Blair Shows Flair in First Year British Leader Marks His First Anniversary with a High Profile on the World Stage and Huge Popularity at Home. Series: Tony Blair Enjoys a Light Moment with His Wife, Cherie, as the Pair Congratulated Winners of a Youth Ambassador Contest April 7. the Youngest British Prime Minister This Century, Blair Has Worked to Cultivate a More Modern Image of His Country Abroad. BY DAVE CAULKIN/AP

Alexander MacLeod, Monitor, The Christian Science Monitor

It's been a hectic first year for the politician who ended 18 years of Conservative Party# rule in Britain. In the world beyond the island nation, Prime Minister Tony Blair is winning a reputation as a high-profile international crisis-buster.

In strife-ridden Northern Ireland, he helped bring the warring parties together and brokered a historic peace settlement. After talks with Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat last week, Mr. Blair appears to have prepared the way for a new spurt in the Middle East peace process.

Most commentators appear surprised at the diplomatic skills Blair is exhibiting. Political analyst Philip Stephens says …

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Publication information: Article title: Blair Shows Flair in First Year British Leader Marks His First Anniversary with a High Profile on the World Stage and Huge Popularity at Home. Series: Tony Blair Enjoys a Light Moment with His Wife, Cherie, as the Pair Congratulated Winners of a Youth Ambassador Contest April 7. the Youngest British Prime Minister This Century, Blair Has Worked to Cultivate a More Modern Image of His Country Abroad. BY DAVE CAULKIN/AP. Contributors: Alexander MacLeod, Monitor - Author. Newspaper title: The Christian Science Monitor. Publication date: April 29, 1998. Page number: 1. © 2009 The Christian Science Publishing Society. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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