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Armed with signs and shouting slogans, thousands of anti-Donald Trump protesters descended on central London on Wednesday to decry the US president’s unprecedented second state visit to the UK.London’s Metropolitan Police estimated that there were around 5,000 people at the protest, which culminated in a rally in front of parliament.With Trump receiving the red-carpet treatment at Windsor Castle, around 22 miles (35 kilometres) west of London, demonstrators marched in the heart of the British capital to display their disdain on the first full day of the trip.”We’re protesting, I suppose, about everything about Donald Trump. You don’t know what placard to carry, really, there’s so many things” to dislike, former teacher Dave Lockett, 67, told AFP.”He’s sowing destruction and disorder throughout the whole Earth… If Trump’s ideas get into this society, then what we’re talking about is fascism in Britain,” he added.Left-wing lawmakers, including new Green Party leader Zack Polanski, were among those to address the crowds in Parliament Square at the rally hosted by well-known comedian Nish Kumar.”We are gathered here united to say this is not in our name,” Polanski said of Trump’s invitation from the ruling centre-left Labour government. “This is the moment to challenge everything Donald Trump stands for. This is the moment to reject the politics of hate and division.”- ‘Hiding’ -Protesters had first massed early afternoon near the BBC’s headquarters, holding aloft an array of banners, flags and signs, covering everything from support for the Palestinians to rejecting fascism. Amid a cacophony of drumming, some demonstrators had recreated smaller versions of the giant balloon depicting Trump wearing a nappy which was famously flown during his first state visit in 2019.Yashi Sriram, a doctor originally from India, turned out with a placard reading: “End the genocide. Stop Trump.””I just wanted to show support for the people of Palestine, really, more than anything else,” said the 32-year-old.A group called the Stop Trump Coalition organised the demo, with a broad alliance of organisations sponsoring it, including Amnesty International UK, Black Lives Matter UK, Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Greenpeace.The coalition questioned why Trump would barely be in London during the visit.”Because he knows we’re protesting against him,” the group said in a statement ahead of the march.”Instead, he’ll be hiding and having a sad little carriage ride all by himself in Windsor with a parade that no one will even see. This is because of the power of our protest.”Those at the evening rally repeatedly chanted: “Say it loud, say it clear: Donald Trump not welcome here,” as various speakers railed against him.- Trump unpopular -London’s Metropolitan Police deployed more than 1,600 officers — including 500 brought in from other forces — to ensure the event passed off without incident.A purported counter-demonstration failed to muster, and there were no reports of disorder or arrests.A lone protester, surrounded by police, displayed a sign reading: “We Love Trump,” sparking boos as anti-Trump campaigners marched past him.Trump remains deeply unpopular in Britain, with new polling Wednesday showing almost half of respondents thought it was wrong to invite him for a second state visit.Only a quarter believed it will improve UK-US relations, according to the YouGov/Sky survey.London mayor Sadiq Khan, who allowed the unflattering Trump baby blimp to fly during the American president’s first-term visits, has been a persistent critic amid a years-long feud.Khan wrote Tuesday in The Guardian: “Trump and his coterie have perhaps done the most to fan the flames of divisive, far-right politics around the world in recent years.”An estimated 150,000 people attended a weekend rally in London organised by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, with 26 police officers injured in clashes on the event’s fringes.In the article, Khan — the first Muslim mayor of a Western capital when he was first elected in 2016 — accused Trump of “scapegoating minorities, illegally deporting US citizens, deploying the military to the streets of diverse cities”.”These actions aren’t just inconsistent with western values — they’re straight out of the autocrat’s playbook,” he wrote.

