Showing posts with label State Visit to Britain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label State Visit to Britain. Show all posts
Thursday, June 06, 2019
Trump Completely Embarrassed America During London Trip
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
The Guardian View on Donald Trump’s UK Visit: A Mistake
Rolling out the red carpet for a US president ought to be easier than this. Britain and America share a “special relationship” which rests on a common language, histories and ideals. Yet Donald Trump makes building on this impossible. He is no friend of this country. The president has repeatedly attacked leading British politicians, singling outLondon’s mayor, Sadiq Khan. He retweets fascists. On the day news emerged that Mr Trump would be accorded a state visit to Britain, he was threatening to veto a UN resolution against the use of rape as a weapon of war. America has been taken over by a demagogue who sees Brexit as an opportunity for a rabble-rouser to rise here too. He is a dangerous liar whom racists and misogynists think of as one of their own. Mr Trump ought to be held at a distance, not invited for dinner with the Queen. » | Editorial | Tuesday, April 23, 2019
Donald Trump's Comments About Princess Diana Will Definitely Give You The Creeps »
Monday, January 30, 2017
Parliament Set to Debate Donald Trump's UK State Visit after Petition to Cancel It Gets More Than 800,000 Signatures
More than 800,000 people had by Sunday night signed a petition calling for the visit, which is due to take place in the Summer, to be abandoned because of the risk it will "embarrass" the Queen.
Senior Conservatives joined Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, in calling for the visit to be suspended while Mr Trump's controversial immigration ban is in place. » | Steven Swinford, Deputy Political Editor and Ben Farmer | Sunday, January 29, 2017
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
BBC: The Queen has welcomed the Emir of Kuwait to the UK for a three-day state visit.
Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah is staying at Windsor Castle, where a state banquet will be held on Tuesday.
Sheikh Sabah, 83, will have a private audience with the Prince of Wales, and meet British industry leaders at an event hosted by the Duke of York.
He will also hold talks with Prime Minister David Cameron. It is the first state visit from Kuwait for 17 years.
Sheikh Sabah was greeted by the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Charles in the centre of Windsor near one of the town's two stations as well-wishers looked on.
They then returned to the castle in a carriage, with the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment providing an escort. (+ video) » | Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Queen welcomes Turkish president in three-day state visit to Britain: Turkish President Abdullah Gul was welcomed to Britain by the Queen today at the start of a three-day state visit aimed at forging closer links with Turkey’s emerging economy. » | Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
NOW LEBANON – BLOG: A “special relationship,” indeed.
Is it weird to be slightly turned on by an image of US President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron kissing?
What’s the verdict, peeps: is this Photoshopped? Read on and comment » | Angie Nassar | Monday, May 30, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
BBC: The Queen has greeted US President Barack Obama, and his wife Michelle, at the start of his first UK state visit.
The Obamas also met Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall and spent 20 minutes with newlyweds the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
They have laid a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey and will attend a state banquet at Buckingham Palace.
It came after David Cameron and Mr Obama spoke of "essential" UK-US ties.
'Common interests'
In a joint article in the [sic] Times [£], Mr Obama and Mr Cameron said of their countries' relationship: "Ours is not just a special relationship, it is an essential relationship - for us and for the world.
"When the United States and Britain stand together, our people and people around the world can become more secure and more prosperous.
"The reason it thrives 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."
The presidential pair's visit to Westminster Abbey included an impromptu meeting with choirboys, when Mr Obama was teased by his wife for his lack of singing talent.
"He insisted on speaking to each one of them and shaking their hands," the Dean, Dr John Hall said.
"He said that he liked to think he could sing and Mrs Obama said 'Well, he can't really, he can dance'." (+ video) » | Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Monday, September 20, 2010
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Britain's historic papal visit has come to an end as Benedict XVI gave his final wave from the steps of his aeroplane.
The Pontiff took off from Birmingham Airport on a windy Sunday evening after thanking the nation for its hospitality.
In speeches to a small crowd of dignitaries on the airport's apron, both he and Prime Minister David Cameron pledged to strengthen relationships between Britain and the Vatican.
