Iraq’s United Nations ambassador sent a defiant message to George Bush after the US president urged world leaders to confront the "grave and gathering danger" of Saddam Hussein’s Iraq - or stand aside as the United States acted.

Armed dissidents calling for Saddam Hussein’s overthrow took the ambassador hostage today when they occupied the Iraqi embassy in Berlin.

Iraq’s foreign minister and the UN secretary-general agreed that their first high-level talks in a year got off to a ‘‘positive and constructive’’ start, but there was no sign Iraq would allow UN weapons inspectors back in the country.