The ex-chief of the US disease prevention agency told senators Wednesday she was fired for refusing to approve changes to childhood vaccine schedules not backed by scientific evidence, as the Trump administration moves to dismantle longstanding health policy. The high-profile testimony follows last month’s abrupt ouster of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention head Susan Monarez, who told lawmakers on the Senate Health Committee that US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also demanded she fire career scientists from the agency without cause.”Even under pressure I could not replace evidence with ideology, or compromise my integrity,” she told the panel.”Vaccine policy must be guided by credible data, not predetermined outcomes.”The testimony comes a day before a highly anticipated meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices — a body Kennedy has dramatically revamped, firing all of its members and replacing them with figures whose views mirror his own vaccine skepticism.Monarez said Kennedy had demanded she agree to rubber-stamp every recommendation that committee makes to the CDC.She was fired less than a month after senators had voted to confirm her with unanimous support from Republican lawmakers.Her testimony contradicts what Kennedy had told the Senate Finance Committee. He insisted he had only requested she keep an open mind and said that she ultimately had not been “trustworthy.”Under questioning from Republican Senate health committee chair Bill Cassidy — a physician who continues to vouch for the safety of vaccines — Monarez said she told Kennedy she “would be open” to childhood vaccine schedule shifts if there were solid scientific data to justify them.But Kennedy “did not have any data or science to point to,” she said.”To be clear, he said there was not science or data” but he “still expected you to change this?” Cassidy asked.”Correct,” Monarez responded.- ‘Censored’ science -Monarez’s ouster was followed by the departure of several senior CDC officials from the body.Former CDC chief medical officer Debra Houry also testified Wednesday, and said Kennedy “censored CDC science, politicized its processes and stripped leaders of independence.””I could not in good conscience remain under those conditions.”Senator Angela Alsobrooks, a Democrat, later asked Houry if she believed Kennedy was “incompetent and dangerous to the American people’s health.”Houry was uncompromising in her response: “Seeing what he has asked our scientists to do and to compromise our integrity, and the children that have died under his watch, I think he should resign.”In 2025, the United States experienced its worst measles outbreak in more than 30 years, with more than 1,400 total confirmed cases and three deaths, including two young children.Asked by Republican Susan Collins what the public health implications might be if major CDC decisions come from politicized ideology rather than hard science, Monarez said it could move the US into “a very dangerous place in public health.””These are very important, highly technical discussions that have life-saving implications for our children and others who need vaccines.”Vaccines are safe and effective, according to the overwhelming consensus of the scientific community, but critics say the Trump administration has gone out of its way to sow doubt about them.

A well-financed campaign to build a casino in the heart of New York’s theater district collapsed Wednesday as a government-appointed panel voted down the proposal.Opposition to the project was led by community groups who said a casino would lure unsavory people and theater interests who argued it would cut into Broadway’s business.The Caesars Palace Times Square project, a venture whose sponsors include rap musician and entrepreneur Jay-Z’s company Roc Nation, failed to clear a key hurdle at the Community Advisory Committee. The CAC, which is composed of representatives of state and local officials, voted down the proposed $5.4 billion project by 4-2.  City Council Member Erik Bottcher said he voted no after “countless” conversations with constituents.”This is not a decision I took lightly,” Bottcher, who had been considered a swing vote on the proposal, said in an Instagram post.”All economic development opportunities deserve strong consideration. I believe casinos must clear a particularly high bar, requiring a uniquely strong degree of community buy-in before being sited in a neighborhood,” he added.”Despite extensive outreach by the applicants, that level of support has not materialized.”The vote follows two rowdy public meetings at which the CAC heard from dozens of backers and opponents of the casino. Supporters of the project included construction unions, neighboring restaurants and business groups that viewed the casino project as a source of additional customers.Other Caesars supporters included the Reverend Al Sharpton, whose organization was poised to oversee a new $15 million civil rights museum financed by the casino coalition if the Times Square proposal had been built.But Broadway League President Jason Laks, who led the opposition, praised CAC members “who looked at the facts, listened to the residents, and stood up for this neighborhood and the theater community.” “This was a vote to protect the magic of Broadway for the one hundred thousand New Yorkers who depend on it for their livelihoods, and for the tens of millions who come from around the world to experience it,” Laks said in a statement. “A casino can go anywhere, but Broadway only lives here.”

