"Throughout your lifetime you experience all sorts of pressure groups across the world who, through freedom of speech, are allowed to express their views, " said McLaren boss Ron Dennis.

BBC: Website racists target Hamilton

Mr. Assad's speech came after a week of mounting international pressure to hold the Syrian government accountable for the Houla killings.

WSJ: Syria President Decries 'War From Abroad'

Last month, after learning of her talk, a consortium of Islamic and leftist activists in Nassau County led by Habeed Ahmed from the Islamic Center of Long Island launched a pressure campaign to coerce the synagogue into cancelling her speech.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Moral relativism and jihad

"With the worsening of the economy's growth prospects, continued credit losses and asset markdowns may maintain for a time the pressure on the capital and balance sheet capacities of financial institutions, " Bernanke said in a speech in London.

FORBES: The Big Banks

Ratcheting pressure on lawmakers, in March 2011 Mr. Obama delivered a speech calling for a bill by the start of the school year.

WSJ: Obama Shifts View of Executive Power

In a speech in Beijing, Li Daokui said China "will not appreciate the yuan solely because of external pressure".

BBC: China official rebuffs Geithner over yuan