When I actually retire I will close the book and never open it again."Other boxing eras would not have found Holyfield unique. How long can a boxer hold his passion to be a boxer? How long can he retain his enthusiasm for repetitive and frequently painful experiences? "You can look at the past fights and you can see that my skills have declined," Holyfield recently said "But I have a fight, then if I win I have another fight. You have to understand that a lot of people who say I should retire have never been a winner I have I came from the ghetto I always had a rough time and I had to make adjustments. When I won the title [the World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation versions in the second of three contests against Bowe] they thought I wasn't going to win anyway. The ego is not as big as it used to be but nothing changes the fact that my goal is to be the heavyweight champion of the world. Why would anybody think that I can win the heavyweight title again when they didn't think I would win it coming up?"My work is what I choose For whatever reason, I choose to box That should be all right It's not illegal.

That fiasco contributed to the resignation of the then Secretary of State for Education, Estelle Morris.At the same time, Dr Ken Boston took over as chief executive of the QCA. He has already initiated swift action to drag what he has termed the "cottage industry'' of the examination system into the 21st century. However, yesterday's report suggests that all is still not well with his organisation, even though it is refreshing this time to have a public admission of the faults rather than have to await an independent inquiry.The A-level marking shambles of 2002 led to the establishment of an inquiry by the former chief schools inspector Mike Tomlinson into the education of 14- to 19-year-olds. One of his key recommendations was to reduce the burden of testing and examinations for what he calls the most over-examined students in the Western world.He wants GCSEs to be downgraded, with most tests internally marked by specially trained teachers. He has also said that youngsters do not need to take AS-levels at the end of the first year in the sixth form in subjects they intend to continue with to a full A-level. One of the contributory factors to this year's problem with the English tests for 14-year-olds is the pressure the entire system is under as a result of having too many tests and exams. Yesterday's events show that the Government needs to move quickly on the recommendations of the Tomlinson inquiry..

Behind the parlour entertainments at Windsor tonight, Tony Blair and Jacques Chirac have important work to do building bridges. The Channel, after all, has never seemed wider than in the aftermath of the invasion of Iraq. It was only 20 months ago that British ministers were queuing up to denounce "the French", prompting a public protest from the French ambassador. Though neither will want to rehearse old arguments, Iraq remains significant because it underpins the two leaders' very different visions of world affairs, which are not easily reconciled. A generation of ambitious young French people has taken advantage of Britain's buoyant labour market, while a growing tribe of older Britons chooses to spend its retirement in Provence and the Dordogne.

Some elements of the jingoistic press may believe that invoking the spirit of Harfleur remains popular, but it jars with most people's experiences.Although the shadow of Iraq will continue to loom over the two leaders, there are areas where the two governments are increasing their co-operation. On climate change, third-world development and the International Criminal Court, there is close agreement Above all, both Mr Blair and M. Chirac are personally committed to helping Africa; the issue rightly weighs heavily on the conscience of the two ex-colonial powers.Less than 20 miles from the EU borders, many Africans face problems of suffering and survival that dwarf the difficulties facing Europeans. Britain has taken the lead in drawing the tragedy of Darfur to world attention, although it is still only the Bush administration that has used the "genocide" word.