the time limit set by defence chiefs. It was reported that Prince William intends to join the Army.by MONITOR

MR Tony Blair clocked up more air miles with visits to Moscow, Berlin, Luxembourg, Paris, London (for Prime Minister's Questions) and, finally, Brussels. In part he was seeking support for his agenda at the G8 meeting at Gleneagles in July, but he was also explaining why Britain would not give up the EU budget rebate which Margaret Thatcher had negotiated 20 years ago. Predictably, the EU summit in Brussels put its new constitution on ice following the French and Dutch rejections and failed to reach an agreement on the 2007-2013 budget. Chancellor Schroder of Germany told Mr Blair that there was “no place for national egotism” in the EU but is not thought to have told President Chirac also. In Germany, the leader of the opposition Christian Democrats, Angel Merkel, who is thought likely to defeat Herr Schroder at the next election, said she thought Mr Blair was right about the rebate.

Michael Jackson, the singer, was found not guilty on ten charges of child abuse after a 16-week trial in Santa Maria, California. In TV interviews members of the jury said they had their doubts about Mr Jackson but the accusations against him had not been proved “beyond reasonable doubt”. In New York, Dennis Kozlowski and Mark Swartz, the former CEO and chief finance officer of Tyco International, were found guilty of stealing $150 million from the company after a four-month trial. In Italy a referendum that would have made possible embryo experimentation was defeated when the turn-out reached only 30 per cent instead of the 50 per cent required for its validity; the Catholic Church had called on its faithful to abstain from voting.

Ms Ruth Kelly, Education Secretary, announced that by 2010 schools in Britain will be open for breakfast at 8am and allow children to stay for afternoon tea until 6pm, in order to help working parents; lessons will also be provided. The National Audit Office said that more than one-third of Britain's armed forces would have difficulty deploying within the time limit set by defence chiefs. It was reported that Prince William intends to join the Army.by MONITOR

MR Tony Blair clocked up more air miles with visits to Moscow, Berlin, Luxembourg, Paris, London (for Prime Minister's Questions) and, finally, Brussels. In part he was seeking support for his agenda at the G8 meeting at Gleneagles in July, but he was also explaining why Britain would not give up the EU budget rebate which Margaret Thatcher had negotiated 20 years ago. Predictably, the EU summit in Brussels put its new constitution on ice following the French and Dutch rejections and failed to reach an agreement on the 2007-2013 budget. Chancellor Schroder of Germany told Mr Blair that there was “no place for national egotism” in the EU but is not thought to have told President Chirac also. In Germany, the leader of the opposition Christian Democrats, Angel Merkel, who is thought likely to defeat Herr Schroder at the next election, said she thought Mr Blair was right about the rebate.

Michael Jackson, the singer, was found not guilty on ten charges of child abuse after a 16-week trial in Santa Maria, California. In TV interviews members of the jury said they had their doubts about Mr Jackson but the accusations against him had not been proved “beyond reasonable doubt”. In New York, Dennis Kozlowski and Mark Swartz, the former CEO and chief finance officer of Tyco International, were found guilty of stealing $150 million from the company after a four-month trial. In Italy a referendum that would have made possible embryo experimentation was defeated when the turn-out reached only 30 per cent instead of the 50 per cent required for its validity; the Catholic Church had called on its faithful to abstain from voting.

Ms Ruth Kelly, Education Secretary, announced that by 2010 schools in Britain will be open for breakfast at 8am and allow children to stay for afternoon tea until 6pm, in order to help working parents; lessons will also be provided. The National Audit Office said that more than one-third of Britain's armed forces would have difficulty deploying within the time limit set by defence chiefs. It was reported that Prince William intends to join the Army.