London 30 Jan (ANA) - A petition to stop US President Donald Trump's UK state visit has gathered more than a million signatures. Numbers of signatories have been rising rapidly since a US clampdown on immigration came into effect over the weekend, causing anger worldwide. PM Theresa May announced the visit during her recent US trip. Downing Street has rejected calls for it to be cancelled as a "populist gesture". Labour's Jeremy Corbyn urged the PM to postpone the visit. The petition is now the second-most popular on the government's website. MPs will discuss it on Tuesday. It states: "Donald Trump should be allowed to enter the UK in his capacity as head of the US Government, but he should not be invited to make an official State Visit because it would cause embarrassment to Her Majesty the Queen."  State visits are grand occasions requiring an invitation from the Queen, and are distinct from regular visits by heads of state. The Queen usually receives one or two heads of state a year.(ANA)

FA/ANA/30 January 2017----