Portrait of the week | 22 November 2003

President George Bush of the United States made a state visit to Britain, accompanied by a huge entourage. ‘This is the right moment for us to stand firm with the United States in defeating terrorism, wherever it is,’ said Mr Tony Blair, the Prime Minister of Britain. Over four days, police in London were to work 14,000 shifts, with 5,000 on duty on the day of a protest march that the Metropolitan Police decided to allow to cross Westminster Bridge and go up Whitehall to Trafalgar Square. About 250 American secret servicemen will be allowed to carry guns under a previously unknown agreement. A security alert was raised over a possible attack, unconnected with Mr Bush’s visit, by North African operatives of al-Qa’eda. The new directory inquiry services beginning 118 gave the right answer to only 62 per cent of callers, according to the Independent Committee for the Supervision of Telephone Information Services (Icstis).