The hustle and bustle of the airport continued throughout the day, with holidaymakers oblivious to frantic behind-the-scenes preparations for the Pope's departure.
Hours before his arrival, police and officials swarmed round the Alitalia plane, checking every detail, while officials practised "walk-throughs" on a specially-laid cross-shaped red carpet. >>> | Sunday, September 19, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: The British people have a “deep thirst” for the message of Christianity, the Pope said as he ended his historic state visit to Britain.
On his arrival, the Pope said the country’s Christian culture was under threat from “aggressive forms of secularism”. But before his departure he said that he had seen evidence of a continued interest in religion.
He called upon the local Roman Catholic bishops to help people turn away from the “vain enticements of this world”.
The Pope made his comments to Catholic bishops in Birmingham after beatifying Cardinal John Henry Newman, the Victorian theologian who converted to Rome.
Despite controversy over his speeches in some quarters and a well-attended protest rally, the Vatican believes the first papal state visit to Britain has been a “wonderful” success with an estimated 500,000 attending open-air services or lining the streets to see the Pope over the past four days.
Images of the Pontiff meeting the Queen at Holyroodhouse Palace, embracing the Archbishop of Canterbury at Westminster Abbey and addressing four former prime ministers in Parliament will go some way to restoring the Church’s reputation after the scandal over clergy abusing children.
Last night Britain’s most senior Catholic, Cardinal Keith O’Brien, spoke of his hope that the four-day trip would lead to a “Benedict bounce”. >>> Martin Beckford, Religious Affairs Correspondent | Monday, September 20, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: Benedict XVI's historic visit to Britain has been a resounding success – and may have changed attitudes towards the role of religion in modern life, says Peter Stanford.
In a damp Birmingham park before a crowd of 55,000 worshippers, Pope Benedict XVI rounded off his visit to Britain yesterday by beatifying the Victorian convert and theologian John Henry Newman. Like Newman (best remembered, said Benedict, for his "keen intellect and prolific pen"), this Pontiff has long enjoyed a reputation for being a complex, clever but rather dry academic, favouring language that is difficult to understand and moral positions that are uncompromising. Hence his nickname, "God's rottweiler". Or at least that was how Benedict was seen until he arrived in Britain. What a difference four days can make.
When the Pope argued in his homily that, contrary to popular prejudice, Newman was in fact a "warm and human" character, a parish priest and "pastor of souls" as well as a great thinker, he might well have been referring to himself. If this state visit has achieved anything, it has been to show a decidedly sceptical public that the parish priest of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics does indeed have a heart. Since the theme that the organisers chose for the trip was Newman's motto "Heart speaks unto heart", they must be congratulating themselves on a mission accomplished.
From the moment the television cameras picked up Benedict and the Queen chatting amiably in the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh on Thursday, during the traditional exchange of gifts, it was clear that the Pope was determined to reveal himself more as a kindly German shepherd than a rottweiler. Every time the Popemobile pulled to a halt to allow Benedict to reach out and kiss a baby, that pastoral image was reinforced. And it was not a cynical, mechanical ploy. Benedict's voice may have been devoid of intonation, and his face curiously immobile, but his eyes conveyed that same pastorly warmth and humanity that he praised in Newman. Here was an essentially modest man; if not charismatic in the mould of his crowd-pleasing predecessor, John Paul II, then certainly possessing a quiet charm, and emphatically not the woman-hater, gay-basher or ivory-tower bigot of stereotype.
In advance of the visit, siren voices had warned that it would all be a disaster. Few would turn up, we were told. Yet 125,000 lined the streets of Edinburgh, according to the police, and 75,000 came to Glasgow's Bellahouston Park. Everywhere the Popemobile went, the crowds were 10 or 12 deep. As reporters moved among them, it was clear that these were not simply the faithful, coming out of a tribal loyalty to their embattled leader, but people of faith and none, simply curious to witness a moment of history – the first state visit by a pope since the Reformation – and to hear a distinctly counter-cultural message, questioning the remorseless march of the me society, with its twin obsessions of consumerism and celebrity. Read on and comment >>> Peter Stanford * | Monday, September 20, 2010
* Peter Stanford is a former editor of the 'Catholic Herald' and author of 'The Extra Mile: A 21st Century Pilgrimage' (Continuum)
Sunday, September 19, 2010
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Pope Benedict XVI has beatified Cardinal John Henry Newman at an open-air Mass in Birmingham.
