King

May 13 (UPI) — King Charles III set out the British government’s legislative program at the State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday, focusing on expediting new agreements on closer U.K.-EU economic ties, tackling the cost of living, boosting defense AI and tech innovation and easing financial sector regulation.

The king’s 17-minute speech in the House of Lords referenced 37 bills in total, including legislation to renationalize British Steel, a Competition Reform Bill to fast-track reviews by the competition watchdog and a bill to help small businesses by hiking the interest suppliers can charge clients that fail to pay on time.

Charles opened his address with the geopolitical situation, saying Britain faced threats from an “increasingly dangerous and volatile world,” with the conflict in the Middle East the most recent example, and warned every “element of the nation’s energy, defense and economic security” would be challenged.

Honing in on the economy, Charles said the government would harness the power of the state “in partnership with business and enable reforms that support higher growth and a fair deal for working people.”

“My Government believes that the United Kingdom’s economic security depends on raising living standards in every part of the United Kingdom. My Ministers will support measures that maintain stability and control the cost of living. They will use public investment to shape markets and attract further private investment,” he said.

The speech pledged progress on airport expansion and highway infrastructure projects and a Northern Powerhouse Rail program to better connect the big cities in the north with each other and the rest of the country, along with reforms to the police, National Health Service and criminal justice system.

An immigration and asylum bill was also promised to help tackle the issue of migrants and asylum seekers arriving on small boats.

One issue that received no mention was cutting welfare spending, an area where the Labour administration of Prime Minister Keir Starmer has twice been forced to back down in the face of his own MPs since coming into office in 2024.

While the address is called The King’s Speech, it is purely ceremonial with the speech actually given to him by the government to read out.

It was Charles’ third time to open parliament, a historic tradition that dates back to the 16th century as a way to periodically bring together three normally separate elements of British polity: the democratically elected members of the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the Crown.

The proceedings include Buckingham Palace taking an MP “hostage” to ensure the king is returned unharmed and a “search” of the basements of the Palace of Westminister for dynamite by the King’s ceremonial Yeomen bodyguards, a throwback to the gunpowder plot to blow up the House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament on Nov. 5, 1605.

Wednesday’s opening of parliament comes amid a leadership crisis at the top of government with scores of Starmer’s own MPs demanding he either stand aside or set a timetable for his departure after the party suffered heavy losses in local elections on Thursday.

“There’s deep uncertainty as to whether Starmer will be leading the government over the next 12 months or so. So it’s a bit of a paradox,” Craig Prescott, an expert in the constitutional and political role of the monarchy at Royal Holloway, University of London, told NBC News.

Starmer has insisted he is staying put and will lead his party into the next election, not a big stretch given his 165-seat parliamentary majority and that no MP or cabinet member has mounted a formal challenge to his leadership.

Nevertheless, Prescott described the parliament into which the king ventured on Wednesday as “febrile.”

“The politics of all this is a bit too close for comfort,” he said.

The BBC said allies of Health Secretary Wes Streeting had told it that he would formally challenge Starmer as early as Thursday. The pair held talks in Downing Street early Wednesday but there was no word on the outcome of their meeting.

Inside, you will find a double bed, bunk beds, and a kitchen equipped with a microwave, toaster, kettle and fridge

Two retired RAF helicopters have been transformed into stunning glamping pods – and they are already fully booked. The yellow Sea King aircrafts have found their forever homes being stationed at North Yorkshire Water Park, at Wykeham Lakes, near Scarborough., after long careers saving lives across the UK.

They now add to a believed four other Sea Kings which have been transformed into liveable accommodation in Britain. Their specialist interiors have been ripped out and replaced with a double bed, bunk beds, and a kitchen, equipped with a microwave, toaster, kettle and fridge.

Some parts of the cockpit – including the controls and switches – are still intact, but stunning images show how it has been reworked into a dining area.

Its sliding door acts as the main access point and when opened leads onto a gravel landing pad, with a picnic bench. The water park says the helicopters offer a “unique and “memorable” stay which were designed for couples, families to enjoy.

The helicopters were originally built for the RAF for Search and Rescue, according to North Yorkshire Water Park.

READ MORE: Ex-RAF couple left in caravan after building firm’s collapse ruins their £100k renovationREAD MORE: Mum’s ‘intuition’ told her something was wrong after seeing photo of her daughter

Both the ZE369 and XZ589 offered decades of service at the forefront of life-saving missions across the UK, carrying out daring rescues in all weather conditions.

The pods were available to be booked from Friday, May 1 – the first four weeks are fully booked, according to Airbnb. Prices start at £130 a night.

James Whitehead, operations manager at North Yorkshire Water Park: “We are incredibly excited to welcome the new Sea King helicopter glamping pods to our stay on-site offering.

“Both helicopters have an extraordinary history, having spent decades carrying out life-saving search and rescue missions across the UK.

“It was important to us that the original character and charm is preserved as much as possible while making them a cosy place to relax after a day of fun.”

North Yorkshire Water Park is one of the UK’s largest spanning a huge 250 acres. The outdoor adventure destination features massive inflatable aqua parks, lakes for kayaking, paddleboarding, and open-water swimming.

BASEBALL

CITY SECTION

AMIT 20, Valley Oaks CES 2

Bell 7, South East 0

Bravo 4, Lincoln 2

Hollywood 1, Mendez 0

Mendez 10, Hollywood 6

Smidt Tech 17, Camino Nuevo 1

Taft 3, Verdugo Hills 2

SOFTBALL

CITY SECTION

Angelou 15, Jefferson 7

Animo Venice 16, Discovery 0

Birmingham 6, El Camino Real 2

Bravo 12, Franklin 2

Cleveland 17, Taft 7

Downtown Magnets d. Annenberg (forfeit)

Eagle Rock 10, Lincoln 4

Granada Hills 2, Chatsworth 1

Granada Hills Kennedy 8, Chavez 3

LA Hamilton 7, LACES 6

LA University 18, Westchester 7

Maywood CES 26, Sotomayor 7

North Hollywood 20, Van Nuys 9

Orthopaedic 6, USC-MAE 5

Santee 23, Los Angeles 12

Sylmar 6, Reseda 5

Torres d. Elizabeth, forfeit

Venice 20, Fairfax 0

Verdugo Hills 8, San Fernando 7

HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL & SOFTBALL

Thursday’s Results

BASEBALL

CITY SECTION

Angelou 14, Manual Arts 0

Birmingham 1, Cleveland 0

CALS Early College 12, Esperanza College Prep 2

Chatsworth 13, Taft 3

Collins Family 21, Central City Value 1

Diego Rivera 21, West Adams 0

Franklin 8, Hacienda Heights Wilson 7

Fremont 12, Dorsey 1

Garfield 7, South Gate 6

Granada Hills 6, El Camino Real 5

Harbor Teacher 17, King/Drew 3

Lakeview Charter 18, Valley Oaks CES 4

Marshall 12, Eagle Rock 0

Roosevelt 3, Legacy 0

University 5, Fairfax 1

Port of Los Angeles 14, Locke 1

RFK Community 11, Mendez 1

San Fernando 1, Sun Valley Poly 0

San Pedro 10, Narbonne 8

Sherman Oaks CES 9, Fulton 8

Sun Valley Magnet 10, Bert Corona 0

Sylmar 11, North Hollywood 1

Triumph Charter 17, Community Charter 6

Valor Academy 19, Discovery 8

Venice 4, Palisades 3

Verdugo Hills 7, Granada Hills Kennedy 2

Banning 10, Gardena 0

SOFTBALL

CITY SECTION

Camino Nuevo 19, Alliance Ouchi 1

Carson 20, Rancho Dominguez 0

Dorsey 21, King/Drew

Hollywood 19, Roybal 4

Legacy 13, LA Roosevelt 0

Mendez 26, RFK Community 4

Northridge Academy 12, VAAS 1

Port of Los Angeles 21, Harbor Teacher 1

San Pedro 14, Narbonne 0

Triumph Charter 10, Community Charter 7

Vaughn 21, Grant 12

Wilmington Banning 22, Gardena 0

HIGH SCHOOL BOYS VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS

Thursday’s Results

CITY SECTION

QUARTERFINALS

DIVISION I

#1 Taft d. #9 East Valley, 25-23, 23-25, 25-8, 25-18

#4 North Hollywood d. #5 VAAS, 3-2

#3 Cleveland d. #6 Vaughn, 25-23, 25-22, 25-23

#2 Sylmar d. #7 Larchmont Charter, 25-20, 25-18, 25-20

DIVISION II

#1 LA Hamilton d. #8 Huntington Park, 3-0

#4 Marquez d. #5 Bernstein, 3-0

#6 Narbonne d. #3 Diego Rivera, 3-0

#7 Panorama d. #2 LA University, 25-16, 24-26, 25-15, 25-20

SECOND ROUND

DIVISION III

#1 New West Charter d. #17 San Fernando, 25-14, 14-25, 26-24, 25-13

#9 Central City Value d. #8 Foshay, 25-16, 13-25, 17-25, 28-26, 16-14

#5 University Prep Value d. #12 Northridge Academy, 23-25, 29-27, 25-23, 25-22

#13 Birmingham d. #4 Sun Valley Magnet, 25-18, 25-21, 25-20

#3 South East d. #14 Fairfax, 25-15, 25-19, 25-16

#11 Monroe d. #6 Reseda, 25-22, 25-23, 18-25, 25-19

#7 Lincoln d. #10 Animo Bunche, 21-25, 25-19, 23-25, 25-22, 15-8

#2 Legacy d. #18 Granada Hills Kennedy, 25-21, 25-22, 25-15

DIVISION IV

#17 Canoga Park d. #1 Hollywood, 25-16, 25-17, 25-20

#8 Annenberg d. #9 LACES, 3-0

#12 Mendez d. #5 Animo South LA, 3-2

#4 Math & Science College d. #20 Chavez, 25-23, 25-18, 29-27

#3 Manual Arts d. #19 West Adams, 3-1

#6 King/Drew d. #11 Animo Robinson, 25-21, 21-25, 19-25, 25-15, 15-11

#7 Maywood CES d. #10 Arleta, 25-23, 24-26, 25-17, 25-16

#2 RFK Community d. #18 Community Charter, 22-25, 26-24, 25-17, 25-22

DIVISION V

#1 WISH Academy d. #17 Garfield, 25-21, 25-14, 25-22

#9 Alliance Levine d. #8 Locke, 25-19, 20-25, 25-23, 25-19

#21 LAAE d. #5 Fulton, 25-20, 24-26, 25-13, 25-20

#13 Rancho Dominguez d. #4 Animo Watts, 22-25, 22-25, 25-22, 25-16, 15-13

#14 Franklin D. #3 Jefferson, 25-16, 25-20, 25-23

#6 Gardena d. #11 Stern, 25-13, 25-17, 25-19

#10 Animo De La Hoya d. #7 Horace Mann UCLA, 25-27, 27-25, 25-20, 26-24

#15 Sotomayor d. #2 Bert Corona, 25-20, 25-20, 25-23

Note: Quarterfinals Divisions III-V May 11; Semifinals Open Division-Division I May 12; Semifinals Divisions II-V May 13; Finals All Divisions May 15-16.

