US president to inspect a guard of honour before a private lunch with the Queen Barack Obama is meeting the Queen on Tuesday with the US president formally beginning his state visit to Britain by flying by helicopter to Buckingham Palace to cement what the two countries’ elected leaders describe as “an essential relationship”. Obama arrived in the UK from Ireland on Air Force One late on Monday, earlier than planned, to avoid the volcanic ash cloud blowing down from Iceland . He stayed at the US ambassador’s residence in central London ahead of a day of royal protocol with most of the hard talking on global politics with David Cameron expected on Wednesday. The prime minister is hopeful the two leaders can assert they are aligned on tackling financial deficits as well as addressing Libya, the Arab spring and Afghanistan. Obama was expected to be greeted in the grounds of Buckingham Palace by the Duke of Edinburgh, inspecting a guard of honour before a private lunch with the Queen. Obama, accompanied by his wife Michelle, was then due to go to Westminister Abbey to lay a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Warrior before meeting David and Samantha Cameron at Downing Street. They were also expected to meet opposition leader Ed Miliband at Buckingham Place where they will stay after a formal dinner. Keen royal watchers will be hoping for a repeat of the famous arm round each other embrace between the queen and Michelle, when the Obamas last visited in 2009. Any implicit endorsement of the government’s deficit reduction plan by the Democrat president would be a massive political prize for the Conservatives, helping to immunise the prime minister from some Labour attacks that the cuts go too fast and too deep. In a joint article, Obama and Cameron said despite being two leaders from two different political traditions, they saw eye to eye.” “When the United States and Britain stand together, our people and people around the world can become more secure and more prosperous. “And that is the key to our relationship. Yes, it is founded on a deep emotional connection, by sentiment and ties of people and culture. But the reason it thrives, the reason why this is such a natural partnership, is because it advances our common interests and shared values. “It is a perfect alignment of what we both need and what we both believe. And the reason it remains strong is because it delivers time and again. Ours is not just a special relationship, it is an essential relationship – for us and for the world.” They also promised not to abandon the protesters fighting for democracy in the Arab spring. “We will not stand by as their aspirations get crushed in a hail of bombs, bullets and mortar fire,” said the two leaders, in an article in the Times. “We are reluctant to use force, but when our interests and values come together, we know we have a responsibility to act … We will stand with those who want to bring light into dark, support those who seek freedom in place of repression, aid those laying the building blocks of democracy.” The joint article also refers to the need to tackle deficits. Privately, Conservative sources are increasingly confident that the Treasury and its American counterpart are now seeing eye to eye on deficit reduction after being at odds for some months. They believe the US treasury secretary, Tim Geithner, has formed a close relationship with the chancellor, George Osborne. In April, Obama laid out plans to cut the deficit by $4 trillion over the next 10 years, a pace of reduction that the Conservatives claim is similar to the UK’s goals. The British plan aims to cut the deficit from 11.1% of gross domestic product in 2009-2010 to 1.5% of GDP in 2015-2016. Under the US president’s plan, public-sector borrowing will fall from 10.9% of GDP this year to 3.3% in 2016. The US plan starts later, but aims to achieve the same pace of reduction, using the same proportionate mix of tax rises and spending cuts. During a triumphant visit to Ireland, Obama gave a shot in the arm to the morale of a country buffeted by economic troubles. Barack Obama Monarchy London Patrick Wintour James Meikle guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Israeli PM’s speech to influential US pro-Israel lobby group restates his opposition to Barack Obama over border issues Binyamin Netanyahu has repeated his assertion that there can be no return to Israel’s “indefensible” 1967 borders. The Israeli prime minister made his pledge in an address on Monday to thousands of pro-Israel American Jews and US lawmakers in Washington, and promised to present his vision for an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement in a speech to Congress on Tuesday. His speech, which drew cheers and standing ovations, came amid pressure from the Obama administration for him to do more to renew stalled Middle East peace efforts. The warm reception he enjoyed at the gala dinner of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac) contrasted with the contentious tone of some of his recent exchanges with Barack Obama over border issues. Netanyahu planned address on Tuesday to a joint meeting of Congress, where Israel enjoys strong bipartisan support, could similarly remind Obama, before the 2012 presidential race, of the political price he might have to pay if he tries to push the Israelis too hard. In that speech, Netanyahu said, he would “outline a vision for a secure Israeli-Palestinian peace”, but promised he would also “speak the unvarnished truth”. “This conflict has raged for 100 years because the Palestinians refuse to end it. They refuse to accept a Jewish state,” Netanyahu said. A peace agreement, he said, must assure Israel’s security. “Israel cannot return to the indefensible 1967 borders,” he continued, rekindling the dispute with Obama in a possible effort to placate territorial hardliners in the Israeli government. The border issue took prominence last week when Obama, in a major foreign policy speech, took the position that any negotiations on final borders of the Jewish and Palestinian states must be based on the boundaries existing before the 1967 war in which Israel captured east Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip – lands the Palestinians claim for their