The Queen attended church in Sandringham, the first time she has been seen in public since falling ill before Christmas.
The 90-year-old monarch had missed the traditional church services over the festive period and the New Year as she battled a heavy cold, prompting concerns for her health.
The Queen, dressed on royal blue, arrived at St Mary Magdalene Church, accompanied by senior royals, including the Duke of Edinburgh and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
She and Prince Philip had been forced to delay their journey from Buckingham Palace to their Norfolk estate in the days before Christmas after she fell ill with a respiratory illness.
A small crowd of people greeted the Queen as she was driven the short distance to the church in a burgundy Bentley, with Prince Philip, who was also ill before Christmas.
Kate and William walked the short distance from the house to the church, but there was no sign of Prince George or Princess Charlotte.
Although she has missed the church services, and has not been in seen in public for several weeks the monarch has carried out other official duties.
She presented Ray Wheaton, her Page of the Chambers, with the insignia of a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order, the court circular recorded.
There was applause from well-wishers as the Queen left the church after the service.
Colin Bunn, 70, of Snettisham, Norfolk, said: "We live locally so we come to Sandringham quite frequently and were here on Christmas Day.
"She looked beautiful and came down the steps unaided."
His wife Pam, 67, said: "She looked good. She had a lovely outfit on and looked well."
After more than six decades on the throne, the queen has cut back on international tours and Buckingham Palace said last month she would step down as patron of several charities and other organisations to reduce her workload.
Sunday, January 8, 2017
British great-grandmother among five dead at Florida airport
A British great-grandmother was one of five people shot dead at an airport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Olga Woltering, 84, who is thought to have come originally from Ipswich, Suffolk, was one of those killed in the mass shooting in the airport's baggage claim area on Friday.
The suspected shooter Esteban Santiago, 26, has been charged with performing an act of violence at an international airport resulting in death.
He also faces charges of using a firearm during a crime of violence and causing the death of a person through use of a firearm.
Mrs Woltering lived on the outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband Ralph, a former serviceman with the US Air Force.
The couple are said to have been on their way to join a cruise.
The death was confirmed by her church, the Catholic Church of the Transfiguration in Marietta, Georgia.
A statement from the church said: "It is with heavy hearts that we report that one of our parishioners, Olga Woltering, was killed in the Ft Lauderdale airport tragedy.
"Olga and her husband, Ralph, could always be found at 5pm Mass... They were always happy and approachable!
"Olga was so charming, calling everybody 'Lovey' or 'Love' in her unmistakable British accent."
Her daughter Debbie said her mother was "a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and good friend to many".
"She, along with our father Ralph, is the cornerstone of our family, and while she's absent in our lives now, she remains in our hearts, thoughts, and memories for ever," she said.
"Her bright smile and loving manner will be missed by all who had the fortune to know her. She rarely seemed to meet a stranger, rather she had a smile or a hug for all."
The priest at the church, Father Fernando Molina-Restrepo, added: "Olga was one of the most joyful, loving, caring and committed people I have ever met. This is a horrible tragedy for everyone here at Transfiguration, especially because Olga was so loved."
Santiago served in Iraq with the National Guard before being demoted and discharged last year for poor performance.
The 26-year-old from Anchorage, Alaska, reportedly walked into the FBI office in Anchorage in November to say that the US government was controlling his mind and making him watch Islamic State videos.
The FBI said on Saturday that they confiscated a gun from him but it was returned to him a month later after he underwent mental health checks.
They are yet to say whether it was the same gun as that used in the attack.
FBI agent George Piro said: "We're looking at every angle, including the terrorism angle."
Santiago is being held in custody and is due to make his first court appearance on Monday local time.
If he is found guilty, the punishment is execution or any prison sentence up to life.
Relatives confirmed he had a history of mental health problems and had recently been getting psychological treatment.
His brother Bryan Santiago on Saturday questioned why he had been allowed to keep keep his gun when US authorities knew he had been hearing voices.
On Friday, he arrived at Ft Lauderdale just before 1pm local time (6pm UK time) on a flight from Minnesota, police said.
