On the day the annual G8 summit begins, International development policy specialist, Chichi Umunna, looks at the challenges ahead and, more importantly, what the summit will achieve.

Dick Cheney's Chief Of Staff Lewis Scooter-Libby, central role in planning the Iraq War  and stifling critics of it, just been found guilty of lying to Grand Jury.

There doesn't seem to be much in the way of discussion of the US mid-term elections, so I thought I'd start an open discussion thread.

David Frum, a former speech writer for George W Bush, has suggested that the politician that David Cameron most resembles is... George W Bush.

Five years ago New York shook as the World Trade Centre collapsed.  The world would never be the same.  AS Heath asks whether our response was the right one?

The neo-conservatives in the States are already worried about the loss of Tony Blair and its impact on President George W Bush's war on terrorism.  

Chatham House has released a report that suggest Iran has benefited from Western policies in the Mid East.

The press is having some difficulty with John Prescott's reported comment on George Bush, since the standard press line is that JP is useless, but also that GB is useless, so how do they handle JP criticising GB? Er, they pretend to be shocked that he's so undiplomatic in private, and challenge him to repeat it in public.

   But the background to the story is interesting... Writes Nick Palmer MP

AS. Heath on how this new Middle East crisis is like manna from heaven for a lame-duck President and a struggling Republican Party.