Obama to visit tornado-hit State

May 24, 2011, update at 13: 08 GMT Barack Obama said the people of Missouri "the American people is by your side" U.S. President Barack Obama said he will visit the State of Missouri to tornado-hit Sunday, just after returning from a tour of six days of Europe.

Huge Sunday tornado cut a path through the city of Joplin, killing at least 116 people, some six miles (10 km) in length on at least one kilometre wide.

President Obama said the tornado "devastating and heartbreaking."

He promised the Government would "do absolutely everything we can" to help victims recover and reconstruction.

During this time, the National Weather Service warned of storms more Tuesday, with the risk for severe weather increasing later in the day.

Southeast Kansas, and Missouri is configured to be battered by winds of 70 mph, "the size of baseballs" hail and tornadoes possible, said the Agency.

Rubble

Mr. Obama spoke of London before meeting Queen Elizabeth II at the beginning of his stay at the United Kingdom.

Resident Dominic Puller filmed the destruction caused by the tornado.

It is the second stop on a tour of four countries of Europe, and Mr. Obama is due back in Washington on Saturday night.

Continue reading the main story March 1925: Deadliest twister in the history of the United States as so-called Tri-State tornado kills 695 in Missouri, Southern Illinois and Southwest IndianaMarch 1932: Deep South tornado outbreak kills 332 people of Texas in South Carolina, with 270 die in Alabama aloneMay 1840: the Great Natchez tornado killed 317 people in Mississippi city, most living on flatboats on the riverApril 1974: 310 killed in 24 hours "super outbreak" of 148 tornadoes in 13 States .mai 1896 : Two weeks of storms kill 305 people Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky's "I want everyone to Joplin, everyone in Missouri, everyone in Minnesota, everyone across the Midwest to know that we are here for you.""," stated Mr. Obama.

"The American people is at your side." We will stay there until every house is repaired, until each neighbourhood is rebuilt, until all businesses are back on its feet. ?

Damage in Missouri likely Mr. Obama said, eventually exceeding the destruction of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, of tornadoes in April.

Federal disasters and homeland security officials have traveled to the affected areas, said the President of the United States.

A large part of the South shore of Joplin is reported to have been launched, with churches, schools, businesses and homes to rubble.

Monday, Governor of the Missouri Jay Nixon said storms had caused damage in all of the State.

"As a State, we are deploying each agency and the resources available to keep families safe Missouri, search for missing persons, provide emergency medical care and begin to recover," he said.

He warned that the storms were not finished and urged almost to keep a close eye on the latest weather information.

Ai Weiwei Gets the first family visit

Ai Weiwei was arrested while trying to climb on board a plane to Hong Kong-bound for Beijing detained Chinese artist Ai Weiwei was allowed his first contact with his family since his arrestThere are more than 40 days.

The artist met his wife at an undisclosed location Sunday and told him that he is, his sister told the BBC.

Mr. AI is supposed to be under investigation for alleged economic crimes. "

The artist is a complaint from a lack of fundamental freedoms, critical of the Government and often incorporating these political themes in his work.

Wife of ai Weiwei Lu Qing has been taken by the Chinese police to meet her husband Sunday afternoon.

The artist's sister has said to the BBC Lu Qing was summoned to the police station and taken to another location where it was allowed a brief meeting with her husband.

Continue reading the main story supported the online campaign to compile the names of the children who died in the earthquake 2008 - many schools whose construction has been have been compromised because of the corruptionIn August 2009, beaten by the police in Sichuan trying to testify for dissident Tan ZuorenAlthough a co-creator of the stage of games Olympics Beijing bird's nest, it was later repudiated the project, condemning China for hosting of the games as "false and hypocritical" his often censored blog was read by 10,000 people per day up to shut down by the authorities in may 2009Ai Weiwei is a "maverick" who "chooses to have a different attitude of ordinary people to act", the overall time said on WednesdayMrs Lu does not know where this place was, but think that it was used for the meeting - she said that she did not believe her husband was detained y.

She noted that Mr. Ai said his those who hold him were taking good care of him, he was in good health and she should not worry.

However, the meeting was very brief, she said, and there were many other people, some of them taking note, so that she was afraid to talk more with her husband.

The family was then warned by police not to discuss the visit with the media that they were told she could "be bad for the case of Mr. Ai".

His family had been demanding to know if it was safe and that more than 43 days have passed since Mr. AI was arrested by the police at the Beijing airport, says the BBC Damian Grammaticas in Beijing.

It had been prohibited any contact with his family or his lawyers.

