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Tony Blair returns to parliament after the bruising session at the EU summit over the weekend. After Jacques Chirac's post-summit broadsides about him being "pathetic" for refusing to negotiate over the British rebate, he seems strangely confident; strident almost. Every gust of wind from the waning French president seems to embolden him more in his quest to modernise Europe in the mould of New Labour; there will be no discussion of the rebate unless the excesses of the Common Agricultural Policy are also tabled. Even some of the French press seem to be swinging a little. Blair seems to have found a new boost of energy. At the same time, a new kind of spacecraft, Cosmos-1, is launched into orbit which is powered, and accelerated, by "solar wind" - the sun's rays hammering on its light-as-air sails from behind. Is the setting sun of Chirac's presidency giving Tonos-1 a timely boost.

The Times; Wednesday 22/6/05

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