Tag: Britain

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UK’s Starmer calls Trump’s remarks on allies in Afghanistan ‘frankly appalling’

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments about European troops staying off the front lines in Afghanistan insulting and appalling, joining a chorus of criticism from ‌other European officials and veterans.

“I consider President Trump’s remarks to be insulting and frankly appalling, and I’m not surprised they’ve caused such hurt for the loved ones of those who were killed or injured,” Starmer told reporters.

When asked whether he would demand an apology from the U.S. leader, Starmer ⁠said: “If I had misspoken in that way or said those words, I would certainly apologize.”

Britain lost ‍457 service personnel killed in Afghanistan, its deadliest overseas war since the 1950s. For several ‍of the war’s most intense ‍years it led the allied campaign in Helmand, Afghanistan’s biggest and most violent province, while also fighting as the main ⁠U.S. battlefield ally in Iraq.

Starmer’s remarks were notably strong coming from a leader who has tended to avoid direct criticism of Trump in public.

Trump told Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria” on Thursday the ​United States had “never needed” the transatlantic alliance and accused allies of staying “a little off the front lines” in Afghanistan.

His remarks added to already strained relations with European allies after he used the World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort of Davos to again signal his interest in acquiring Greenland.

Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel condemned Trump’s remarks on Afghanistan, calling them untrue and disrespectful.

Britain’s Prince Harry, who served in Afghanistan, also weighed in. “Those sacrifices deserve to ⁠be spoken about truthfully and with respect,” he said in a statement.

“We expect an apology for this statement,” Roman Polko, a retired Polish general and former special forces commander who also served in Afghanistan and Iraq, told Reuters in an interview.

Trump has “crossed a red line”, he added. “We paid with blood for this alliance. We truly sacrificed our own lives.”

Britain’s veterans minister, Alistair Carns, whose own military service included five tours including alongside American troops in Afghanistan, called Trump’s claims “utterly ridiculous”.

“We shed blood, sweat and tears together. Not everybody came home,” he said in a video posted on X.

Richard Moore, the former head of Britain’s MI6 intelligence service, said he, like many MI6 officers, had operated in dangerous environments with “brave and highly esteemed” CIA counterparts and had been proud to do so with Britain’s closest ally.

Under NATO’s founding treaty, members are bound by a collective-defense clause, Article 5, which treats an attack on one member as an attack on all.

It has been invoked only once – after the September 11, 2001 attacks on New ​York and Washington, when allies pledged to support the United States. For most of the war in Afghanistan, the U.S.-led force there was under NATO command.

Some politicians noted that Trump had avoided the draft for ⁠the Vietnam War, citing bone spurs in his feet.

“Trump avoided military service 5 times,” Ed Davey, leader of Britain’s centrist Liberal Democrats, wrote on X. “How dare he question their sacrifice.”

Poland’s sacrifice “will never be forgotten and must not be diminished”, Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said.

Trump’s comments were “ignorant”, said Rasmus Jarlov, an opposition ‍Conservative Party member of Denmark’s parliament.

In addition to the British deaths, more than 150 Canadians were killed in Afghanistan, along ‌with 90 French service personnel and scores ‌from Germany, Italy and other countries. Denmark – now under heavy pressure ‍from Trump to transfer its semi-autonomous region of Greenland to the U.S. – lost 44 troops, one of NATO’s highest per-capita death rates.

The United States lost ‌about 2,460 troops in Afghanistan, according to the U.S. Department of Defense, a figure on ‍par per capita with those of Britain and Denmark. (JapanToday)

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Major EU states condemn Trump tariff threats; consider retaliation

Major European Union states including Germany and France decried U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff threats over Greenland as blackmail on Sunday, as France proposed responding with a range of untested economic countermeasures.

Trump vowed ‌on Saturday to implement a wave of increasing tariffs on EU members Denmark, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland, along with Britain and Norway, until the U.S. is allowed to buy Greenland.

All eight countries, already subject to U.S. tariffs of 10% and 15%, have sent small numbers of ⁠military personnel to Denmark’s vast Arctic island, as a row with the United States over ‍its future escalates.

“Tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral,” they said in ‍a joint statement.

