Barack Obama is in London where he will be honoured by Queen Elizabeth at a state dinner on Tuesday evening, when he will also meet Prince William and Kate to congratulate them on their wedding. The US President arrived on Monday night, having cut his trip to Ireland half a day short due to concerns over possible disruption by the ash cloud.

Despite not yet knowing who the two finalists will be, the UEFA Champions League final at Wembley Stadium in May has already caused a surge in hotel bookings for the capital. Group occupancy levels for the night of the game are already up a staggering 93.7 per cent year-over-year, according to research from Rubicon.

World No. 1 Rafael Nadal will head up Group A at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals which will take place in London next week. The Spaniard is joined by Novak Djokovic, Tomas Berdych and Andy Roddick in the group, while in Group B, four-time former champion Roger Federer will be challenged by Robin Soderling, Andy Murray and David Ferrer.