George Bush has led one of America’s “worst presidencies” and there has never been “such a mess” internationally, former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said.

More than 50 years after the end of the Korean War, the United States and North Korea opened historic talks on steps to establish diplomatic relations following Pyongyang’s agreement to dismantle its nuclear programme.

Broadcaster ABC made editing changes to its controversial mini-series The Path to 9/11, after former Clinton administration officials complained that scenes about them were fabricated.

ITALIAN coach Marcello Lippi expects Daniele De Rossi to receive some harsh punishment for elbowing US forward Brian McBride in the face.

Foreign ministers of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany plan to approve a package of incentives and penalties meant to reward Iran if it gives up uranium enrichment – and punish it if it doesn’t, diplomats said today.

US administration officials say they remain committed to a diplomatic solution to ensure Iran does not obtain nuclear weapons, but they will not rule out military action as an option, even as they try to calm down talk about military planning.

The UN atomic agency revealed today that Iran received black-market designs to encase weapons-grade uranium and diplomats said they appeared to be part of blueprints for a nuclear warhead.

Pressure is mounting on the United Nations nuclear agency to report Iran to the Security Council as it prepares for an emergency meeting today to ease a stand-off with the Tehran regime.

FORMER US secretary of State Madeleine Albright has criticised President George W Bush’s doctrine of pre-emptive war, saying the strained US-European relationship is unlikely to improve as long as he in the White House.

US President George Bush will appeal to allied leaders next week to send a Nato force to Iraq to bolster the coalition that is struggling against a potent insurgency, two senior administration officials said.

Presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush failed to act on intelligence and eliminate key al Qaida terrorists by force in the years before the September 11 attacks, according to a probe in the US.

President George W Bush, under mounting political pressure, will sign an executive order to establish a full-blown investigation of US intelligence failures in Iraq, a senior White House official said.

THE “unimaginable” rapes, killings and camps of the 1992-5 Bosnian war evoked the horrors of World War II, former US secretary of state Madeleine Albright told the UN war crimes tribunal yesterday.

Abigail Levene and Paul Gallagher, The Hague

Hugh Lytle, whose teletype message provided the world with the first account of the attack on Pearl Harbour has died. He was 100.

US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright plans to write her memoirs after she leaves public life later in the month.