Second comings
Donald Trump is here in London for an unprecedented second state visit that has a notably unique feature: the US leader will not be exposed to the public at any point during the stay.
He and his wife Melania will be hosted at Windsor Castle by King Charles and Queen Camilla during the visit. There will be much pomp and ceremony, including a state banquet, carriage parade and inspecting of troops.
When Prime Minister Keir Starmer handed over the invitation on behalf of the monarch at the White House in February, the president immediately noticed the venue. Leaving for the UK on Tuesday, he declared Windsor Castle is the "ultimate”.
Windsor was used for French President Emanuel Macron’s state visit in July and also visits by King Hamad of Bahrain and King Abdullah of Jordan last year.
Of course, it is also where the late queen was laid to rest. Mr Trump and his wife will lay a wreath on the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II during their stay.
About 40km outside central London, the castle is a fortress and its estate represents few of the security nightmares of a presidential motorcade on the busy streets of the UK’s capital.
The entire state visit can take place within the royal grounds, avoiding a repeat of the protests seen in central London during Mr Trump’s first visit in 2019, when a giant blimp was flown overhead and angry crowds took to the streets.
For the record, the offensive blimp is now stored in the Museum of London and the creator won't be reviving the stunt.
There are plenty of risk factors in the trip. There is fallout from the sacking of Washington ambassador Peter Mandelson, which was referred to in a protest banner containing the image of disgraced American financier Jeffrey Epstein on Tuesday. And what about Washington's free speech concerns about a far-right march over the weekend that rocked Mr Starmer's government?
Details of what to expect from the talks with the government on Thursday can be found here.
On the barricades
That far right march was an attempt to capture the mood that had seen crowds gather outside hotels housing migrants throughout the summer calling for the expulsion of the new arrivals.
More than 100,000 Robinson supporters turned up and there were violent clashes with 26 police officers needing hospital treatment. It was a moment that tests Mr Starmer who is almost 15 months into his time in Downing Street. It underline the fragility of the project. Already he is touching levels of unpopularity that dogged his Conservative predecessors.
With the economy over-taxed and growth stalled, there is a sense that his government is stuck. It does not help that, despite a massive majority, there is evidence his Labour Party colleagues will not mobilise behind the agenda of change and growth that he won the election on in July last year.
Chocolate wars
A popular brand of Dubai chocolate has been the victim of UK-based counterfeiters seeking to cash in on the confection's popularity, leading to a warning from the food standards authorities.
The craze for Dubai chocolate has created countless imitations, which have become a familiar sight on confectionery counters in the UK.
Now, an investigation by The National reveals tests on samples of chocolate claiming to be made by a Dubai firm, Le Damas, by the UK's Food Standards Agency, indicate they are fake.
The FSA originally issued a warning to the British public after three brands of Dubai chocolate, including one purporting to be Le Damas, were found to be missing warnings that they contained nuts.