Trump plays golf as protesters rally
President Trump on the golf course his first full day of a visit to Scotland. Photo: Reuters
US President Donald Trump played golf under tight security on the first full day of a visit to Scotland Saturday, as hundreds of protesters took to the streets in major cities.
Trump played at his Turnberry resort with son Eric and US ambassador to the UK Warren Stephens, waving to photographers following his arrival in his mother's birth country on Friday evening.
His presence has turned the picturesque and normally quiet area of southwest Scotland into a virtual fortress, with roads closed and police checkpoints in place.
Police officers - some on quad bikes and others on foot with sniffer dogs - patrolled the famous course and the sandy beaches and grass dunes that flank it.
Secret Service snipers were positioned at vantage points while some other golfers on the course were patted down by security personnel.
The 79-year-old touched down Friday at nearby Prestwick Airport as hundreds of onlookers came out to see Air Force One and catch a glimpse of its famous passenger.
The president has professed a love of Scotland, but his controversial politics and business investments in the country have made for an uneasy relationship.
Speaking to reporters on the tarmac, Trump immediately waded into the debate surrounding high levels of irregular migration, and lashed out at renewable energy efforts.
Trump's five-day visit, which is set to mix leisure with business and diplomacy, has divided the local community.
Several hundred protesters demonstrated outside the US consulate in the capital Edinburgh and in the city of Aberdeen, near where Trump owns another golf resort.
The protests were organised by the Stop Trump Coalition. Participants held placards with slogans like "Scotland hates Trump" and waved Palestinian flags. (AFP)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
5 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
China, US to extend tariff pause at Sweden talks by another 90 days: sources
Beijing and Washington are expected to extend their tariff truce by another three months at trade talks in Stockholm beginning on Monday, according to sources close to the matter on both sides. China and the United States agreed in May to remove most of the heavy tariffs levied on each other's goods for 90 days while continuing trade negotiations. That suspension is set to expire on August 12. During the third round of trade negotiations between the world's two biggest economies, both will expound their views on major sticking points – such as the US' concerns over China's industrial overcapacity – rather than achieve specific breakthroughs, the sources said. One source said that, during the expected 90-day extension, the two nations will commit to not impose additional tariffs on each other, nor escalate the trade war by other means. According to three people familiar with Beijing's position, while the earlier discussions in Geneva and London focused on 'de-escalation', in the latest meeting the Chinese delegation will also press Trump's trade team on fentanyl-related tariffs.
South China Morning Post
5 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
‘Global approach' to AI regulation urgently needed, UN tech chief says
The world urgently needs to find a global approach to regulating artificial intelligence, the United Nations' top tech chief said this week, warning that fragmentation could deepen risks and inequalities. Doreen Bogdan-Martin, head of the UN's International Telecommunications Union (ITU) agency, said she hoped that AI 'can actually benefit humanity.' But as concerns mount over the risks posed by the fast-moving technology – including fears of mass job losses, the spread of deepfakes and disinformation, and society's fabric fraying – she insisted that regulation was key. 'There's an urgency to try to get … the right framework in place,' she said, stressing the need for 'a global approach.' Her comments came after US President Donald Trump this week unveiled an aggressive, low-regulation strategy aimed at ensuring the United States stays ahead of China on AI. Among more than 90 proposals, Trump's plan calls for sweeping deregulation, with the administration promising to 'remove red tape and onerous regulation' that could hinder private sector AI development.
RTHK
6 hours ago
- RTHK
Thailand and Cambodia to hold peace talks
Thailand and Cambodia to hold peace talks Displaced people are seen inside a shelter in Sisaket province, Thailand. Photo: Reuters Thailand and Cambodia's leaders will meet in Malaysia for peace talks on Monday, the Thai government said, as clashes continued for a fourth day in a deadly border dispute. At least 34 people have been killed and more than 200,000 displaced as Thailand and Cambodia, both popular tourist destinations, fight over a smattering of contested border temples. Bangkok announced on Sunday that acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet will meet in Kuala Lumpur for talks mediated by Malaysian leader Anwar Ibrahim, who chairs the Asean regional bloc of which Thailand and Cambodia are members. Cambodia has not commented on the planned talks, which are due to begin at 3.00pm local time. US President Donald Trump, who spoke to both leaders late on Saturday, said they had agreed to "quickly work out" a ceasefire. Trump has threatened both nations with eye-watering levies in his global tariff blitz unless they agree to independent trade deals. "When all is done, and Peace is at hand, I look forward to concluding our Trading Agreements with both!" he wrote on social media. Fresh artillery clashes erupted on Sunday morning near two long-contested ancient temples in the frontier region between northern Cambodia and northeast Thailand which has seen the bulk of the fighting. (AFP)
