Leading article: Guess who's coming to dinner

Not since the ghost of Banquo appeared at Macbeth's table has there been a more shocking case of gatecrashing. Whatever else one might say about Tareq and Michaele Salahi, they don't aim low. The couple might have chosen any number of dinners to intrude upon on Tuesday night. But they went for the biggest of them all: a state banquet at the White House.

There's disbelief in the US that they managed to get away with it. Commentators want to know how the pair evaded the bouncers at the entrance to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

But we say: the Obamas got off lightly. After all, the Salahis didn't drink all the booze; they didn't gorge themselves; they left well before the end of the party. And unless the reports are missing something, they didn't urinate on the White House lawn, waking up the neighbours in the process. If only all gatecrashers trod so lightly. In fact, one might even argue that the Salahis deserve an invitation next time.