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
      • Business Bites
      • 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
      • Business Bites
      • 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
    • Business Bites
  • 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

‘Jahvy Ambassador’ charged in Big Wall shooting incident
Entertainment, Latest News, News
‘Jahvy Ambassador’ charged in Big Wall shooting incident
April 17, 2026
Police have laid charges against record producer Jahvel “Jahvy Ambassador” Morrison in relation to the shooting incident at the Big Wall carnival part...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Second sibling dies following Spanish Town blaze
Latest News, News
Second sibling dies following Spanish Town blaze
April 17, 2026
ST CATHERINE, Jamaica — As loved ones prepared to host a memorial for a 14-year-old victim of a house fire in Spanish Town Friday night, they were gre...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Nayoka Clunis improves hammer throw national record
Latest News, Sports
Nayoka Clunis improves hammer throw national record
April 17, 2026
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Nayoka Clunis broke her Jamaican national record in the women’s hammer throw after she threw 72.03m to win the Women’s Invitationa...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
St James police get tough on motorcyclists following motorcycle boost
Latest News, News
St James police get tough on motorcyclists following motorcycle boost
April 17, 2026
ST JAMES, Jamaica — The St James Police have upped the ante in dealing with motorcyclists deemed to have breached the Road Traffic Act. Part of that c...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Reggae Boyz’s Tyreek Magee signs with Switchbacks in USL
Latest News, Sports
Reggae Boyz’s Tyreek Magee signs with Switchbacks in USL
April 17, 2026
KINGSTON, Jamaica - Jamaican midfielder Tyreek Magee has been signed to the Colorado Switchbacks FC, covering the 2026 and 2027 USL Championship seaso...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Tavares-Finson calls for more ‘fair treatment’ of jurors
Latest News, News
Tavares-Finson calls for more ‘fair treatment’ of jurors
April 17, 2026
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Government Senator Christian Tavares-Finson is calling for the Court Management System to consider making more frequent payments t...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Martinique to join Caricom as associate member after nod from France
Latest News, Regional
Martinique to join Caricom as associate member after nod from France
April 17, 2026
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) –  France on Friday said it will continue to work alongside its overseas communities to support their regional integration af...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Cuba authorises investments by diaspora members
Latest News, Regional
Cuba authorises investments by diaspora members
April 17, 2026
HAVANA, Cuba (AFP) —The Cuban government has approved a measure allowing Cubans living abroad to invest in their home country, according to media repo...
{"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