BASEBALL

CITY SECTION

AMIT 13, East Valley 5

CALS Early College 8, Sun Valley Magnet 7

Canoga Park 5, Reseda 4

Chavez 9, Vaughn 8

Hollywood 6, RFK Community 5

Jefferson 11, Manual Arts 1

LACES 6, Westchester 1

LA Jordan 11, Maywood Academy 10

LA Roosevelt 3, Legacy 1

Marquez 9, Sotomayor 7

Northridge Academy 17, Panorama 0

South Gate 3, Garfield 2

Van Nuys 10, South East 0

Washington Prep 26, Dymally 2

WISH Academy 10, Stella 4

SOUTHERN SECTION

Adelanto 5, Barstow 2

Arroyo 3, Mountain View 2

Banning 7, Desert Mirage 5

Beverly Hills 16, Hawthorne 7

Bishop Montgomery 9, Long Beach Wilson 8

Campbell Hall 7, Village Christian 2

Canyon Springs 5, Rancho Verde 4

Century 6, Garden Grove 3

Claremont 5, Irvine University 4

Colony 5, Oak Hills 3

Corona 18, Mater Dei 3

Crean Lutheran 9, Garden Grove Pacifica 6

Crescenta Valley 13, Glendora 6

Crossroads 12, Shalhevet 2

Cypress 6, Maranatha 5

Desert Hot Springs 14, Cathedral City 3

Don Lugo 9, Tahquitz 5

El Dorado 5, Santa Ana Foothill 2

El Modena 10, Anaheim Canyon 3

El Segundo 18, South Torrance 5

Estancia 10, Rancho Alamitos 3

Etiwanda 10, Upland 2

Firebaugh 10, Rio Hondo Prep 8

Gahr 6, Aquinas 5

Ganesha 3, Riverside Prep 0

Grace 13, Nordhoff 7

Granite Hills 10, Silverado 2

Harvard-Westlake 16, Crespi 1

Hemet 10, Cornerstone Christian 0

Highland 11, Desert Christian 0

Hillcrest 15, Westminster La Quinta 8

Jurupa Valley 14, Rubidoux 0

La Canada 10, Monrovia 4

La Mirada 9, La Serna 1

Lancaster 9, Glendale 1

La Salle 14, Covina 0

Los Alamitos 5, Ocean View 0

Los Altos 12, Baldwin Park 5

Los Osos 12, Damien 9

Mayfair 8, Cerritos 7

Miller 9, Pacific 2

Milken 13, Buckley 0

Mira Costa 5, Fullerton 3

Mission Viejo 10, Dana Hills 9

Montebello 7, Flintridge Prep 3

Moorpark 4, Camarillo 2

Muir 10, Los Amigos 0

Murrieta Valley 8, Paloma Valley 7

Nogales 2, South El Monte 1

Norwalk 2, St. Paul 0

NSLA 13, Packinghouse Christian 11

Ojai Valley 8, Hillcrest Christian 6

Orange County Pacifica Christian 4, Temescal Canyon 0

Pasadena 6, South Pasadena 3

Pasadena Poly 13, Hoover 5

Patriot 4, Norte Vista 2

Ramona 9, La Sierra 4

Rancho Cucamonga 5, Chino Hills 3

Redlands East Valley 2, Arrowhead Christian 1

Rosemead 10, Pasadena Marshall 9

Royal 15, Oak Park 1

San Bernardino 15, Entrepreneur 0

San Marino 10, Temple City 5

Santa Barbara 6, San Luis Obispo 3

Santa Monica Pacifica Christian 8, de Toledo 7

Savanna 4, Sage Hill 1

Schurr 9, Diamond Bar 8

Shadow Hills 8, Palm Springs 0

Sonora 6, Esperanza 2

St. Monica Academy 10, PACS 2

Temecula Valley 4, Linfield Christian 0

Torrance 10, Arcadia 1

Trabuco Hills 11, Segerstrom 3

Viewpoint 15, Xavier Prep 0

Villa Park 11, La Habra 4

Warren 3, Fountain Valley 0

Webb 16, Southlands Christian 5

Windward 8, Rolling Hills Prep 0

Woodbridge 4, Beckman 3

Woodcrest Christian 13, Loma Linda Academy 1

Yorba Linda 4, Sunny Hills 0

SOFTBALL

CITY SECTION

Animo Bunche 14, Downtown Magnets 9

Animo Venice 18, AHSA 0

Bell 6, South East 2

Bravo 9, LA Marshall 2

Central City Value 22, Orthopaedic 5

Chatsworth 13, Cleveland 2

Discovery 37, Valley Oaks CES 35

Dymally 12, Washington Prep 7

Eagle Rock 14, LA Wilson 0

El Camino Real 15, Taft 0

Garfield 12, South Gate 2

Granada Hills 4, Birmingham 2

Granada Hills Kennedy 7, Arleta 3

LA Jordan 15, Hawkins 4

LA University 9, LACES 5

Lincoln 10, Franklin 0

Marquez 25, Maywood CES 1

Middle College 19, Animo Watts 3

Palisades 18, Fairfax 5

Reseda 28, Canoga Park 7

San Fernando 7, Chavez 2

Santee 11, Angelou 10

Sylmar 10, North Hollywood 7

Torres 21, Sotomayor 7

Van Nuys 23, Monroe 1

Venice 15, LA Hamilton 1

Verdugo Hills 11, Sun valley Poly 7

SOUTHERN SECTION

ACE 5, Hesperia Christian 4

Adelanto 11, Barstow 6

Anza Hamilton 21, California Lutheran 2

Apple valley 12, University Prep 2

Aquinas 2, Oak Hills 2

Arroyo 14, Mountain View 7

Bethel Christian 8, Calvary Baptist 4

Brentwood 12, Crossroads 2

California 11, Whittier 1

Cathedral City 11, Windward 0

Century 10, Glenn 7

Chino Hills 4, Rancho Cucamonga 0

Downey Calvary Chapel 14, Samueli Academy 4

El Monte 9, Gabrielino 2

Etiwanda 13, Upland 4

Garden Grove Santiago 12, Santa Ana Valley 0

Granite Hills 15, Silverado 2

Hart 8, Burbank Burroughs 6

Irvine 6, Rosary 5

Jurupa Valley 14, Rubidoux 0

La Habra 3, St. Paul 1

Lawndale 39, Animo City of Champions 21

Los Alamitos 3, Riverside Prep 0

Maranatha 17, Heritage Christian 6

Miller 21, Pacific 4

Millikan 4, Fullerton 3

Monrovia 11, La Canada 10

Orange Vista 12, Liberty 6

Patriot 11, Norte Vista 0

Placentia Valencia 8, Anaheim 6

Riverside Poly 9, Ayala 4

Rosemead 22, Pasadena Marshall 2

San Bernardino 1

Santa Ana Foothill 9, Capistrano Valley 0

Santa Fe 14, El Rancho 4

Santa Rosa Academy 24, San Jacinto Valley Academy 2

Saugus 11, Valencia 1

Schurr 6, Long Beach Wilson 1

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 10, Chaminade 2

South Pasadena 21, Blair 0

Temple City 17, San Marino 13

Villa Park 6, Garden Grove 3

West Ranch 6, Vasquez 0

INTERSECTIONAL

SOCES 10, Golden Valley 3

BASEBALL

CITY SECTION

AMIT 11, Reseda 1

Carson 10, Rancho Dominguez 0

Crenshaw 4, Dymally 16

Diego Rivera 15, West Adams 2

Downtown Magnets 23, Central City Value 3

LACES 19, Westchester 0

LA Marshall 11, Eagle Rock 1

LA University 8, Fairfax 7

LA Wilson 11, Franklin 7

Lincoln 8, Bravo 5

Marquez 19, Maywood Academy 2

Maywood CES 7, Sotomayor 6

Narbonne 5, San Pedro 1

Palisades 4, Venice 2

Port of LA 4, Fremont 1

San Fernando 2, Sun Valley Poly 0

Stella 20, Animo Venice 10

Sun Valley Magnet 16, Discovery 2

Sylmar 12, North Hollywood 0

Taft 3, Chatsworth 1

Torres 12, Elizabeth 2

Triumph Charter 13, Valley Oaks CES 3

Van Nuys 14, Grant 4

Vaughn 6, Chavez 2

Verdugo Hills 15, Granada Hills Kennedy 8

Wilmington Banning 6, Gardena 0

SOUTHERN SECTION

Arroyo 8, Rosemead 5

Banning 12, Desert Mirage 8

Beverly Hills 13, Hawthorne Math & Science 2

Calabasas 9, Highland 4

California 3, Norwalk 2

California Lutheran 8, Norton Science 5

Calvary Baptist 21, United Christian Academy 0

Canyon Springs 8, Vista del Lago 0

Cate 9, Ojai Valley 8

Chadwick 7, Pasadena Poly 6

Chaminade 1, St. Francis 0

Chino Hills 5, Rancho Cucamonga 0

Cobalt Institute 10, Hesperia Christian 9

Costa Mesa 16, Irvine University 3

Crean Lutheran 5, Garden Grove Pacifica 0

Crossroads 1, Santa Monica 0

Damien 4, Los Osos 3

Desert Hot Springs 25, Cathedral City 7

Edgewood 12, La Puente 2

Flintridge Prep 11, Rio Hondo Prep 2

Ganesha 18, Pomona 0

Garden Grove 4, Xavier Prep 3

Grace 17, Canoga Park 2

Hawthorne 4, Lawndale 3

Hoover 12, Santa Clarita Christian 6

Jurupa Valley 11, Rubidoux 0

La Canada 9, Monrovia 2

Mark Keppel 12, Glendale 2

Miller 14, Pacific 4

Milken Community 6, Buckley 0

Moorpark 5, Camarillo 2

Moreno Valley 8, Liberty 2

Orange Lutheran 3, Mater Dei 0

Oxnard 22, Santa Paula 4

Palm Springs 7, Indian Springs 5

Paloma Valley 2, Arlington 1

Paraclete 13, Saugus 6

Patriot 14, Norte Vista 2

Riverside North 8, Hemet 7

Riverside Poly 12, Heritage 7

San Bernardino 11, Entrepreneur 1

San Marino 13, Temple City 6

Santa Ana Foothill 3, El Dorado 2

Santa Barbara 3, Santa Ynez 2

Shalhevet 2, Environmental Charter 1

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 6, Loyola 4

Sonora 11, Esperanza 2

South El Monte 11, El Monte 0

South Hills 4, Crescenta Valley 3

Temecula Prep 13, California Military 0

Trinity Classical 14, Desert Christian 4

Troy 3, Western Christian 2

Valley View 9, Lakeside 0

Vasquez 10, Faith Baptist 0

Villa Park 7, La Habra 3

Warren 2, Paramount 0

Western 6, Saddleback 2

Whitney 7, San Gabriel 4

