A senior public figure offered a symbolic gesture of support to a visiting leader following a fraught diplomatic dispute involving a well-known figure across the Atlantic, prompting renewed emphasis on Europe’s shared policy goals and spurring the PM’s commitment to forge stronger alliances.

In an extraordinary outburst at the White House, the US President furiously rebuked a European counterpart live on air, expelled him from a high-level meeting, and drew sharp criticism from the PM and leading Western figures.

Donald Trump and the PM displayed an unexpectedly cordial rapport during White House talks, endorsing the PM’s Chagos proposal and expressing optimism about a beneficial trade agreement.

On the eve of the PM’s pivotal talks with Trump, fresh scrutiny surrounds claims that Labour’s newly bolstered defence budget could finance the transfer of the Chagos Islands, raising significant concerns over potential implications for British interests.