President Donald Trump’s administration has not offered a credible legal justification for US strikes targeting alleged drug smugglers, experts say, warning that he appears to be claiming an unlawful “license to kill.”The US military has destroyed at least two boats carrying a combined 14 people who were allegedly transporting drugs across the Caribbean this month, with Trump posting videos of the strikes on his Truth Social platform.Typical practice would be to interdict a boat, detain its crew and seize its cargo. But Trump has opted to use deadly force instead, saying the traffickers are “terrorists” who threaten US national security and interests and making clear the strikes are part of a continuing campaign.Trump “seems to be asserting a license to kill outside the law, because they haven’t shown that this is legal, and they haven’t really even tried to seriously make an argument on that front,” said Brian Finucane, senior adviser for the International Crisis Group’s US Program.The strikes are “remarkable and unprecedented,” said Finucane, who previously advised the US government on legal issues related to counterterrorism and the use of military force.He noted that they differ from strikes targeting militants during the “War on Terror,” as that conflict began with the 9/11 attacks on the United States, and was also waged against “organized armed groups” with “military style hierarchies.”- No ‘coherent legal argument’ -Trump has justified taking military action by saying “violent drug trafficking cartels POSE A THREAT to U.S. National Security, Foreign Policy, and vital U.S. Interests.”Finucane said they are “throwing out these legal terms,” but “they’re not actually using them to make a coherent legal argument.”Trump confirmed a new US strike on a suspected drug trafficking boat from Venezuela on Monday that killed three people, then said the following day that Washington had “knocked off” three boats in total, without elaborating.That came after US forces earlier this month blew up a boat with 11 people onboard, which Washington claimed was operated by the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.The strikes have contributed to soaring tensions between the United States and Venezuela, which were already heightened over the deployment of American warships in the region that Washington says are to combat trafficking but which Caracas views as a threat.Some US lawmakers — almost all Democrats — have pushed back against the Trump administration over the strikes.”There is no legal authority that lets the President kill people in international waters based on accusations with no proof or due process,” Democratic US Representative Don Beyer said in a post on X.- ‘Manipulation of law’ -Senator Rand Paul, a Republican, clashed with Vice President JD Vance after the first strike earlier this month, saying it is “despicable and thoughtless” to “glorify killing someone without a trial.”And more than two dozen senators sent a letter to Trump asking for answers on the first strike, saying his report to Congress on it “provided no legitimate legal justification and was scant in details regarding the legal or substantive basis for this or any future strikes.”United Nations rights experts have condemned the killing of the alleged traffickers, saying that “international law does not allow governments to simply murder alleged drug traffickers.””Under international law, all countries must respect the right to life, including when acting on the high seas or in foreign territory,” said the experts, including the special rapporteurs on extrajudicial executions and on protecting human rights while countering terrorism.Mary Ellen O’Connell, a professor at the University of Notre Dame, said “the small speed boats allegedly carrying drugs for a criminal gang meet none of the conditions for lawful self-defense.””Without a justification under the law of self-defense, the human right to life prohibits intentional killing of people with military force,” said O’Connell, an expert in international law on the use of force, international dispute resolution, and international legal theory.”It is time to end the manipulation of law to license killing. The human right to life requires following peacetime law unless the real conditions of actual hostilities exist,” she said.

The US Treasury Department’s chief of staff is anticipated to join the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in a key role as its number-two official, a source told AFP on Wednesday.Dan Katz, who currently works with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, is expected to be selected as the next first deputy managing director of the IMF. The source was familiar with the matter, and spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the topic.No formal announcement has been made by the Washington-based lender.A Treasury spokesperson declined to comment, and the Fund did not immediately respond to queries.The United States, which is the biggest shareholder in the Fund, typically nominates its top deputy. This is subject to approval within the organization.By convention, the European Union traditionally nominates the IMF’s chief.Katz, who is chief of staff at the Treasury, was a senior official in the department during US President Donald Trump’s first administration as well.The source familiar with the matter noted that Katz has longstanding ties with Bessent and previously consulted for the Treasury chief’s hedge fund.Katz has worked with Goldman Sachs as an investment banker in the past, and is a graduate of Yale University.In the current Trump administration, Katz has helped steer the Treasury’s international economic strategy, including on Ukraine, and was involved in Washington’s trade and economic talks with Beijing.His potential nomination to the IMF comes after Gita Gopinath left the role in August to return to Harvard University.Gopinath joined the IMF in 2019, becoming the first female chief economist in its history, before being promoted to first deputy managing director in 2022.In the role, she had represented the IMF at multilateral gatherings like the Group of Seven and Group of 20 meetings. She also played a leading role in the Fund’s work, including on monetary and fiscal policies, debt and international trade.