Woodbridge 9, Capistrano Valley Christian 8

Workman 8, Bassett 7

Yorba Linda 7, Sunny Hills 2

Yucca Valley 7, Twentynine Palms 5

INTERSECTIONAL

Grace 18, Canoga Park 2

Inglewood 20, Alliance Ouchi 5

Viewpoint 7, Fulton 0

SOFTBALL

CITY SECTION

Harbor Teacher 15, Fremont 4

SOUTHERN SECTION

Adelanto 8, Barstow 7

Alemany 16, Marymount 3

Anaheim 21, Los Amigos 6

Aquinas 5, Riverside Prep 4

Arroyo 16, Rosemead 1

Arroyo Grande 10, Coastal Christian 0

Beckman 14, Placentia Valencia 0

Big Bear 16, CIMSA 4

Bishop Montgomery 17, Alliance Bloomfield 0

Bolsa Grande 22, Saddleback 10

California 12, Whittier 4

Canyon Springs 4, Rancho Verde 2

Chaminade 9, Birmingham 2

Charter Oak 10, Covina 0

Corona Santiago 11, Corona Centennial 5

Culver City 23, Lawndale 3

Duarte 18, Azusa 5

Edgewood 16, La Puente 1

El Segundo 6, Cerritos Valley Christian 5

Faith Baptist 19, PACS 0

Fillmore 8, Vasquez 6

Flintridge Prep 9, Mayfield 2

Flintridge Sacred Heart 25, Immaculate Heart 0

Gabrielino 18, Pasadena Marshall 8

Ganesha 30, Pomona 1

Garey 11, Nogales 0

Glendale 17, Oakwood 5

Great Oak 4, Murrieta Valley 1

Hawthorne 20, Beverly Hills 0

Heritage 23, Vista del Lago 13

Hillcrest 11, Moreno Valley 1

Jurupa Valley 13, Rubidoux 1

Lakeside 20, Perris 6

La Serna 11, Cerritos 0

Lennox Academy 25, Inglewood 12

Liberty 14, Valley View 4

Linfield Christian 16, Arrowhead Christian 3

Loma Linda Academy 16, Calvary Baptist 14

Los Altos 3, South Hills 1

Miller 26, Pacific 7

Monrovia 8, San Marino 4

Norco 12, Corona 1

North Torrance 3, West Torrance 1

Northview 11, Hacienda Heights Wilson 5

Orange 12, Century 2

Oxnard 2, Ventura 1

Paloma Valley 4, Hemet 0

Palos Verdes 18, Peninsula 0

Patriot 21, Norte Vista 0

Providence 16, Pasadena 2

Quartz Hill 4, Highland 1

Rancho Christian 9, Citrus Hill 8

Rancho Cucamonga 9, Etiwanda 8

Redondo Union 11, Mira Costa 4

Rio Mesa 10, Dos Pueblos 2

Riverside King 12, Eastvale Roosevelt 1

Riverside Poly 8, Riverside North 1

Samueli Academy 18, Webb 4

San Bernardino 15, Entrepreneur 0

Santa Ana Foothill 7, Crean Lutheran 0

Santa Fe 8, El Rancho 5

Savanna 14, Rancho Alamitos 8

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 9, Harvard-Westlake 5

Sierra Canyon 8, Louisville 0

Silverado 11, Granite Hils 4

South El Monte 5, El Monte 1

St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 20, Animo City of Champions 0

Temecula Prep 12, Xavier Prep 3

Temple City 3, South Pasadena 1

Upland 13, Los Osos 0

USC-MAE 22, St. Mary’s Academy 13

Western Christian 18, Hesperia Christian 4

Westminster La Quinta 25, Magnolia 5

Wiseburn-Da Vinci 5. St. Monica 4

Woodbridge 3, Rosary 1

Yucca Valley 16, Twentynine Palms 4

INTERSECTIONAL

Granada Hills Kennedy 9, Valencia 8

HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL & SOFTBALL

Saturday’s Results

BASEBALL

CITY SECTION

Mendez 13, CALS Early College 0

Palisades 4, San Pedro 3

Port of Los Angeles d. Dorsey, forfeit

Sun Valley Poly 8, LA Marshall 2

Venice 10, San Fernando 2

Verdugo Hills 8, Chatsworth 4

SOUTHERN SECTION

Big Bear 9, San Bernardino 2

Bishop Amat 12, Covina 1

Bishop Montgomery 10, South Torrance 3

Buena Park 5, LA Roosevelt 3

Camarillo 5, Valencia 1

Cantwell-Sacred Heart 11, Bell Gardens 2

Crean Lutheran 4, Trabuco Hills 3

Dominguez 10, Compton Centennial 9

Estancia 11, Bosco Tech 5

Grace 3, Dunn 2

La Canada 11, Pasadena 8

Los Alamitos 5, Millikan 3

Maranatha 17, Oxford Academy 6

Monrovia 6, Flintridge Prep 2

Orange Lutheran 14, Mater Dei 4

Palm Desert 3, Kaiser 1

Palos Verdes 7, Ganesha 5

Rancho Verde 4, Bloomington 0

Rio Mesa 6, Righetti 5

Santa Barbara 25, Nordhoff 2

Santa Monica 6, El Segundo 3

Santa Paula 2, Castaic 1

Saugus 7, Quartz Hill 0

Savanna 4, Adelanto 3

South Hills 2, La Quinta 1

St. Genevieve 15, Verbum Dei 13

St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy

Torrance 5, Warren 3

Wiseburn-Da Vinci 7, Lennox Academy 0

INTERSECTIONAL

Buena Park 5, LA Roosevelt 3

St. Paul 7, South East 2

SOFTBALL

SOUTHERN SECTION

Big Bear 4, San Bernardino 2

Hawthorne 19, Lennox Academy 4

INTERSECTIONAL

Atascadero 13, Coastal Christian 3

Norco 5, Chula Vista Mater Dei 1

The cliff face bridge leads to an 800-year-old castle, but some visitors have refused to cross due to the ‘pretty scary’ height.

The UK boasts countless historic marvels, yet getting to one of its most stunning and ancient castles can prove remarkably challenging, with some tourists abandoning their visit the moment they catch sight of the crossing. Tintagel Castle Bridge is a fairly recent addition, constructed in 2019 to provide easier access to the 800-year-old castle sharing its name, which sits dramatically atop a rugged coastal island.

It’s frequently cited as one of Britain’s most nerve-wracking bridges, being lengthy, slender and suspended roughly 200 feet above the cliffs, meaning anyone making the crossing can see the ocean waves pounding against the rocks far beneath. The Cornish coastline is notoriously blustery too, so while the bridge is entirely secure, traversing it during powerful winds can leave visitors feeling rather unsettled.

The bridge also features a small gap at its centre, deliberately designed by architects to symbolise the journey from mainland to island, though peering down at the sheer drop below is enough to make anyone’s legs turn to jelly.

Tintagel Castle is deeply entwined with Arthurian legend, widely believed to be King Arthur’s birthplace, which makes it an exceptionally popular visitor attraction. The castle is additionally connected to the tale of Tristan and Iseult, a heartbreaking medieval love story involving a Cornish knight who falls for an Irish princess.

It’s a spectacular location that has been inhabited since the mid-5th century, though the castle structure itself was erected in the early 1200s by Richard, Earl of Cornwall, King Henry III’s brother.

Yet it remains an extraordinarily isolated location, and accessing it before the bridge’s construction proved challenging, requiring visitors to descend hundreds of twisting steps down a cliff face into a valley before climbing back up onto the island.

Throughout the Middle Ages, a natural land bridge linked the two sections, though it vanished sometime between the 14th and 17th centuries.

The new Tintagel Castle Bridge emerged from an architectural competition and was constructed by William Matthews Associates, who designed it to blend seamlessly into the surrounding landscape.

Building Tintagel Castle Bridge cost more than £4million, but it marked the first time in five centuries that the two stretches of land were reconnected.

On Tripadvisor, numerous visitors have given Tintagel Castle Bridge glowing reviews for its stunning views, though many have cautioned that it can feel quite daunting when you first attempt to cross it.

One visitor wrote: “It’s not for the faint-hearted. Looking at it from a distance, when you can see the drop, it looks long and narrow and pretty scary. However, it feels surprisingly safe when you walk across it.”

Another reviewer said: “It’s a beautiful spot, but if you are scared of heights, then don’t bother. You need to walk alongside a drop into the sea to get to a bridge to get over to the castle itself, and then once there, you are faced with narrow paths, one person width only, with drops to the side. “

Another visitor remarked: “Upon seeing the bridge I realised my fear of heights would prevent me from walking over it, it looked amazing but it is also very exposed with iron bars at each side to give you a fantastic view of the sea and cliffs around/beneath you and a small gap in the middle of the bridge where both sections meet.”

