Why has Texas set its sights on London?
In the dimly lit cellars of London's oldest wine merchant, Texas is not the first thing that springs to mind. But nearly 200 years ago, Berry Bros & Rudd was home to the Embassy of the Republic of Texas. If you look closely, you can see a remaining "Texan Legation" plaque on the wall outside the St James's Street store. After Texas joined the US in 1845, the embassy closed - and the Texan diplomats headed home, apparently leaving behind an unpaid rent bill. Now, two centuries later, the State of Texas has opened a dedicated new office just up the road to "grow international trade and tourism and support activities that are key to the economy". Trade between Texas and the UK is already worth about $17bn a year, and the state wants even closer business ties. "One of the things that was very compelling to me is the opportunity to look at dual listings between the London Stock Exchange and the Texas Stock Exchange," says Senator Tan Parker of Texas North and Republican leader of the Texas State Senate. He adds he hopes it will create jobs and opportunities for small and large businesses - both in Texas aiming to enter the UK market, and British companies that want to enter the Texas market. It comes as the state's capital Austin raises the profile of its own stock exchange as a challenger to New York, known as "Y'all Street". "Austin 25 years ago was becoming a big international city and we are doing a lot to mature our way into that international role," the city's mayor, Kirk Watson, tells BBC London. "I also think places like London get something out of these relationships because we talk about things like Austin energy - our municipally-owned utility - renewables, and climate." He also stressed the importance of cities working together to address the growth of artificial intelligence and data centres, and how to implement them in dense urban settings.