Post by Taxigirl on Nov 25, 2003 10:49:30 GMT
The Anglo-French summit was, as the Independent puts it, strong on visual images.
But despite all the diplomacy, smiles and geniality the divisions remain in place, the paper says.
Tony Blair and President Chirac spoke about plans to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the entente cordiale.
But in the opinion of the Times there is little cause for celebration about the state of the friendship between Britain and France.
The Guardian reckons both men took the first steps towards mending fences.
And the Financial Times is encouraged by what it describes as the unusually warm tone of the meeting.
But, amid such optimism, the Daily Telegraph says differences over the future of Iraq and the idea of a European defence force remain.
The task facing the two countries is summed up by the Daily Mirror, which says: "Everyone knows how hard it is to heal a rift between neighbours".
Sheer chaos
There is much discussion about what the Guardian calls the daunting task of rebuilding the former Soviet republic of Georgia after the resignation of the President, Eduard Shevardnadze.
Optimism about the future, it suggests, is tinged with nervous anticipation at the sheer chaos that now swamps the country.
The Times reports that the stream of resignations by former ministers and officials is straining efforts to get Georgia back to normal.
The Daily Record cannot contain its disgust over the ruling that the Libyan agent convicted of the Lockerbie bombing must serve at least 27 years in prison.
It argues that justice has failed because Abdelbaset ali Mohmed al-Megrahi's sentence equates to just 37 days for each of the 270 people who were killed.
The Herald believes that on the grounds of consistency he should have received at least 30 years.
The Scotsman agrees, saying natural justice suggests Megrahi should be given the longest minimum tariff of 30 years.
Unsafe sex
The 20% increase in HIV cases in Britain last year is seen by the Sun as a wake-up call.
We are becoming complacent about AIDS, says the paper, and that is dangerous.
The Daily Mirror is worried that the warnings about the dangers of unsafe sex are no longer getting through.
As the clamour for members of the England rugby team to be included in the New Year's Honours List continues, the Times backs calls for greater transparency in the system.
It echoes concerns in a Whitehall review that identified a lack of recognition for women and people from the ethnic minorities.
For its part, the Daily Mail is unhappy about what it calls the banal idea of abolishing the Order of the British Empire awards and replacing them with a new Order of Britain.
Foreign accent syndrome
Finally, the Telegraph features an American woman who recovered her voice after a stroke, but found she had acquired a British accent.
Tiffany Roberts is said to be a victim of a rare medical condition known as foreign accent syndrome.
She tells the paper that people accused her of affecting a new way of talking and she even considered moving to Britain.
The reason for the change in her accent is strange because she has never been to Britain, never had a British boyfriend or been a fan of British television shows.