Obama signs gay military ban end

22 July 2011 Last updated at 20:44 GMT Campaign groups had fought for years for the end of the "don't ask, don't tell" ban on gay troops US President Barack has announced the ban on openly gay people serving in US military is to end on September 20.

His certification on Friday of the repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" (DADT) law comes seven months after it was overturned in the US Congress.

The Pentagon had asked for time following the repeal to prepare troops for the arrival of openly gay comrades.

Mr Obama's move affirmed the Pentagon had declared it was ready to accept openly gay troops.

'Served in silence'

"I have always been confident that our dedicated men and women in uniform would transition to a new policy in an orderly manner that preserves unit cohesion, recruitment, retention and military effectiveness," Mr Obama said in a statement.

"As of 20 September, service members will no longer be forced to hide who they are in order to serve our country. Our military will no longer be deprived of the talents and skills of patriotic Americans just because they happen to be gay or lesbian."

With the certification, Mr Obama signalled that he, Defence Secretary Leon Panetta and Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen have officially confirmed that the military is prepared, following extensive training and preparation, to implement December's repeal of the law.

"This Pentagon certification received by the White House this afternoon is welcomed by gay and lesbian service members who have had to serve their country in silence for far too long," Aubrey Sarvis, an Army veteran and executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defence Network, which advocated the law's repeal for 17 years.

"The troops and their commanders are ready."

Under the US policy of DADT, established in 1993, gay people could serve in the military but could not acknowledge their orientation. The military was forbidden to inquire but was permitted to expel service members found to be gay.

More than 13,000 service members have been dismissed under the policy.

The end of DADT fulfils a campaign pledge made in 2008 by President Barack Obama, who signed it into law in December.

Britain, Israel and dozens of other countries allow gay personnel to serve openly.

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Obama ignores China on Dalai Lama

16 July 2011 Last updated at 20:30 GMT The Tibetan spiritual leader last met President Obama in February 2010 US President Barack Obama has held private talks with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, despite strong criticism from China.

Mr Obama told the Dalai Lama of his "strong support" for human rights in Tibet, a White House statement said.

Beijing released an angry statement saying the meeting had damaged relations between the two countries.

Mr Obama's last meeting with the Dalai Lama in February 2010 also drew strong condemnation from Beijing.

The talks - which lasted about 45 minutes - were held in the Map Room rather than the Oval Office, which is traditionally reserved for visiting heads of state.

"The president reiterated his strong support for the preservation of the unique religious, cultural and linguistic traditions of Tibet and the Tibetan people throughout the world," the White House statement said.

"He underscored the importance of the protection of human rights of Tibetans in China."

Mr Obama also reiterated that the US considers Tibet to be part of China, and said that he encouraged "direct dialogue to resolve long-standing differences".

The closed-door meeting came just hours before the Dalai Lama was scheduled to leave Washington at the end of an 11-day Buddhist ritual.

China had earlier warned the US not to receive the Dalai Lama.

"Such an act has grossly interfered in China's internal affairs, hurt the feelings of Chinese people and damaged the Sino-American relations," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said in a written statement following the meeting.

"We demand the US side to seriously consider China's stance, immediately adopt measures to wipe out the baneful impact, stop interfering in China's internal affairs and cease to connive and support anti-China separatist forces that seek 'Tibet independence'," Mr Ma said.

The White House has not commented on Beijing's displeasure.

The Chinese authorities have long vilified the Dalai Lama as a "splittist", although he has repeatedly stated that his goal is for meaningful Tibetan autonomy rather than independence.

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Obama in debt deal crisis talks

16 July 2011 Last updated at 23:23 GMT Mr Obama has said all Americans must play their part in reducing the deficit US President Barack Obama has held further private meetings with congressional leaders aimed at averting a US default.

The US must raise its $14.3tn (?8.9tn) debt ceiling if it is to borrow beyond 2 August and be able to pay its bills.

But cross-party talks have so far failed to make a breakthrough and Mr Obama has warned time is running out.