The US Federal Reserve is poised to make its first interest rate cut of 2025 on Wednesday, but it battles competing forces in the path forward — with heightened political pressure and likely divisions among its ranks.There is little doubt that the US central bank will lower rates at the end of its two-day policy meeting, and markets widely expect a 25 basis points reduction spurred by a weakening employment market.Less certain, however, are the pace and size of further cuts to come.On Wednesday, the Fed’s rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) opened its second day of deliberations at 9:00 am US Eastern time (1300 GMT) as scheduled, said a spokesperson.Even before the committee convened early Tuesday, moves by President Donald Trump cast uncertainty over its composition.Trump, who has pushed for months for the central bank to slash rates, moved in August to fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook, sparking a legal fight that could have prevented her from attending the rate meeting.Trump also nominated a key economic adviser to the Fed’s board of governors after another official unexpectedly resigned last month, setting in motion a confirmation process that concluded at the eleventh hour.Stephen Miran, who has been chairing the White House Council of Economic Advisers (CEA), was sworn in as a Fed governor right before the FOMC gathering.He has come under fire from Democratic lawmakers for taking a leave of absence rather than resigning from his White House role, a decision he attributed to the short tenure ending January 31 that he fills.- Dissent -Economists expect to see more divisions among the FOMC, as policymakers walk a tightrope balancing the risk of higher inflation due to Trump’s new tariffs and a deteriorating jobs market.Typically, the Fed might be inclined to keep rates at a higher level to bring inflation back to its two-percent target — or slash rates to support a weakening labor market.This time, employment concerns are anticipated to win out, even as inflation remains notably above 2.0 percent.But the economic picture means that officials could dissent in both directions even if most vote for a 25 basis points cut — a situation not seen since 2019.”That’s not a good place to be,” said KPMG chief economist Diane Swonk.”It’s the stagflation reality that we’re living in now,” she said, even if it is just a “mild bout.” This refers to a situation of sluggish growth and rising prices.Fed governors Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman, who voted against the FOMC’s last decision to hold rates steady — instead seeking a rate cut — could now dissent in favor of a bigger 50 basis points reduction.Miran could also join them, analysts say.But officials like Kansas City Fed President Jeffrey Schmid might favor another path, pushing to keep rates unchanged to curb inflation.”It could be the first meeting where three governors dissent since 1988,” said Deutsche Bank economists in a recent note.Since its last cut in December, the Fed has held interest rates at a range between 4.25 percent and 4.50 percent.- ‘Political attention’ -Miran’s confirmation — without resigning from the CEA — also risks a sense of political influence over Fed decisions, EY chief economist Gregory Daco told AFP.Economists will be monitoring the outcome of the FOMC’s vote and whether Miran pushes for a large rate cut that Trump has repeatedly advocated for.Separately, the legal battle by Cook — the first Black woman on the Fed’s board of governors — could have broader implications for the bank.A federal appeals court ruled late Monday that Cook could remain in position while challenging her removal over alleged mortgage fraud.But the Trump administration plans to appeal this outcome, potentially bringing the case to the Supreme Court.”The backdrop that we’re experiencing, where there is increased political attention on the Fed, is concerning,” Daco said.”History has showed that in times when a central bank is under political influence, the economic outcomes are suboptimal,” he added.This could mean higher inflation, lower growth and more financial market volatility.

The co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s has resigned from the ice cream brand after saying his company known for its social activism has lost “the independence to pursue our values” under the ownership of British giant Unilever.Jerry Greenfield’s announcement follows the company’s failure in 2022 to block Unilever from selling its ice cream in West Bank settlements, which Ben & Jerry’s said would run counter to its values.Greenfield said he could “no longer, in good conscience, and after 47 years, remain an employee” of the Vermont-based company, according to a statement published on X by co-founder Ben Cohen late on Tuesday.The brand was founded by the two school friends in 1978 and acquired by Unilever in 2000. It is now owned by the Magnum Ice Cream Company, a Unilever subsidiary. Greenfield said his firm “has been silenced, sidelined for fear of upsetting those in power” at a time when the current US administration is “attacking civil rights, voting rights, the rights of immigrants, women and the LGBTQ community.””It’s profoundly disappointing to come to the conclusion that that independence, the very basis of our sale to Unilever, is gone,” he added.A Magnum spokesperson said the company remains committed to Ben & Jerry’s mission and legacy.”We disagree with (Greenfield’s) perspective and have sought to engage both co-founders in a constructive conversation on how to strengthen Ben & Jerry’s powerful values-based position in the world,” the spokesperson said.In May, the 74-year-old Cohen was removed from a US Senate hearing after shouting “Congress pays for bombs to kill children in Gaza” and startling Health Secretary  Robert F Kennedy Jr.A longtime critic of Israeli policy, Cohen last year joined prominent Jewish figures in an open letter opposing the pro‑Israel lobby AIPAC.Unilever is in the process of spinning off Magnum, which is expected to begin standalone operations by mid-November.

