Shell gets final clearance to begin drilling for oil in the Arctic

Campaigners say Obama giving the green light to oil drilling ahead of his visit to the Arctic to highlight climate change is 'hypocritical'

The Obama administration has granted final approval for Shell's Arctic drilling programme, clearing the way for the company to restart its stuttering search for northern oil and drawing criticism from presidential hopeful Hilary Clinton.

Shell has been waiting since the beginning of August for the arrival of a key safety vessel, the Fennica, after it was damaged en route to the Chukchi sea. Arctic safety standards forbid drilling deep enough to hit oil without the Fennica, which carries a device designed to control a blowout.