BASEBALL

CITY SECTION

AMIT 14, Panorama 1

Arleta 10, Grant 3

Bell 11, Legacy 1

Birmingham 9, El Camino Real 1

Bravo 4, Eagle Rock 3

Chatsworth 1, Cleveland 0

Downtown Magnets 14, Collins Family 4

Fulton 10, Reseda 0

Garfield 12, South East 1

Hollywood 21, Contreras 10

Jefferson 15, Angelou 2

LACES 12, LA University 1

LA Marshall 2, Franklin 1

LA Wilson 5, Lincoln 3

Northridge Academy 12, Canoga Park 2

Palisades 11, Fairfax 1

RFK Community 8, Mendez 1

San Pedro 21, Gardena 3

SOCES 21, East Valley 1

South Gate 9, Huntington Park 0

University Prep Value 17, Camino Nuevo 5

Van Nuys 12, Vaughn 11

Venice 8, LA Hamilton 1

Wilmington Banning 8, Rancho Dominguez 4

SOUTHERN SECTION

AAE 9, Silver Valley 3

Alhambra 12, Montebello 5

Alta Loma 7, Los Altos 5

Anaheim Canyon 6, Brea Olinda 2

Apple Valley 6, Oak Hills 1

Aquinas 8, Woodcrest Christian 2

Arlington 5, Moreno Valley 1

Ayala 11, Claremont 1

Baldwin Park 13, Azusa 7

Banning 21, Cathedral City 0

Beckman 10, San Juan Hills 6

Beverly Hills 11, YULA 3

Buena Park 9, Tustin 4

California 8, Whittier 3

Capistrano Valley Christian 4, Western Christian 3

Carpinteria 7, Channel Islands 6

Castaic 14, Canyon Country Canyon 2

Cerritos 10, Whitney 0

Chaparral 4, Murrieta Mesa 1

Charter Oak 16, Covina 1

CIMSA 11, ACE 4

Corona del Mar 6, Edison 5

Corona Santiago 7, Corona Centennial 6

Costa Mesa 7, Laguna Hills 2

Damien 11, Chino Hills 1

Dana Hills 8, Aliso Niguel 0

Desert Mirage 10, Desert Hot Springs 6

Dos Pueblos 10, Oxnard 5

Edgewood 8, Pomona 0

Esperanza 7, Troy 1

Fillmore 15, Malibu 11

Flintridge Prep 17, Chadwick 2

Fountain Valley 11, Marina 1

Gahr 1, Downey 0

Garden Gove Santiago 7, Santa Ana Valley 0

Glendora 7, Bonita 3

Glenn 9, Pioneer 6

Hemet 19, Vista del Lago 0

Hesperia 9, Serrano 5

Hoover 17, Glendale 7

Huntington Beach 8, Newport Harbor 1

JSerra 9, Santa Margarita 6

Jurupa Valley 4, Norte Vista 3

La Habra 6, Santa Ana Foothill 2

Lakewood 2, Long Beach Jordan 1

La Mirada 9, Bellflower 0

Lancaster 3, Highland 1

La Palma Kennedy 9, Segerstrom 6

La Puente 6, Workman 5

La Sierra 12, Rubidoux 2

Long Beach Poly 11, Compton 8

Maranatha 7, Cerritos Valley Christian 2

Mary Star of the Sea 29, Verbum Dei 1

Mayfair 15, Dominguez 0

Millikan 16, Long Beach Cabrillo 1

Mission Viejo 7, Capistrano Valley 5

Monrovia 7, San Marino 6

Moorpark 8, Oak Park 4

Muir 10, Pasadena 2

Murrieta Valley 8, Great Oak 3

Norco 7, Corona 2

Northview 10, Hacienda Heights Wilson 0

Oaks Christian 8, Calabasas 7

Ocean View 7, Fullerton 4

Orange County Pacifica Christian 15, Webb 0

Orange Lutheran 3, Servite 1

Orange Vista 6, Citrus Hill 2

Oxnard Pacifica 2, Buena 0

Pacific 13, Entrepreneur 3

PACS 10, Valley Torah 5

Palmdale 15, Eastside 1

Paloma Valley 11, Heritage 5

Paraclete 5, Bishop Montgomery 2

Placentia Valencia 10, Santa Ana 5

Portola 1, Irvine University 0

Quartz Hill 15, Antelope Valley 0

Ramona 10, Patriot 5

Rancho Christian 31, Lakeside 1

Rancho Verde 6, Canyon Springs 4

Redlands East Valley 7, Beaumont 0

Redondo Union 10, Mira Costa 4

Ridgecrest Burroughs 2, Sultana 1

Rio Mesa 7, Ventura 4

Riverside King 5, Eastvale Roosevelt 2

Riverside North 2, Perris 1

Riverside Poly 9, Liberty 1

Riverside Prep 15, University Prep 3

Rolling Hills Prep 18, Lennox Academy 4

Rosemead 3, Mountain View 2

San Marcos 10, Santa Barbara 5

San Jacinto Valley Academy 11. San Jacinto Leadership 1

Santa Monica Pacifica Christian 12, Animo Leadership 6

Schurr 2, Bell Gardens 1

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 2, Alemany 0

Sierra Canyon 10, Loyola 0

Sierra Vista 8, Nogales 4

Simi Valley 6, Camarillo 1

South El Monte 12, Pasadena Marshall 7

St. Anthony 5, Cantwell-Sacred Heart 3

St. John Bosco 6, Mater Dei 3

St. Monica 9, Bosco Tech 6

Temecula Valley 3, Vista Murrieta 2

Tesoro 4, Trabuco Hills 0

Thousand Oaks 5, Agoura 4

Twentynine Palms 4, Coachella Valley 3

Upland 5, Los Osos 3

Valencia 14, Golden Valley 1

Valley Christian Academy 19, Coast Union 0

Valley View 17, Hillcrest 1

Villa Park 2, Cypress 0

West Covina 4, Rowland 2

Westlake 15, Newbury Park 4

West Ranch 10, Hart 2

Whittier Christian 6, Heritage Christian 1

Woodbridge 18, Sage Hill 2

Yorba Linda 4, Sonora 1

Yucca Valley 8, Indio 1

INTERSECTIONAL

SLOCA 12, Del Oro 3

SOFTBALL

CITY SECTION

Animo Venice 8, Middle College 3

Birmingham 2, Chatsworth 0

Bravo 10, LA Wilson 0

Chavez 5, Sun Valley Poly 1

Eagle Rock 12, Franklin 5

El Camino Real 11, Cleveland 0

Fairfax 32, Canoga Park 15

Granada Hills 16, Taft 2

Granada Hills Kennedy 4, San Fernando 1

Jefferson 27, Los Angeles 4

LA Hamilton 6, Westchester 2

LA University 9, Palisades 7

Lincoln 9, LA MArshall 1

Marquez 20, Maywood CES 5

North Hollywood 16, Reseda 6

Santee 21, West Adams 6

South Gate 20, South East 10

Sylmar 19, Monroe 2

Venice 20, LACES 0

Verdugo Hills 8, Arleta 6

SOUTHERN SECTION

Anaheim 13, Santa Ana Valley 2

Aquinas 4, Ontario Christian 1

Archer 16, Oakwood 2

Baldwin Park 11, Azusa 9

Bolsa Grande 25, Westminster La Quinta 10

Buena 7, Oxnard Pacifica 3

Buena Park 7, Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 2

Cathedral City 16, Banning 14

Cerritos 13, Bishop Montgomery 3

CIMSA 17, ACE 2

Citrus Hill 22, Perris 2

Covina 9, Rowland 0

Cypress 5, La Palma Kennedy 2

Dos Pueblos 1, Oxnard 0

Downey 7, Lakewood 6

Edgewood 12, Pomona 0

El Segundo 5, South Torrance 2

Fullerton 26, Placentia Valencia 0

Ganesha 26, Bassett 0

Garden Grove 7, Segerstrom 3

Glendora 5, Bonita 2

Hemet 27, Moreno Valley 0

Heritage 22, Lakeside 3

Hesperia 8, Serrano 7

Hillcrest 10, Rancho Verde 0

Indio 19, Yucca Valley 4

JSerra 3, Orange Lutheran 1

La Canada 11, San Marino 4

La Sierra 6, Rubidoux 4

Long Beach Poly 3, Santa Ana Foothill 2

Mayfield 14, Westridge 1

Miller 12, Indian Springs 4

Mission Viejo 4, San Juan Hills 3

Monrovia 16, South Pasadena 6

Newport Harbor 19, Capistrano Valley Christian 2

Northview 15, West Covina 1

Oak Hills 15, Apple Valley 5

Oaks Christian 15, Newbury Park 1

Orange 7, Rancho Alamitos 2

Pacific 21, Entrepreneur 16

Paloma Valley 8, Canyon Springs 0

Palos Verdes 10, Wiseburn-Da Vinci 0

Rancho Christian 23, Vista del Lago 0

Redondo Union 8, Peninsula 3

Rio Mesa 4, Ventura 1

Riverside North 11, Liberty 10

Riverside Poly 12, Arlington 1

Riverside Prep 4, University Prep 1

San Jacinto Valley Academy 16, San Jacinto Leadership 2

San Marcos 12, Foothill Tech 3

Santa Ana 13, Costa Mesa 5

Santa Monica 15, Culver City 5

Sierra Vista 10, Nogales 1

Simi Valley 11, Royal 1

South El Monte 16, Pasadena Marshall 2

Sultana 15, Ridgecrest Burroughs 5

Temple City 27, Blair 4

Torrance 7, West Torrance 0

Tustin 15, Godinez 0

Valley View 18, Orange Vista 10

Walnut 10, Diamond Bar 5

West Ranch 13, Canyon Country Canyon 12

INTERSECTIONAL

Legacy 5, Mayfair 0

Interim head coach D.J. Smith will be among the candidates for the Kings’ full-time job when general manager Ken Holland conducts his coaching search this month.

Smith took over March 1 when Holland fired Jim Hiller with the Kings at 24-21-14 and out of the playoff picture. The former Ottawa head coach rallied the Kings to an 11-6-6 finish to claim the last wild-card spot in the Western Conference, but the Kings were swept by the powerhouse Colorado Avalanche in their fifth consecutive first-round postseason exit.

“D.J. did a great job,” Holland said Friday. “The team responded to him, so he’s a candidate. … I don’t want to talk to 20 people. I’d like to talk to probably five to eight people, and then make a decision. Some with experience, some maybe assistants, and some who haven’t been a head coach.”

Holland will begin his coaching search next week, looking for a candidate who can get this team out of its first-round playoff exit rut. He reiterated his disinterest in a full-scale rebuild, but also hinted that the Kings might want to make adjustments to their longstanding defense-first philosophy.

The Kings have failed to advance beyond the first round in seven consecutive postseasons since winning the Stanley Cup in 2014, including six first-round exits since team president Luc Robitaille took ultimate charge of hockey operations in 2017. The current Kings had 15 fewer points than last season’s team.

“As I sit here today, I’m not happy,” Holland said. “Luc Robitaille isn’t happy. Our players aren’t happy. It was a disappointing season. Under .500 at home, 29th in the league in goals scored, squeaked into the playoffs, got swept up by a Presidents’ Trophy-winning team. So I’m not happy. We’ve got to make the team better.”

Holland, who replaced Rob Blake a year ago, identified the obvious reason the Kings weren’t a real Stanley Cup contender this season: Their long-standing offensive struggles. The Kings scored only 225 goals, fourth-worst in the NHL and 25 fewer than last season.

Holland attempted to address the problem by trading for Artemi Panarin before the Olympic break, but the high-scoring forward couldn’t make up for the Olympic injury loss of fellow high scorer Kevin Fiala. Holland revealed Fiala might have been ready to return from his broken leg if the Kings had advanced to the second round.