hoped-for state. In direct statements and through aides, Netanyahu suggested that Obama did not understand Israel’s security needs or the realities of the region. Obama said clearly in his policy speech, and in his own address to Aipac on Sunday, that the territorial markers could be adjusted through mutually agreed land swaps – a principle accepted by the Palestinians that would allow Israel to retain major settlement blocs and assure its security. But Netanyahu has repeatedly sidelined this part of the Obama message. In a sign of the sympathy Netanyahu can hope to enjoy when he speaks to Congress, a key Obama political ally, the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, challenged the president on the border issue at the Aipac dinner. “No one should set premature parameters about borders, about building or about anything else,” Reid said. The reference to building alluded to earlier US demands that Israel renew an expired moratorium on settlement construction in lands claimed by the Palestinians for their future state. Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking talks stalled in late 2008, shortly before Obama and Netanyahu took office. Obama had hoped to bring the two sides back to the negotiating table and wrest a deal by September 2011. But those efforts foundered after Israel refused to extend a settlement construction slowdown and Palestinians abandoned negotiations after three weeks, saying continued Israeli building on land they want for a future state did not show good faith. Now, the Palestinians are refocusing their strategy on trying to obtain a unilateral declaration of statehood at the UN when the general assembly meets in September. Israel would like to derail that campaign which, if successful as expected, could compound its diplomatic isolation. The US also opposes unilateral action, which would put Washington in the awkward position of having to vote against Palestinian statehood at a time when calls for greater democracy are ringing out across the Arab world. Further complicating peace efforts is a unity deal between rival Palestinian factions that would co-opt the anti-Israel Hamas into the Palestinian government. Obama has said Israel should not be expected to negotiate with a government that does not recognise its right to exist. Anti-Israel hecklers interrupted Netanyahu’s speech several times, but supporters drowned them out, leaping to their feet, giving him a standing ovation and at one point chanting his nickname, “Bibi, Bibi”, and pumping their arms in the air. Israel Binyamin Netanyahu Middle East Barack Obama Obama administration United States US politics guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Dense plume from Iceland’s Grímsvötn volcano drifts towards UK, prompting BA to cancel flights between London and Scotland Thousands of UK air passengers face flight cancellations as the Icelandic ash cloud closed in on Britain, threatening serious disruption to schedules. Travel plans were thrown into disarray for passengers at airports in Scotland and Northern Ireland, while even the US president, Barack Obama, was forced to amend his itinerary , flying into London earlier than planned to avoid the dense plume drifting towards the UK. Forecasters predicted the volcanic cloud, which billowed from Iceland’s Grímsvötn volcano, would reach Scotland and Northern Ireland in the coming hours, with much of the UK being covered by midday. But as a string of carriers announced cancellations, the transport secretary, Philip Hammond, said Britons had “to learn to live” with chaos caused by volcanic activity. “My understanding is that we have gone through an unusually quiet period for volcanic eruptions in Iceland over the last 20-odd years and we are moving into a period when there is likely to be significantly more volcanic activity,” he told BBC2′s Newsnight on Monday. “So this is clearly something we have got to learn to plan around. We have got to learn to live with it.” Hammond said that since last year’s eruption the authorities had gained a “much better understanding” of the risk from ash clouds and are able to assess the thickness of different patches as well as the possibility of flying over or below a cloud. “Most importantly, the basic situation now is that the threshold for most aircraft is 20 times where it was last year. We have got from 200 microgrammes per cubic metre to 4,000 microgrammes per cubic metre as the threshold up to which most aircraft can fly. What we can’t promise is that there won’t be disruption when there is a major natural event like this.” Met Office forecaster Charles Powell said the plume could hit parts of Scotland between 1am and 7am and large swaths of Britain by lunchtime. “This area of ash will start to make its presence felt across parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland and by midday I think much of the UK will be covered,” he said. Responding to warnings, British Airways announced it would not operate any flights between London and Scotland before 2pm. Only last year, the airline’s then chief executive, Willie Walsh, criticised airport closures and said blanket bans imposed on flying were “a gross overreaction to a very minor risk”. Meanwhile, Ryanair bosses said they would meet Irish officials today in a bid to have flight restrictions lifted. The airline said it strongly objected to advice from the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) not to operate flights to and from Glasgow, Prestwick, Edinburgh or Aberdeen until at least 1pm. “Ryanair believe that there is no safety risk to aircraft on fights operating to and from Scotland and together with other airlines will be complaining to the transport minister and regulatory authorities about these latest and unnecessary cancellations.” Dutch airline KLM said 16 flights scheduled to and from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Newcastle would be cancelled, while Eastern Airways, based in Kirmington, north Lincolnshire, axed all flights and easyJet grounded some planes. Glasgow-based carrier Loganair – which operates most of its services within Scotland – said it had scrapped 36 flights due to depart between 6am and 1pm. This excluded its inter-isles flights in Orkney. Some of its