Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani is heading to Syria to encourage the transition in the country following the ouster of President Bashar Assad by Islamist insurgents.

From left, Günter Sautter, German Political Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy talk to each other

That last quality explains Sir Olly’s imminent return to Whitehall from the private sector, as the permanent under-secretary, or top official, of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

Figures shared by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) earlier that week, attributed to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, estimate that in November 2024 Russian casualties totalled 45,680. But this figure includes both troops who were killed and those who were wounded – it does not refer solely to deaths.

Presented by Goldman Sachs By EMILIO CASALICCHIO with NOAH KEATE PRESENTED BY Send tips here | Subscribe for free | Listen to Playbook and view in your browser Good afternoon. This is Emilio