Around 55,000 people attended the two-hour ceremony at Cofton Park on the final day of the pope's four-day state visit. | Sunday, September 19, 2010
BBC: The Pope has spoken of his "deep love" for the Welsh people and his sadness at being unable to visit during his trip to Britain.
In a special address to the people of Wales, broadcast from a mass at Westminster Cathedral in London, the Pope also gave a blessing in Welsh.
He said he was happy to honour the people of Wales and the ancient Christian tradition.
He also blessed a mosaic of St David, the Welsh patron saint.
The pontiff said St David was "one of the great saints of the the sixth century"."David's preaching was simple yet profound," reflected Pope Benedict.
"His dying words to his monks were: 'be joyful, keep the faith and do the little things'.
He added: "May St David's message, in all its simplicity and richness, continue to resound in Wales today, drawing the hearts of its people to renewed love for Christ and his Church."
The Pope was speaking after he blessed a new mosaic of St David installed in Westminster Cathedral earlier this month.
He also prayed before the statue of Our Lady of the Taper, the Welsh shrine brought from Cardigan to mark the occasion.
The Pope said he hoped the statue, set to return to Cardigan, would be a "lasting reminder" of his "deep love" for the Welsh people and of his "constant closeness" in prayer and in the communion of the Church[.]
He concluded his address: "Bendith Duw ar bobol Cymru! God bless the people of Wales." (+ video) >>> | Saturday, September 18, 2010
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Britain’s “courageous resistance” to the “evil ideology” of Nazism was honoured by the Pope as he spoke to a crowd of more than 50,000 in Birmingham.
Benedict XVI said it was “deeply moving” to recall the sacrifices made by Britons during the Second World War and paid particular tribute to nearby Coventry, which was heavily bombed during the Battle of Britain 70 years ago.
Speaking at the Beatification Mass for Cardinal John Henry Newman in Cofton Park, near where the Victorian theologian was buried, the Pope said the destruction of the conflict should be remembered with “shame and horror”.
His words were particularly significant given controversy over his own wartime record. As a 14 year-old growing up in Germany, the then Joseph Ratzinger was drafted into the Hitler Youth and later enlisted in the anti-aircraft corps. >>> Martin Beckford | Sunday, September 19, 2010
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Six men quizzed by counter-terrorism police probing a plot to attack the Pope were all released without charge, Scotland Yard said today.
The men, all believed to be of North African origin, were arrested on Friday in London.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: ''Six men who were arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000 on Friday, 17 September, were all released without charge late on Saturday night (September 18) and early this morning (Sunday September 19).''
Police searched eight homes in north and east London and two business premises in central London, including a street cleaning depot as part of the investigation.
The Metropolitan Police said the searches of the premises had been completed and had not revealed any weapons or suspicious materials. >>> | Sunday, September 19, 2010
Related >>>
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Only a handful of journalists flew with the Pope to Britain and travelled around the country with his touring party. Jonathan Wynne Jones, The Sunday Telegraph's Religious Affairs Correspondent, was one of them
There was a great sense of anticipation on board Shepherd One, the Pope's private plane, as the grey curtain dividing us from the papal entourage was pulled back.
His aides moved to the side to reveal the 83-year-old pontiff shuffling up the aisle, using the seats for balance, to meet the small group of Press given permission to join him on the flight from Rome to the UK.
Standing only a few feet from me, the spiritual leader of more than one billion Catholics cut a fragile and weary figure.
Dressed all in white, except for his red shoes that peeped from under his cassock, his eyes blinked often as he waited for our questions.
It is the only point of the papal visit where the Pope addresses journalists directly, but introducing the session, Fr Frederico Lombardi, the Holy See's spokesman, told the pontiff that the questions and answers would all be in Italian "so as not to tire you".
Pope Benedict's voice sounded hoarse and cracking as he replied to my question on his concerns for the trip.
