Subscribe Login
Jamaica Observer
ePaper
The Edge 105 FM Radio Fyah 105 FM
Jamaica Observer
ePaper
The Edge 105 FM Radio Fyah 105 FM
    • Home
    • News
      • Latest News
      • Cartoon
      • International News
      • Central
      • North & East
      • Western
      • Environment
      • Health
      • #
    • Business
      • Social Love
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Basketball
      • Cricket
      • Horse Racing
      • World Champs
      • Commonwealth Games
      • FIFA World Cup 2022
      • Olympics
      • #
    • Entertainment
      • Music
      • Movies
      • Art & Culture
      • Bookends
      • #
    • Lifestyle
      • Page2
      • Food
      • Tuesday Style
      • Food Awards
      • JOL Takes Style Out
      • Design Week JA
      • Black Friday
      • #
    • All Woman
      • Home
      • Relationships
      • Features
      • Fashion
      • Fitness
      • Rights
      • Parenting
      • Advice
      • #
    • Obituaries
    • Classifieds
      • Employment
      • Property
      • Motor Vehicles
      • Place an Ad
      • Obituaries
    • More
      • Games
      • Elections
      • Jobs & Careers
      • Study Centre
      • Jnr Study Centre
      • Letters
      • Columns
      • Advertorial
      • Editorial
      • Supplements
      • Webinars
    • Home
    • News
      • Latest News
      • Cartoon
      • International News
      • Central
      • North & East
      • Western
      • Environment
      • Health
      • #
    • Business
      • Social Love
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Basketball
      • Cricket
      • Horse Racing
      • World Champs
      • Commonwealth Games
      • FIFA World Cup 2022
      • Olympics
      • #
    • Entertainment
      • Music
      • Movies
      • Art & Culture
      • Bookends
      • #
    • Lifestyle
      • Page2
      • Food
      • Tuesday Style
      • Food Awards
      • JOL Takes Style Out
      • Design Week JA
      • Black Friday
      • #
    • All Woman
      • Home
      • Relationships
      • Features
      • Fashion
      • Fitness
      • Rights
      • Parenting
      • Advice
      • #
    • Obituaries
    • Classifieds
      • Employment
      • Property
      • Motor Vehicles
      • Place an Ad
      • Obituaries
    • More
      • Games
      • Elections
      • Jobs & Careers
      • Study Centre
      • Jnr Study Centre
      • Letters
      • Columns
      • Advertorial
      • Editorial
      • Supplements
      • Webinars
  • Home
  • News
    • International News
  • Latest
  • Business
  • Cartoon
  • Games
  • Food Awards
  • Health
  • Entertainment
    • Bookends
  • Regional
  • Sports
    • Sports
    • World Cup
    • World Champs
    • Olympics
  • All Woman
  • Career & Education
  • Environment
  • Webinars
  • More
    • Football
    • Elections
    • Letters
    • Advertorial
    • Columns
    • Editorial
    • Supplements
  • Epaper
  • Classifieds
  • Design Week
UK says Trump visit still on amid outcry over travel ban
<p><span>British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during a news conference with President Donald Trump in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Friday, January 27, 2017. (Photo: AP) </span></p>
Latest News, News
January 29, 2017

UK says Trump visit still on amid outcry over travel ban

LONDON, United States (AP) — A state visit to Britain by President Donald Trump later this year will go ahead, the prime minister’s office said Monday, despite increasing calls for it to be cancelled over his temporary ban on residents of seven majority-Muslim countries entering the US.

Furore over the travel ban has tarnished what British officials had considered a highly successful trip to Washington by Prime Minister Theresa May. She met Trump at the White House on Friday and announced that he had been invited to come to Britain later this year as the guest of Queen Elizabeth II.

May’s Downing Street office said Monday that “an invitation has been extended and accepted,” and the visit is still on.

No date has been announced for the state visit, which involves lavish pomp and ceremony, generally with a stay at Buckingham Palace.

The visit was hailed by government officials as a sign of the close trans-Atlantic relationship, which was also reflected in May’s invitation to meet Trump just a week after his inauguration.

But criticism of May’s wooing of Trump erupted when — only hours after the prime minister had left the White House — the president signed an executive order suspending all travel to the US of citizens of Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Somalia, Syria, Yemen and Libya for 90 days. The order also bars all refugees entering the country for 120 days.

Britain’s three biggest opposition parties have all called for Trump’s state visit to be cancelled and an online petition opposing the trip has more than one million signatures. Protests against the travel ban are planned Monday in London and other British cities.

Any petition with more than 100,000 signatures must be considered for a debate in Parliament, though not a binding vote.

Last year, Parliament debated whether to ban Trump, then a presidential candidate, from visiting Britain after a similar online petition was filed.

Trump’s travel ban sparked protests at airports across the US, along with expressions of condemnation and concern from around the world.

There was widespread confusion about whether the ban applied to dual nationals. Somali-born British Olympic champion runner Mo Farah said he feared it would prevent him returning to the US, where he lives.

