Britain’s King Charles Honors Fallen US Troops on Last Day of Visit

 Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla take part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the tomb of the unknown soldier in Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia, US, April 30, 2026. (Saul Loeb/Pool via Reuters)
Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla take part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the tomb of the unknown soldier in Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia, US, April 30, 2026. (Saul Loeb/Pool via Reuters)
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Britain’s King Charles Honors Fallen US Troops on Last Day of Visit

 Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla take part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the tomb of the unknown soldier in Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia, US, April 30, 2026. (Saul Loeb/Pool via Reuters)
Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla take part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the tomb of the unknown soldier in Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia, US, April 30, 2026. (Saul Loeb/Pool via Reuters)

King Charles III paid respects to fallen US troops at a military cemetery on Thursday, the final day of a state visit aimed at healing ties between Britain and the United States strained by the war in Iran.

By all accounts, the four-day visit has been a success, with President Donald Trump serving as solicitous host-in-chief who kicked off the monarch's stay with a pomp-filled welcome and lavish white-tie banquet at the White House.

"He's a great king -- the greatest king, in my book," Trump told reporters as Charles and Queen Camilla arrived at the White House for a brief farewell ceremony under bright spring sunshine on Thursday morning.

As the royal couple drove off following handshakes and a bit of chat, Trump added: "Great people. We need more people like that in our country."

Charles and Camilla then visited Arlington National Cemetery just outside Washington, where they laid a wreath and flowers at the hilltop Tomb of the Unknown Soldier honoring America's unidentified war dead.

The pair stood solemnly as a bugler played "Taps," before visiting the adjacent display room of military exhibits and artifacts.

Next on the agenda was a "block party" to mark 250 years since American independence from Britain and meetings with Native Americans at a national park, before departing for the British island territory of Bermuda in the Atlantic.

- Light moments -

The centerpiece of the whirlwind trip was Charles's speech Tuesday to the US Congress, the first by a British monarch since Queen Elizabeth II in 1991.

The address was warmly received, even as Charles ranged over subjects from climate change and the need for restraints on presidential power to the importance of NATO and defense of Ukraine -- sensitive issues for Trump's ruling Republicans.

The 77-year-old monarch skirted around tensions between Trump and Prime Minister Keir Starmer over Britain's refusal to join the war against Iran, insisting the partnership between the two countries was "born out of dispute, but no less strong for it."

The royals visited New York on Wednesday, where they stopped at the 9/11 memorial and met leftist Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Charles, who is passionate about gardening and the environment, later visited an urban sustainable farming project in Harlem, while Camilla celebrated the 100th birthday of Winnie the Pooh at the New York Public Library.

Security has been tight for the royal visit, which came just days after an alleged assassination attempt against Trump at a Washington media gala.

The trip has seen light moments between Charles and Trump, including the US president joking that his Scottish-born mother had a crush on the future king when he was younger.



Trump to Make First Flight on Qatar-Gifted Jet This Week

(FILES) In this February 15, 2025 a Qatari Boeing 747 sits on the tarmac of Palm Beach International airport after US President Donald Trump toured the aircraft on February 15, 2025. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP)
(FILES) In this February 15, 2025 a Qatari Boeing 747 sits on the tarmac of Palm Beach International airport after US President Donald Trump toured the aircraft on February 15, 2025. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP)
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Trump to Make First Flight on Qatar-Gifted Jet This Week

(FILES) In this February 15, 2025 a Qatari Boeing 747 sits on the tarmac of Palm Beach International airport after US President Donald Trump toured the aircraft on February 15, 2025. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP)
(FILES) In this February 15, 2025 a Qatari Boeing 747 sits on the tarmac of Palm Beach International airport after US President Donald Trump toured the aircraft on February 15, 2025. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP)

US President Donald Trump will make his first flight on a new Air Force One plane gifted by Qatar later this week, the White House said Monday.

Trump will take the jet on Wednesday to North Dakota for an event marking the 250th anniversary of US independence, a White House official told AFP.

As he unveiled the plane earlier this month, Trump praised the Gulf emirate for being “so nice and providing” the modified Boeing 747, which previously served Qatar's head of state.

Trump has been obsessed since his first term with replacing the aging jets that serve as Air Force One, and he hand-picked the new plane's red, white and blue livery.

But critics have raised a host of ethical, constitutional and security concerns about the gifting of an aircraft worth hundreds of millions of dollars by a foreign power like Qatar.

The US Constitution prohibits presidents and other officeholders from receiving “any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State” unless approved by Congress.

Trump's administration has said the plane is a direct gift to the US Department of Defense -- while stoking further concern by saying the plane would eventually be donated to Trump's presidential library.

