Blair Bids Farewell to Millennium Dome

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said thank you and goodbye to the Millennium Dome, the vast upturned saucer on the banks of the River Thames that has caused his government much embarrassment over the past year. The dome, which opened New Year’s Eve, has fallen well short of attendance targets, attracting about half of the 12 million visitors forecast. Blair had invested personal political capital in the $1.2-billion dome, saying Britain had to do something memorable to mark the millennium. The structure is due to be sold to a private company and turned into a business center.