Republicans have rejected the president's proposals to increase taxes on wealthier Americans to raise funds.

They say doing so would stifle investment and job growth.

Republicans, who control the House of Representatives, say they will not raise the debt limit unless Democrats agree to major spending cuts.

Mr Obama's spokesman Dan Pfeiffer said the president was discussing "various options" during Saturday's private talks with congressional leaders.

In his weekly national address, Mr Obama said all Americans had to play their part in resolving the crisis, saying: "We're all in this together."

"The truth is, you can't solve our deficit without cutting spending," he said.

Ratings down

"But you also can't solve it without asking the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share - or without taking on loopholes that give special interests and big corporations tax breaks that middle-class Americans don't get."

Continue reading the main story US government currently runs a $1.5tn budget deficit, requiring it to issue debt in the form of treasury bills, bonds and other securitiesPublic debt was $14.3tn on 31 May, up from $10.6tn when Mr Obama took office in January 2009Most is held by the public, with the rest held in US government accountsCongress has voted to raise the US debt limit 10 times since 2001

Sources: US Treasury, Congressional Research Service, Congressional Budget Office

Mr Obama has said he is prepared to enact cuts to benefits and welfare schemes, but would need Republicans to consider some revenue increases in return.

On Friday, he said a failure to raise the debt limit would mean "effectively a tax increase for everybody".

In the Republicans' weekly address on Saturday, Sen Orrin Hatch of Utah said only a solution which required a balanced budget was acceptable.

This would put the US on "a path to fiscal health and would prevent this White House or any future White House from forcing more debt on the American people," he said.

Analysts say any failing to reach a deal would rattle a world economy still trying to put the 2008 downturn behind it and could potentially lead to the US entering another recession.

On Thursday, Standard & Poor's became the second of the major credit rating agencies to place US debt under review, citing an increasing risk of a payment default.

Another ratings agency, Moody's, warned a day earlier that it might cut Washington's triple-A debt rating.

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Obama 'nears Afghan troop move'

21 June 2011 Last updated at 00:15 GMT Afghan forces are due to take over all security operations by 2014 US President Barack Obama is close to a decision on the size of his planned withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan and is expected to speak on the issue on Wednesday.

"He's finalising his decision. He's reviewing his options," White House spokesman Jay Carney said.

The US has about 100,000 troops in Afghanistan and Mr Obama has said troop withdrawals will start in July.

But there are deep divisions in the US over the size and speed of the pullout.

News of Mr Obama's deliberations comes a day after departing US Defence Secretary Robert Gates confirmed that the US was holding "outreach" talks with members of the Taliban in Afghanistan.

It was the first time the US had acknowledged such contact.

'Gains could be threatened'

Mr Obama is expected to make a public speech on Afghanistan on Wednesday, unnamed senior White House officials told US media.

US military leaders are thought to favour a very gradual reduction in troops but other advisers advocate a more significant decrease in the coming months.

Attention is expected to focus on how many troops will leave Afghanistan in July, but analysts say Mr Obama's plans for the future of the 30,000 surge forces he sent in 2009 in the country will also be closely scrutinised.

Earlier this month, Mr Gates said at Nato headquarters that "substantial progress" was being made on the ground in Afghanistan.

But he argued that "these gains could be threatened if we do not proceed with the transition to Afghan security lead in a deliberate, organised and co-ordinated manner".

"Even as the United States begins to draw down in the next month, I assured my fellow ministers there will be no rush to the exits on our part."

But some believe security gains mean a more rapid withdrawal of US forces is practical.

'Costs outweigh benefits'

There is also growing political pressure for a significant withdrawal.

A bipartisan group of 27 US senators sent Mr Obama a letter last week pressing for a shift in strategy.

"Given our successes, it is the right moment to initiate a sizable and sustained reduction in forces, with the goal of steadily redeploying all regular combat troops," the senators wrote. "The costs of prolonging the war far outweigh the benefits."

While many Afghans accept that American troops are needed to defeat the Taliban, correspondents say that they resent their presence in the country.