Calls by Governments around the world for more information and the artists had not produced any response from the Chinese authorities.

Chinese Foreign Ministry insisted that the case of Mr. Ai has "nothing to do with freedom of expression and human rights".

Ireland: First visit of what Queen Elizabeth II means

In the coming weeks, Ireland will host two of the most recognizable personalities in the world: Queen Elizabeth II and President Barack Obama. And that the country is preparing, Dublin taxi drivers see the careful planning - and sometimes inconvenient - close. "The police have been to the bottom of every manhole in Dublin twice at this stage" said, describing the increase in security which includes the inspection of the sewers of the city of bombs.

Ireland takes no chances with its prestige guests: reports say that about 10,000 police officers and soldiers will be deployed during two visits. But it is the arrival of the Queen in Dublin on Tuesday which is the more nervous Irish police force. Not everyone in Ireland is pleased to see the Queen, whose four-day visit--the first ever by a British monarch to the Republic - has implemented action the State ever more great security operation. (See pictures of the world most beautiful handcuffs).

The reluctance of the Queen and her father King George VI, before visiting nearby nearest of England stems from centuries of British occupation of the Ireland. While the Republic of Ireland fought the path of independence with the foundation of the free State in 1922 and the establishment of the Republic in 1937, Ireland of the North remained under British rule. Sectarian tensions between Catholic Republicans and Protestant Unionist in the region increased, up to what they were broke out in three decades of violence in which more than 3,600 people have been killed.

Disorders, as they are called, ended with the agreement of the good Friday in 1998. But until recently, historical problems made a visit of the Queen of the Republic seems impossible. If the announcement of his visit last month was considered by some as a sign of maturity. But the symbolism of the visit also sparked resentment among some Irish. Easter Monday, a representative of the sectarian group called the real IRA splinter is appeared in a video statement wearing a balaclava and military clothing and called the visit "insult to come" and to invite the Government as not representative of the will of the Irish people. "The Queen of England is sought for war crimes in Ireland and did not want on Irish soil", he said. "We will do our best to ensure that it and the class [corrupted] gombeen which act as its cheerleaders get this message." The Declaration also included a threat to kill the most Northern Irish police officers a few weeks after the murder of the Roman Catholic officer Ronan Kerr to Omagh. (Read "tragic but not troubled: the murder of an Irish policeman North.")

During this time, the Republican group Eirigi (Rise Up) has placed a countdown timer on its website, calling for the visit of the Queen to meet with "widespread opposition." and protest The Group application to those against the visit to occupy the garden of remembrance, a Park Memorial in Dublin dedicated to those who fought for the freedom of the Irish, which is part of the official route of the Queen. It will also at Croke Park Stadium, the headquarters of two national sports, Gaelic football and hurling, the Ireland and the site of one of the days of the bloodiest of the war of independence, when 14 civilians were killed by British forces in retaliation for the assassination of British secret agents earlier in the day.

For supporters, visit of the Queen is an opportunity to show how the United Kingdom and the Ireland have "moved on"-a term which irritates some Irish. But even Sinn Fein, party political most staunchly Republican of the Ireland, seems to have relaxed its outright opposition soon. In a statement on the Web site of the Saturday party leader Gerry Adams said, "I am for a new relationship... between the people of Ireland and Britain based on equal and mutual respect." I hope this visit will hasten that day, but a lot will depend of what the British monarch. "(See more information about the recent election of the Ireland).

But given that the Irish are living under tight austerity measures after having obtained a rescue of 96 billion of the e.u. and the Monetary Fund International, the country would dare to its famous guests? Costs of security for the visits of the Queen and Obama a week later will reach approximately $ 42 million, according to unconfirmed reports.

James Connolly Heron, great-grandson of James Connolly, an icon of the Irish struggle for independence, calls into question the relevance of spending the money of the taxpayers to the host when the country is bankrupt. "It seems did not reduce to the bottom of the visit in regard to where we are economically", he said, adding that he feels talk of the Ireland "pass" is absurd, given the level of security required in the time of the Queen in the country. (See the photos of the British army, leaving the Ireland of the North).

But Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny called the two visits "an investment for the future" citing the benefits they will bring tourism and business. Given all the bad news surrounding the country in the end, Kenny added, they could also be good for the image of the Ireland. And many Irish hope that he is right. "In the eyes of the world will be on the Ireland, we hope, that the Royal visit will present the country," explains Stuart Batt taxi driver. "It is an opportunity for the world to see us positively in a negative time."

