Brown: No rift with Obama

GORDON BROWN denied reports of a rift with Barack Obama yesterday following reports Washington repeatedly rebuffed requests for a one-to-one meeting with the US president.

The prime minister, in New York for the UN, said he and Obama continued to have “the strongest working relationship and the strongest friendship”.

His comments came amid reports the White House rejected five separate requests for a bilateral meeting during the four days Brown is in the US for the UN and the G20 summit in Pittsburgh.