So while EU leaders prepared for a familiar ritual on December 13th (solemn signatures in some ancient palace or, in this case, a monastery followed by champagne toasts and speeches about European unity), Mr Brown announced that he could not miss a scheduled grilling by committee chairmen in the House of Commons.

ECONOMIST: Gordon Brown fumbles in Europe

The palace is portraying the Jefri affair as a case of the law taking its course.

CNN: 'Everyone Was Shocked'

The trial in Pretoria's Palace of Justice is surrounded by the highest security for a court case in more than a decade.

BBC: South African treason trial starts

The Produce Palace, a retailer in Michigan, brought the first millennium-bug case to court earlier this year, suing the makers of its sales terminals because the terminals cannot handle credit cards that expire after 1999.

ECONOMIST: Please panic early