The Kings have prioritized defense for most of the past two decades, often playing a sticky, trapping style that doesn’t promote offensive creativity or attack. That’s tough to overcome against opponents that are more talented while equally committed to defense — such as the Avalanche, who allowed only five goals in their four-game sweep.

Defense won two Stanley Cups for the Kings, but Holland openly wondered whether the Kings need to think bigger.

“Are we too defensive-minded? I’ve got to sort that out,” Holland said. “You’ve got to be good defensively. … You can’t win four games 6-5 in the playoffs. But we’re 29th in the league in goals scored. We’ve got to find ways. Power play has got to be better. We’ve got to generate a little more attack from the back end.”

The Kings also had inept special teams, ranking 28th in the NHL on the power play and 30th in penalty-killing. The Kings were the league’s third-best team at five-on-five defense, but only seventh in total goals allowed thanks to its feckless special teams.

Holland’s coaching hire will have to fix those units without the help of two-time Selke Trophy-winning forward Anze Kopitar, who retired after a 20-year career with Los Angeles. The Kings will need a new captain to replace Kopitar in the dressing room and a high-usage center to take Kopitar’s minutes.

The Kings will be relying even more heavily on Quinton Byfield, the former No. 2 overall draft pick who has grown into a dependable two-way player with the potential to improve in a more open system.

“Obviously it’s going to be QB’s team up front,” Holland said. “Kopi [leaves] a massive hole. He’s the highest-scoring forward in the history of the franchise. He plays 200 feet. He’s big and he’s strong. He wins draws. In my opinion, he’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer. I don’t think we’re just going to be able to go out and find a way to replace him with one person, and I don’t expect it.”

The Kings still have ample veteran talent next to Byfield, Fiala and Panarin, including top scorer Adrian Kempe, emerging forward Alex Laferriere and promising defenseman Brandt Clarke. Holland claims he is eager to add talent across the lineup after he settles on a coach.

“We have lots of good players,” Holland said. “I’ve got to build a better team.”

Beacham writes for the Associated Press.

LONDON — President Trump sang the praises of King Charles III after the monarch’s state visit this week. He even lifted some tariffs on Scotch whisky as a favor to the British monarch.

The king delivered a diplomatic master-class on the trip, mixing praise for his host with subtle criticism. It’s unclear, though, whether it will make a major difference to a trans-Atlantic relationship troubled by divisions over issues including the Iran war.

“In the short term probably yes, in the long term probably no,” said Kristofer Allerfeldt, a University of Exeter professor specializing in American history. But he said Charles had “definitely clawed back some of the prestige of the monarchy” in his homeland with his assured performance.

“He’s done us proud,” Allerfeldt said.

Like all royal visits, the four-day trip to Washington, New York and Virginia by the king and Queen Camilla was a carefully choreographed diplomatic event carried out at the request of the U.K. government. Timed to help mark the United States’ 250th birthday, it was a chance to heal rifts between the U.K. government and the Trump administration.

Trump has criticized Keir Starmer

The president has lambasted Prime Minister Keir Starmer — whom he once praised — over his unwillingness to join U.S. military attacks on Iran, dismissing Britain’s leader as “not Winston Churchill,” the World War II prime minister who coined the phrase “special relationship” for the U.K.-U.S. bond.

It’s part of a wider split between Trump and the United States’ NATO allies, whom he has called “cowards” and “useless” for not joining action against Iran.

None of that has soured Trump’s fondness for the British monarchy, which seems to have been deepened by the president’s unprecedented second state visit to the U.K. in September.

Some U.K. opposition politicians had called for the king’s reciprocal trip to be canceled, lest the president do or say something to embarrass the monarch.

In the end, there was much warmth and few awkward moments — though Trump did not always adhere to the convention that conversations with the monarch should remain private.

At a white-tie state dinner on Tuesday, Trump said “Charles agrees with me, even more than I do” that Iran must never have nuclear weapons.

Trump also said that “if that were up to him,” the king “would have followed the suggestions we made with respect to Ukraine.”

Buckingham Palace appeared relaxed about Trump’s Iran comment, noting that “the king is naturally mindful of his government’s longstanding and well-known position on the prevention of nuclear proliferation.”

The king’s speech chided Trump policies

On Ukraine, however, differences were clear. The U.K. has been one of Kyiv’s strongest supporters in its fight against Russia’s invasion, and in a speech to Congress the king underscored the importance of the need for “unyielding resolve” to support Ukraine.

It was one of several implicit rebukes to the “America first” U.S. administration in the speech, the centerpiece moment of the trip.

With regal understatement and in a cut-glass accent, Charles stressed the essential role of NATO, the importance of checks on executive power, the threat posed by climate change and the strength drawn from “vibrant, diverse and free societies.” He spoke of his pride at having served in the Royal Navy, a force Trump has disparaged.

“It’s difficult to imagine he could have gone much further in what he said and what he didn’t say,” historian Anthony Seldon told The Guardian. “He judged it incredibly well: very brave, very smart, very clever.”

Allerfeldt noted the “extraordinary” reception from both sides of the political aisle to the speech, which drew multiple standing ovations.

“Apart from the section on the natural world and the environment, both Republicans and Democrats stood up and applauded,” he said.

In a less formal speech at the state banquet, the king even drew laughs when he joked about British troops burning down the White House in 1814.

The king alluded to Epstein’s victims

The trip was judged a success despite the shadow of the king’s younger brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who has been stripped of his royal title of Prince Andrew, exiled from public life and put under police investigation over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. He has denied committing any crimes.

Epstein victims had urged the king to meet with them and other sexual abuse survivors. He didn’t, but he did refer obliquely to the issue in his speech to Congress, mentioning the need to “support victims of some of the ills that, so tragically, exist in both our societies today.”

Andrew Lownie, author of a biography of the former Prince Andrew called “Entitled,” praised the speech as “the best defense of the monarchy in years.”

After the royal couple left the U.S., Trump announced he was lifting certain tariffs on Scotch “in honor of the King and Queen of the United Kingdom.”

Buckingham Palace toasted the announcement, saying the king “sends his sincere gratitude for a decision that will make an important difference to the British whisky industry and the livelihoods it supports.”

Trump called the king “a phenomenal representative” for his country, before turning back to a familiar theme: criticizing Starmer.

The president told Sky News that Charles is “a much different person than your prime minister.

“Your prime minister has to learn to deal the way he deals, and he’ll do a lot better,” he said.

Lawless writes for the Associated Press.