Reportedly dressed in a Star Wars T-shirt, he allegedly took a 9mm semi-automatic handgun from his checked luggage and began firing at people.
Panicked travellers hid in toilet cubicles, while others ran out of the terminal onto the tarmac and crouched behind vehicles.
Two other victims have been named as Michael Oehme, 57, a land surveyor from Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Terry Andres, a volunteer fireman from Virginia Beach, Virginia.
As well as the five dead, eight others were injured.
Olga Woltering, 84, who is thought to have come originally from Ipswich, Suffolk, was one of those killed in the mass shooting in the airport's baggage claim area on Friday.
The suspected shooter Esteban Santiago, 26, has been charged with performing an act of violence at an international airport resulting in death.
He also faces charges of using a firearm during a crime of violence and causing the death of a person through use of a firearm.
Mrs Woltering lived on the outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband Ralph, a former serviceman with the US Air Force.
The couple are said to have been on their way to join a cruise.
The death was confirmed by her church, the Catholic Church of the Transfiguration in Marietta, Georgia.
A statement from the church said: "It is with heavy hearts that we report that one of our parishioners, Olga Woltering, was killed in the Ft Lauderdale airport tragedy.
"Olga and her husband, Ralph, could always be found at 5pm Mass... They were always happy and approachable!
"Olga was so charming, calling everybody 'Lovey' or 'Love' in her unmistakable British accent."
Her daughter Debbie said her mother was "a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and good friend to many".
"She, along with our father Ralph, is the cornerstone of our family, and while she's absent in our lives now, she remains in our hearts, thoughts, and memories for ever," she said.
"Her bright smile and loving manner will be missed by all who had the fortune to know her. She rarely seemed to meet a stranger, rather she had a smile or a hug for all."
The priest at the church, Father Fernando Molina-Restrepo, added: "Olga was one of the most joyful, loving, caring and committed people I have ever met. This is a horrible tragedy for everyone here at Transfiguration, especially because Olga was so loved."
Santiago served in Iraq with the National Guard before being demoted and discharged last year for poor performance.
The 26-year-old from Anchorage, Alaska, reportedly walked into the FBI office in Anchorage in November to say that the US government was controlling his mind and making him watch Islamic State videos.
The FBI said on Saturday that they confiscated a gun from him but it was returned to him a month later after he underwent mental health checks.
They are yet to say whether it was the same gun as that used in the attack.
FBI agent George Piro said: "We're looking at every angle, including the terrorism angle."
Santiago is being held in custody and is due to make his first court appearance on Monday local time.
If he is found guilty, the punishment is execution or any prison sentence up to life.
Relatives confirmed he had a history of mental health problems and had recently been getting psychological treatment.
His brother Bryan Santiago on Saturday questioned why he had been allowed to keep keep his gun when US authorities knew he had been hearing voices.
On Friday, he arrived at Ft Lauderdale just before 1pm local time (6pm UK time) on a flight from Minnesota, police said.
Reportedly dressed in a Star Wars T-shirt, he allegedly took a 9mm semi-automatic handgun from his checked luggage and began firing at people.
Panicked travellers hid in toilet cubicles, while others ran out of the terminal onto the tarmac and crouched behind vehicles.
Two other victims have been named as Michael Oehme, 57, a land surveyor from Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Terry Andres, a volunteer fireman from Virginia Beach, Virginia.
As well as the five dead, eight others were injured.
May to outline 'shared society' in first interview of 2017
Theresa May will set our her vision to reduce social inequality today when she gives her first broadcast interview of the year to Sophy Ridge on Sunday on Sky News.
From her first day as Prime Minister in Downing Street she indicated she wanted government to target assistance at those who are "just about managing".
On Monday she will deliver a major policy speech at the Charity Commission in which she will outline her plans for a "shared society based on the values of citizenship, responsibility and fairness".
She is expected to say: "The shared society is one that doesn't just value our individual rights but focuses rather more on the responsibilities we have to one another.
"It's a society that respects the bonds that we share as a union of people and nations."
"And it's a society that recognises the obligations we have as citizens obligations that make our society work," she will add.