The Qatari-gifted plane is meant to be a stopgap until US planemaker Boeing delivers two new 747-8 aircraft to serve as the presidential jet in a program plagued by delays and cost overruns.


Türkiye Must Be ‘Included’ in Europe Security Structures, Says Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during the opening ceremony of Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Türkiye, April 17, 2026. (Reuters)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during the opening ceremony of Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Türkiye, April 17, 2026. (Reuters)
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Türkiye Must Be ‘Included’ in Europe Security Structures, Says Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during the opening ceremony of Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Türkiye, April 17, 2026. (Reuters)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during the opening ceremony of Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Türkiye, April 17, 2026. (Reuters)

Türkiye must be included in all of Europe's defense structures and defence trade restrictions between NATO members must be removed, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday ahead of a key NATO summit.

His remarks come as Europe revamps its defenses to counter Russia and the risk of a US pullback from NATO, which is to hold a summit in the Turkish capital Ankara on July 7-8.

"Türkiye's indispensable contributions to European security are sometimes overlooked," Erdogan told parliamentary delegates from all 32 NATO member states in Istanbul. He said Türkiye wanted "to participate in all defense and security initiatives" on the continent.

At issue is Türkiye's access to the European Union's 150-billion-euro ($176-billion) Security Action for Europe (SAFE) initiative, intended to strengthen European defense capabilities.

"We expect your support, lawmakers, for Türkiye's inclusion in the defense and security initiatives announced by the European Union," Erdogan told them.

Within SAFE, firms from non-EU countries such as Türkiye, Britain and the United States can only supply up to 35 percent of the component costs of weaponry funded by the scheme.

If Türkiye wants its companies to be able to tap a bigger part of the funds Ankara needs to sign a security partnership with the EU and then negotiate special access with Brussels -- a process that would require approval from all 27 EU members. Greece has threatened to block such a move.

"Under SAFE, any third country can participate in a defense project up to a level of 35 percent. Any negotiations with a view to potentially increasing or lifting this 35 per cent cap ... would require a bilateral agreement," said Thomas Regnier, a European Commission spokesperson.

"For now, this is not an agreement we have concluded with Türkiye."

- 'Remove the obstacles' -

Erdogan also urged NATO to remove all barriers blocking defense industry trade between alliance members.

"If we want to overcome the challenges we face, we need to remove obstacles to defense industry trade while ensuring a balanced and fair burden-sharing among allies," he said.

Türkiye has the second-biggest army of the alliance after the United States and a burgeoning defense industry which has gone from strength to strength fueled by bilateral defense deals.

But its defense industry has been hit by US sanctions imposed over Ankara's purchase of an S-400 Russian surface-to-air missile defense system. Washington also booted Türkiye out of its F-35 program, in a move that has soured relations between the NATO allies.

Although Washington has expressed a desire to draw a line under the dispute, lifting the sanctions requires Congressional approval. Observers say there is little chance the showdown would be resolved before the summit.

US President Donald Trump has however pledged to give Erdogan something that would make him "very happy" when he flies in next week for the NATO gathering.

Analysts said it was likely to be a delivery of several dozen US-made F110 engines Türkiye needs for its fifth-generation KAAN fighter jets that are under development. Delivery of the engines had been blocked since the imposition of the US sanctions.


Trump Says Iran Requested Meeting to be Held in Doha Tuesday

US and Iran flags are seen in this illustration taken June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
US and Iran flags are seen in this illustration taken June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
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Trump Says Iran Requested Meeting to be Held in Doha Tuesday

US and Iran flags are seen in this illustration taken June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
US and Iran flags are seen in this illustration taken June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

US President Donald Trump said that Iran has requested a meeting that will be held in the Gulf state of Qatar on Tuesday, despite an earlier denial from Tehran that talks were planned.

"IRAN HAS REQUESTED A MEETING. IT WILL TAKE PLACE TOMORROW IN DOHA!" Trump posted on his Truth Social platform on Monday.

Shortly afterwards, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said US negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff would be "flying to Doha for high level meetings this week".

Iran's foreign ministry earlier on Monday denied reports that Iranian and American technical teams will meet this week to discuss the implementation of the deal to end the Middle East war.

Uncertainty over the talks followed renewed tit-for-tat attacks between the United States and Iran in recent days despite an April ceasefire and a memorandum of understanding, brokered by Pakistan and Qatar, aimed at permanently ending the war.

A diplomat with knowledge of the talks confirmed to AFP on Monday that officials from the US and Iran are to meet in Doha to discuss the accord.

"Technical teams working on the implementation of the MoU are scheduled to meet in Doha in the coming days," the diplomat said on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive talks.

The diplomat added "communications channels created to de-escalate any incidents are in place," following strikes between the US and Iran.