BASEBALL

CITY SECTION

Bert Corona 15, Discovery 7

Fremont 13, Locke 0

King/Drew 12, Dorsey 6

LA Jordan 15, Dymally 4

Maywood Academy 19, Elizabeth 0

Maywood CES 4, Marquez 0

North Hollywood 2, San Fernando 0

Port of Los Angeles 13, Harbor Teacher 12

Sun Valley Magnet d. Community Charter, forfeit

Sun Valley Poly 7, Verdugo Hills 2

Sylmar 10, Granada Hills Kennedy 0

Torres 14, Sotomayor 1

Triumph Charter 15, Lakeview Charter 4

Valley Oaks CES d. Valor Academy, forfeit

Vaughn 9, Van Nuys 8

SOUTHERN SECTION

Anza Hamilton 15, California Lutheran 0

Arrowhead Christian 8, Ontario Christian 5

Bishop Amat 3, La Serna 2

Bishop Diego 9, Villanova Prep 1

Bloomington 5, Colton 3

Brentwood 9, Viewpoint 3

Cajon 9, Citrus Valley 0

Calvary Baptist 19, Hesperia Christian 0

Carter 19, Arroyo Valley 1

Chaparral 14, Murrieta Mesa 7

Chino 15, Montclair 5

Cornerstone Christian 6, Bethel Christian 3

Crossroads Christian 24, NSLA 2

Don Lugo 10, Diamond Ranch 5

Dunn 18, Santa Clara 7

El Modena 2, Garden Grove Pacifica 0

Elsinore 17, West Valley 1

Estancia 11, Westminster La Quinta 3

Fontana 12, San Gorgonio 5

Grand Terrace 12, Eisenhower 9

Granite Hills 5, Barstow 3

Great Oak 11, Murrieta Valley 7

Inglewood 8, Compton Centennial 5

Kaiser 10, Jurupa Hills 0

La Quinta 1, Shadow Hills 0

Lawndale 9, Hawthorne 1

Loara 11, Magnolia 1

Lucerne Valley 25, Victor Valley Christian 2

Maranatha 13, Cerritos Valley Christian 1

Milken 11, Santa Monica Pacifica Christian 3

Nuview Bridge 6, Temecula Prep 1

Oaks Christian 17, Calabasas 8

Oakwood 10, Buckley 5

Ontario 7, Chaffey 5

Palm Desert 24, Xavier Prep 0

Paraclete 14, Desert Christian 0

Rancho Mirage 13, Palm Springs 3

Rialto 5, Summit 4

Royal 7, Ventura 1

San Dimas 10, Colony 6

Santa Clarita Christian 9, St. Monica Academy 0

Santa Rosa Academy 9, Desert Christian Academy 3

Southlands Christian 17, Fairmont Prep 13

South Torrance 8, North Torrance 0

St. Monica 1, Crossroads 0

St. Paul 2, La Salle 1

Temescal Canyon 13, Tahquitz 6

Temecula Valley 3, Vista Murrieta 1

Torrance 8, West Torrance 1

United Christian Academy 18, Sherman Indian 1

Victor Valley 2, Silverado 0

Village Christian 5, Canyon Country Canyon 4

Westlake 10, Newbury Park 3

Whittier Christian 6, Heritage Christian 4

Windward 1, Campbell Hall 0

Yucaipa 14, Redlands 4

INTERSECTIONAL

Cathedral 13, East College Prep 0

Palos Verdes 4, South East 3

SOFTBALL

CITY SECTION

Alliance Bloomfield 16, East College Prep 1

Carson 10, Narbonne 0

Fremont 16, King/Drew 5

Garfield 22, South East 1

Grant 27, Panorama 26

Harbor Teacher 20, Locke 1

LA Jordan 23, Dymally 8

Legacy 15, Bell 2

Mendez 9, Hollywood 8

Northridge Academy 13, East Valley 5

Port of Los Angeles 15, Dorsey 0

San Pedro 17, Gardena 0

Smidt Tech 19, AHSA 15

SOCES 17, Vaughn 0

Triumph Charter 23, Valley Oaks CES 10

University prep Value 25, CNDLC 20

USC-MAE 35, Downtown Magnets 13

Wilmington Banning 18, Rancho Domingue 3

SOUTHERN SECTION

Agoura 10, Newbury Park 1

Alemany 21, Immaculate Heart 0

Alhambra 8, Bell Gardens 3

Aliso Niguel 7, San Clemente 1

Anza Hamilton 20, Borrego Springs 3

Artesia 16, Oxford Academy 2

Beaumont 9, Citrus Valley 4

Bellflower 15, Lynwood 5

Bethel Christian 9, Cornerstone Christian 5

Bishop Amat 3, St. Paul 0

Bloomington 17, Fontana 6

Brea Olinda 12, Yorba Linda 10

Brentwood 8, Archer 7

Burbank 13, Pasadena 0

Cajon 10, Redlands 3

California 5, Santa Fe 3

Canyon Country Canyon 19, Valencia 11

Carter 2, Colton 0

Chino 17, Montclair 0

Chino Hills 12, Etiwanda 5

Compton Early College 19, Compton Centennial 9

Crean Lutheran 14, Troy 3

Crescenta Valley 5, Arcadia 3

CSDR 21, La Sierra Academy 2

Desert Christian Academy 16, Santa Rosa Academy 15

Don Lugo 10, Diamond Ranch 2

Eastside 8, Littlreock 6

Edison 13, Fountain Valley 9

Elsinore 19, Tahquitz 0

Faith Baptist 8, Vasquez 7

Fillmore 18, Carpinteria 1

Garden Grove 11, La Palma Kennedy 10

Garden Grove Pacifica 4, Cypress 1

Gahr 8, Mayfair 3

Glendale 19, Hoover 4

Grace 16, Bishop Diego 0

Grand Terrace 13, Summit 12

Granite Hills 13, Barstow 2

Hart 13, Castaic 1

Harvard-Westlake 14, Chaminade 11

HMSA 20, Inglewood 0

Huntington. Beach 2, Marina 1

Irvine 15, Portola 5

Irvine University 11, Woodbridge 1

Jurupa Hills 22, San Gorgonio 0

La Quinta 10, Shadow Hills 0

Knight 12, Antelope Valley 2

La Habra 9, Anaheim Canyon 2

La Mirada 6, Warren 0

La Salle 12, Cantwell-Sacred Heart 0

La Serna 15, Whittier 6

Leuzinger 16, Environmental Charter 1

Linfield Christian 18, Woodcrest Christian 2

Long Beach Wilson 18, Compton 0

Los Alamitos 10, Corona del Mar 0

Maranatha 7, Village Christian 5

Mary Star of the Sea 14, Bishop Conaty-Loretto 4

Millikan 11, Logn Beach Jordan 0

Mission Viejo 18, Tesoro 17

Montebello 12, San Gabriel 2

Moorpark 13, Oak Park 2

Muir 8, Burbank Burroughs 6

Murrieta Valley 16, Temecula Valley 5

Newport Harbor 12, Ocean View 10

Norwalk 16, Firebaugh 4

Paraclete 9, Lakewood St, Joseph 1

Paramount 13, Dominguez 0

Rancho Cucamonga 1, Los Osos 0

Rancho Mirage 17, Palm Springs 1

Ramona Convent 23, St. Anthony 1

Rialto 17, Arroyo Valley 7

Riverside Notre Dame 10, Rim of the World 0

Rosary 5, Northwood 4

Rosemead 17, Mountain View 12

Samueli Academy 14, Webb 1

San Dimas 16, South Hills 6

San Juan Hills 12, Beckman 4

Santa Ana Foothill 6, Sunny Hills 2

Santa Paula 11, Hueneme 1

Saugus 14, Golden valley 0

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 16, Louisville 0

Silverado 16, Victor Valley 5

Sonora 4, El Dorado 2

St. Monica 10, Hawthorne 6

St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 12, Pomona Catholic 5

Temecula Prep 33, Nuview Bridge 4

Temescal Canyon 18, West Valley 2

Thousand Oaks 3, Oaks Christian 2

Trabuco Hills 6, Dana Hills 4

United Christian Academy 24, California Lutheran 1

Victory Christian A academy 33, High Tech CV 11

Viewpoint 20, Oakwood 0

Villa Park 13, Esperanza 3

Western Christian 14, Downey Calvary Chapel 0

Westlake 19, Calabasas 3

Whittier Christian 15, Cerritos Valley Christian 9

Windward 8, Crossroads 0

Yucaipa 5, Redlands East Valley 4

INTERSECTIONAL

West Ranch 8, Birmingham 7

April 30 (UPI) — President Donald Trump on Thursday lifted tariffs that he had levied but limited business between bourbon makers in Kentucky and Scotland.

Trump announced he was scrapping the tariffs after King Charles III and Queen Camilla were starting to wrap up their visit to the United States this week, which included the king addressing a joint session of Congress, a state dinner at the White House and a trip through Virginia before they head home.

King Charles and Queen Camilla have just wrapped up a four-day trip to the United States, which Trump scheduled and invited them for after a state dinner in the United Kingdom last year.

“In honor of the King and Queen of the United Kingdom … I will be removing the Tariffs and Restrictions on Whiskey having to do with Scotland’s ability to work with the Commonwealth of Kentucky on Whiskey and Bourbon, two very important Industries within Scotland and Kentucky,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

“People have wanted to do this for a long time, in that there had been great Inter-Country Trade, especially having to do with the Wooden Barrels used,” he said.

Trump reinstituted a tariff on whiskey and other spirits coming out of the European Union in March 2025 that he had instituted during his first term in the White House that had been discontinued by the Biden administration in 2021.

Some whiskey distilleries in Kentucky age their bourbon in barrels that have been used to age Scotch and the tariff had increased costs for U.S. whiskey manufacturers — and in the absence of a U.K. tariff on American spirits — had been a problem, USA Today reported.

In the reverse, bourbons that are sold as “Kentucky bourbon” — a specific product unique to Kentucky, and which includes brands such as Jim Beam, Woodford Reserve and Buffalo Trace, among many others — are required to be aged in new, charred oak barrels that are later sold to some scotch distillers who use them to age their spirits, Politico reported.

Wood’s spot-kick, smashed high beyond Emi Martinez, was his 200th career goal and gives Forest something to defend at Villa Park next week.

The New Zealand international only returned this month, having been sidelined since October with his knee issue.

He missed the entirety of Sean Dyche’s reign, having surgery in December, but started the quarter-final first-leg draw in Porto three weeks ago.

Lucas Digne’s baffling decision to raise his arms and handle the ball as Omari Hutchinson tried to keep it in play gave Wood his chance with 19 minutes left.

There was an audible cheer when Wood stepped up to take the penalty – Morgan Gibbs-White having missed from the spot against Strum Graz and Braga this season.

There was a sense of expectation, which is only fair as Wood has not missed a penalty in 10 years – since failing to score against Hull for Leeds in April 2016.

He has now scored 28 successive spot-kicks.

“That’s what I have to do and that’s what I try to do. It’s the job, the responsibility that my team gives me,” he told TNT.

“It’s cup competitions. They come down to small margins at times. Both teams played very well. But it’s small moments that can potentially change games. Thankfully it went in our favour tonight and hopefully again next week.

“It’s one leg of the tie. It’s nice to have the advantage but going to Villa Park will be a tough game. They’re good at their place. But we’ve done the job here at home and now hopefully we’ll build into next week.”

He scored in last Friday’s 5-0 Premier League win at Sunderland – his first goal since a penalty against Midtjylland in October – and has six goals in 19 games for club and country this season.

Wood, 34, has explained he will have to manage his knee injury for the rest of his life – but after watching so much of Forest’s battle against the Premier League drop from the sidelines, he is just glad to be back in action and scoring.

“That’s all I wanted to do,” he said. “I wanted to get back fit and firing to help my team as best as I can at the end of the season. I knew we had a lot to play for when I was fighting to get fit and it’s showing. It’s some big competitions to be a part of.

“We’re in the crunch end of the season. We need to perform on both parts and we’ll be looking to do that for sure.”

SOUTHERN SECTION BOYS VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS

WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS

FIRST ROUND
DIVISION 1
Mira Costa, bye
Tesoro d. Los Alamitos, 25-19, 25-23, 25-17
Corona del Mar d. Mater Dei, 3-0
Huntington Beach, bye
Loyola, bye
Newport Harbor d. Millikan, 25-8, 25-13, 25-19
Santa Margarita d. San Marcos, 3-0
Redondo Union, bye

DIVISION 2
Camarillo d. Anaheim Canyon, 25-21, 25-17, 25-18

DIVISION 3
Palos Verdes d. Corona Centennial, 3-1
Sage Hill d. Malibu, 3-1
Valencia d. La Palma Kennedy, 25-12, 25-20, 25-20
Claremont d. Murrieta Valley, 3-1
Corona Santiago d. Mark Keppel, 3-2
Eastvale Roosevelt d. Downey, 3-1
Bishop Montgomery d. South Torrance, 3-2
St. John Bosco d. Woodbridge, 3-1
Mission Viejo d. Paloma Valley, 25-20, 25-15, 25-18
Santa Ana Foothill d. Canyon Country Canyon, 25-20, 25-19, 25-16
Servite d. Wiseburn Da Vinci, 3-0
Santa Barbara d. Diamond Ranch, 3-1
Trabuco Hills d. Westlake, 3-0
Crescenta Valley d. North Torrance, 25-18, 25-15, 25-21
Saugus d. Newbury Park, 25-23, 25-23, 23-25, 30-28
Windward d. South Pasadena, 3-0

DIVISION 5
Dos Pueblos d. Aquinas, 21-25, 20-25, 25-15, 25-11, 15-13
Hemet d. Summit, 3-2
Oak Park d. Damien, 25-22, 26-24, 25-16
El Dorado d. San Dimas, 3-1
Westminster La Quinta d. Garden Grove Pacifica, 3-2
Bishop Diego d. Rio Hondo Prep, 25-22, 25-22, 31-29
Brea Olinda d. Aliso Niguel, 26-24, 16-25, 25-21, 29-27
Norco d. Cajon, 23-25, 25-22, 25-17, 12-25, 15-13
Bellflower d. Crespi, 25-16, 25-22, 25-15
El Rancho d. San Gabriel Academy, 3-1
Ventura d. Vista del Lago, 25-14, 25-18, 25-21
Flintridge Prep d. Castaic, 3-0
St. Anthony d. Oxford Academy, 3-0
Orange County Pacifica Christian d. Etiwanda, 25-16, 25-16, 25-19
Ontario Christian d. Monrovia, 25-23, 25-21, 23-25, 25-18
Western Christian d. Westminster, 3-2