The war is in its 10th year, civilian casualties are at an all-time high, and correspondents say the population has grown weary of the fighting. Insurgents are to blame for most of the deaths, but killings by foreign troops generate widespread outrage.

The US is due to start withdrawing its 97,000 troops from Afghanistan in July.

It aims to gradually hand over all security operations to Afghan security forces by 2014.

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Obama to tee off in 'golf summit'

18 June 2011 Last updated at 01:35 GMT Mr Obama is expected to speak to Mr Boehner about reducing the federal budget during the game US President Barack Obama and Republican House Speaker John Boehner are set to go head-to-head on the golf course amid tensions over the federal budget and the US role in Libya.

The high-stakes round will take place as the US Open nears a climax nearby.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said that though Saturday's game would be an opportunity for the men to socialise, talk on the budget was expected.

Republicans want spending cuts with the deficit poised to hit $1.4tr (?865bn).

The pair tee off amid a dispute between the White House and Congress over the legality of the US role in the Nato-led mission in Libya.

This week, Mr Boehner told the White House the ongoing US support for Nato's mission in Libya violates a US war powers law limiting military action without congressional approval to 60 days.

The White House on Thursday responded with a letter to Congress insisting Mr Obama did not need congressional approval, because the military campaign is limited in scope.

And late on Friday, the New York Times reported Mr Obama had overruled the advice of two senior administration lawyers in taking that position. But the report noted Mr Obama is free to disregard the advice of the White House office of legal counsel.

President handicapped

In Washington at least the anticipation for Mr Obama and Mr Boehner's outing is expected to overshadow the third round of the US Open, which is being held at the Congressional Country Club in the suburbs of the city.

Continue reading the main story Joe Biden: Handicap 6.3; Washington ranking 29John Boehner: Handicap 7.9; Ranking 43Barack Obama: Handicap 17; Ranking 108

Source: Golf Digest

Vice-President Joe Biden and Ohio Republican Governor John Kasich will also join the president on the course - with the exact location not yet reveal to the public.

If the form guide is to be believed Mr Biden should be favourite to win the round - he is ranked 29 in the Golf Digest list of Washington's top 150 golfers.

Mr Boehner is ranked 43, while the president - better known for his love of the basketball court than the golf course - is rated number 108.

The magazine also estimates Mr Obama's handicap at 17, Mr Biden's at 6.3 and Mr Boehner's at 7.9.

Deal hopes downplayed

Mr Carney said on Thursday that though raising the $14.29tn (?8.7 trillion) debt ceiling was likely to be a subtext to the game, it was unlikely the men would come to any resolutions during the game.

Continue reading the main story

I think I can say with great confidence that they will not wrap up the 18th hole and come out and say that we have a deal”

End Quote Jay Carney White House spokesman "I think I can say with great confidence that they will not wrap up the 18th hole and come out and say that we have a deal," he said.

Earlier in the day, Vice-President Biden - who has been leading attempts to craft a deal with Republicans - told reporters that Democrats and Republicans had tentatively agreed on several federal spending cuts.

They were preparing for difficult trade-offs that could lead to trillions of dollars in savings, Mr Biden said.

Biden and top Democrats and Republicans both hope to reduce the federal budget by $4tn over the next 10 years to allow lawmakers to raise the debt ceiling to prevent a default.

The US treasury department has warned that the US risks default if Congress does not authorise more borrowing by August.

But Republicans have refused to allow tax increases, while Democrats have vowed to protect costly social programmes.

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Obama calls for Sudan ceasefire

15 June 2011 Last updated at 08:29 GMT The UN accused Sudan of carrying out an "intensive bombing campaign" near the north-south border US President Barack Obama has called for a ceasefire in Sudan, following an upsurge in fighting in the South Kordofan region.

He urged both the north and south to "live up to their responsibilities" to prevent a return to civil war.

Thousands of people have been displaced in recent days of violence, which comes only weeks before South Sudan becomes independent.

Meanwhile, the UN has accused Sudan of hampering aid efforts.

Roadblocks manned by militia are preventing aid reaching thousands of people in need, the UN's refugee agency said.

