Trump lands in Britain for state visit amid protests

LONDON -- US President Donald Trump arrived in London on Tuesday evening for his second state visit to Britain, aiming to secure new trade and security agreements despite ongoing protests.

According to Buckingham Palace, King Charles III, Queen Camilla, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer will welcome Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at Windsor Castle on Wednesday. On Thursday, Trump and Starmer are scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting at Chequers, the prime minister's country residence.

Nearly 100 residents from Windsor and other parts of Britain, organized by the "Stop Trump Coalition" group, gathered along the streets outside Windsor Castle on Tuesday evening, chanting slogans against the visit and waving placards reading "Stop Hate, Stop Trump" and "Hate Never Made Any Nation Great." Organizers said they plan to hold a larger demonstration in central London on Wednesday.

Ahead of the visit, the British government announced more than 1.25 billion pounds ($1.7 billion) in private US investments in financial services and unveiled plans for a new nuclear power deal to be signed during Trump's stay.

Talks between the two sides are expected to cover artificial intelligence, semiconductors, telecommunications, and quantum computing, according to local media reports.

The visit comes two months after Trump's private trip to Scotland, during which he met with Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, a trip that also drew large demonstrations. (1 British pound = 1.37 US dollars)