The Danish exercise ‍in Greenland was designed to strengthen Arctic security and posed no threat to anyone, they said, adding that they were ⁠ready to engage in dialogue, based on principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in a statement she was pleased with the consistent messages from other states, adding: “Europe ​will not be blackmailed”, a view echoed by Germany’s finance minister and Sweden’s prime minister.

“It’s blackmail what he’s doing,” Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel said on Dutch television of Trump’s threat.

Cyprus, holder of the rotating six-month EU presidency, summoned ambassadors to an emergency meeting in Brussels late on Sunday as EU leaders stepped up contacts.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, visiting his Norwegian counterpart in Oslo, said Denmark would continue to focus on diplomacy, ⁠referring to an agreement Denmark, Greenland and the U.S. made on Wednesday to set up a working group.

“Even though we are now being confronted with these threats, we will naturally try to stay on that path,” Rasmussen said.

“The U.S. is also more than the U.S. president. I’ve just been there. There are also checks and balances in American society.” he added.

Meanwhile, a source close to Emmanuel Macron said the French President was pushing to activate the Anti-Coercion Instrument, which could limit access to public tenders, investments or banking activity or restrict trade in services, in which the U.S. has a surplus with the bloc, including digital services.

Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said that while there should be no doubt the EU would retaliate, it was “a bit premature” to activate the instrument.

And Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is closer to the U.S. President than some other EU leaders, described the tariff threat on Sunday as “a mistake”, adding she had spoken to Trump a few hours earlier and told him what she thought.

“He seemed interesting in listening,” she told a ​briefing with reporters during a trip to Korea.

British Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said allies needed to work with the United States to resolve the dispute.

“Our position on Greenland is non-negotiable … It is in our collective interest to work ⁠together and not to start a war of words,” she told Sky News.

The U.S. tariff threats call into question trade deals struck with Britain in May and the EU in July.

The limited agreements have already faced criticism about their lopsided nature, with the U.S. maintaining broad tariffs, while their partners ‍are required to remove import duties.

The European Parliament looks likely now to suspend its work on the EU-U.S. trade deal. ‌It had been due to vote on removing ‌many EU import duties on January 26-27, but Manfred Weber, ‍head of the European People’s Party, the largest group in parliament, said late on Saturday that approval was not possible for now.

German Christian Democrat lawmaker ‌Juergen Hardt also mooted what he told Bild newspaper could be a last resort “to bring ‍President Trump to his senses on the Greenland issue”, a boycott of the soccer World Cup that the U.S. is hosting this year. (JapanToday)

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UK, France pledge ‘reassurance force’ for Ukraine after Russia ceasefire

Key European allies pledged to send a “reassurance force” to Ukraine in a move described as a significant step in the effort to end Russia’s nearly four-year invasion.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed a declaration of intent on Tuesday for the deployment of multinational forces to support Kyiv’s defence and reconstruction – if a ceasefire with Russia is agreed on.

The announcement follows a meeting of more than two dozen countries in Paris. The nations dubbed the “coalition of the willing” have explored for months how to deter any future Russian aggression should it agree to stop fighting Ukraine.

There was no immediate response from Russia, however. President Vladimir Putin has ruled out any deployment of troops from NATO countries on Ukrainian soil.

Kyiv has long said it cannot be safe without guarantees that are comparable to the NATO alliance’s ‍mutual defence agreement Article 5 to deter Russia from attacking again.

Zelenskyy welcomed the promised security guarantees for Ukraine.

“It’s important that today the coalition has substantive documents. These are not just words. There is concrete content: a joint declaration by all the coalition countries and a trilateral declaration by France, Britain, and Ukraine,” he said.

“It has been defined how those forces will be managed and at what levels command will be exercised,” Zelensky added.

Macron said “several thousand” French soldiers could be deployed to Ukraine to maintain peace.

“These are not forces that will be engaged in combat,” Macron told France 2 television on the sidelines of the summit, calling such a deployment “a force of reassurance”.

Starmer said allies will participate in US-led monitoring and verification of any ceasefire, support the long-term provision of armaments for Ukraine’s defence.

The UK and France will “establish military hubs across Ukraine and build protected facilities for weapons and military equipment to support Ukraine’s defensive needs” – in the event of a peace deal with Russia, he added.

