Prince William has met Donald Trump for the first time since the American was re-elected president last month.
The pair shook hands at a ceremony in Paris to mark the five-year restoration and reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral – attended by leaders from around the world.
They exchanged a few words and Mr Trump patted William on the shoulder.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
World leaders gather at Notre-Dame Cathedral for reopening ceremony
Later in the evening, the Prince of Wales is expected to discuss the importance of the US-UK’s “special relationship” with the president-elect, who is due to take office on 20 January.
Among the 1,500 dignitaries also attending the Notre-Dame ceremony are billionaire Elon Musk – a close adviser in Mr Trump’s transition team – US first lady Jill Biden and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and former French presidents Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy were also in attendance.
The event in the French capital marked the reopening of the 12th-century church after the building almost collapsed in a fire in April 2019.
More on Donald Trump
Related Topics:
‘The bells are ringing again’
Following the devastating blaze, people donated nearly $1bn (£780m) – a tribute to its worldwide appeal.
Image: Mr Trump patted Prince William on the shoulder
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his “gratitude” to those who saved, helped and rebuilt the cathedral, which had the word “merci” projected onto the front on Saturday evening.
“I stand before you… to express the gratitude of the French nation,” he said at the ceremony.
“Tonight, the bells of Notre-Dame are ringing again. And in a moment, the organ will awaken”, sending the “music of hope” to Parisians, France and the world.
The first responders who helped preserve the Gothic masterpiece and some of those who then restored it were given a standing ovation.
William and Mr Trump had originally been scheduled to meet before the cathedral event.
The prince last met him during his state visit to the UK in 2019, while he crossed paths with President Joe Biden in 2022 in Boston for his Earthshot Prize.
Image: (L-R) Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron and Volodymyr Zelenskyy met earlier in the day at the Elysee Palace. Pic: AP
Trump and Zelenskyy meet
Earlier on Saturday, Mr Macron organised a meeting between Mr Trump and Mr Zelenskyy at the Elysee Palace in what was seen as a coup for the French president days after his prime minister Michel Barnier was ousted by parliament.
The Archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich, led more than 1,500 guests through the service in the first part of the cathedral’s rebirth, with an inaugural Mass set for Sunday.
He struck the doors three times with his crozier, or bishop’s cross, before symbolically reopening the building, and the choir began to sing.
Image: Paris’ archbishop Laurent Ulrich knocks on the doors of Notre-Dame Cathedral during its formal reopening. Pic: AP
Minutes earlier, the cathedral’s bells rang out as Mr Macron welcomed his guests.
Inside, 42,000 square meters of stonework – an area equal to six football pitches – have been meticulously cleaned, revealing luminous limestone and intricate carvings.
Overhead, 2,000 oak beams, nicknamed “the forest”, were used to rebuild the spire and roof, restoring the cathedral’s iconic silhouette.
The thunderous great organ, with 7,952 pipes, resounded for the first time since the fire.
It is William’s first official visit to Paris since 2017, when he travelled with wife Kate for a two-day trip in the aftermath of the Brexit result.
In June this year, he joined other world leaders in Normandy for the 80th anniversary commemorations of the D-Day landings.
In a stark and direct intervention, Martin Griffiths, the former UN humanitarian chief, has described the situation in Gaza as genocide.
The statement, made during an interview I conducted with Griffiths on The World, marks one of the most pointed accusations yet from a figure known to be deeply embedded in the world of international politics and diplomacy.
“I think now we’ve got to the point this is unequivocal. Of course it is genocide. Just as it is weaponising aid.
“We don’t need to look behind ourselves to see that’s the case. That should encourage us even more because we, of course, all doubted whether it would come to that level of definition.
“We all doubted whether famine is actually there. I think starvation is killing people. That’s bad enough. We don’t have to worry about famine, which is obviously there lurking in the shadows.
“Also, genocide… of course that’s what has happened. We only need to look at the statements made. Prime Minister Netanyahuhas the virtue of being very clear about his objectives.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
3:14
Ex-Israeli aide dismisses genocide claims
His choice of words is extraordinary – not just for its gravity, but because it’s Griffiths who is saying it.
A veteran diplomat with decades of experience navigating complex international crises, Griffiths is known for his calm and thoughtful demeanour – not for inflammatory language.
For him to use the term “genocide” in a television interview signals a significant shift in how some within the international system are now interpreting events on the ground in Gaza – 20 months since Israel launched its war.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Just weeks earlier, Tom Fletcher, another respected former British ambassador and current UN humanitarian chief, came close to using the phrase during a UN Security Council session.
Spreaker
This content is provided by Spreaker, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Spreaker cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Spreaker cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow Spreaker cookies for this session only.
