London, Apr 5 : Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has emerged as the front-runner to become the first permanent president of the European Union.

Blair has stepped up his campaign for the job, which he wants to use to build a bridge between Europe and the new Barack Obama Administration, The Independent reported.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has accepted that Blair should be in pole position for the appointment; on the basis that Britain needs to have a key figure in the architecture of the new world order.

Manila  - The European Union said Friday that it has approved a 10-million-euro (13.4-million-dollar) grant to support agriculture and improve food security in the Philippines.

The grant was part of a 1-billion-euro fund set up by the EU in December to help 23 countries worst hit by last year's crisis caused by the rising costs of food.

A total of 30 million euros has been earmarked for projects in the Philippines, the EU delegation in the country said in a statement.

Beijing  - The EU's top diplomat called Monday on the Chinese government to resume talks with the Tibetan government-in-exile while welcoming a memorandum from Tibetan exiles on their vision of autonomy.

"For a long time, the Chinese wanted to see a written position," EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said of the Tibetan proposal made during the latest round of talks in November.

Beijing - The European Union on Monday welcomed US President Barack Obama's invitation to a climate change forum for the world's major economies as well as his change in policy from his predecessor, who was criticized for obstructing anti-global-warming initiatives.

Hluboka Castle, Czech Republic  - Turkey and seven Western Balkan nations knocked on the European Union's door Saturday asking to be let, but found it bolted by France and Germany.

"There will be no enlargement if there is no Lisbon Treaty," said French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner during an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in the Czech Republic.

That position was echoed by German foreign ministry officials, who said: "We will not be in a position to accept new member states in the EU without the Lisbon Treaty."