Starmer said peace in Ukraine ⁠is closer than ever though ​the “hardest yards” still ‍lay ahead.

US ‍envoy ‍Steve Witkoff said there was significant progress made on ​several critical issues facing ‍Ukraine including security guarantees and a “prosperity plan”. Security ‍protocols for Ukraine are “largely ⁠finished”, he added.

“We agree ‍with ⁠the coalition that durable security guarantees and robust prosperity commitments are essential to ​a lasting peace ‌in the Ukraine, and we will continue to ‌work together on this effort,” ‌Witkoff said ⁠in a post on X after talks in ‌Paris.

Ukraine’s ‍reconstruction ‍is inextricably linked to security guarantees, German ⁠Chancellor Friedrich Merz ​said.

“Economic strength will ‍be indispensable ⁠to guarantee that Ukraine will continue to credibly block ​Russia ‌in the future,” Merz said.

However, he noted Ukraine and its European allies will have to accept “compromises” to achieve a peace deal.

“We will certainly have to make compromises” to end the nearly four-year-old war. “We will not achieve textbook diplomatic solutions,” said Merz.

Moscow has revealed few details of its stance in the US-led peace negotiations. Officials have reaffirmed Russia’s demands and insisted there can be no ceasefire until a comprehensive settlement is agreed. (AlJazeera)

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Hollywood stars Idris Elba, Cynthia Erivo recognized in New Year’s honor’s list

Britons ranging from Hollywood stars Idris Elba and Cynthia Erivo to a 102-year-old judo instructor have been named in King Charles III’s New Year’s honors list, an annual tradition that recognizes people for their contributions to UK public life.

Elba, who starred as a drug dealer in “The Wire” and the president of the United States in “A House of Dynamite,” was knighted for his services to young people after he and his wife, Sabrina, founded the Elba Hope Foundation to target issues such as knife crime, education and poverty.

The actor accepted the honor on behalf of the young people served by the charity.

“I hope we can do more to draw attention to the importance of sustained, practical support for young people and to the responsibility we all share to help them find an alternative to violence,” Elba said.

Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, the ice dancing duo who won a gold medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, were also awarded top honors, with Torvill receiving a damehood and Dean a knighthood.

Erivo, one of the stars of “Wicked,” was named a Member of the British Empire, or MBE, for services to music and drama. And John Hearn, who goes by the name Judo Jack, received a British Empire Medal, after the Guinness World Records recognized him as the world’s oldest judo instructor.

Other honorees include author and comedian Richard Osman, who writes the “Thursday Murder Club” book series and was declared an Officer of the British Empire; retired marathon runner Paula Radcliffe, Officer of the British Empire; and 101-year-old D-Day veteran Mervyn Kersh, who was awarded a British Empire Medal for school talks on Holocaust remembrance and his wartime service.

The history of Britain’s honors system stretches back to the Middle Ages, when monarchs gave gifts of land, money and titles to those who served the crown. In modern times, that has evolved into a hierarchy of honorary distinctions awarded by the king on the recommendation of the government.

Modern honors are awarded for contributions in areas such as government, academia, the arts and sports. While many of the awards go to politicians, pop stars and Olympic medalists, honorees often include librarians, charity workers and civil servants who serve their communities with little fanfare.

In all, 1,150 people received New Year’s honors this year.

The most prestigious honors are knighthoods and damehoods. Men who receive the awards are entitled to use the honorific “sir” before their names, while women use the title “dame.”

Below that are the three levels of the Order of the British Empire. These are known, in order of precedence, as Commander, or CBE; Officer, or OBE; and Member, or MBE. Recipients are entitled to use the initials related to their award after their names.

Honors are generally announced twice a year on New Year’s and the king’s birthday. They are presented by the king or another member of the royal family at ceremonies throughout the year. (JapanToday)

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UK police say train stabbings carried out by lone attacker

A 32-year-old British man was the sole suspect accused of a mass stabbing on a train in England, after another man arrested in the case was released on Sunday with no charges.

British police said the knife attack that put 11 people in hospital was not a terrorist incident. A 35-year-old man who had been arrested earlier was released after officers concluded he was not involved in the attack.