The agency said it had appealed to the Sudanese government to allow planes to land at the main airport in the affected area, in Kadugli.

'Another Darfur'

Khartoum carried out what the UN described as an "intensive bombing campaign" near the border on Tuesday.

Northern forces are accused of targeting the area's pro-southern groups, as oil-rich South Sudan prepares for independence next month.

"There is no military solution; the leaders of Sudan and South Sudan must live up to the responsibilities," Mr Obama said in a recorded audio message.

"The government of Sudan must prevent a further escalation of this crisis by ceasing its military actions immediately, including aerial bombardments, forced displacements and campaigns of intimidation," he added.

Meanwhile, the head of the worldwide Anglican church, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, said the unrest was a major threat to the stability of Sudan.

"The humanitarian challenge is already great, and the risk of another Darfur situation, with civilian populations at the mercy of government-supported terror, is a real one," the archbishop said, according to AFP news agency.

Southern Information Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin welcomed Mr Obama's remarks and said a well-planned disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration programme was needed instead of the current use of force.

The bombing in South Kordofan follows a deal for both sides to withdraw from the nearby disputed town of Abyei.

Clashes over the past month in Abyei and South Kordofan have raised fears of renewed north-south conflict despite a 2005 peace deal which paved the way for the end of decades of war.

Some 40,000 people are estimated to have fled their homes in South Kordofan, on top of some 100,000 in Abyei, which was seized by northern forces last month.

Aid agency offices have been looted, churches have been ransacked and buildings destroyed.

Talks on issues about the upcoming split between Sudanese government officials and representatives of the south are continuing following Monday's deal for both sides to withdraw from Abyei.

President Omar al-Bashir and southern leader Salva Kiir agreed that Abyei, claimed by both sides, would be demilitarised, with Ethiopian troops ensuring security.

No time frame has been published.

The north-south war ended with a 2005 peace deal, under which the mainly Christian and animist south held a referendum in January on whether to secede from the largely Arabic-speaking, Muslim north.

Some 99% of voters opted for independence. President Bashir said he would accept the verdict of the south, where most of Sudan's oil fields lie.

Show regions

The great divide across Sudan is visible even from space, as this Nasa satellite image shows. The northern states are a blanket of desert, broken only by the fertile Nile corridor. Southern Sudan is covered by green swathes of grassland, swamps and tropical forest.

Sudan's arid northern regions are home mainly to Arabic-speaking Muslims. But in Southern Sudan there is no dominant culture. The Dinkas and the Nuers are the largest of more than 200 ethnic groups, each with its own traditional beliefs and languages.

The health inequalities in Sudan are illustrated by infant mortality rates. In Southern Sudan, one in 10 children die before their first birthday. Whereas in the more developed northern states, such as Gezira and White Nile, half of those children would be expected to survive.

The gulf in water resources between north and south is stark. In Khartoum, River Nile, and Gezira states, two-thirds of people have access to piped drinking water and pit latrines. In the south, boreholes and unprotected wells are the main drinking sources. More than 80% of southerners have no toilet facilities whatsoever.

Throughout Sudan, access to primary school education is strongly linked to household earnings. In the poorest parts of the south, less than 1% of children finish primary school. Whereas in the wealthier north, up to 50% of children complete primary level education.

Conflict and poverty are the main causes of food insecurity in Sudan. The residents of war-affected Darfur and Southern Sudan are still greatly dependent on food aid. Far more than in northern states, which tend to be wealthier, more urbanised and less reliant on agriculture.

Sudan exports billions of dollars of oil per year. Southern states produce more than 80% of it, but receive only 50% of the revenue, exacerbating tensions with the north. The oil-producing region of Abyei was due to hold a separate vote on whether to join the north or the south, but it has been postponed indefinitely.

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Obama presses for Mid East reform

19 May 2011 Last updated at 18:33 GMT Barack Obama: "It will be years before this story reaches its end"

US President Barack Obama says a "new chapter in American diplomacy" has been turned after the Arab Spring uprisings.

