Blair flies home a day early

Tony Blair is flying home before schedule today as a typhoon heads for Hong Kong.

His flight was brought forward by 24 hours as the island faced total shutdown. Typhoon Imbudo was 500 miles away at 1am.

The Prime Minister visited Washington, Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing and Shanghai in a big diplomatic drive but was constantly asked to defend himself over the death of scientist Dr David Kelly.

On the plane from Shanghai to Hong Kong, Mr Blair angrily denied authorising release of Dr Kelly's name as the suspected BBC mole on Iraq.

His comments sounded a warning for No10 communications chief Alastair Campbell and Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon, both accused of being behind a decision to confirm Dr Kelly as the suspected mole.

Mr Blair faced a new blow as he headed home, with rumours that his trusted chief of staff Jonathan Powell may quit.

Mr Powell is second only to Mr Campbell in the Downing Street hierarchy and his loss would leave a gaping hole in the Prime Minister's inner circle.

Speculation that Mr Powell is ready to move on after six years at No10 follows a growing expectation that Mr Campbell will stand down this autumn.