Britain's May to hold talks with Trump at G-20

[LONDON] British Prime Minister Theresa May will hold talks with Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Hamburg, a UK government official told AFP on Wednesday.

The bilateral meeting on Friday comes as both leaders face tough challenges on the world stage, with Mrs May stumbling through the Brexit process and several of Mr Trump's aides under investigation for possible ties with Russia.

The G-20 in Germany will likely be dominated by North Korea's testing of an intercontinental ballistic missile which could reach the US, prompting Mr Trump to declare he had run out of "patience" with the Pyongyang regime.

On the eve of the summit he will meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, while Friday will see Mr Trump hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The US president touched down in Europe on Wednesday evening, starting his four-day trip in Warsaw where he will be hosted by Polish President Andrzej Duda.

Mr Trump's second foreign tour follows his visit to Italy in May for the G-7 summit, during which he clashed with other leaders on climate change.

He has found a cautious ally in Britain's leader, who hotfooted to Washington just days after Mr Trump was elected in the hope she could secure the promise of future trade ties once the UK leaves the European Union.

But the visit received huge criticism at home, with a petition against Mrs May's offer to Mr Trump of a state visit to London attracting more than 1.8 million signatures.

The prime minister's office said it is not aware of plans for Mr Trump to visit the UK in the next few weeks, following reports that the US president could arrive at short notice in a bid to avoid mass protests.

AFP