Britain readied to roll out a supersized royal welcome for Donald Trump’s unprecedented second state visit on Wednesday, with King Charles III set to greet the US president amid tight security and out of sight of noisy protesters.From a carriage ride with the monarch to a flypast and a lavish state dinner in the nearly 1,000-year-old Windsor Castle, the UK is going the extra mile to dazzle and flatter the unpredictable Trump.A huge security operation will keep the 79-year-old Republican far away from demonstrators and the British public -among whom polls indicate Trump remains unpopular -with the extraordinary show of pomp and pageantry unfolding entirely behind closed doors, and outside London.Knowing that Trump is obsessed with Britain’s royals and loves showy displays of pomp, Britain has turned up the pageantry to the max as he becomes the first US president to receive a second UK state visit.The trip will involve what British officials call the biggest military ceremonial welcome for any state visit in living memory — even bigger than when Queen Elizabeth II hosted Trump in 2019.Trump will also get the first joint flypast by US and UK fighter jets at an event of its kind, and the largest guard of honour at a state visit, featuring 120 horses and 1,300 troops.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.- ‘Warm my heart’ -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.”A lot of things here warm my heart,” said the president, whose mother hailed from Scotland and who owns two golf resorts 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.Trump’s day will begin with heir to the throne Prince William and his wife Catherine welcoming him and Melania to Windsor Castle, the home of the British royals for nearly a millennium.Charles and his wife Queen Camilla are then due to join them for a carriage procession through the grounds of Windsor estate towards the castle — again behind closed doors.The Trumps will lay a wreath on the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II, who died in 2022.- Shadow of Epstein -Trump will also witness a military band ceremony, ending with a flypast by US and British F-35 military jets and the Royal Air Force’s Red Arrows display team.The president and Charles will wrap up the day with a white-tie state banquet, where they are due to make speeches.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.

Authorities have shared their most detailed account yet of the investigation set off by the killing of American conservative activist Charlie Kirk, which concluded with a suspect surrendering to police.  Here are key details Utah County prosecutor Jeffrey Gray released about the case centering on 22-year-old suspect Tyler Robinson:- ‘Sniper positions’ -When a lone gunshot rang out during Kirk’s outdoor event on September 10, a Utah Valley University police officer believed the weapon to be a rifle “because of its sound,” Gray said, and began looking for “potential sniper positions.” About 160 yards (150 meters) away, the officer spotted a roof area “as a potential shooting position.”There, he found “impressions in the gravel” consistent with the body of a “person in a prone shooting position.”Security surveillance footage confirmed that an individual dressed in dark clothing was on the roof at approximately 12:15 pm local time, Gray said.That revelation marked the start of a 33-hour manhunt.- The attack -The apparent suspect entered campus at 11:51 am local time, wearing a black shirt with an American flag in the center, a dark baseball cap and large sunglasses, Gray said.His appearance gave few clues, but the suspect’s posture appeared to indicate that he was hiding something.”The suspect keeps his head down. He is seen walking with an unusual gait, with very little bending in his right leg, consistent with a rifle being hidden in his pants,” Gray said.Security cameras also caught the suspect descending from the roof immediately after the shooting and fleeing campus on foot.A rifle with a scope was found in the woods nearby, wrapped in a towel.”The rifle contained one spent round and three unspent rounds,” Gray said. The unspent rounds were engraved with enigmatic messages: “hey fascist catch” followed by arrow symbols believed to be a video game cheat code, the famed anti-fascist song “oh, Bella ciao, Bella ciao, Bella ciao, ciao, ciao” and “if you read this, you are gay, lmao.”Robinson’s DNA was discovered on the gun’s trigger, the shell casing, two cartridges and the towel, authorities said.That’s not all the evidence that identified him.