DIVISION 7
Pasadena Marshall d. La Mirada, 3-2
Rialto d. Rosemead, 3-1
La Sierra Academy d. Sierra Vista, 3-0
Trinity Classical Academy d. Canyon Springs, 25-19, 25-19, 25-19
Hacienda Heights Wilson d. Maranatha, 3-1
Cerritos Valley Christian d. Norwalk, 25-21, 25-15, 25-23
Foothill Tech d. Anaheim, 3-0
Bell Gardens d. Ganesha, 25-17, 25-21, 25-17
Long Beach Jordan d. Jurupa Valley, 3-0
Oakwood d. Savanna, 3-1
Knight d. Santa Ana, 3-2
Godinez d. Santa Barbara Providence, 3-2
Los Amigos d. San Jacinto Valley, 3-2
Indio d. Katella, 3-1
Tustin d. Highland, 3-0
Loara d. Gabrielino, 3-2

DIVISION 9
Palm Valley d. Bassett, 25-15, 28-26, 25-17
Webb d. Inglewood, 3-2
Le Lycée d. Acaciawood Academy, 25-16, 25-20, 25-21
Edgewood 3, Rim of the World 2
Indian Springs d. Compton Early College, 25-21, 25-20, 19-25, 25-13
YULA d. Coachella Valley, 3-0
Duarte d. Southwestern Academy, 3-0
Vasquez d. Legacy College Prep, 20-25, 25-20, 25-18, 25-19
Wildwood d. Garden Grove Santiago, 3-2
Cantwell Sacred Heart d. Pilgrim, 3-1
Bethel Baptist d. Pacific Lutheran, 3-2
Avalon d. South El Monte, 3-1
Downey Calvary Chapel d. Xavier Prep, 3-1
Southlands Christian d. New Covenant, 3-0

THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE
(Matches at 6 p.m. unless noted)

SECOND ROUND

DIVISION 4
Village Christian at Bolsa Grande, Friday
Chino Hills vs.Long Beach Poly at Lakewood
Warren at Temple City
Liberty at Royal
Sunny Hills at St. Monica Prep
Northwood at Elsinore
Crossroads at Los Altos
Harvard-Westlake at San Marino

DIVISION 6
Temecula Valley at St. Francis
San Gabriel at Beverly Hills
Culver City at El Modena
Samueli Academy at Firebaugh
Ayala at Garden Grove
Moorpark at Capistrano Valley Christian
Pasadena Poly at Yucaipa
Santa Ana Calvary Chapel at Cerritos

DIVISION 8
Temescal Canyon at West Covina
Paramount at Santa Rosa Academy, 5 p.m.
Miller vs. CAMS at Long Beach Cabrillo
Cathedral City at Eastside
Burbank Providence at Temecula Prep
West Valley at Laguna Blanca
Palmdale Aerospace Academy at Garey
Desert Hot Springs at Glendale Adventist, 5 p.m.

Note: Second Round Divisions 3, 5, 7, 9 May 1; Quarterfinals Divisions 1 & 2 May 5; Quarterfinals Divisions 3-9 May 6; Semifinals All Divisions May 9; Finals All Divisions May 15-16.

Deliveries of the CH-53K King Stallion to the U.S. Marine Corps are starting to ramp up, with the planned 16-aircraft annual milestone now expected for Fiscal Year 2029. The Marine Corps also says that, for the future, they are open to developing a mine countermeasures version, something that would be able to replace the current MH-53E.

Updates on the latest developments within the Marine Corps’ CH-53K program were today provided by Col. Kate Fleeger, a program manager for the H-53 Helicopters Program, at the annual Modern Day Marine conference in Washington, D.C., at which TWZ is in attendance.

Fleeger confirmed that, while the legacy CH-53E and MH-53E are “both still healthy and viable” and critical components of the Marine Corps fleet, the focus is now very much on the CH-53K as the future of heavy lift.

Currently, four Marine Corps squadrons have CH-53Ks as part of their stable, and Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 461 (HMH-461), which was the first fleet squadron, is fully outfitted with Kilos.

“We also have our training squadron, HMHT-302, which has received multiple CH-53Ks and will continue to be a dual type/model series training squadron throughout the transition from the Echo to the Kilo,” Fleeger explained. “We also have the CH-53K in our developmental test squadron, HX-21 at Patuxent River, and with our operational test squadron, VMX-1, in Yuma, Arizona.”

With the CH-53K “rocking and rolling across the board,” the 25th example off the Sikorsky production line in Stratford, Connecticut, was delivered earlier this week. Fleeger said that the service expects to add another eight aircraft for the rest of the year. This is part of a total Marine Corps program of record of 200 aircraft, a figure that has not changed. On top of this figure, Israel has procured 12 CH-53Ks, and Fleeger confirmed that the country is “in conversations” about the potential for additional aircraft.

As part of ongoing training work, HMH-461 has been putting the CH-53K through its paces “in every clime and place in CONUS,” Fleeger said. This has included taking the aircraft on detachments at the Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) school in Yuma, and in exercises out of Twentynine Palms, California.

Fleeger said she is “extremely happy with how the aircraft is performing” with the operational fleet.

Meanwhile, the CH-53K is also still being tested, with the two units covering operational and developmental tests. “We are continuing to expand the envelope of the baseline aircraft that’s been delivered to the fleet, whether it’s expansion of the envelope with the existing equipment, or whether it’s modifications that allow for additional capability moving forward, and ultimately providing those modifications to fleet aircraft,” Fleeger explained.

Part of the recent mission expansion saw one CH-53K lifted by another example of the same type, to broaden options for the Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel, or TRAP mission. The aircraft that was lifted had its gear boxes and engines removed, but this is common practice, Fleeger said. The purpose of the test was not only to set up and document the flight characteristics, but also the rigging procedures. In the test, the aircraft that provided the sling load weighed about 28,000 pounds, which is well below the 36,000 pounds maximum external load for the CH-53K.

“When you talk to the pilots that lift something like that, even something that heavy, there’s very little ‘feel’ in the cockpit that you have a significant load underneath,” she added.

One of the other elements of additional testing has involved aviation ground fuel delivery. This involved a CH-53K landing with fuel and then providing this fuel to a V-22 tiltrotor that landed next to it.

At the same time, the transition to the CH-53K has involved training pilots with four Containerized Flight Training Devices (CFTD) now delivered. “They are state-of-the-art, fully immersive environments that have some of the highest fidelity visual databases and digital acuity that you’ll see in flight simulation today,” Fleeger said.

“The pilots have every opportunity to see exactly what’s going to happen in the aircraft before they even get in the aircraft. The idea here is the first time a pilot sits in that cockpit on the flight line is kind of a non-event, because he’s basically seen everything he needs to see along the way.”

These new CFTDs consist of a mobile box with the “guts of the simulator inside.” As Fleeger explained, “Gone are the days of the big dome, fully motion-based simulators that we’ve had previously. The motion platform is no longer a big portion of what provides the training fidelity. The majority of that fidelity actually comes from the visual systems, the realism of the visual system, and the haptic cueing to the pilots.

Another training aid is the Advanced Aviation Training Device, or AATD, new for the H-53 community, but loosely based on some of the early developmental training systems that arrived with the V-22, with its interactive cockpit learning environment.

“This is a lower fidelity,” Fleeger said, “There’s just screens, computer monitors, if you will, that show the pilot the outside visuals. But the pilot also has a see-through virtual-reality goggle set that he puts on. It’s absolutely amazing technology that really allows you, with very little additional cost, to be able to get that immersive and simulated environment.”

The AATD is designed primarily as a familiarization training device or for refresher-level training. “You got a few minutes, you go spend some time in here,” Fleeger explained. “You brush up on some stuff. It can also be used for some of the more advanced activities, like tactics, techniques, and procedures development. You can get in there and try some things out before you get to the aircraft and do it in the real world.”

The AATD has been so successful at its current location in New River, close to the training squadron, that the Marines expect to expand throughout the rest of the fleet as it works through the CH-53K transition.

Concurrently, Fleeger says the service has been “very forward-leaning with our Marines in the maintenance shed and making sure that they have the training tools that they need in order to prepare for a state-of-the-art, very data-intensive, data-rich aircraft.”

Maintenance of the fleet benefits from a fully condition-based maintenance model, at least for some of the CH-53K’s components.

“We can look at the vibratory signatures, the temperature signatures on gearboxes, for example, and we can understand when that gearbox might be approaching the end of its life.” The result is that the fleet is increasingly able to manage the maintenance rather than having the maintenance manage them. They can decide when they want to change that gearbox, for example, depending on operational commitments, the amount of flight time they may have planned, the criticality of that flight time, the availability of spares, and so on.

All of this training, including shipboard evolutions, is building up toward the first operational deployment, with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, in Fiscal Year 2027. Last month, the CH-53K fleet hit 10,000 fleet flight hours, a big milestone considering there are currently only 25 aircraft in the fleet.

At this stage, there are 12 aircraft sitting on the production line in Stratford, in various phases of completion.

“The fact that there are 12 aircraft is a big improvement as we move forward in the ramp-up through low-rate initial production,” Fleeger explained.

Once Sikorsky hits the milestone of 16 production aircraft per year, this will trigger the start of the Marine Corps CH-53K transition from East Coast to West Coast, and thus across the entire heavy-lift fleet.

Fleeger said that the line will be “getting up there” toward full-rate production at the end of Fiscal Year 2028, with the milestone to be achieved in FY29.

“The East Coast squadrons will complete transition, and then the transition plan will move out to the West Coast, and we will start transitioning the West Coast squadrons there as well,” Fleeger added. The CH-53E is slated to be retired in 2032.

As for the Navy MH-53E Sea Dragon, it is slated to be withdrawn in 2027. Exactly what will happen with its primary airborne mine countermeasures mission, a general capability set that is increasingly in the spotlight, is unclear. Currently, the Navy is beefing its MH-60 Seahawk mine countermeasures capabilities to help offset the loss. Still, the unique heavy countermeasures sled-towing capability that will be gone when the MH-53E leaves the inventory is likely to be felt, as will the heaviest vertical lift capability organic to the U.S. Navy.

According to Fleeger, “there have not yet been conversations about the Navy procuring the CH-53K or producing a minesweeping variant.” However, she added that “we are certainly open to that in the future, should that need arise.”

Whether or not the CH-53K eventually adopts another new mission, the type is clearly keeping busy for the time being, as the Marine Corps looks forward to taking it on its first operational deployment next year.

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com

LONDON — In the world of diplomatic faux pas, it could have been a lot worse.

