British officials are putting forth the UK's financial and technology treasures to ensure a smooth second state visit for US President Donald Trump.
With the fallout from the sacking of Washington ambassador Peter Mandelson and a far-right march over the weekend rocking his government, Prime Minister Keir Starmer could hardly have suffered a worse build-up to the visit, judging by the tone of press reports.
A carefully choreographed set of meetings and announcements highlighting the tangible benefits of the visit began to roll out on Tuesday.
British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves met US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent for talks on extending investment partnerships across the two biggest international financial centres, London and New York. The US delegation includes Blackstone, the investment giant that has unveiled a 10-year $100 billion plan for the UK.
The two sides plan a deal on civil nuclear co-operation known as the Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy that would involve small modular reactors and nuclear plants being built and installed.
In a research note, Bank of America said the type of mini-nuclear plants at the heart of the deal could be a $1 trillion market by 2050. “SMRs are also cheaper, safer, take less time to build and have fewer CO2 emissions,” it said.
Alphabet, the world's fourth most valuable company and owner of Google, announced a £5 billion ($60.8 billion) investment in UK artificial intelligence programmes.
Investment plans have been drawn up for infrastructure and research into the computer science covering the next two years.
Ms Reeves and Science Minister Liz Kendall are opening a £735 million ($1 billion) data centre on Tuesday.
As Mr Trump makes his way to Windsor Castle for the ceremonial part of the visit, Mr Starmer and Ms Kendall are set to announce a new technology pact between the UK and US.
AI research in areas ranging from quantum technology to child cancer will see multi-million-pound collaboration unlocking access to supercomputers.
UK parliamentarians are calling on Washington to boost the Economic Prosperity Deal that was signed in May.
“There is a great prize for us to seize,” said senior Labour MP Liam Byrne. “Britain’s science, AI and the City of London, joined with America’s tech giants and venture markets, could set the standards of this century and help secure western leadership over China for decades to come.
“But that means we have got to turn paper promises into a binding bargain.”
Mr Trump is paying an unprecedented second State Visit to the UK, following an invitation extended by King Charles in February during Mr Starmer's visit to Washington DC. Mr Trump and First Lady Melania are being hosted at Windsor Castle during their stay. The Trumps will be greeted on arrival by US Ambassador Warren Stephens and Lord-in-Waiting Viscount Wood.
The US President will be on private grounds during his trip to the UK, whether he and the first lady are at Wingfield House, the official residence of the US ambassador, Windsor or Chequers.
While The Beast limousine and the presidential cavalcade is in the UK the presidential party is set to avoid a repeat of the central London protests seen during his previous visits.
The Stop Trump Coalition is staging a national demonstration against the visit with supporters gathering at Portland Place at 2pm before a rally at 5pm in Parliament Square. A local demonstration by the same organiser is due to take place outside the Castle walls on Tuesday evening. The Stop Trump Coalition staged protests in Scotland during Mr Trump's visit in July.
Despite the ring of steel, security arrangements for the summit suffered disruption on the eve of Mr Trump's visit to Windsor. Campaigners walked through open sections of a two-metre fence to display a large banner taunting Mr Trump over his association with disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein. Mr Mandelson's leaked emails to Epstein cost him his job.
Police have said officers will be ready to respond to a high threat level incident in Windsor for Mr Trump’s state visit, with operations to make the town secure from the sky, the streets and the River Thames.
King Charles will host the first couple at a state banquet at Windsor Castle on Wednesday, before the couple visit Chequers, the Prime Minister’s country home, on Thursday.
Police will patrol Windsor throughout the visit and temporary restrictions will ban non-police drones and smaller aircraft from flying through a protected airspace.
“We are constantly keeping under review our approach to these operations. We’re doing that on a daily basis, right through the planning phase,” Assistant Chief Constable Christian Bunt, of Thames Valley Police, said on Monday.
“I’m very content that we have planned a very comprehensive policing and security operation that has taken into consideration just about every eventuality of what could happen.”
Reports suggest Mr Trump will be accompanied by a motorcade during his visit, including the armoured limousine dubbed The Beast, after touching down on UK soil in Air Force One.
Among those joining the US President for the three days will be US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Mr Bessent, Secretary of Commerce Robert Lutnick, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Mr Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East and peace missions Steve Witkoff.
Other staff typically drafted in for Mr Trump’s overseas visits include Secret Service personnel, military communications specialists and White House aides.
Armed officers will be patrolling the streets, with armed response vehicles ready to respond to any increased threat, Thames Valley Police said.
The force is using drones, horses, dogs and its marine units, with patrols on the River Thames and searches of the water and riverbanks around Windsor.
Officers will have access to a wide range of equipment and weapons, including Tasers, baton guns which propel rubber bullets and shotguns, which are used against dangerous animals.
The force said it will monitor social media for misinformation and disinformation, and to monitor the mood in the community.