flights to Birmingham and Belfast were also cancelled. Aer Lingus said it had cancelled 12 flights to and from Glasgow, Dublin, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Shannon and Cork. Air traffic control company Nats advised passengers to check with their airline before travelling to Scottish aerodromes including Aberdeen, Inverness, Benbecula, Barra and Tiree. Football club Barcelona saw its travel plans thrown into disarray ahead of the Champions League final against Manchester United at Wembley on Saturday. The Catalan club will wait for today’s forecast before deciding when players will travel to London for the game. Hammond said the situation would be monitored continuously, in conjunction with the Met Office. A CAA spokesman said: “We are in a totally different world as far as procedures go now compared with last year. “If we have the same level of ash as we did last year, there will not be the same problem. Airspace will not be closed and we will notify airlines when the Met Office predicts there are medium or high levels of ash present,” the spokesman said. “If an airline has done a risk assessment as to how it will fly safely in medium or high ash levels and has liaised with aircraft manufacturers and engine makers, then they will be able to fly if the CAA considers it acceptable. No UK airline has applied to fly in high-density ash, but a number have applied for, and been given, permission for flying in medium ash.” Iceland volcano 2011 (Grimsvotn) Natural disasters and extreme weather Air transport Transport Iceland Airline industry Weather Transport policy guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …The first rule about French absinthe is that you can’t call it absinthe—or at least producers of it couldn’t until last week, when a ban on its name was lifted. The liquorice-tasting tipple was first banned by French authorities a century ago because of its alleged hallucinogenic qualities. Even…
Continue reading …Paul Ryan has his highest profile fan for his non-existent presidential race yet, reports Politico. The House’s No. 2 Republican, and Ryan’s fellow self-styled “Young Gun,” Eric Cantor thinks the Budget Committee chair should make a run for the White House. “Sure,” he replied when asked about a Ryan run,…
Continue reading …The unemployment rate just went down a bit: Michael Steele, the former chair of the Republican National Committee who stepped down in January, has signed onto MSNBC as a regular commentator. Steele was rumored to be in talks with CNN and Fox, but has also made several guest appearances on…
Continue reading …Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s semen has been found on the clothing worn by the New York City hotel maid who accuses him of sexual assault, reports the New York Post. The finding wouldn’t necessarily refute Strauss-Kahn’s claim that the sexual contact was consensual, but his attorneys have not yet commented on the…
Continue reading …Rescue crews dug through piles of splintered houses and crushed cars today in a search for victims of a half-mile-wide tornado that blasted much of this Missouri town off the map and slammed straight into its hospital. At least 116 people died, making it the nation’s deadliest single tornado in…
Continue reading …President Obama’s “Beast” limousine is built to withstand assassins’ bullets, bombs, and terrorist attacks—but apparently not Irish speed bumps. The 18-foot-long, 8-ton Cadillac was leaving the US Embassy for Moneygall today when it bottomed out on a ramp that the low-rider couldn’t clear, reports the Daily Mail, and guffaws…
Continue reading …
Harold Camping says his prophecy that the world would end was off by five months, claiming the Rapture will actually take place on October 21 Good news for Rapture lovers! The world is going to end after all, only it’s going to take a little longer than predicted. Harold Camping, architect of Saturday’s dramatic events in which Judgment Day came and went without so much as an earthquake , has revealed what went wrong. He took to his show on his network Family Radio to reveal the simple truth: the Apocalypse was imminent, he’d just got it out by five months. So now the world is going to end – really and truly this time – on 21 October. Camping was disarmingly honest about the impact that the world’s inconvenient continuance had had on him. He had predicted that 200 million Christians would rise to heaven by 6pm on Saturday followed by the destruction of the Earth in a massive fireball. “I can tell you when May 21 came and went it was a very difficult time for me – a very difficult time. I was truly wondering what is going on. In my mind, I went back through all the promises God had made. What in the world was happening. I really was praying and praying: ‘Lord, what happened?’” Many of Camping’s followers might be asking similar questions, particularly those who gave up their jobs or donated some of the $100 million or so believed to have been spent on billboards and RV trucks advertising the imminent arrival of doomsday. But then, there’s no consumer protection legislation when it comes to Armageddon. Among the disappointed, though arguably still living, Rapture groupies were Robert Fitzpatrick, who spent all his live savings of $140,000 spreading the word of the world’s end, and Jeff Hopkins who erected a doomsday sign on top his car and spent the past few months driving from Long Island to New York city to publicise it. “I’ve been mocked and scoffed and cursed at and I’ve been through a lot with this lighted sign on top of my car,” he told Associated Press. “I was doing what I’ve been instructed to do through the Bible, but now I’ve been stymied. It’s like getting slapped in the face.” Camping, who predicted the Apocalypse would come in 1994, appears to be impervious to the kind of knocks that would floor a lesser man. He spent Saturday night cowering in a motel to avoid the media onslaught, but has recovered his composure soon enough. Tune in to his radio show, Open Forum, on 22 October to find out whether he can bounce back yet again. Assuming, that is, the world hasn’t ended by then. The Rapture Christianity United States Religion California Ed Pilkington guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …