Britain treated Donald Trump to an elaborate ceremonial welcome featuring a gun salute and mounted horses as the US president’s unprecedented second state visit began under tight security on Wednesday.
Heir-to-the-throne Prince William and his wife Catherine warmly greeted Trump and First Lady Melania Trump after the Marine One helicopter touched down at Windsor Castle shortly at 12:15 pm (1115 GMT).
Inside a ring of steel and out of sight from noisy protesters, William and Catherine walked Trump and his wife a short distance to meet King Charles III and Queen Camilla as the UK’s major charm offensive got underway.
As the president shook hands with the king, a 41-gun salute was fired simultaneously from six World War One-era guns on the castle’s east lawn, as a similar display occurred at the Tower of London, in the centre of the capital.
Some 120 horses and 1,300 members of the British military took part in the ceremony, which UK officials say marked the largest military ceremonial welcome for a state visit to Britain in living memory.
The Trumps and the royals then embarked on a carriage procession through the Windsor estate towards the nearly 1,000-year-old castle.
– ‘Warm my heart’ –
Britain is going the extra mile to dazzle and flatter the unpredictable Trump with an extraordinary show of pomp and pageantry as it tries to keep him onside during a host of international crises.
The 79-year-old Republican is, however, being kept far away from Britons, among whom polls indicate Trump remains unpopular, with the entire visit happening behind closed doors.
“It’s quite sad that the public cannot see the president,” 40-year-old Charlene Bryan, who had travelled from London hoping to see Trump, told AFP.
Knowing that Trump is obsessed with Britain’s royals and loves showy displays of pomp, the military welcome was even bigger than when Queen Elizabeth II hosted Trump on his previous state visit in 2019.
He is the first US president to receive two state visits. He will also get the first joint flypast by US and UK fighter jets at an event of its kind. It will feature US and British F-35 military jets and the Royal Air Force’s Red Arrows display team.
The Trumps will lay a wreath on the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II, who died in 2022, and the president and Charles will wrap up Wednesday with a white-tie state banquet, where they are due to make speeches.
It’s all designed to appeal to a US leader who this year crowed “LONG LIVE THE KING!” about himself on social media before the White House posted a fake magazine cover of him wearing a crown.
The question for Britain is whether the red carpet welcome will win over Trump, whose unpredictability on everything from tariffs to Ukraine and Gaza has caused global turmoil.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will be hoping Trump leaves on Thursday feeling the warm glow of royal soft power — but there are no guarantees.
Trump appeared to be feeling the love as he arrived by helicopter at the US ambassador’s official residence in London on Tuesday with First Lady Melania Trump.
– Epstein’s shadow –
“A lot of things here warm my heart,” said the president, whose mother hailed from Scotland and who owns two golf resorts in the country.
He described Charles, 76, who is undergoing treatment for cancer, as “my friend”.
The Republican may also relish a chance to escape a turbulent period at home in the United States, where the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk has caused deep turmoil.
But the spectre loomed of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who is providing domestic headaches for both Trump and Starmer and who has caused the royal family considerable embarrassment.
Police arrested four people after they projected images of Trump and Epstein onto Windsor Castle late Tuesday. Thousands were expected to attend protests planned in London on Wednesday.
Starmer will host Trump on the second day of the visit on Thursday at his country residence, Chequers.
The pair will be buoyed by British pharmaceutical group GSK’s announcement that it will invest $30 billion in the United States over the next five years but talks could turn awkward on several fronts.
Starmer in particular faces political troubles at home, after sacking his UK ambassador to Washington, Peter Mandelson, over a furore involving the diplomat’s connection to the late Epstein.
Israel launched multiple airstrikes on mountainous areas in eastern Lebanon on Thursday, October 23, targeting Hezbollah positions, according to statements from both Lebanese and Israeli sources.
“Israeli warplanes launched a series of violent strikes on the eastern mountain range” in the Bekaa region near the Syrian border, Lebanon’s official National News Agency reported. The agency also said two Israeli strikes hit the Hermel range in the country’s northeast.
The Israeli military confirmed the attacks, stating that they targeted Hezbollah sites in eastern and northern Lebanon, including “a military camp and a site for the production of precision missiles” in the Bekaa. It said the strikes hit “several terrorist targets,” including “a camp used for training Hezbollah militants” and “military infrastructure at a site for the production of precision missiles.” The statement added that Israeli forces also struck “a Hezbollah military site in the Sharbin area in northern Lebanon.”
The strikes come despite a ceasefire agreement reached in November, which ended over a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, including two months of open conflict. The ceasefire required Israeli forces to withdraw from southern Lebanon and for Hezbollah to dismantle its military presence in the area.
Under pressure from the United States and in an effort to prevent renewed escalation, the Lebanese government has begun taking steps to disarm Hezbollah. However, the militant group and its allies remain firmly opposed to the plan.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have a crew of dangerous illegal migrants, including Senegalese outlaws with lengthy rap sheets for drug trafficking, robbery, domestic violence, and assaults on cops.
Federal agents descended on the long-troubled Chinatown strip on Canal Street between Lafayette and Centre Streets on Tuesday, October 20, rounding up illegal vendors who peddle knockoff designer bags and stolen goods.
Nine migrants, the majority of whom were released into the US under the Biden administration, were arrested and taken into custody for deportation, Homeland Security officials said.
“ICE conducted a targeted, intelligence-driven enforcement operation on Canal Street in New York City, focused on criminal activity relating to selling counterfeit goods,” Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement Wednesday.
“ICE arrested nine illegal aliens with criminal histories including robbery, burglary, domestic violence, assaulting law enforcement, counterfeiting, drug trafficking, drug possession and forgery,” she added.
While all nine were in the country illegally, six of the immigrants have criminal records, including Ndiaye, who has been busted for robbery, domestic violence, drugs and forgery, federal officials said.
The Kebbi State Police Command has disbursed cheques totalling ₦33,816,610.97 to 50 families of police officers who died in active service.
The presentation, held on Thursday at the Command’s Headquarters in Birnin Kebbi, was made by the Commissioner of Police, CP Bello Sani, as part of the Group Life Assurance and IGP Family Welfare Schemes initiated to support families of fallen heroes.
PUNCH Online reports that the Group Life Assurance and IGP Family Welfare Schemes are part of the ongoing initiatives under Egbetokun to enhance welfare and provide financial relief to families of officers who lost their lives in the line of duty.
Speaking during the ceremony, Sani commended the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, for his steadfast commitment to the welfare of police personnel and their families.
He described the gesture as a reflection of the IGP’s compassion and dedication to the well-being of officers, saying it had brought “immense joy and relief” to many bereaved families.
“The Inspector-General’s magnanimity continues to boost morale, enhance performance, and uplift the spirit of our officers across the country,” the Commissioner said, praying for God’s continued guidance for the police chief.
Sani urged the beneficiaries to invest the funds wisely in ventures that would ensure lasting benefits for their dependents.
Responding on behalf of the recipients, Sonnen Simeon Mome thanked the IG for his generosity, noting that the support would have a meaningful impact on their lives.
“This gesture shows that the Nigeria Police Force has not forgotten the sacrifices of our loved ones,” Mome said, assuring that the money would be put to good use.