In a speech at the state department, Mr Obama said the future of the US was bound to the Middle East by forces of economics, security, history and fate.

"It will be the policy of the US to promote reform, and to support transitions to democracy," he said.

Analysts say the speech is Mr Obama's first comprehensive response to revolts sweeping the Arab world.

Mr Obama said the top US priority across North Africa and the Middle East was to promote reform, and oppose the use of violence and oppression.

"We face a historic opportunity. We have a chance to show that America values the dignity of a street vendor in Tunisia more than the raw power of the dictator," he said.

"As Americans have been seared by hostage taking, violent rhetoric, and terrorist attacks that have killed thousands of our citizens - a failure to change our approach [in the Middle East] threatens a deepening spiral of division between the United States and Muslim communities," Mr Obama added.

Key points in Mr Obama's speech: In the months ahead the US must use all its resources to encourage reform in North Africa and the Middle EastWill cut $1bn of debt for a democratic Egypt and work to create Enterprise Funds to invest in Tunisia and EgyptSyrian President Bashar al-Assad must lead a political transition or get out of the wayUS will continue to insist the Iranian people deserve their universal rights, and a government that does not smother their aspirationsMass arrests and brute force in Bahrain are at odds with the universal rights of Bahrain's citizens.The borders of Israel and a Palestinian state should be based on pre-1967 borders with agreed swapsContinue reading the main story Paul Adams BBC News, Washington

This was a speech of necessarily broad scope - an opportunity for the president to draw what he believes are the lessons of six months of turmoil in the Arab world and to say how the US will respond.

There were pledges of significant international economic support for countries undergoing democratic change, notably Egypt and Tunisia.

And the speech included a warning to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad to lead transition in his country, or, in the president's words, to "get out of the way".

The president also had significant words to say on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, calling for two states with permanent borders based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps - thus appearing to rule out a continued Israeli presence in the Jordan valley, which Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, insists on.

Mr Netanyahu arrives in Washington on Friday. Mr Obama seems to have thrown him something of a gauntlet.

On the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process, Mr Obama said it was "up to the Israelis and Palestinians to take action".

"No peace can be imposed upon them, nor can endless delay make the problem go away," Mr Obama said.

"But what America and the international community can do is state frankly what everyone knows: a lasting peace will involve two states for two peoples."

President Obama said the borders of Israel and a Palestinian state should be based on pre-1967 borders, referring to those that existed before the Six-Day War - which includes the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.

Correspondents say the apparent change of emphasis is set to anger Israel, which has previously said that endorsing the 1967 borders would prejudge peace negotiations.

Meanwhile, an Israeli government committee on Thursday approved the construction of more than 1,500 settler homes in East Jerusalem.

Mr Obama is set to meet visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday.

'Carrot and stick'

President Obama delivered the long-awaited speech at the state department in Washington, which he described as "a fitting venue to mark a new chapter in American diplomacy".

Barack Obama: "Endless delay won't make the problem go away"

The BBC's Kim Ghattas, in Washington, says that following the death of al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden, President Obama wants a new start with the Muslim world, although polls show opinions of the US are low.

Mr Obama said that Bin Laden, who was killed by special forces this month, was a mass murderer, not a martyr, whose ideas were being rejected even before he was killed.

"Bin Laden and his murderous vision won some adherents. But even before his death, al-Qaeda was losing its struggle for relevance, as the overwhelming majority of people saw that the slaughter of innocents did not answer their cries for a better life," Mr Obama said.

"By the time we found Bin Laden, al-Qaeda's agenda had come to be seen by the vast majority of the region as a dead end, and the people of the Middle East and North Africa had taken their future into their own hands."

Unprecedented change Continue reading the main story Jeremy Bowen BBC Middle East editor

President's Obama's declaration that a future Palestinian state must be based on the borders that existed before the 1967 Middle East war, plus land swaps, is what Palestinians wanted to hear. The Netanyahu government in Israel will be furious.