:: Trump 'very much' looking forward to meeting May
In an apparent dig at her predecessor David Cameron, she will suggest that government has focused too much on the very poorest and ignored the struggles of those holding down jobs, but finding it hard to make ends meet.
The focus on social justice is also an attempt to pivot focus away from her Brexit strategy, which she continues to keep under wraps, refusing to be drawn into a "running commentary".
But her resistance to allowing MPs to have a say before she triggers Article 50, the official EU divorce process, and her vagueness on the kind of deal she favours, still energises her critics.
Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth told Sky News: "Businesses across Britain want certainty; people whose jobs depend on our access to the single market want certainty and all we get from Theresa May is glib slogans."
In the Prime Minister's Maidenhead constituency, voters were lukewarm about her first six months in office.
"I know her as a local MP. She is very, very good at that so she might take a while to warm up to being Prime Minister," said one shopper.
Another was more sceptical saying: "Clearly she has a lot on her plate - there's a lot of noise and a lot of discussion about Brexit, but very few facts."
Simon Dudley, the leader of Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council, who has known Mrs May for more than 20 years, is sure she will cope with the busy domestic and foreign agenda.
He said: "She is a very dedicated analytical person. She will get things done, she won't take nonsense either, and I think we want someone who is purposeful and focused."
The first few months of the year bring a series of high-profile challenges.
In January the Supreme Court will rule on the Government's powers to trigger Brexit, she will meet Donald Trump for the first time in February and she is scheduled to invoke Article 50 before the end of March.
From her first day as Prime Minister in Downing Street she indicated she wanted government to target assistance at those who are "just about managing".
On Monday she will deliver a major policy speech at the Charity Commission in which she will outline her plans for a "shared society based on the values of citizenship, responsibility and fairness".
She is expected to say: "The shared society is one that doesn't just value our individual rights but focuses rather more on the responsibilities we have to one another.
"It's a society that respects the bonds that we share as a union of people and nations."
"And it's a society that recognises the obligations we have as citizens obligations that make our society work," she will add.
:: Trump 'very much' looking forward to meeting May
In an apparent dig at her predecessor David Cameron, she will suggest that government has focused too much on the very poorest and ignored the struggles of those holding down jobs, but finding it hard to make ends meet.
The focus on social justice is also an attempt to pivot focus away from her Brexit strategy, which she continues to keep under wraps, refusing to be drawn into a "running commentary".
But her resistance to allowing MPs to have a say before she triggers Article 50, the official EU divorce process, and her vagueness on the kind of deal she favours, still energises her critics.
Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth told Sky News: "Businesses across Britain want certainty; people whose jobs depend on our access to the single market want certainty and all we get from Theresa May is glib slogans."
In the Prime Minister's Maidenhead constituency, voters were lukewarm about her first six months in office.
"I know her as a local MP. She is very, very good at that so she might take a while to warm up to being Prime Minister," said one shopper.
Another was more sceptical saying: "Clearly she has a lot on her plate - there's a lot of noise and a lot of discussion about Brexit, but very few facts."
Simon Dudley, the leader of Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council, who has known Mrs May for more than 20 years, is sure she will cope with the busy domestic and foreign agenda.
He said: "She is a very dedicated analytical person. She will get things done, she won't take nonsense either, and I think we want someone who is purposeful and focused."
The first few months of the year bring a series of high-profile challenges.
In January the Supreme Court will rule on the Government's powers to trigger Brexit, she will meet Donald Trump for the first time in February and she is scheduled to invoke Article 50 before the end of March.
Saturday, January 7, 2017
Former EU envoy Sir Ivan Rogers resigns from civil service
Sir Ivan Rogers has resigned from the civil service, days after standing down as Britain's ambassador to the EU.
A Government spokesperson said Sir Ivan "did not seek any further civil service appointment" after his resignation on Tuesday, and has subsequently left Whitehall.
The spokesperson added that No 10 was "grateful for Sir Ivan's work in Brussels and across a number of other senior position in the civil service".