At Tuesday’s state dinner honoring King Charles III and Queen Camilla, President Trump said that during a private meeting earlier in the day the British monarch had agreed with him that Iran should never be allowed to have nuclear weapons.

“We’re doing a little Middle East work right now … and we’re doing very well,” Trump told the audience. “We have militarily defeated that particular opponent, and we’re never going to let that opponent ever — Charles agrees with me, even more than I do — we’re never going to let that opponent have a nuclear weapon.”

While many Britons would agree with the president’s sentiment, the comment triggered mild consternation among pundits in the U.K.

By convention, people aren’t supposed to relay private conversations with the monarch. That is partly because the king has to remain above the political fray, but also because the sovereign doesn’t have the ability to wade into a public debate and correct the record if he’s misquoted.

“Generally, as a matter of protocol, I think I would expect discussions between heads of state to be sort of behind the scenes, in those closed meetings, for those to be sort of kept private,” said Craig Prescott, an expert on constitutional law and the monarchy at Royal Holloway, University of London. “And, you know, this was something that the U.K. government wanted to avoid.”

There had been a fair amount of jitters before the king’s trip to the United States, which comes amid Trump’s very public frustration with U.K. Prime Minster Keir Starmer over his failure to support U.S. actions in the Iran war.

Like all royal visits, this is a carefully choreographed diplomatic event carried out at the request of the U.K. government, which hopes that warm relations between the king and Trump can help repair the rift.

But Trump is an unconventional leader who has a penchant for breaking protocol, and there were concerns about just what he might say or do.

At least in this case, the king’s comments seemed clearly within the bounds of existing U.K. government policy.

“The King is naturally mindful of his government’s long-standing and well-known position on the prevention of nuclear proliferation,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement designed to provide context to the president’s remarks.

Prescott said that “in a sense, this was always the issue, just what Trump would do or say — would he put the king in an embarrassing position?’’ Prescott said.

“You always had that sort of issue of what he would post on social media,” he said. “And I think, you know, this could have been much, much worse.”

Before the state dinner, Charles gave a speech to a joint session of U.S. Congress. The king received repeated standing ovations during the address, which celebrated the longstanding bonds between the U.S. and Britain while nodding to differences over NATO, support for Ukraine and the need to combat climate change.

Now, from the U.K. government’s point of view, the trip is shifting to safer ground as the king and queen leave Washington behind and head to New York, where the focus will be on the city’s creative industries, rather than politics.

The most difficult part of the trip may be over, Prescott said.

“If this is the only controversy arising out of this phase of the state visit, I think overall this has been an enormous success for the king and the British government, because the king was able to make some quite pointed remarks in Congress and it hasn’t really yielded any sort of negative reaction from the president.”

“In a sense,” he said, “you get the feeling that the king rather charmed Washington with his speech to Congress and, you know, his very witty speech at the state banquet.”

Kirka writes for the Associated Press.

April 29 (UPI) — Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla laid flowers at the Sept. 11 memorial and met with victims’ families and first responders in New York City on the third day of their state visit to the United States.

It was the first visit by a reigning British monarch since Queen Elizabeth II visited in 2010.

The terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center in 2001 killed nearly 2,800 people, 67 of them British. During the queen’s trip, she officially opened what is now called the Queen Elizabeth II September 11th Garden. The lower Manhattan space honors the British citizens who died in the attacks.

The royal couple laid flowers beside the reflecting pool, which has the names of victims etched into the side. Standing beside them were firefighters and officers from the New York Police Department, the Port Authority Police Department and the New York Fire Department, in dress uniforms, The New York Times reported.

Charles spoke to both houses of Congress on Tuesday, and he mentioned that 9/11 was the first time that NATO invoked Article 5, which declares that an attack on any members is an attack on all.

Charles referenced the attacks during the speech.

“We stood with you then,” he said. “And we stand with you now in solemn remembrance of a day that shall never be forgotten.”

Trump has repeatedly claimed that NATO has never come to the aid of the United States.

Charles also emphasized his country’s involvement in the war in Afghanistan. Trump said earlier this year that British troops “held back” in the war, which caused some Brits to demand the state visit be canceled.

After the visit to the memorial, the king went to Harlem to meet with young people who run an urban farm. He fed lettuce to the chickens, The Times reported.

Camilla visited the New York Public Library and gave a speech about the power of literature. She gave the library a replica of Roo, the character in Winnie the Pooh, a British children’s classic.

The library has the original stuffed animals that inspired A.A. Milne to write the Pooh series, but the Roo animal was lost.

Wednesday evening, the king and queen will attend a reception with “celebrated creative and cultural figures from both sides of the Atlantic,” the British Embassy said. They will then head back to Washington.

The pair will attend a block party for the United States’ 250th anniversary in Virginia Thursday and say good-bye to Trump, ending their state visit.

April 29 (UPI) — U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump hosted King Charles III and Queen Camilla at a state dinner at the White House on Tuesday, where both leaders praised the U.S.-British relationship and pledged to strengthen the alliance.

In the East Room of the White House, Trump described the king’s state visit to the White House as “historic,” occurring as they prepare to celebrate the United States’ 250th year of independence.

“It is only natural that Americans begin this by paying tribute to the transcendent bond we share with the nation that Thomas Jefferson himself called our mother country,” Trump said.

“Tonight, on the eve of our 250th year of cherished independence, we turn to the sovereign embodiment of our British heritage and say, sincerely, thank you to our friends, the United Kingdom, for the richest inheritance that any nation has ever given to another.”

He complimented the “fantastic speech” Charles had given only a few hours earlier before a joint meeting of Congress, joking that the king was able to garner a standing ovation from the Democrats.

“I’ve never been able to do that,” Trump said. “They like him more than they’ve ever liked any Republican or Democrat, actually.”

Charles echoed Trump in his own speech that followed, stating that he was glad for the opportunity to renew the “bonds of history and friendship” between their two nations and people.

“Ours is an unbreakable bond of history and heritage, culture and commerce, industry and invention, and we are determined to face the future together,” Charles said.

“Tonight, we are here to renew an indispensable alliance, which has long been a cornerstone of prosperity and security for both British and American citizens.”

Referring to the demolished East Wing where construction is underway on Trump’s $400 million ballroom, Charles joked that he couldn’t help but notice the “readjustments” to the White House followed the president’s visit to Windsor Castle in September.

In the same vein, he jokingly apologized for the British “attempt at real estate redevelopment of the White House in 1814,” when British forces set fire to the building during the War of 1812.

At the end of his speech, Charles presented Trump with the bell from the HMS Trump, a British submarine that the king said played a “critical role” during the Pacific War.

“May it stand as a testimony to our nation’s shared history and shining future,” he said. “And should you ever need to get a hold of us — well, just give us a ring.”

The pair spoke for about 25 minutes before more than 125 attendees, according to the guest list. They included six conservative U.S. Supreme Court justices, several members of Trump’s Cabinet and business leaders Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Tim Cook of Apple and Robert Kraft of the Kraft Group.

A statement from the first lady said the decor of the dinner was intended to reflect “a shared appreciation for gardens,” with guests greeted by cherry blossoms as they entered the Grand Foyer, towering trees and blooming garden boxes.

Tables were clothed in green pleated linens and set with more than 250 pieces of vermeil from the White House collection, the Office of the First Lady said.

The three-course meal included garden vegetable veloute, handcrafted spring herbed ravioli with ricotta cheese and morels, a Dover sole meuniere, potato pave, spring ramps, snow peas and parsley oil.

For dessert, the attendees were served a beehive-shaped chocolate gateau with a vanilla bean cremeux custard inside an almond joconde, all with a creme fraiche ice cream.

King Charles III has hailed US-UK ties at a state dinner in the White House after speaking at a joint session of Congress in a rare appearance by a British monarch. The visit marks 250 years since American independence, and comes amid strains over the war on Iran.

Britain’s King Charles III has used a speech in front of the United States Congress to pledge NATO unity and call for support for Ukraine amid Russia’s ongoing invasion.

The address on Tuesday came during the royal’s four-day visit to the US, with the US-Israel war with Iran, US President Donald Trump’s criticism of NATO, and trade tensions between the longtime allies looming large.

But Charles avoided any reference to specific frictions during his speech at the US Capitol, instead striking a light tone in his joke-heavy opening.

He praised what he called the shared history and values of the two countries, quipping at one point that Washington, DC was “a tale of two Georges”, the first US President George Washington and his ancestor, the UK’s King George.

He assured lawmakers, to laughs, he was not in the US “as part of some cunning rearguard action” in a delayed continuation of the Revolutionary War.

“I am here on this great occasion in the life of our nations to express the highest regard and friendship of the British people to the people of the United States,” the sovereign said to repeated standing ovations.

But amid broad themes of unity, more pointed messages lurked.

Charles did not directly address the US-Israel war with Iran or Trump’s outspoken criticism of NATO allies who have rejected joining Washington’s war efforts.

Instead, he praised support for NATO and the alliance’s invocation of its Article 5 collective defence treaty in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks.

“We answered the call together, as our people have done so for more than a century, shoulder to shoulder through two world wars, the Cold War, Afghanistan and moments that have defined our shared security,” he said.

He then turned to funding for Ukraine, an increasingly pointed issue in the Republican-controlled US Congress.

“Today, Mr Speaker, that same unyielding resolve is needed for the defence of Ukraine and her most courageous people,” he said, referring to House Speaker Mike Johnson.

In one instance, Charles hailed the “$430 billion in annual trade that continues to grow, the $1.7 trillion in mutual investment that fuels that innovation”.

Last week, Trump threatened to impose a “big tariff” on the UK if it did not drop a digital services tax on US tech companies.

At another point, Charles pointed to global environmental concerns.

“We ignore, at our peril, the fact that these natural systems, in other words, nature’s own economy, provide the foundation for our prosperity and our national security,” he said.

Trump has called climate change a “con job” and withdrew from the landmark Paris Agreement climate accords during his first and second terms. His administration has since pursued deregulation of fossil fuels and pivoted away from green energy, an approach embraced by many members of the president’s Republican party.

Other messages appeared to gently reference political trends in the US, where critics have accused Trump of using the Department of Justice for political retribution and of overturning long-standing norms of presidential authority.

Charles described the “common ideals” of the US and UK: “The rule of law, the certainty of stable and accessible rules, an independent judiciary, resolving disputes and delivering impartial justice”.

He also drew a throughline between the Magna Carta, the 13th-century document that established that the British king was subject to law, and constitutional and legal precedent in the US, calling it “the foundation of the principle that executive power is subject to checks and balances”.

The address came shortly before Trump was set to host Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, for an official state dinner.

The pair were then set to visit New York and Virginia, before an official farewell ceremony at the White House on Thursday.