He said: “What more evidence do you need now? Will you act decisively to prevent genocide and to ensure respect for international humanitarian law? Or will you say instead: ‘we did all we could?'”
Whilst he stopped short, his tone showed a clear change in how leading international figures now view the direction of Israeli military operations in Gaza; staggering civilian deaths, and the statements made by Israeli officials prosecuting this war.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Lawyers representing Israel against accusations brought by South Africa to the International Court of Justice last year – accusing its actions in Gaza of amounting to genocide – called the claims “unfounded”, “absurd” and amounting to “libel”.
They went on to say Israel respected international law and had a right to defend itself.
Now 41.2% of Europe finds itself in some form of drought, according to the latest update from the EU’s European Drought Observatory, which covers 11 to 20 May.
It is most acute in pockets of south-eastern Spain, Cyprus, Greece and Albania, where the strongest “alert” category has been issued, as well as parts of Poland and Ukraine.
But broad stretches of northern and eastern Europe through France, Germany, Poland and Ukraine also drying up, sowing concerns about crop yields.
On Thursday, the UK’s Environment Agency officially declared a drought in North West England after river and reservoir levels were licked away by a dry spring.
Image: More than 40% of Europe was in drought as of 11-20 May 2025. Pic: CEMS / EDO
Image: Heat was record high in March in Europe. The image on the right shows the south of the continent was much wetter than average and the north much drier. Source: Copernicus Climate Change Service
Greece tourism is ‘unsustainable’
In Greece, “overtourism” from millions flocking to its beaches adds further pressure to water supplies, said Nikitas Mylopoulos, professor of water resource management at Thessaly University.
“The tourist sector is unsustainable and there is no planning… leading to a tremendous rise in water demand in summer,” he told Sky News.
“The islands have an intense problem of drought and water scarcity.”
Islands like Santorini and Mykonos are now forced to ship in water from Athens or desalination plants to provide for showers and swimming pools. In the past, many residents could make do with local methods like rainwater harvesting.
But agriculture is a far bigger drain on the country’s water, with waste rife and policies lacking, said Prof Mylopoulos.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
1:55
‘Tropical nights’ soar in European hotspots
Wildfire season could be ‘particularly difficult’
This year’s hot and dry conditions are also fuelling the risk of yet another fierce wildfire season in Greece.
Last week civil protection minister Ioannis Kefalogiannis warned of a “particularly difficult” summer.
He said a record 18,000 firefighters have been deployed and the drone fleet almost doubled in a bid to combat fires being fuelled by a hotter climate.
Droughts and their causes are more complicated, but scientists at World Weather Attribution say global warming is exacerbating drought in some parts of the world, including around the Mediterranean.
Image: A drought was declared in northwest England on Thursday. Pic: Reuters
The International Hydropower Association said drought and intense rain in Europe are pushing power plants to “operate at the limits of their existing equipment”.
Extreme weather costs the EU about €28.3bn (£23.8bn) in lost crops and livestock per year, according to insurance firm Howden.
Hayley Fowler, professor of climate change impacts at Newcastle University, said: “With global warming, we expect more prolonged and intense droughts and heatwaves punctuated by more intense rainfall, possibly causing flash floods.
“In recent years, we have experienced more of these atmospheric blocks, causing record heat and persistent drought, as well as severe flooding in other locations in Europe.
“Recent months have been no different, with prolonged dry conditions and heatwaves in northern Europe and floods in southern Europe.”
At least 117 people have died and others are still missing after heavy flooding in Nigeria, an emergency official said.
Authorities initially said 21 people had died but this figure has today risen significantly.
Media reports quoting local government officials said a dam collapse has worsened the situation.
Ibrahim Hussaini, head of Niger State Emergency Management Agency, said some 3,000 houses were underwater in two communities.
Videos posted on social media show floodwater sweeping through neighbourhoods, with rooftops barely visible above the brown currents. One clip shows a tanker floating through a town.
Image: A tanker is swept away by floodwaters
The chairman of the Mokwa local government area suggested poor infrastructure has worsened the impact of the flooding.
Jibril Muregi has appealed to the government to start “long overdue” construction of waterways in the area under a climate resilience project.
More on Climate Change
Related Topics:
Image: Water appears to be flowing over a dam behind the town
Follow The World
Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday
In a similar occurrence last September, torrential rains and a dam collapse in Nigeria’s northeastern Maiduguri caused severe flooding, leaving at least 30 people dead and displacing millions.
Nigeriais prone to flooding during the rainy season, which began in April – and flooding is becoming more common and extreme as the climate warms.
Hotter air is thirstier and can hold more moisture – about 7% more for every 1C warmer – meaning it unleashes heavier flooding when it rains.
Violent rain, which killed hundreds of people in Nigeria during 2022, was made at least 80 times more likely and 20% more intense by climate change, analysis by World Weather Attribution found.