It brings US policy into line with that of its European allies. For Israel, Mr Obama sweetened what he said was a declaration of America's commitment to its security. And he condemned the Palestinian plan to get their declaration of independence recognised by the UN General Assembly in September.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will get the chance to respond in the next few days - as he will be meeting with President Obama in Washington, speaking to the biggest pro-Israel lobby group in the US and addressing the US Congress.

Analysts say Mr Obama's speech is an attempt to convince his US audience that the fate of countries in the Middle East and North Africa is worth the money and effort even during difficult economic times at home.

To his wider audience, Mr Obama wants to underline that Washington stands behind those seeking greater human rights.

Mr Obama's address comes during a time when the Middle East is undergoing unprecedented change.

The push for democracy began with the overthrowing of Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in January. Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak was later toppled in Egypt, with demonstrators in Libya currently working to overthrow dictator Moammar Gaddafi.

Similar uprisings are also taking hold in Bahrain, Yemen and Syria.

On Wednesday, the White House imposed sanctions on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

It was the first time Washington had personally penalised the Syrian leader over the actions of his security forces. More than 850 people have died since the uprising began in March.

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Obama Poland visit to boost ties

27 May 2011 Last updated at 18:15 GMT Mr Obama visited Warsaw's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier US President Barack Obama is in Poland on the final stage of his six-day European tour.

After flying in from the G8 summit in France, Mr Obama laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and visited the Warsaw Ghetto Memorial.

He is also attending a dinner with more than a dozen leaders of central and eastern EU countries.

Mr Obama will hold talks with Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski on Saturday before returning to the US.

The BBC's diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus says the agenda will range from global events like the Arab Spring to Polish energy security.

However, Mr Obama also has some fence mending to attend to, he adds.

Normally close relations between Warsaw and Washington were strained after Mr Obama cancelled plans by his predecessor, George W Bush, to site interceptor missiles in Poland.

This shift was seen in some quarters in Warsaw as an attempt by the new administration to curry favour with Moscow.

In 1989, Poland became the first country in the Soviet bloc to shed communism in a peaceful transition negotiated by the Solidarity opposition movement, led by Lech Walesa.

Mr Obama has said that the experience of countries once behind the Iron Curtain could help Arab nations struggling for democracy.

Hours before Mr Obama's arrival, Polish headlines were dominated by reports that Mr Walesa was refusing to meet him.

Mr Walesa said he feared such a meeting would only be a "photo opportunity".

"I believe one day I will meet with Obama but not this time," he told AFP news agency.

He wished the US president "very well", then added, "but sometimes things just don't work out".

Both men are Nobel Peace Prize winners.

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Obama to visit tornado-hit state

24 May 2011 Last updated at 13:08 GMT Barack Obama told the people of Missouri "the American people are by your side"

US President Barack Obama says he will visit the tornado-hit state of Missouri on Sunday, straight after returning from a six-day tour of Europe.

Sunday's huge tornado cut a path some six miles (10km) long and at least half a mile wide through the city of Joplin, killing at least 116 people.

President Obama said the tornado was "devastating and heartbreaking".

He vowed the US government would "do absolutely everything we can" to help victims recover and rebuild.

Meanwhile, the US National Weather Service warned of more storms on Tuesday, with the risk for severe weather increasing later in the day.

South-east Kansas and Missouri are set to be battered by 70mph winds, hail "the size of baseballs" and possible tornadoes, said the agency.

Reduced to rubble

Mr Obama was speaking from London before meeting Queen Elizabeth II at the beginning of his stay in the UK.

Resident Dominic Puller filmed the destruction caused by the tornado

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

Continue reading the main story March 1925: Deadliest twister in US history as so-called Tri-State Tornado kills 695 in Missouri, southern Illinois and south-west IndianaMarch 1932: Deep South tornado outbreak kills 332 people from Texas to South Carolina, with 270 dying in Alabama aloneMay 1840: The Great Natchez Tornado kills 317 people in Mississippi town, most living on flatboats on the riverApril 1974: 310 killed in 24-hour "super outbreak" of 148 tornadoes across 13 states.May 1896: Two weeks of storms kill 305 people in Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky"I want everybody in Joplin, everybody in Missouri, everybody in Minnesota, everybody across the Midwest to know that we are here for you," said Mr Obama.