By late on Sunday, five of the injured had been discharged from hospital. Among those still being treated was a member of the train crew who tried to stop the attacker and was in a life-threatening condition, police said.

“Detectives have reviewed the CCTV from the train and it is clear his actions were nothing short of heroic and undoubtedly saved many people’s lives,” police said.

Counterterrorism police had helped with the initial investigation after the mass stabbing of passengers on a train in eastern England on Saturday, but police later said there was nothing to suggest that the incident was terrorism.

Work was now ongoing to establish the events leading up to the attack and the suspect’s background, police said. A knife had also been recovered from the scene.

“Our investigation is moving at pace and we are confident we are not looking for anyone else in connection to the incident,” Deputy Chief Constable Stuart Cundy said in a statement.

Police described the sole suspect as a Black British national from Peterborough, 160 km north of London, who had boarded the train there.

The suspect was arrested by armed police after the train made an emergency stop at Huntingdon around 80 miles north of London.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer called it an “appalling incident” which was “deeply concerning”, while King Charles said he was “truly appalled and shocked”.

Knife crime in England and Wales has risen 87% over the past decade, with 54,587 offences last year alone, a 2% rise from 2023 and among the highest rates in Europe, according to figures from Britain’s interior ministry.

Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood said she was “deeply saddened”, while urging people to avoid speculation about the incident.

The government is keen to stop rumors spreading on social media following an incident in Southport in northwest England in 2024, when internet claims over the murder of three young girls sparked days of rioting across the country.

Witness Olly Foster told the BBC that he was on the train which was heading towards London on Saturday evening when someone ran past him saying a man was stabbing “everyone, everything”.

“I put my hand on this chair…and then I look at my hand, and it’s covered in blood. And then I look at the chair, and there’s blood all over the chair. And then I look ahead and there’s blood on all the chairs,” he said.

Another witness told Sky News that a suspect was seen waving a large knife before being tasered by police. (JapanToday)

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British police arrest 6 after deadly Manchester synagogue attack

Police on Saturday were questioning six people arrested on suspicion of terror offenses after an attack on a synagogue in northwest England that left two men dead and Britain’s Jewish community shocked and grieving.

Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, was shot dead by police on Thursday outside the Heaton Park Congregation Synagogue in Manchester after he rammed a car into pedestrians, attacked them with a knife and tried to force his way into the building.

Three men and three women, aged between 18 and their 60s, were arrested in the greater Manchester area on suspicion of the “commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism,” as police work to determine whether the attacker acted alone.

Congregation members Melvin Cravitz, 66, and Adrian Daulby, 53, died in the attack on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year. Police say Daulby was accidentally shot by an armed officer as he and other congregants barricaded the synagogue to block Al-Shamie from entering. Three other men are hospitalized with serious injuries.

Detectives say Al-Shamie, a British citizen of Syrian origin who lived in Manchester, may have been influenced by “extreme Islamist ideology.” He wore what appeared to be an explosives belt, which was found to be fake.

Police said Al-Shamie was out on bail over an alleged rape at the time of the attack but had not been charged.

The attack has devastated Britain’s Jewish community and intensified debate about the line between criticism of Israel and antisemitism.

Recorded antisemitic incidents in the U.K. have risen sharply since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and Israel’s ensuing war against Hamas in Gaza, according to Community Security Trust, a charity that provides advice and protection for British Jews.

Some politicians and religious leaders claimed pro-Palestinian demonstrations, which have been held regularly since the war in Gaza began, had played a role in spreading hatred of Jews. The protests have been overwhelmingly peaceful but some say chants such as “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” incite anti-Jewish hatred.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his supporters have frequently accused critics of Israel for its conduct of the war of antisemitism. Critics see it as an attempt to stifle even legitimate criticism.

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, the head of Orthodox Judaism in Britain, said the attack was the result of “an unrelenting wave of Jew hatred” on the streets and online.

Some also say the U.K.’s recognition of a Palestinian state last month has emboldened antisemitism — a claim the government rejects. Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy was interrupted by boos and shouts of “Shame on you” on Friday as he addressed a vigil for victims of the attack in Manchester.