- A parent knows -The next day, Tyler Robinson’s mother saw footage of the shooter on the news and thought he resembled her son.But when she called, “he said he was at home sick,” like he had been the day before, Gray said.Robinson’s father also recognized “that the rifle that police suspected the shooter used matched a rifle that was given to his son as a gift.”Robinson’s mother told investigators her son had recently “become more political and had started to lean more to the left” to embrace gay and trans rights, Gray said.”She stated that Robinson began to date his roommate, a biological male who was transitioning genders. This resulted in several discussions with family members, but especially between Robinson and his father, who have very different political views.”Robinson described his father as becoming “hardcore MAGA” since Trump returned to the White House, Gray said, referring to the president’s “Make America Great Again” movement.When his parents reached him by phone, Robinson hinted at being the shooter, saying he didn’t want to go to prison, and that he was ready to take his own life. Robinson’s parents worked to convince him to surrender.- A hidden note -After the shooting, Robinson exchanged messages with his roommate.”Drop what you’re doing. Look under my keyboard,” Robinson wrote.There, a note read: “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I’m going to take it.”Excerpts of that conversation, per court documents:Roommate: “What you’re joking, right?”Robinson: “I am still okay, my love, but I’m stuck in Orem for a little while longer yet. Shouldn’t be long until I can come home, but I gotta grab my rifle still. To be honest, I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you.”Roommate: “You weren’t the one who did it, right?”Robinson: “I am, I am, I’m sorry.”Roommate: “Why?”Robinson: “Why did I do it? I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out. If I am able to grab my rifle unseen, I will have left no evidence.” Robinson told the roommate he’d been planning the shooting for a bit over a week before adding:”I’m worried what my old man would do if I didn’t bring back grandpa’s rifle. How the f will I explain losing it to my old man?” Robinson then adds later: “Delete this exchange…I’m going to turn myself in willingly.”Thirty-three hours after the shooting, Robinson did just that.

Britain will roll out a supersized royal welcome for Donald Trump’s unprecedented second state visit on Wednesday, with the king to greet the US president who has compared himself to a monarch.From a carriage ride with King Charles III to a flypast and a lavish state dinner in the nearly 1,000-year-old Windsor Castle, Britain is going to unprecedented levels to dazzle and flatter the mercurial Trump.A huge security operation will keep the 79-year-old Republican far away from protests and the British public -among whom polls show Trump remains unpopular -with the extraordinary show of pomp and pageantry unfolding entirely behind closed doors.Knowing that Trump is obsessed with Britain’s royals and loves showy displays of pomp, Britain has turned up the pageantry to the max as he becomes the first US president to visit Britain twice.The trip will involve what UK officials call the biggest military ceremonial welcome for any state visit in living memory — even bigger than when Queen Elizabeth II hosted Trump in 2019.Trump will also get the first joint flypast by US and UK fighter jets at an event of its kind, and the largest guard of honour at a state visit, featuring 120 horses and 1,300 troops.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.- ‘Warm my heart’ -The question for Britain is whether the red carpet welcome will win over Trump, whose unpredictability on everything tariffs to Ukraine and Gaza has caused global turmoil.British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will be hoping that Trump leaves on Thursday feeling the warm glow of some 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.”A lot of things here warm my heart,” said the president, whose mother hailed from Scotland and who has two golf courses in Britain.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.Trump’s day will begin with heir to the throne Prince William and his wife Catherine welcoming him and Melania to Windsor Castle, the home of the British royals for nearly a millennium.King Charles and Queen Camilla are then due to join them for a carriage procession through the grounds of Windsor estate towards the castle — again behind closed doors.The Trumps will lay a wreath on the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II, who died in 2022.- Shadow of Epstein -Trump will also witness a military band ceremony, ending with a flypast by US and British F-35 military jets and the Royal Air Force’s Red Arrows display team.The president and Charles will wrap up the day with a white-tie state banquet, where they are due to hold speeches.The lavish welcome, however, stands in contrast to public opinion in Britain, where polls show Trump remains unpopular.Demonstrators projected images of Trump and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein onto Windsor Castle late Tuesday, while protests are planned in London on Wednesday.Starmer will host Trump on the second day of the visit on Thursday at his country residence Chequers for talks that could turn awkward on several fronts.The British premier in particular faces political troubles at home, after sacking his UK ambassador to Washington, Peter Mandelson, over a scandal involving the diplomat’s connection to the late Epstein.Trump has also been dragged into the scandal, while insisting it is a “hoax.”