US President Donald Trump was greeted with full British ceremonial pomp at Windsor Castle on Wednesday during his historic second state visit to the UK.
With the US set to celebrate the 250th anniversary of its independence next year, Mr Trump was shown a letter written by King George III in 1774 acknowledging that the governments of New England were in rebellion.
Royal librarian Stella Panayotova said the material in the Royal Archives related to the war of independence had been the highlight of the tour.
“The President was particularly interested in the material in the papers that related to independence,” she said.
Mr Trump and first lady Melania Trump were welcomed by Prince William and Princess Catherine in the walled garden at Windsor Castle. The Trumps then met King Charles III and Queen Camilla before inspecting a guard of honour.
After lunch and the archives tour, the couple paid their respects at the grave of Queen Elizabeth II, who hosted Mr Trump during his first state visit in 2019.
There were a handful of protesters outside Windsor Castle and they were far outnumbered by the international press stationed beyond the bastion’s thick 12th century walls.
Joseph Afrane, who was dressed in a British-US flag combination suit, was firmly behind Mr Trump's visit.
“It's good for both countries,” the self-proclaimed British patriot told The National. “It’s going to help Britain as I think the prime minister is going to persuade him to bring down the steel tariffs.
“Mr Trump is a good president, he says it straight, he talks about doing something and then he does it.”
But there was also those who argued that Mr Trump did not deserve a second state visit as he was, according to Nick Dearden, “driving his own country into authoritarianism”.
The leader of the Stop Trump Coalition believed that Keir Starmer’s benevolence was a “disastrous policy”.
Gifts exchanged
- King Charles - replica of President Eisenhower Sword
- Queen Camilla - Tiffany & Co vintage 18-carat gold, diamond and ruby flower brooch
- Donald Trump - hand-bound leather book with Declaration of Independence
- Melania Trump - personalised Anya Hindmarch handbag
“They're bowing and scraping to appease Trump in the hope of getting a better trade deal, but all the evidence to date suggests Britain hasn’t got a better deal,” he said.
“We haven't changed his mind on anything and given that Trump is here today with a bunch of big tech barons we risk handing over more of our sovereignty and rights to American corporate interests.”
He also voiced doubts that Mr Trump could be influenced on Gaza and Ukraine, as he “vacillates from one position to another”.
The decision to use Victoria House in the Royal Kitchen Gardens at Frogmore, a royal property near Windsor since the late 1700s, as the backdrop to the start of the charm offensive offers a personal, family-centred greeting especially for Mr Trump.
As the President shook hands with King Charles, a 41-round gun salute was fired from six First World War era guns simultaneously by The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery on the East Lawn of Windsor Castle, while the Honourable Artillery Company staged a salute more than 30km away at the Tower of London.
The scale and spectacle of the military ceremonial on show for Mr Trump is the largest military ceremonial welcome for a state visit to the UK in living memory.
In total, about 120 horses and 1,300 members of the British military will be involved in the ceremonial welcome at Windsor, with 160 personnel from the Royal Marines and Royal Navy, 1,000 from the British Army and 140 from the Royal Air Force.
The number of military taking part in the ceremonial welcome is well in excess of the 850 who took part in French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit in July.
The visit has a diplomatic purpose, tying the Trump administration to the relationship with the UK. After the Second World War, the term special relationship was popularised by prime minister Winston Churchill and London as strived to make that tagline stick.
Mr Starmer was the first foreign leader to seal a trade deal with the Trump White House and he walks a tight rope in keeping America on-board while pushing his policies.
“Keir Starmer has done well in handling this relationship. He’s been criticised for it … but it’s been the right approach, engaging to gain leverage,” said Simon Fraser, the chairman of foreign policy think tank, Chatham House. “But it’s important for the British government that they aren’t seen to be appearing to agree with President Trump on everything. On issues like freedom of speech, what’s happening in Gaza, and our views on Ukraine, the Prime Minister has to make clear our position is differentiated from the American one but do it constructively.”
The build-up to the trip was rocked last week by the departure of the UK's ambassador in Washington. James Roscoe, the UK’s charge d’affaires in Washington, was seen at Windsor taking a picture of the spectacle during Mr Trump’s visit.
Mr Roscoe is the most senior diplomat at the embassy in Washington after Peter Mandelson’s sacking as ambassador in connection with the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Mr Roscoe has held a string of senior roles in government and the royal household.
In the evening, Mr Trump attended a state banquet.
"Our countries are working together in support of crucial diplomatic efforts, not least of which, Mr President, is your own personal commitment to finding solutions to some of the world's most intractable conflicts in order to secure peace in striving for a better world," King Charles said.
Mr Trump praised the "bond of kinship" between the US and the UK, calling it "irreplaceable and unbreakable".
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
Quarter-finals
Saturday (all times UAE)
England v Australia, 11.15am
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm
Sunday
Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm
Calls
Directed by: Fede Alvarez
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Karen Gillian, Aaron Taylor-Johnson
4/5
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Gifts exchanged
- King Charles - replica of President Eisenhower Sword
- Queen Camilla - Tiffany & Co vintage 18-carat gold, diamond and ruby flower brooch
- Donald Trump - hand-bound leather book with Declaration of Independence
- Melania Trump - personalised Anya Hindmarch handbag
