US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson paid a discreet visit to the new US embassy in London on Monday, after President Donald Trump cancelled plans to open it himself following a series of rows. Tillerson bucked tradition by not holding a formal meet-and-greet at the new embassy, which the State Department said was due to the current shutdown of the US government over a budget impasse in Congress. The president said he was unhappy at the cost and location of the new embassy, a futuristic cuboid building surrounded by a moat. London Mayor Sadiq Khan also said he “would not be welcome” in the city, suggesting there could be widespread protests. Trump “is the elected president of the world’s most powerful democracy” and resisting his visit to the UK risks “damaging the national interest”, Johnson added.

Source: The Guardian January 22, 2018 13:30 UTC