Clashes in Greece as a key early EU and IMF visit

Athens - a group of 150 Hooded demonstrators attacked three policemen in an Athens hospital after a protestor was seriously injured in an anti-austerity of March the first day of a visit by inspectors from the EU and the IMF.

Police had fired tear gas shells earlier Wednesday to disperse demonstrators throwing stones as sent senior EU and IMF began talks with the Government on the intensification of the tax reforms needed to get the next tranche of a rescue plan.

"Hooded young people burst into the Office of the Executive of the hospital and beat three police officers who investigate injuries to the woman, said a police officer who refused to be named." Two police officers were slightly injured and one suffered more serious injuries to the head. ?

The Greek demonstrator of 31 years, appointed Ioannis Kafkas, was in stable condition but critical after surgery of the brain, the Health Ministry, said earlier Wednesday.

Inspectors from the European Union of Senior and the Monetary Fund International met the Minister of finance George Papaconstantinou early to visit a few metres (yards) away from the March of protest organized against wage reductions and trade unions say these increases are strangling the economy.

Police said 17 demonstrators and two police officers were hurt during clashes while 24 people were arrested that day a strike across the country began a large part of the Greece.

The visit of the EU and the IMF will decide if Greece will get a fifth rescue aid bracket 110 billion euros which has saved from bankruptcy last year. Without the next instalment of 12 billion euros, the key to pay immediate financing needs of EUR 13.7 billion, the Greece would be actually default.

Officials of the IMF and EU will also give Athens improved loan conditions or more aid to avoid its huge debt restructuring. Investors say a restructuring, impose losses on private bond, is inevitable without more funding.

Responsible of Euro including German Chancellor Angela Merkel said they will await the result of the visit of inspection before taking any decision.

Police said about 20,000 protesters - less than previous protests, marching to Parliament. The Greece has a history of events that can degenerate. In December 2008, Athens was paralyzed weeks by rioting triggered by the police killing of a teenager and fuelled by anger with economic difficulties.

"ENOUGH!"

Athens was almost deserted with many businesses and public services closed and posters reading: "we can take it no more." The rich and the tax evaders should pay. ?

Litsa Papadaki, 60, a homemaker and mother of three women who protested in the centre of Athens, said: "enough is enough!" They kill us and our children. ?

Greek debt prices have stabilized, but the markets are stiffened some form of restructuring in the long term, because the Greece is satisfy with a mountain of debts of EUR 327 billion.

Ten-year Greek bonds were changing hands at about 55% of their nominal value, carrying a 15.696% - little changed on day secondary market performance, but more than 3 percent since the beginning of the year.

The Socialist Government reduced salaries and pensions and tax increases, despite strikes repeated, to meet the objectives of the rescue plan. But such measures have plunged the country into a deep recession and leaf taxes, which hamper efforts to tackle a debt of 150% of GDP.

The national strike based on flights and stopped shipping. Hospitals were operating on skeleton staff, schools were closed and the city transportation was interrupted.

Greek newspapers reported Wednesday that the Government was almost agreement for EU loans and the additional IMF of 50-60 billion euros to cover its deficit financing in 2012 and 2013 in exchange for bold privatization.

But a source of eurozone in Brussels, said the Greece needed to show progress toward the budget meeting and objectives of privatization before other emergency fund could be considered.

The Ministers are now assuming that the Greece cannot regain trust of the investor to return in 2012 financial markets and analysts say that the Government faces difficult choices.

"More austerity is probably not good for the economy... it will deepen the recession and we do not know if it's to produce results in terms of fiscal consolidation, said Diego Iscaro, IHS Global Insight." On the other hand, people will start losing faith in the Government's strategy. ?

The Union of the sector deprived GSEE and his sister in public sector ADEDY, which together represent approximately half of the workforce, said austerity is killing the economy, declined by 4.5 percent in 2010 and is expected to contract by another 3% this year.

Unemployment reached a record 15.1% in January.

GSEE said there was a participation rate of 100% for the walkout, but said Government officials only 12 per cent of public services workers took part.

Prime Minister George Papandreou chaired a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the second in as many days as he tries to rally support new financial and privatization plans them and to suppress the mounting discontent in the ranks of the party.

"We have a duty to lead the country from the crisis in the best possible way", he told his ministers after some complained of the reforms, a slowdown in the pace.

Heads of mission EU and the IMF will be in town for about a week, after the experts have begun checking in early May. Officials have said they would concentrate on a financial plan 2011-2015 and the progress in increments of 50 billion euros from privatizations by 2015.