"The American people are by your side. We're going to stay there until every home is repaired, until every neighbourhood is rebuilt, until every business is back on its feet."

The damage wrought in Missouri could, Mr Obama said, end up exceeding the destruction of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, by tornadoes in April.

Federal disaster and homeland security officials have travelled to the affected areas, said the US president.

Much of the south side of Joplin is reported to have been levelled, with churches, schools, businesses and homes reduced to rubble.

On Monday, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon said storms had caused extensive damage across the state.

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

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

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Queen greets Obama on state visit

24 May 2011 Last updated at 16:00 GMT The Queen welcomes President Obama to Buckingham Palace

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 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.

Continue reading the main story James Landale Deputy political editor, BBC News

Whenever a US president comes here there is always a slightly tortuous debate on whether or not the relationship is still special or not.

Both sides have decided the best way of avoiding that debate is to come up with a new wording entirely. They have a new adjective. It is now an essential relationship.

In a joint article for the Times newspaper, the prime minister and the president say the relationship between their countries was based originally on what they called emotional connections, sentiment and the ties of people and culture but now it thrives on common interests and shared values.

So what they are trying to focus on here now is more business-like pragmatism rather than any idea of appealing to the mythology of past historic links.

"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'."

Mr Obama briefly met the prime minister in Downing Street ahead of talks on Wednesday. They then left together for a surprise visit to the Globe Academy in Southwark, south London.

The leaders' talks are likely to focus on the Middle East and the ongoing conflict in Libya.

David and Samantha Cameron greet Barack and Michelle Obama

In their article, they also vowed not to abandon the protesters fighting for democracy in Arab countries, writing that they would "stand with those who want to bring light into dark, support those who seek freedom in place of repression, aid those laying the building blocks of democracy.

"We will not stand by as their aspirations get crushed in a hail of bombs, bullets and mortar fire.

"We are reluctant to use force, but when our interests and values come together, we know we have a responsibility to act."

BBC diplomatic correspondent Bridget Kendall said the two countries were anxious to play up their closeness.

"Security is the secret glue at the core of the special relationship, and that bond is being strengthened," our correspondent said.

"Behind the flags and formalities, be sure there are tensions, but in this era of tightened budgets and sudden crises, there's a new eagerness to work together."

Mr Obama arrived in the UK from the Republic of Ireland a day ahead of schedule on Monday, to avoid any disruption from a volcanic ash cloud.

After the president was welcomed by Prince Charles and his wife at the US ambassador's residence Winfield House in Regent's Park, his cavalcade made its way to Buckingham Palace where he joined the Queen.

They briefly met the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge before moving to the palace gardens where there was a ceremonial welcome, including a 41-gun salute.

There was an exchange of gifts, with the Obamas presenting the Queen with a collection of memorabilia and photographs from her parents' 1939 visit to the US.

They also received a selection of letters from the royal achives, between past US presidents and English monarchs.

When President Obama was shown letters and artefacts charting Britain's loss of the American colonies, he joked: "That was only a temporary blip in the relationship."

The royal newlyweds spent 20 minutes with the Obamas, but will not attend the state banquet

Michelle Obama was also given an antique brooch made of gold and red coral in the form of roses.

Number 10 barbecue

The Obamas are due to return to Buckingham Palace to meet Labour leader Ed Miliband.

In the evening there will be a state banquet at Buckingham Palace, where they will stay overnight.

Wednesday's itinerary will include talks with the prime minister before Mr Obama is joined by his wife and British and American military veterans for a barbecue at Number 10.

They will visit the Houses of Parliament and give a speech about US foreign policy to MPs in Westminster Hall, before a return banquet at Winfield House, where the Queen will formally say farewell.

The state visit to the UK is the 101st to be hosted by the Queen but only the third involving a US president in 100 years. The last US president to visit officially was George Bush in 2003.

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