Tony Blair will not - as previously planned - be receiveing the Congressional Medal of Honour when he meets El Busho this week. The current political situation makes the award far too embarrassing and would provoke increased outrage on both sides of the Atlantic, just when they are hoping public outrage will subside quietly.

In Australia, former UN chief Iraqi Weapons Inspector Richard Butler says Prime Minister John Howard, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer and Defence Minister Robert Hill have all mislead the Australian Parliament, and should resign:

"Ministers are responsible for what they say to the Parliament. Having mislead the Parliament and the people on these matters they should, if they're prepared to accept our system of Government, offer their resignations."

In the UK, former Blair Cabinet MP Clare Short has repeated her call for Tony Blair to resign:

"I think it would be in the interests of Tony Blair himself and his legacy of the Labour Party, and actually of the country, if he would think of making a voluntary departure and we could have an elegant handover and Labour could renew itself in power," Ms Short said.

In the US, intelligence officials are now warning that North Korea has 200 nuclear missiles aimed at Japan. The problem is, who can believe them?