Police in London urged organizers to call off a protest planned for Saturday to oppose the banning of the group Palestine Action, which has been labeled a terrorist organization by the government.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said protest organizers should “recognize and respect the grief of British Jews this week” and postpone the demonstration.

The group Defend Our Juries said it would not cancel the protest, where hundreds of people are expected to risk arrest by holding signs supporting the banned group.

Member Jonathon Porritt said protesters would “demonstrate huge respect and real grief for those affected by the absolute atrocity at Heaton Park.”

“But I don’t think that means that we should be asked to give up on our right to stand up for those who are being devastated by an ongoing, real-time genocide in Gaza,” he told the BBC. (CBS)

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Two migrants die trying to cross channel from France

Two migrants died overnight while trying to cross the Channel to Britain, French authorities said Saturday, adding that some 60 others had been rescued.

The incident occurred south of the beaches of Neuchâtel-Hardelot, when about 100 people were trying to get to the UK on a makeshift boat.

About 60 people “are currently being taken care of”, Isabelle Fradin-Thirode, an official in nearby Montreuil-sur-Mer, said.

The incident brings the number of Channel crossing deaths to at least 25 this year, according to an AFP tally based on official data.

Since January, a record 31,000 migrants have arrived in Britain by crossing the Channel in small boats.

Under a recent Franco-British scheme, the UK can return them after arrival if they are deemed ineligible for asylum, including those who have passed through a “safe country” to reach UK shores.

In return, London will accept an equal number of migrants from France who are likely to have their asylum claims granted. (Punch)

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UK, Australia, Canada recognise Palestinian state

Britain, Australia and Canada on Sunday recognised a Palestinian state in a seismic shift in decades of western foreign policy, triggering swift Israeli anger.

Portugal was also to recognise Palestinian statehood later Sunday, as Israel came under huge international pressure over the war in Gaza triggered almost two years ago by the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.

“Today, to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis, and a two-state solution, the United Kingdom formally recognises the State of Palestine,” UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a message on X.

Britain and Canada became the first G7 countries to take the step, with France and other nations expected to follow at the annual UN General Assembly which opens Monday in New York.

“Canada recognises the State of Palestine and offers our partnership in building the promise of a peaceful future for both the State of Palestine and the State of Israel,” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney wrote on X.

It is a watershed moment for Palestinians and their decades-long ambitions for statehood, with the most powerful Western nations having long argued it should only come as part of a negotiated peace deal with Israel.

But the move puts those countries at odds with the United States and Israel, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacting angrily and vowing to oppose it at the UN talks.

Calls for a Palestinian state “would endanger our existence and serve as an absurd reward for terrorism,” Netanyahu said Sunday.

A growing number of longtime allies have shifted positions, as Israel has intensified its Gaza offensive, vowing to eliminate the Hamas Palestinian militants.

The Gaza Strip has suffered vast destruction, a spiralling death toll and a lack of food that has sparked a major humanitarian crisis since the start of the conflict which has drawn an international outcry

The UK government has come under increasing public pressure to act, with thousands rallying every month on the streets. A poll released by YouGov on Friday showed two-thirds of young Britons aged 18-25 supported Palestinian statehood.

Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy acknowledged at the UN in July that “Britain bears a special burden of responsibility to support the two-state solution”.

Over a century ago, the UK was pivotal in laying the groundwork for the creation of the state of Israel through the 1917 Balfour Declaration.

Three-quarters of UN members already recognise Palestinian statehood, with over 140 of the 193 having taken the step.

Starmer said in July that his Labour government intended to recognise a Palestinian State unless Israel took “substantive” steps including reaching a ceasefire in Gaza, getting more aid into the territory and confirming it would not annex the West Bank.

Starmer has also repeatedly called on Hamas to release the remaining hostages they captured in the 2023 attack, and is expected to set out new sanctions on the Palestinian militants.

Lammy told the BBC on Sunday that the Palestinian Authority, the civilian body that governs in areas of the West Bank, had been calling for the move for some time “and I think a lot of that is wrapped up in hope”.

“Will this feed children? No it won’t, that’s down to humanitarian aid. Will this free hostages? That must be down to a ceasefire.”

But he said it was an attempt to “hold out for” a two-state solution.

Palestinian foreign minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin told AFP last week: “Recognition is not symbolic.”