After stepping down as EU envoy, Sir Ivan sent an email to colleagues in which he accused the Government of "ill-founded arguments and muddled thinking" over Brexit.
US to deploy 300 Marines to Afghanistan's Helmand
About 300 US Marines will deploy to Afghanistan's embattled southern Helmand province as part of a NATO mission to train and advise local forces - a move that the Taliban said it was a challenge that it welcomed.
The Marines will head to the poppy-growing province this spring in the latest sign that foreign forces are increasingly being drawn back into the 15-year conflict.
Task Force Southwest - led by Brigadier-General Roger Turner Jr - "will train and advise key leaders within the Afghan National Army 215th Corps and the 505th Zone National Police", a statement published late Friday by the US Marine Corps said.
"The Marine Corps has an operational history in Afghanistan, particularly in Helmand province," the statement noted, adding the troops "will assist in preserving gains made together with the Afghans".
The soldiers will train and advise Afghan security forces pushing back against Taliban fighters who have taken most of Helmand after the end of NATO's combat mission and withdrawal of most US forces from the province in 2014.
Almost all of Helmand's districts, except for the provincial capital Lashkar Gah, are either heavily embattled or fully controlled by the Taliban.
"We really need air support in Helmand. I hope they [US] support our air force, since we don't have enough air power in Helmand," Rasul Zazai, a spokesman for the Afghan army's 215 Corps stationed in Helmand, told AFP news agency.
The Marines will head to the poppy-growing province this spring in the latest sign that foreign forces are increasingly being drawn back into the 15-year conflict.
Task Force Southwest - led by Brigadier-General Roger Turner Jr - "will train and advise key leaders within the Afghan National Army 215th Corps and the 505th Zone National Police", a statement published late Friday by the US Marine Corps said.
"The Marine Corps has an operational history in Afghanistan, particularly in Helmand province," the statement noted, adding the troops "will assist in preserving gains made together with the Afghans".
The soldiers will train and advise Afghan security forces pushing back against Taliban fighters who have taken most of Helmand after the end of NATO's combat mission and withdrawal of most US forces from the province in 2014.
Almost all of Helmand's districts, except for the provincial capital Lashkar Gah, are either heavily embattled or fully controlled by the Taliban.
"We really need air support in Helmand. I hope they [US] support our air force, since we don't have enough air power in Helmand," Rasul Zazai, a spokesman for the Afghan army's 215 Corps stationed in Helmand, told AFP news agency.
Shaker Aamer: Guantanamo is a stain on Obama's legacy
Doha, Qatar - Barack Obama's failure to shutter Guantanamo Bay was a stain on his legacy as US president, according to Shaker Aamer, a Saudi-born UK resident held at the infamous US detention centre for nearly 14 years without trial.
Aamer was arrested in Afghanistan in 2001 but was never charged with a crime. He was released from the Cuba-based prison in October 2015 and has since lived with his wife and four children in Britain.
Despite Obama's January 2009 executive order to close Guantanamo, he failed to do so throughout his eight years of presidency.
Of the 240 prisoners who were there when Obama took office in 2009, 55 are still in Guantanamo, according to Human Rights First.
As many as 19 have been cleared for release, while a mere three individuals from the remaining detainees have been convicted by a military commission.
Overall, more than 780 people have been held in Guantanamo, and the prisoner population peaked at 684 people in June 2003.
President-elect Donald Trump, who will take office on January 20, has already vowed to keep the prison open and lock up "more bad dudes".
Al Jazeera spoke to Aamer about Obama's legacy, the impact of hunger strikes and his life after his release.
Al Jazeera: Will the US shut down Guantanamo Bay?
Shaker Aamer: Can they shut down Guantanamo? Yes. But first of all, people have to understand why they want to keep Guantanamo open. There's more to it than just politics or safety. If they close Guantanamo, what will tell the world about who's to blame for these 15 years when they put [away] all these people who didn't belong there?
It's just about explaining to the people. We are talking about one of the most sophisticated intelligence services in the world. Guantanamo proved to the entire world that the CIA operates outside [the rules] of the [US] government. It's a government inside a government, and they operate outside the law. Who's willing to answer all these questions? Are they willing to answer them? No, they're not.
