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In the dot-to-dot of diplomacy - drawing relationships that are worth something - the meeting between the prince and the president-elect was a moment which the British diplomats who made it happen will be thrilled with.When Donald Trump became US president for the first time, in 2016, the British, along with many other countries, were caught short. They hadn't expected the Trump win and hadn't done their homework. British diplomatic contacts with Mr Trump's transition team back then (which was itself novice compared to this time) were poor.This time things are different. British ambassador Karen Pierce and her team in Washington are on good terms with the Trump team and close contacts have been established over months with the president-elect's surrogates, senior staff and cabinet picks. ...

There was a time not all that long ago when the United States would be seeking clearly to drive and define a particular narrative and outcome for the events unfolding in the Middle East.Seeking to mould events to its own benefit has been a central tenet of American foreign policy. But the remarkable and fast-moving developments in Syria, come at an unusual moment for America.Syria latest: Rebels expand controlIn Washington DC, there is a vacuum of leadership. We are in the midst of the transition between President Joe Biden and president-elect Donald Trump.President Biden is still running things at the White House but his ability to influence events in the Middle East, if he is even inclined to, has been shown to be limited. He is the lamest of lame duck presidents. Mr Trump does not b...

Sir Keir Starmer will travel to the Persian Gulf today as he tries to build stronger trade ties with the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.In his first visit to the region as prime minister, he will aim to boost investment in the UK and deepen defence and security partnerships, said Number 10. The two Middle Eastern countries are among Britain's "most vital modern-day partners", it said in a statement.After flying to the Gulf on Sunday night, Sir Keir will meet UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed on Monday.Later that day, he will fly to Saudi Arabia where he will have talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Sir Keir is facing calls from human rights groups to raise with Saudi leaders the rising number of executions.The PM said: "Driving long-term growth at home requires us to s...

Seismic is an overused word. Not when it comes to events currently under way in Syria, a country straddling the fault lines of the Middle East. The collapse of the Assad regime, if it comes, will be the most significant event yet in the upheaval that's followed the 7 October attacks by Hamas in Israel last year. Syria latest: Rebels expand controlIt would be the end of a brutal reign of terror that has lasted since the Assad family under patriarch Hafez Assad seized power in the early 1970s. And the end of a devastating civil war that has raged since 2011.The Assads have maintained their grip on Syria with diabolical cynicism. They have used massacre and torture, chemical weapons and barrel bombs, to secure their rule for almost five decades. But they have also cleverly leveraged their cou...

The sound of psalms and hymns echoed hauntingly across Paris.Musical notes reaching the ears of those beyond the newly restored walls of Notre-Dame. Despite the bitterly cold and driving rain, masses lined the Seine to witness and be near this beloved French monument at its moment of triumph.The lights illuminating the spire on top and all the way around the cathedral made it a proud centrepiece of this city on this night.There were tears of joy this time from some of those who watched under umbrellas, who had come to see and hear the historic reopening from a distance. And it wasn't just the devout who showed up, there were tourists who had travelled from afar to see the cathedral rise again from ashes. Image: The word 'merci' was projected o...