“It sends a very clear message to the Israelis on their illusions about continuing their occupation forever,” she added.

Hamas’s 2023 attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures.

Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed at least 65,208 people, also mostly civilians, according to figures from the Gaza health ministry that the United Nations considers reliable.

Portugal said that it would also formally declare its recognition in New York on Sunday.

“By acting now, as the Portuguese government has decided, we’re keeping alive the possibility of having two states,” Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said. (Punch)

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Trump gets royal welcome at Windsor Castle at start of his two-day UK visit

President Donald Trump relished the glow of a British royal spectacle as he opened a two-day state visit Wednesday, calling the hours of pageantry with King Charles III “truly one of the highest honours of my life” while also making time for a quiet tribute at Queen Elizabeth II’s tomb.

The grandeur-loving president soaked up all the revelry, from the largest guard of honor in living memory, with 120 horses and 1,300 troops, to carriage rides, an air show and a Windsor Castle dinner.

After the pomp comes the real work Thursday, when Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer meet to talk trade, technology and geopolitical issues.

No US president, or any other world leader, has had the honour of a second UK state visit; Trump’s first was in 2019, during his previous term. The display of regal splendor was meant to bolster ties with Trump at a time when his America First policies are putting pressure on trade and security arrangements around the globe.

Prince William and his wife, Kate, met the presidential helicopter in the private Walled Garden on the vast Windsor estate, then walked Trump and first lady Melania Trump over to be greeted by Charles and Queen Camilla. A gigantic royal standard – the flag used for official celebration days – flew from the Royal Tower.

The guests travelled to the castle in a procession of horse-drawn carriages, past ranks of soldiers, sailors and aviators. The king and the Republican president chatted in the Irish State Coach during the short journey to the castle quadrangle, where both inspected an honour guard of soldiers in red tunics and bearskin hats.

They continued to chat and joke as the day progressed, with the king occasionally putting his hand on Trump’s back. The president stepped in front of Charles during a review of troops after the king gestured for him to do so. The king’s invitation avoided a violation of protocol, which was not the case in 2019, when Trump stepped in front of Queen Elizabeth.

Part of the day was spent at St. George’s Chapel on the castle grounds, where Trump placed a wreath in honour of Elizabeth, who died in 2022.

The president and Charles toured the Royal Collection Display in an ornate room where officials laid out five tables of artifacts on US-British relations.

Among the items were 18th-century watercolours and documents on the United States seeking independence from King George III. There were materials from the first trans-Atlantic cable, including messages between Queen Victoria and President James Buchanan, as well as a 1930s hot dog picnic that a young Elizabeth wrote about, and a large glass vessel that President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave the queen during a 1957 state visit.

The president walked a red carpet on the castle’s East Lawn to watch the Beating Retreat, a military parade ceremony that featured 200-plus musicians, dates to the 1600s and was once used to call patrolling soldiers back to their castle at day’s end.

A scheduled flyover by F-35 jets from the UK and US militaries was scrapped because of poor weather conditions. But the Red Arrows, the Royal Air Force’s aerobatics display team, thundered overhead, leaving streaks of red, white and blue smoke in their wake and drawing a visible reaction from both Trumps.

Charles and Camilla also presented the president and first lady with a handbound leather volume celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, as well as the Union flag that flew above Buckingham Palace on the day of Trump’s inauguration in January. The royals also gave first lady Melania Trump a silver and enamel bowl and a personalised handbag by British designer Anya Hindmarch.

Trump gave Charles a replica of an Eisenhower sword, and Camilla received a vintage Tiffany & Co. gold, diamond and ruby brooch.

The history, tradition and celebrity of the royal family give it a cachet that means presidents and prime ministers covet joining them. In his talks with Trump, Starmer will promote a new UK-US technology agreement. The British government hopes the deal, and billions in investment from U.S. tech companies, will help show that the trans-Atlantic bond remains strong despite differences over Ukraine, the Middle East and the future of NATO.

Trump and Charles walked together, leading a procession for the evening banquet. Trump wore white tie while his wife was in a yellow gown. Charles was in white tie with a blue sash, and Camilla in a blue gown with a tiara.

