Andy Burnham said he expects to find "common ground" with Donald Trump at the pair's first face-to-face meeting on Tuesday. The prime minister and US president are in New York City for the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations.

The two men have spoken by phone twice since Burnham became prime minister in July, with Downing Street saying those calls established a "productive relationship"." We've found a connection.

So, I will go with where I feel it's right, to meet him where he is at, and search for that common ground, which I'm sure we'll find," the prime minister told reporters on his flight to the US, adding " I'm looking forward to it." Burnham has travelled to New York with his wife, Marie-France van Heel, for a day of diplomacy and a speech to the UN General Assembly, which is expected to focus on the opportunities and dangers associated with artificial intelligence (AI).

He said: " I will be making the case for closer international co-operation on AI, a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, and renewed efforts to bring an end to the conflict in the Middle East because what happens abroad impacts each and every one of us at home." The prime minister will also announce the start of work on a new AI and Autonomy partnership between the UK and the US, focused on protecting critical national infrastructure using AI tech.

He will also call for a global pause on superintelligent AI and propose a new International AI Safety Agency. His criticisms come after a series of stark warnings from the AI industry about the technology's possible dangers.

For a new British prime minister, the first meeting with a US president has always been a pivotal encounter, but officials are well aware of the added jeopardy of a public appearance alongside the most unpredictable president in American history. In advance of the meeting, the UK revealed that the UK and the US have, for the first time, fired an American torpedo from a British undersea drone in a military exercise.

The torpedo, described as "heavyweight" by UK officials, is "designed to sink ships and deep diving submarines", Downing Street said. It was launched in UK waters last week from a 12-metre long undersea drone called Excalibur, made in Plymouth.

It is the first time either the UK or the US have launched a torpedo from an uncrewed underwater vessel, rather than a crewed submarine, and is seen as a breakthrough in attempts to protect vital infrastructure such as deep sea data cables." Our work together already shows what can be achieved when our two countries combine our expertise and innovation," the prime minister said.