"Above all I wish you a good-day and a pleasant flight to all of us," he said.
"I must admit that I am not worried, because when I went to France, it was said that it was the most anticlerical country, with strong anticlerical opinions and very few believers; when I went to the Czech Republic it was said that it was the most irreligious country in Europe and the most anticlerical also."
It would have been understandable if he was anxious at the reception that awaited him, given that in the run-up to his state visit to Britain – the first in papal history – opposition had been shrill, with atheists threatening to have him arrested and apathy seeming to be the prevailing mood.
But instead he said he was arriving in "good spirits and with joy".
"Naturally Great Britain has had is own history of anti-Catholicism. This is obvious; but it is also a country with a great history of tolerance."
His reply appeared to be going down well with his posse of aides who stood behind him as he spoke, smiling and nodding at almost every other word.
Most prominent were Georg Ganswein [sic], his private secretary who has become known as Gorgeous George for his Hollywood-good looks, and Cardinal Bertone, the Holy See's secretary of state, who comes across as more mafia don than Don Juan with his bovine face and menacing dark eyes.
Pope Benedict then surprised us by choosing to address the clerical abuse scandal, expressing his shock and sadness at the revelations and criticising the Church for failing to act swiftly enough, before adding: "Now we are in a moment of repentance and humility."
After speaking for 15 minutes, the Pope raised his arms to give his papal wave, before returning to his seat with his entourage filing behind him like bridesmaids dutifully following a bride, Fr Ganswein [sic] gently brushing down his cassock as he walked. >>> Jonathan Wynne-Jones, Religious Affairs Correspondent | Sunday, September 19, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: Pope visit: wait for a guest who took time to charm his hosts _ Pontiff shows his dislikes about the modern age include rushing about >>> Andrew Gimson | Saturday, September 18, 2010
My essay on Pope Benedict XVI written in 2006! It has taken the MSM in Great Britain till now to catch on, to realize just how wonderful this pope is! (And I speak not as a Catholic, but as a member of the Anglican communion!
Pope Benedict XVI: Saviour of Western Civilization? >>> Mark Alexander | Tuesday, September 19, 2006
THE TELEGRAPH: The Pope is to make a dramatic offer to disaffected Anglicans to join the Roman Catholic Church.
In a move which the pontiff views as a positive step for Christianity, he will on Sunday make a personal plea for the Churches to come together.
Pope Benedict XVI sees this as the best way to challenge the rise of "aggressive secularism" and heal centuries of division.
He will use the final speech of his historic state visit to urge for a "restoration of full ecclesial communion" between the Churches, which separated nearly 500 years ago.
Addressing the Catholic bishops of England, Wales and Scotland, he will argue that his offer to disaffected Anglicans should not be viewed negatively, but as "a prophetic gesture".
However, the speech could undermine his efforts to build bridges with Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who confronted the Pope over the issue last year.
The plea will come at the end of his four day state visit to England and Scotland which has seen tens of thousands of members of the public attend religious ceremonies and thousands more lining the streets to see him. >>> Jonathan Wynne-Jones, Religious Affairs Correspondent | Saturday, September 18, 2010
BBC: The Pope is to perform the first beatification ceremony ever to take place in the UK, paving the way for the Victorian Cardinal John Henry Newman to become a saint.
Thousands are expected to attend the ceremony in Cofton Park in Birmingham, but some have questioned the validity of the miracle attributed to Cardinal Newman.
Robert Pigott reports. Watch BBC video >>> | Sunday, September 19, 2010
Saturday, September 18, 2010
THE TELEGRAPH: Pope Benedict's visit offers a lesson for all Christians in Britain.
The Pope’s visit to Britain has demonstrated the abiding strength of Christianity within this nation. Throughout his visit, thousands of people from across the country have come to watch the spiritual leader of the world’s Catholics as he makes the first state visit by a Pontiff to these shores. In his speeches, His Holiness has shown a clarity of thought to shame the woolly utterances of Britain’s politicians, throwing down the gauntlet to our overly secularised society and insisting – as this newspaper has on many occasions – that religion still has a vital role to play within our culture. >>> Telegraph View | Saturday, September 18, 2010
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