People have to ask why it cannot be closed. It's about responsibilities and opening the books, answering questions to the whole world.
First of all, they have to [answer these questions] to the Americans. The impact of what happened on Americans was great, on the way they live and their freedoms. And everything we suffered was because of "national security". I couldn't receive letters from my own kids because of "national security". I couldn't speak freely with my lawyer because of "national security".
After all this, do you think they're going to close Guantanamo and then tell the world they've got only a handful of people that "we're trying to put on trial for the past 10 years and until now we cannot succeed"? Can the world accept that? No. That's why this scarecrow that is Guantanamo has to stay.
Al Jazeera: Will you continue to fight for the closure of Guantanamo?
Aamer: It's about our futures. We are still suffering. They [governments] refuse to talk about it now. For [governments], it's normal because they didn't lose anything. But for me, I lost 14 years and I won't sacrifice them without benefiting today and tomorrow - and I'm not talking about personal compensation. They compensated us [financially], but without saying sorry.
It's a lot bigger than me. It's not just because of the detainees. We are talking about a whole government, a whole system. They [the US government] lied to their own people just to let their soldiers accept torturing us. Can you imagine that they had to go to classes and show them movies about us? They had to make [guards and soldiers] believe they were defending freedom. For [a soldier] to accept all this, they had to brainwash them. Now we have to reverse everything to let them know that we are human beings and we haven't done anything.
Al Jazeera: You have a reputation as having been a key protest leader while you were in Guantanamo Bay. How important were the hunger strikes and other protests within the prison walls?
Aamer: When someone launches a hunger strike, it means he is willing to lose his life for the cause. It is a peaceful tactic. They told the world we were trying to kill ourselves to serve al-Qaeda. It's amazing how they twisted logic.
They were so brutal when they dealt with us [on hunger strike]. But a hunger strike was our peaceful means of telling the world: "Listen, if I'm guilty, put me on trial. If I'm innocent, send me home". We were hunger striking to gain some human rights. I swear to God, they treated us as less than cockroaches.
Some of the guards would break down. Not once, not twice - 10, 20, 30 times. It's beautiful when you see this soldier become your friend; when they sacrifice their own job, their income, for you. Some of them refused to participate [in force-feeding], they were sent back from Guantanamo.
Even though the US denies it, the hunger strike was effective. We gained some control. We changed the whole equation because of hunger strikes.
Al Jazeera: What has life been like since your release?
Aamer: I have no restrictions for me in any way - not written. But my phone is tapped; my house is being watched; there are cameras in front of my house all the time.
My lawyer advised me to stay away from overseas phone calls. I refuse to talk to anybody because I'm worried about my family and my kids. I don't want to do anything, even go back for questioning. My wife is still not ready to take any more pressure or shock. It's so sad.
At the same time, my wife worries every time there is a knock on the door. People in the UK are going to jail because they one time knew someone who is in Syria now. Imagine if I receive a phone call from someone who was in Guantanamo right now? Definitely they are going to come knock on my door.
That's why I'm free, but I'm not free. I'm being watched.
When I came out, I found a different family, a different life, different kids. My kids are grown up. To build a strong relationship with them is not easy. It is hard. They are my kids, but they are not my kids. They are very good kids, very educated, very smart. They still see me as a little bit of a stranger.
Al Jazeera: It appears that Obama's final presidential term will expire without the closure of Guantanamo Bay. What do you think that says about his legacy?
Aamer: I remember when Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize [in 2009]. It was sad. I told [my lawyer], if people like Obama get this prize, it means nothing. Where is the peace he's implementing? At that time, we were roughly 300-something people [in Guantanamo].
What peace did he bring to the world? The damage he did is worse than [former US President] George Bush. If Obama can get this prize, it's just an insult. That prize is nothing. It's just a decoration.
For Obama, he wants to close it. I have no doubt, but I think he's too much of a coward. You cannot be a hero without being willing to sacrifice. He proved he's the biggest liar; he proved he's not a leader. The most basic thing he could have done is close Guantanamo. He could have brought so much [respect] back to America.
