By Yadnom Awu/Asaba
United Kingdom
Trump Begins Visit Amid Protests
American President, Donald Trump, today begins a two-day state visit to his country’ s former coloniser, the United Kingdom, UK amid protests at his Pro- Israel Gaza policies.
The visit is the second to the country by Trump since he began his second term in January this year.
Trp had Aldo visited the country in 2018 during his first term of office.
He is set to be a guest of the King of England, King Charles, at Windsor Castle, the temporary residence of the British royalty who permanently live in Buckingham Palace.
On Thursday, Trump will meet the British Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, at his official residence on 10, Downing Street, London.
Both leaders are expected to discuss many issues, including bilateral trade and the Gaza war on which they are at odds.
Trump unconditionally backs Israel on its Gaza policies which have received global condemnation, while Starmer has announced his intention to recognize the State of Palestine at next week ‘ s session of the United Nations General Assembly, UNGA, in New York, America.
Belgium, Canada, France, Australia and New Zealand are reportedly due to take a similar stance as Britain on the Palestinian question at UNGA next week.
Already, at the cusp of the Trump visit, technology giant, Microsoft, has announced its plan to invest $30 billion worth of investments in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) sector of the British economy.
The deal is to be spread over four years, and the investments are to be deployed to provide AI infrastructure,including a Super Computer, in the UK.
Prime Minister Starmer hailed the move which experts say could contribute up to 10 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product GDP of the country in a fed years.
Meanwhile, massive protests are expected in the heart of London today to mark the visit of Trump whom most of the British public largely blame for Israel’ s war on Gaza and its other policies in occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has, meanwhile, strongly criticised Trump for his alleged divisive influence in British politics.
Both Trump and Khan had exchanged vitriolic letters in the past.
Trump’s visit comes at a time pictures of him and Jeffrey Epstein, the alleged serial sex offender who reportedly died by suicide in an American prison, as well as his warm personal letter to the alleged sex offender on his 50th birthday, surfaced in the media.
Trump had repeatedly denied any link to Epstein, in spite of grave suspicions to the contrary.
American politicians, including his co- Republican Party members and members of the Make America Great Again ( MAGA), have repeatedly called for the declassification of the Epstein Files and for Trump to come clean on the alleged links.
America
Charlie Kirk: Murder Suspect Charged To Court
The suspect in the murder of American conservative political activist, Charlie Kirk, has been arraigned before a court in Utah.
Tyler Robinson,22, is facing a seven – count charge , including aggravated murder , which carries the death penalty.
The Utah State Government had said it would push for the maximum penalty for the offence which President Trump says is politically motivated.
The suspect is yet to take a plea , and the hearing is likely to be accelerated, given the huge public interest in it.
The prosecution is led by Jeffrey Grey.
Kirk was fatally shot recently as he gave a talk to a thousandnaire crowd of students at Utah Valley University.
His widow, Erika, has vowed that the murder of her husband would not deter her and others from carrying on his activism.
Kirk was an ally of Trump, who himself has escaped at least one assassination attempt in the past year.
He was a great factor in mobilizing male youths to vote for Trump , who thus broke the jinx of the tradition of Republicans always losing the vote of that segment of the America demography to Democrats.
United Kingdom
British Pharmaceutical Giant, GSK, set to invest $30 billion in America
Leading drug maker, GSK Pharma UK, says it is set to commit $30 billion worth of investment in the American economy.
Details were sketchy at press time but the announcement came as American President, Donald Trump, began a two- day visit to the United Kingdom today.
Diplomats had said that the visit, the second by Trump in less than five months, is expected to feature deals on technology.
Already, Microsoft had disclosed that it plans to invest an equivalent sum in the UK, for the period running up to 2028.
Part of the investments by GSK is for the construction of a drugs factory in the American State of Pennsylvania.
The news of the GSK plan comes as tidings emerged that actual implementation of the zero- level tariff steel.products deal between America and the UK has been stood down, though no reasons have been adduced for the delay in the implementation of the deal struck between Trump and British Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer .
Both leaders are expected to discuss the issue at the meeting on Thursday in London.
Jordan
Emir of Qatar Due In Jordan Today
The Emir of Qatar, Temim Bin Hamnad Al-Thani, is due in Amman, capital of Jordan, today , as both countries fleshen up their relations and try to rally for a uniform Arab opinion on global issues, especially the Palestinian question.
The Emir’s visit comes on the heels of his meeting with Marco Rubio, the American Secretary of State, who had called at Doha after his trip to Israel
The agenda of the meeting between the Emir and the King of Jordan, Abdullahi 11, was still confidential at press time, but it is expected that both leaders would seek to find a common position on the Palestinian question at next week’s session of the United Nations General Assembly, UNGA.
Qatar, like Egypt and America, is a direct mediator in peace talks between Israel and Hamas regarding the war in Gaza.
On its part, Jordan is the only land aid link to Gaza after Israel blockaded the Egyptian Philadelphia Corridor.
Both Israel and Qatar are allies of America, but last week’s Israeli targeting of Hamas leaders in Doha has triggered deep concern about America ‘s
fidelity to its security pact with the Emirate.
After the Israeli attack in which five Hamas members and a Qatari security official were killed, Doha summoned a meeting of Arab and Islamic countries which, like the United Nations,UN, roundly condemned Israel and tagged it as an obstacle to peace in the Middle East.
Israel Intensifies Military Operation in Gaza City
Israel is consolidating its military assault on Gaza City as it seems to capture and occupy it.
The Jewish state is deploying 20,000 ground troops to confront an estimated 3,000 Hamas fighters still in the enclave.
Gunboats, drones, robots, attack aircraft and battle tanks are being deployed in the battle for which Israel has mobilised around 60,000 military reservists.
The ground operation , now in its second day, is destroying all.najor high rise buildings in Gaza as part of what critics say is the plan to make the city, the single largest settlement in the strip, unliveable.
Israel launched the assault in defiance of. global opinion which holds that there is no credible rationale for it.
Typically, America is the only country to have publicly backed Israel and its policies in Gaza.
Marco Rubio, the country’ s Secretary of State, during a visit to Israel on Monday, found for the Jewish State and even publicly expressed doubts if there ever would be a diplomatic solution to the war.
Hamas had publicly accepted the latest peace proposal stitched together by America but Israel has yet to respond to it, and, quite surprisingly, Washington still blames Hamas for stalling the peace process.
American President, Donald Trump, recently told the media that though the circumstances of the Israeli attack on Hamas leaders in Doha was inappropriate , the killing of Hamas members was alright.
Israel’s ground offensive in Gaza City has triggered an exodus of hundreds of thousands of residents into the tiny coastal s
area that it has designated as a safe zone.
It estimates that some 350, 000 persons had fled the fighting over the past few days
Gaza City had around 1 milliion residents before the war.
Israel
Anti- War Protests Rage In Israel
Tens of thousands of Israelis yesterday continued their protests against the ongoing war on Gaza City.
The protesters, organized by the families of the hostages remaining in Hamas’ custody, say they are worried that the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government appeared more interested in war than in reaching a peace deal to end it and free the hostages.
According to them, the Gaza City War would endanger not only the Israeli troops, but also the hostages, estimated at 50, out of whom 20 are still thought to be alive.