Late Sunday, Britain’s Foreign Office said US authorities had clarified that the ban didn’t apply to British citizens who are also nationals of one of the seven countries. Canada’s foreign minister said he had been told the same about Canadian dual nationals.

However, the website of the US Embassy in London advised nationals of the seven countries — “including dual nationals” — not to book visa appointments, saying their applications would not be processed.

The US Embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The British exemption didn’t end the storm of opposition, with prominent members of May’s Conservative Party joining in calls for Trump’s visit to be scrapped.

Sayeeda Warsi, a former government minister and Conservative member of the House of Lords, said it was “sending out a wrong signal” to invite Trump, a leader’s whose values “are not the same as British values.”

Conservative lawmaker Sarah Wollaston said Trump should not be invited to address both houses of Parliament, an honour given to many visiting foreign leaders.

She said that “those who wish to fawn over him” should do so elsewhere.

Former UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage, a Trump ally, said “British politicians are sheer hypocrites” to oppose the travel ban as they had not objected when President Barack Obama imposed what Farage called a six-month ban on Iraqis.

In 2011 the US imposed stringent checks on Iraqi refugees after two Iraqis were charged with terrorism offenses in Kentucky. It did not ban all travellers from Iraq, however.

{"website":"website"}{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
img img
0 Comments · Make a comment

ALSO ON JAMAICA OBSERVER

Two accused in ‘sophisticated’ multimillion dollar fraud to return to court
Latest News, News
Two accused in ‘sophisticated’ multimillion dollar fraud to return to court
February 18, 2026
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Two of the three people charged in January in connection to a multimillion dollar fraud affecting multiple financial institutions ...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Environmental groups sue Trump administration over dismantled climate rule
International News, Latest News
Environmental groups sue Trump administration over dismantled climate rule
February 18, 2026
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP)—A coalition of environmental and health groups on Wednesday filed suit against the Trump administration's repeal of a ...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Holness urges young Jamaicans to modernise public sector
Latest News, News
Holness urges young Jamaicans to modernise public sector
February 18, 2026
KINGSTON, Jamaica—Prime Minister Andrew Holness has urged young Jamaicans to adopt an outcomes-focused mindset to modernise Jamaica’s public sector fo...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Man remanded in custody after mother refuses to drop case
Latest News, News
Man remanded in custody after mother refuses to drop case
February 18, 2026
KINGSTON, Jamaica — A man experiencing mental health challenges was remanded in custody when he appeared before the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Cour...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Valiant concludes North American tour with sold-out grand finale
Entertainment, Latest News
Valiant concludes North American tour with sold-out grand finale
February 18, 2026
KINGSTON, Jamaica—Dancehall artiste Valiant recently concluded his highly anticipated North American tour with a high-energy, sold-out performance at ...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Gas explosion kills at least 38 miners in central Nigeria
International News, Latest News
Gas explosion kills at least 38 miners in central Nigeria
February 18, 2026
JOS PLATEAU, Nigeria (AFP)—Thirty-eight lead miners were killed when gas exploded at a pit in central Nigeria's Plateau state, local sources told AFP....
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Jamaican model Althea Laing to headline Chic & Champagne
Entertainment, Latest News
Jamaican model Althea Laing to headline Chic & Champagne
February 18, 2026
KINGSTON, Jamaica—Fashion enthusiasts are set to converge in Kingston on February 21 for Chic & Champagne, a fashion experience hosted by Let Dian Fin...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Samuel K Golden drops new ‘Therapy for the Heart’ album
Entertainment, Latest News
Samuel K Golden drops new ‘Therapy for the Heart’ album
February 18, 2026
Fusion artiste Samuel K Golden is quickly carving out a reputation for pioneering a fusion of spoken-word poetry with modern alternative pop structure...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
❮ ❯

Polls

HOUSE RULES

  1. We welcome reader comments on the top stories of the day. Some comments may be republished on the website or in the newspaper; email addresses will not be published.
  2. Please understand that comments are moderated and it is not always possible to publish all that have been submitted. We will, however, try to publish comments that are representative of all received.
  3. We ask that comments are civil and free of libellous or hateful material. Also please stick to the topic under discussion.
  4. Please do not write in block capitals since this makes your comment hard to read.
  5. Please don't use the comments to advertise. However, our advertising department can be more than accommodating if emailed: advertising@jamaicaobserver.com.
  6. If readers wish to report offensive comments, suggest a correction or share a story then please email: community@jamaicaobserver.com.
  7. Lastly, read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy

Recent Posts

Archives

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Tweets

Polls

Recent Posts

Archives

Logo Jamaica Observer
Breaking news from the premier Jamaican newspaper, the Jamaica Observer. Follow Jamaican news online for free and stay informed on what's happening in the Caribbean
Featured Tags
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Health
  • Auto
  • Business
  • Letters
  • Page2
  • Football
Categories
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Page2
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Page2
Ads
img
Jamaica Observer, © All Rights Reserved
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • RSS Feeds
  • Feedback
  • Privacy Policy
  • Editorial Code of Conduct