United Nations weapons inspectors say Iraq appears to be making new efforts to co-operate with UN teams searching for banned weapons.

Chief inspector Hans Blix was speaking after Baghdad allowed one of its scientists to be interviewed alone for the first time.

Saddam Hussein was given a final chance, he is throwing that chance away President Bush

Full text of Bush statement

But he warned that he wanted to see a lot more co-operation when he visits Iraq this weekend.

Mr Blix and fellow chief inspector Mohamed ElBaradei are due to present a key report on Iraqi co-operation to the UN Security Council on 14 February, triggering what many believe could be a countdown to war.

Suggestions of Iraqi concessions were denounced in advance by President George W Bush, who said he expected new attempts by Baghdad to delay and confuse the situation.

"The game is over," Mr Bush declared on Thursday, as he urged hesitating allies to join in disarming Iraq.

But French President Jacques Chirac has warned that the inspections process has "still not gone to the end - far from it".

Spy plane hope

UN officials said they were able to speak to an Iraqi scientist on Thursday without the presence of government minders.

The interview, lasting more than three hours, took place at the hotel where the inspectors are staying in Baghdad.

They were informed by the Iraqi official in charge of liaising with them, General Hossam Mohammed Amin, that the scientist had agreed to come forward.

However, the UN officials say the key test will be when they can interview a scientist specifically chosen by the weapons inspectors.

	:	Iraq facts
A statistical view of daily life in Iraq

UN sources in Baghdad have told the BBC that they believe Iraq is prepared to change its position on a number of sticking points.

The UN's chief inspectors return to Iraq this weekend

The sources told the BBC's Rageh Omaar in Baghdad that the Iraqis had indicated they may grant permission on the use of U-2 surveillance planes and co-operate on arranging more private interviews with scientists.

Mr Blix, who has repeatedly warned the Iraqis that time is running out, said: "It seems they are making an effort."

Speaking in Vienna ahead of his three-day mission to Baghdad, Mr Blix said active co-operation was needed "not on process but on substance".

US pressure

In his comments on Thursday, President Bush stepped up pressure for a new Security Council resolution to trigger military action if Iraq fails to disarm.

But he made it clear that if the 15-member Council did not act, then the US and a growing coalition would take whatever action was necessary against Saddam Hussein.

	:	Powell's report
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"The UN must not back down," Mr Bush said. "All the world can rise to this moment."

But French President Chirac said on Friday that was "the worst of all possible solutions".

"France considers that in between the inspection arrangements as they exist now and war, there are many, many ways to disarm Iraq," he said.

In a telephone conversation with the French leader, Chinese President Jiang Zemin echoed that position, saying: "The UN Security Council... should try to avoid war with all its might."

Russia believes there are no grounds at present for a second UN resolution authorising military action.

"Today, we see no basis for adopting a UN Security Council resolution that would open the way for the use of force against Iraq," Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said.

CURRENT SECURITY COUNCIL

For military action: US*, UK*, Spain and Bulgaria Sceptics or opposed: France*, Russia*, China*, Germany and Syria In doubt: Angola, Cameroon, Chile, Guinea, Mexico and Pakistan Nine votes and no veto required to pass a resolution *veto-wielding countries

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The BBC's diplomatic correspondent Barnaby Mason says the players in the crisis are manoeuvring for position in advance of a crucial week.

And as the diplomacy increases, the military build-up in and around the Gulf is also gathering momentum.

The latest deployments involve the 23,000 troops of the US army's crack 101st airborne division, a fifth American aircraft carrier - the USS Kitty Hawk - and a third of Britain's front-line combat jets.

More than 200,000 US military personnel are now in or on their way to the region along with about 40,000 British troops.

US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who is visiting Italy and Germany to press the case for the use of force against Iraq if necessary, said "momentum is building" for possible war.