Will Britons Have a Say?

*Constitution prohibits a referendum

Tony Blair has always portrayed his Conservative opponents as hopeless Little Englanders who not only oppose the euro but hanker to pull out of the E.U. altogether, deaf not only to British interests but also to the popular will. But now the Tories are starting to hit back with charges that it's Blair who is out of touch and undemocratic. Their weapon: the constitution now emerging from the European Convention.

It's still being negotiated, but it's highly likely to boost Brussels' powers at the expense of member countries — a deeply unpopular proposition in the U.K. Unlike the euro, Blair insists he won't put the new constitution up for a national vote, supposedly because "it simply is nonsense to suggest that this fundamentally alters the nature of Britain as a nation state."

But many E.U. countries, and almost all the countries about to join, are planning referendums. Tories and powerful right-wing newspapers smell blood and are whipping up a powerful campaign, calling Blair a pro-Europe zealot who's denying the popular will. Last week, the Daily Mail announced it would hold its own referendum on June 12, using thousands of polling stations, postal ballots and e-mail votes. But Blair doesn't have much room

UNITED NATIONS A Vote For Iraq's Future The 13-year sanctions regime against Iraq was lifted when the Security Council passed a resolution granting the U.S. and the U.K. broad powers to rebuild the country. The 14-0 vote came after America and Britain agreed to give the U.N. a somewhat more significant postwar role, with a special adviser, appointed by Secretary-General Kofi Annan, to deal directly with Iraqi groups. Syria, the only Arab nation on the Council, did not vote; France and Germany decided this was a time to co-operate with the U.S. rather than obstruct. The resolution ends the long, deadly trade embargo (except for arms sales), permits the use of oil revenue for rebuilding, and provides for the return of U.N. weapons inspectors. timothy a. clary/afp The end of U.N. sanctions will cheer Iraqis long starved of trade opportunities The mandate will expire when an internationally recognized representative government is in power. The French ambassador said that the resolution "provided a credible framework within which the international community will be able to lend support to the Iraqi people." — By Jarrett Banks

to maneuver. As one government minister says: "There's a very good reason not to have a referendum. We'd lose."

Hero or Criminal?
BRITAIN The Ministry of Defense said Lieut. Colonel Tim Collins, who became a national icon after an eve-of-battle speech in Iraq in which he urged his troops to be magnanimous in victory, is under investigation following accusations that he assaulted and threatened Iraqi prisoners and civilians. Separately, the MoD confirmed that an inquiry is ongoing into assertions that Collins' unit suffered from a culture of extreme bullying.

What Did We Do?
NORWAY Widespread bafflement greeted the news that the country had been named a terrorist target in an audiotape attributed to Ayman al-Zawahiri. The al-Qaeda No. 2 was railing against the war in Iraq, which Norway actually opposed. Most likely, it was a case of fuzzy geography. "Of course he means Denmark," a Danish terrorism expert told one reporter.

Shaken Country
ALGERIA Angry earthquake survivors criticized the government for what they said were inadequate rescue efforts and blamed shoddy construction work for the high death toll. The devastating quake killed around 1,900 people and injured at least 7,000. The rescue of a 21-year-old man from a wrecked beach resort by Japanese volunteers late Friday heartened workers, but hopes faded of finding further survivors.

After the Carnage
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO Corpses were left in the streets of Bunia for days after some 300 people were massacred, according to U.N. peacekeepers powerless to stop the killing. Rival tribes agreed to a cease-fire after France sent military observers to assess the possibility of deploying a multinational force. The conflict began after Ugandan troops pulled out of the region as part of a peace deal to end five years of civil war.

Getting Ahead
NORTH KOREA In what appears to be a major coup in Washington's diplomatic battle with Pyongyang over nuclear weapons, the CIA last month recruited a foreign nuclear scientist who worked on North Korea's nuclear weapons program, two U.S. officials and a foreign government source told TIME. The scientist provided valuable information on the "location, degree of development in capabilities, where they are," one U.S. official said. The information helped confirm that the North Korean program is much further along than the CIA suspected.

Mad Cow Moos Again
CANADA A routine inspection of a slaughtered Black Angus in Alberta revealed it had been infected with BSE. Food inspectors fear parts of the contaminated cow may have been inadvertently served to other cattle as feed, infecting them and potentially any beef eaters who consumed them. Inspectors quarantined 13 sites across Canada as they investigate where — and how — the Black Angus got sick.

MEANWHILE IN COLOMBIA ...
Livin' La Vida Loca
Forty soldiers were arrested after stealing $9 million in drug money they found in the jungle. Military officials became suspicious when the soldiers (who earn about $175 per month) went on shopping sprees, buying new cars and TVs, and showered money on prostitutes. Authorities said the money had belonged to the rebel Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, which acquired it from drug cartels.