Snub for Blair over Zimbabwe

Tony Blair's meeting yesterday with South African President Thabo Mbeki failed to make a breakthrough on the issue of Zimbabwe after four hours of "wide-ranging" talks.

The two men discussed the Iraq crisis, the New Partnership for Africa's Development and the Middle East, before turning to Zimbabwe ahead of an expected announcement by the England cricket team, still grappling over whether to boycott the World Cup matches scheduled for Zimbabwe.

Britain made it clear ahead of the meeting that Mr Blair wanted to see a "firmer public stance" against Robert Mugabe's regime. But Mr Mbeki was never going to shift position to support British-led moves in Europe and abroad to isolate and vilify Mugabe. Many in South Africa's ruling African National Congress are understood to admire both the man and his policy of seizing white-owned commercial farms.

No 10 did not report any progress on Mr Blair's renewed attempt to have the matches due to be played in Zimbabwe this month cancelled on security grounds and switched to South Africa. The idea was rejected last week by the world cricketing authorities. Downing Street, however, described the meeting as "warm and cordial".

The issue of Zimbabwe will again put Mr Blair at odds with Britain's allies when the Anglo-French summit is held on Tuesday. The original summit last November had to be put back after a row between Mr Blair and the French President, Jacques Chirac, over EU farm subsidies. Now Mr Blair is at odds with Mr Chirac over the latter's decision to invite President Mugabe to the Franco-African summit in Paris later this month.

* A passenger train collided head-on with a freight train carrying flammable liquid near the town of Hwange in north-western Zimbabwe yesterday, killing 37 people and injuring 40, AP reports.