Germany, France and other euro zone states have so far described the 130bn-euro figure agreed in October as a red line that must not be crossed.

BBC: Germans want EU budget commisioner for Greece

They underlined that their intelligence services agreed on how far the Iranians had got with their programme but Mr Netanyahu made it clear his red line was Iran getting enough depleted uranium to be able to build a bomb whereas the president's is Iran actually deciding to build the bomb and getting near to achieving it.

BBC: Obama tries to reassure Palestinians

And so despite my status as a running refusenik, I found myself herded, among a crowd of far fitter, healthier, sportier types, into a pen behind the start line, part of a sea of red t-shirted runners beneath a threatening gray sky.

CNN: Crossing the Olympic finish line