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David Cameron is under unprecedented pressure today ahead of a speech on his European policy, following the ratification of the Lisbon treaty across Europe.
The Tory leader has faced accusations of cowardice since the Czech Republic signed off on the treaty yesterday, as his previous "cast iron" commitment to a referendum on the treaty changed to suggestions that a referendum was no longer possible.
Mr Cameron clearly intends to address the bad headlines head on through a speech this afternoon at 16:00 GMT.
Calling a referendum when he gets to power would be a strange and unpopular move internationally. Once the treaty is law, pulling out of it would break several international precedents.
But the alternative, to merely opt out of further sections of the treaty, would anger eurosceptics, who Mr Cameron has so far been keen to satisfy, not least of all by pulling out of the centre-right European parliament grouping.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The pandemic of swine flu may be hitting a peak in the Northern Hemisphere, global health officials said on Friday, but they cautioned it was far from over.