Beefeaters in traditional red uniforms and ruff collars lined the entrance to the castle’s St. George’s Hall for the dinner, which featured 100 staff members attending to 160 guests. The grand Waterloo table was set with 1,462 pieces of silver sparkling in the light from 139 candles and elaborate floral arrangements handpicked from the castle grounds.

The guest list included Apple’s Tim Cook, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Open AI’s Sam Altman and US Masters-winning golfer Nick Faldo. Also appearing was publishing mogul Rupert Murdoch, whom Trump recently sued for $10 billion over The Wall Street Journal’s report on a sexually suggestive letter purportedly written by Trump for disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

The menu featured Hampshire watercress panna cotta with Parmesan shortbread and quail egg salad, along with Norfolk chicken ballotine. Dessert was vanilla ice cream bombe with a raspberry sherbet interior and lightly poached Victorian plums.

Trump avoids alcohol, but the bar offerings included a cocktail known as a Transatlantic whiskey sour infused with marmalade, Warre’s 1945 Vintage Port – Trump is the 45th and 47th American president – and Hennessy 1912 Cognac Grande Champagne. That was the year Trump’s mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, was born in Scotland.

The musical playlist included the theme from the James Bond movies and pop and rock staples, as well as top showtunes, often featured at Trump’s campaign rallies.

In his toast, Charles saluted Trump’s British roots and his recent visits to the UK In a nod to the president’s favourite sport, he said, “I understand that British soil makes for rather splendid golf courses.”

Trump read from prepared remarks and was on his best behaviour, declaring, “This is truly one of the highest honours of my life” and sneaking in only one dig about his predecessor, Democratic President Joe Biden, by saying the US was “sick” a year ago.

Trump also touched on Britain’s contributions to literature, history and the arts and said “special” does not begin to do justice to his country’s relationship with the UK.

“Together we’ve done more good for humanity than any two countries in all of history,” he said.

Thousands of demonstrators marched through central London on Wednesday to protest Trump’s visit. Some held banners that said “No to the racism, no to Trump.” Though the activities were smaller than during Trump’s visit in June 2019, they included mini versions of the giant Trump baby blimp, an orange-tinted caricature of the president in a diaper that made a big impression during those demonstrations six years ago.

In Windsor, protesters projected an image of Trump and Epstein on a tower at the castle, a reminder of the president’s relationship with the late American financier. Police said they arrested four people. (France24)

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Former World Boxing Champion Hatton dead at 46

Former world boxing champion Ricky Hatton has died aged 46, Britain’s Press Association news agency reported Sunday.

Hatton was found dead at his home in Hyde, northwest England. Greater Manchester Police said they were not treating the death as suspicious.

A police spokesman said: “Officers were called by a member of the public to attend Bowlacre Road, Hyde, Tameside, at 6:45 am (0545 GMT) today (Sunday) where they found the body of a 46-year-old man. There are not currently believed to be any suspicious circumstances.”

Hatton won world titles at light-welterweight and welterweight and his aggressive style made him one of the most popular British boxers of his generation.

Notable opponents including Kostya Tszyu, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

Hatton was frank about the mental health problems he endured following his retirement from the ring.

In July, he announced he would make a return to boxing in a professional bout against Eisa Al Dah in Dubai in December.

Britain’s former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury paid tribute to Hatton.

“Rip to the legend Ricky Hatton may he rip,” Fury posted on Instagram.

“There will only ever be 1 Ricky Hatton. Can’t believe this so young.”

Another former world champion, Britain’s Amir Khan, described Hatton on X as a “mentor, warrior and one of Britain’s greatest boxers”.

Khan added: “As fighters, we tell ourselves we’re strong — we train, we sweat, we take hits, we get up. But sometimes the hardest fight happens in silence, in the mind.

“Mental health isn’t weakness. It’s part of being human. And we must talk about it. We must reach out. We must lean on each other.

“Ricky, thank you for everything. For your fights, your moments of glory, your grit. Thank you for pushing us, showing us what’s possible.

Matchroom Boxing said: “(We are) saddened to hear the news of Ricky Hatton’s passing. Our thoughts and condolences are with Ricky’s friends and family at this tragic time. There’s only one Ricky Hatton.” (Channels)