Tough topics top Trump-Starmer talks

CHEQUERS, Sept 18 (AFP/Reuters): Donald Trump held talks on Thursday with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer about pressing issues including Ukraine, Gaza and trade, as the US president's second state visit moved from royal pomp to potential political pitfalls.
After taking leave of King Charles III at Windsor Castle where he spent the night, Trump flew by helicopter to the UK leader's country residence of Chequers on the second and final day of his trip.
Starmer and his wife Victoria greeted Trump and they laughed and chatted for the cameras as bagpipes played, before going inside the 16th century manor house near London to begin the meeting.
Trump said his night at Windsor Castle, part of an extravagant programme of royal pageantry that Britain hopes will win over the mercurial US leader, was "really great, thank you".
He earlier told reporters that Charles was a "great gentleman and a great king" as he left the castle following a lavish state banquet, carriage ride and military flypast.
The British premier has positioned himself as a bridge between Trump and European allies, particularly on the war in Ukraine, in a bid to secure more commitments for Kyiv from the US leader.
Appealing to Trump's admiration for British wartime leader Winston Churchill, Starmer led the US president on a tour of Churchill artifacts at Chequers before heading into their bilateral meeting.
His warm tone with the 79-year-old Republican has won some leniency in the president's trade war, with the two countries signing an "economic prosperity deal" in May.
Trump and Starmer are due to host a roundtable of business leaders including top US tech CEOs at Chequers, a day after Starmer trumpeted £150 billion of investment into the UK from US giants including Microsoft and Blackstone.
"Jobs, growth and opportunity is what I promised for working people, and it's exactly what this state visit is delivering," said Starmer.
Britain hopes to secure further concessions and is keen to see 25-percent duties on aluminium and steel reduced to zero, but Trump's non-committal comments suggest an agreement is not imminent.
"They'd like to see if they could get a little bit better deal. So, we'll talk to them," Trump said before leaving for Britain.

Anti-Trump protesters
march through London
Thousands of people marched through London on Wednesday to protest against US President Donald Trump's state visit to Britain while a much smaller crowd gathered outside the royal Windsor Castle west of the capital to give him a warm welcome.
Trump was paying Britain an unprecedented second state visit, and was treated to displays of royal pageantry. including a carriage procession in Windsor and a grand military parade.
While all that was happening, a 'Trump Not Welcome' protest took place 25 miles (40 km) away in central London organised by the Stop Trump Coalition and supported by other organisations including Amnesty International, women's associations such as Abortion Rights, and pro-Palestinian activists.
"I quite simply dislike everything that Trump and his administration represent around the globe. (They are) absolutely awful," said Bryan Murray, a retiree, who attended with his wife and held a placard reading 'Dump Trump'.
While British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has struck up an unlikely friendship with Trump, the president still divides public opinion. A YouGov poll showed 45 percent thought it was wrong to invite Trump, while 30% said it was the right move.