Christopher Robin
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Haley Atwell, Jim Cummings, Peter Capaldi
Three stars
Did you know?
Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.
Drivers’ championship standings after Singapore:
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes - 263
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari - 235
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes - 212
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull - 162
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari - 138
6. Sergio Perez, Force India - 68
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Company%20profile
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BRAZIL SQUAD
Alisson (Liverpool), Daniel Fuzato (Roma), Ederson (Man City); Alex Sandro (Juventus), Danilo (Juventus), Eder Militao (Real Madrid), Emerson (Real Betis), Felipe (Atletico Madrid), Marquinhos (PSG), Renan Lodi (Atletico Madrid), Thiago Silva (PSG); Arthur (Barcelona), Casemiro (Real Madrid), Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa), Fabinho (Liverpool), Lucas Paqueta (AC Milan), Philippe Coutinho (Bayern Munich); David Neres (Ajax), Gabriel Jesus (Man City), Richarlison (Everton), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Willian (Chelsea).
Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Profile of Foodics
Founders: Ahmad AlZaini and Mosab AlOthmani
Based: Riyadh
Sector: Software
Employees: 150
Amount raised: $8m through seed and Series A - Series B raise ongoing
Funders: Raed Advanced Investment Co, Al-Riyadh Al Walid Investment Co, 500 Falcons, SWM Investment, AlShoaibah SPV, Faith Capital, Technology Investments Co, Savour Holding, Future Resources, Derayah Custody Co.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Bawaal%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nitesh%20Tiwari%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Varun%20Dhawan%2C%20Janhvi%20Kapoor%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Score
New Zealand 266 for 9 in 50 overs
Pakistan 219 all out in 47.2 overs
New Zealand win by 47 runs
New Zealand lead three-match ODI series 1-0
Next match: Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi, Friday
On racial profiling at airports
Women's Prize for Fiction shortlist
The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Milkman by Anna Burns
Ordinary People by Diana Evans
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
Circe by Madeline Miller
GRAN%20TURISMO
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Neill%20Blomkamp%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20David%20Harbour%2C%20Orlando%20Bloom%2C%20Archie%20Madekwe%2C%20Darren%20Barnet%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 2.2-litre, turbodiesel
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Power: 160hp
Torque: 385Nm
Price: Dh116,900
On sale: now
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Cargoz%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDate%20started%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20January%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Premlal%20Pullisserry%20and%20Lijo%20Antony%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2030%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush
Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”
A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.
“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”
Sunday's fixtures
- Bournemouth v Southampton, 5.30pm
- Manchester City v West Ham United, 8pm
If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Seattle from Dh5,555 return, including taxes. Portland is a 260 km drive from Seattle and Emirates offers codeshare flights to Portland with its partner Alaska Airlines.
The car
Hertz (www.hertz.ae) offers compact car rental from about $300 per week, including taxes. Emirates Skywards members can earn points on their car hire through Hertz.
Parks and accommodation
For information on Crater Lake National Park, visit www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm . Because of the altitude, large parts of the park are closed in winter due to snow. While the park’s summer season is May 22-October 31, typically, the full loop of the Rim Drive is only possible from late July until the end of October. Entry costs $25 per car for a day. For accommodation, see www.travelcraterlake.com. For information on Umpqua Hot Springs, see www.fs.usda.gov and https://soakoregon.com/umpqua-hot-springs/. For Bend, see https://www.visitbend.com/.
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Ways to control drones
Countries have been coming up with ways to restrict and monitor the use of non-commercial drones to keep them from trespassing on controlled areas such as airports.
"Drones vary in size and some can be as big as a small city car - so imagine the impact of one hitting an airplane. It's a huge risk, especially when commercial airliners are not designed to make or take sudden evasive manoeuvres like drones can" says Saj Ahmed, chief analyst at London-based StrategicAero Research.
New measures have now been taken to monitor drone activity, Geo-fencing technology is one.
It's a method designed to prevent drones from drifting into banned areas. The technology uses GPS location signals to stop its machines flying close to airports and other restricted zones.
The European commission has recently announced a blueprint to make drone use in low-level airspace safe, secure and environmentally friendly. This process is called “U-Space” – it covers altitudes of up to 150 metres. It is also noteworthy that that UK Civil Aviation Authority recommends drones to be flown at no higher than 400ft. “U-Space” technology will be governed by a system similar to air traffic control management, which will be automated using tools like geo-fencing.
The UAE has drawn serious measures to ensure users register their devices under strict new laws. Authorities have urged that users must obtain approval in advance before flying the drones, non registered drone use in Dubai will result in a fine of up to twenty thousand dirhams under a new resolution approved by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai.
Mr Ahmad suggest that "Hefty fines running into hundreds of thousands of dollars need to compensate for the cost of airport disruption and flight diversions to lengthy jail spells, confiscation of travel rights and use of drones for a lengthy period" must be enforced in order to reduce airport intrusion.
