American high school students trail teenagers from 14 European and Asian countries in reading math and science. We're even trailing France.

I think Europeans have enough tradition and respect for the experience and body of work of an actress that they don't sell out to the new ones.

We are not directly involved in Syria. But we will be working with our partners in the European Union and at the United Nations to see if we can persuade the Syrian authorities to go as I say more in that direction of respect for democracy and human rights.

The secret to a long-lasting relationship is perpetually imagining the worst. It's a world view tracing back to my Eastern European ancestry and one I draw upon regularly.

The Russians are turning east to the Chinese - to the Europeans' surprise. It always seemed to me that the relationship between Russia and China would shift from being based in Marx and Lenin to being based in oil and gas.

I am an optimist about the UK. We have been involved in trade with our European partners which we will always be doing whatever this relationship is. We are a member of the EU. That gives us benefits. But we have to figure out where that is going. In the world we are a global trader already.

It does not seem to me that the steps which would be needed to make Britain - and others - more comfortable in their relationship in the European Union are inherently so outlandish or unreasonable.

We believe in a flexible union of free member states who share treaties and institutions and pursue together the ideal of co-operation to represent and promote the values of European civilisation in the world advance our shared interests by using our collective power to open markets and to build a strong economic base across the whole of Europe.

On the one hand the financial projection is on the agenda - we will see if this problem can be resolved or not. I think it is a right idea to stage a special summit which would deal with the question of priorities of European politics.

I know enough about European politics to know you've got a lot of crazy people who make their way onto the ballot.

It is true that short forms of poetry have been cultivated in the Far East more than in modern Europe but in all European literature short forms of poetry are to be found - indeed quite as short as anything in Japanese.

It is the hope of the European Union that Ariel Sharon will keep the peace process alive and continue the dialogue according to the wishes of all the parties involved.

The European Union is the world's most successful invention for advancing peace.

Peace and abstinence from European interferences are our objects and so will continue while the present order of things in America remain uninterrupted.

I think that economic patriotism is the very foundation of a European vision.

Speaking from my experience as a person involved for a long time in building the European Union it is important to have patience and efforts to build a community of nations.

Entertainment isn't just based on the very structured syndrome of European popular music and it's great that there are so many thousands of people who are of the same opinion.