Aamer was arrested in Afghanistan in 2001 but was never charged with a crime. He was released from the Cuba-based prison in October 2015 and has since lived with his wife and four children in Britain.
Despite Obama's January 2009 executive order to close Guantanamo, he failed to do so throughout his eight years of presidency.
Of the 240 prisoners who were there when Obama took office in 2009, 55 are still in Guantanamo, according to Human Rights First.
As many as 19 have been cleared for release, while a mere three individuals from the remaining detainees have been convicted by a military commission.
Overall, more than 780 people have been held in Guantanamo, and the prisoner population peaked at 684 people in June 2003.
President-elect Donald Trump, who will take office on January 20, has already vowed to keep the prison open and lock up "more bad dudes".
Al Jazeera spoke to Aamer about Obama's legacy, the impact of hunger strikes and his life after his release.
Al Jazeera: Will the US shut down Guantanamo Bay?
Shaker Aamer: Can they shut down Guantanamo? Yes. But first of all, people have to understand why they want to keep Guantanamo open. There's more to it than just politics or safety. If they close Guantanamo, what will tell the world about who's to blame for these 15 years when they put [away] all these people who didn't belong there?
It's just about explaining to the people. We are talking about one of the most sophisticated intelligence services in the world. Guantanamo proved to the entire world that the CIA operates outside [the rules] of the [US] government. It's a government inside a government, and they operate outside the law. Who's willing to answer all these questions? Are they willing to answer them? No, they're not.
People have to ask why it cannot be closed. It's about responsibilities and opening the books, answering questions to the whole world.
First of all, they have to [answer these questions] to the Americans. The impact of what happened on Americans was great, on the way they live and their freedoms. And everything we suffered was because of "national security". I couldn't receive letters from my own kids because of "national security". I couldn't speak freely with my lawyer because of "national security".
After all this, do you think they're going to close Guantanamo and then tell the world they've got only a handful of people that "we're trying to put on trial for the past 10 years and until now we cannot succeed"? Can the world accept that? No. That's why this scarecrow that is Guantanamo has to stay.
Al Jazeera: Will you continue to fight for the closure of Guantanamo?
Aamer: It's about our futures. We are still suffering. They [governments] refuse to talk about it now. For [governments], it's normal because they didn't lose anything. But for me, I lost 14 years and I won't sacrifice them without benefiting today and tomorrow - and I'm not talking about personal compensation. They compensated us [financially], but without saying sorry.
It's a lot bigger than me. It's not just because of the detainees. We are talking about a whole government, a whole system. They [the US government] lied to their own people just to let their soldiers accept torturing us. Can you imagine that they had to go to classes and show them movies about us? They had to make [guards and soldiers] believe they were defending freedom. For [a soldier] to accept all this, they had to brainwash them. Now we have to reverse everything to let them know that we are human beings and we haven't done anything.
Al Jazeera: You have a reputation as having been a key protest leader while you were in Guantanamo Bay. How important were the hunger strikes and other protests within the prison walls?
Aamer: When someone launches a hunger strike, it means he is willing to lose his life for the cause. It is a peaceful tactic. They told the world we were trying to kill ourselves to serve al-Qaeda. It's amazing how they twisted logic.
They were so brutal when they dealt with us [on hunger strike]. But a hunger strike was our peaceful means of telling the world: "Listen, if I'm guilty, put me on trial. If I'm innocent, send me home". We were hunger striking to gain some human rights. I swear to God, they treated us as less than cockroaches.
Some of the guards would break down. Not once, not twice - 10, 20, 30 times. It's beautiful when you see this soldier become your friend; when they sacrifice their own job, their income, for you. Some of them refused to participate [in force-feeding], they were sent back from Guantanamo.
Even though the US denies it, the hunger strike was effective. We gained some control. We changed the whole equation because of hunger strikes.
Al Jazeera: What has life been like since your release?
Aamer: I have no restrictions for me in any way - not written. But my phone is tapped; my house is being watched; there are cameras in front of my house all the time.
My lawyer advised me to stay away from overseas phone calls. I refuse to talk to anybody because I'm worried about my family and my kids. I don't want to do anything, even go back for questioning. My wife is still not ready to take any more pressure or shock. It's so sad.
At the same time, my wife worries every time there is a knock on the door. People in the UK are going to jail because they one time knew someone who is in Syria now. Imagine if I receive a phone call from someone who was in Guantanamo right now? Definitely they are going to come knock on my door.
That's why I'm free, but I'm not free. I'm being watched.
When I came out, I found a different family, a different life, different kids. My kids are grown up. To build a strong relationship with them is not easy. It is hard. They are my kids, but they are not my kids. They are very good kids, very educated, very smart. They still see me as a little bit of a stranger.
Al Jazeera: It appears that Obama's final presidential term will expire without the closure of Guantanamo Bay. What do you think that says about his legacy?
Aamer: I remember when Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize [in 2009]. It was sad. I told [my lawyer], if people like Obama get this prize, it means nothing. Where is the peace he's implementing? At that time, we were roughly 300-something people [in Guantanamo].
What peace did he bring to the world? The damage he did is worse than [former US President] George Bush. If Obama can get this prize, it's just an insult. That prize is nothing. It's just a decoration.
For Obama, he wants to close it. I have no doubt, but I think he's too much of a coward. You cannot be a hero without being willing to sacrifice. He proved he's the biggest liar; he proved he's not a leader. The most basic thing he could have done is close Guantanamo. He could have brought so much [respect] back to America.
Pothole 'tipping point' looms as bill set to spiral to £14bn
The country is approaching "a tipping point" in tackling the blight of potholes with the repair bill set to soar to £14bn, it has been warned.
The looming price tag far outstrips the entire annual amount councils have to spend on highways and transport, which stood at £4.4bn in England last year.
To deal with the problem, the Local Government Association (LGA), which represents councils across England and Wales, has urged the Government to plough a further £1bn a year into roads maintenance.
The organisation said this could be achieved by investing 2p per litre of existing fuel duty without increasing prices at the pump.
LGA analysis shows the bill for repairing roads in England and Wales could reach £14bn within two years.
The group's transport spokesman, Martin Tett, said: "This year could be a tipping point year regarding potholes.
"Councils have experienced significant budget reductions and now face the looming prospect of a bill of £14bn to bring the nation's roads up to scratch.
"It is wrong and unfair that the Government allocates almost 40 times more to maintaining national roads, which it controls, compared with local roads, which are overseen by councils. It is paramount this funding discrepancy is swiftly plugged."
He pointed out that councils repaired a pothole every 15 seconds last year, but warned funding cuts meant they were trapped in a "frustrating cycle" as they are only able to "patch up" roads.
The Department for Transport has earmarked £6bn for English councils to improve local roads over the current Parliament, in addition to a £50m-a-year fund specifically for tackling potholes.
The looming price tag far outstrips the entire annual amount councils have to spend on highways and transport, which stood at £4.4bn in England last year.
To deal with the problem, the Local Government Association (LGA), which represents councils across England and Wales, has urged the Government to plough a further £1bn a year into roads maintenance.
The organisation said this could be achieved by investing 2p per litre of existing fuel duty without increasing prices at the pump.
LGA analysis shows the bill for repairing roads in England and Wales could reach £14bn within two years.
The group's transport spokesman, Martin Tett, said: "This year could be a tipping point year regarding potholes.
"Councils have experienced significant budget reductions and now face the looming prospect of a bill of £14bn to bring the nation's roads up to scratch.
"It is wrong and unfair that the Government allocates almost 40 times more to maintaining national roads, which it controls, compared with local roads, which are overseen by councils. It is paramount this funding discrepancy is swiftly plugged."
He pointed out that councils repaired a pothole every 15 seconds last year, but warned funding cuts meant they were trapped in a "frustrating cycle" as they are only able to "patch up" roads.
The Department for Transport has earmarked £6bn for English councils to improve local roads over the current Parliament, in addition to a £50m-a-year fund specifically for tackling potholes.
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