UN ambassador set to retire as war looms

Britain's ambassador to the United Nations, Sir Jeremy Greenstock, a key figure behind the return of UN weapons inspectors to Iraq, is to leave his post in June, it was announced yesterday.

The announcement of Sir Jeremy's retirement has raised questions about the continuity and effectiveness of British diplomacy at the UN amid fraught talks over the fate of Iraq. He was instrumental in steering resolution 1441, which led to the return of weapons inspectors to Iraq and staved off unilateral US military action.

His successor was named as Sir Emyr Jones Parry, 55, who is UK permanent representative to Nato and has spent most of his career dealing with European policy. He will be replaced at Nato by Peter Ricketts, 50, who is political director at the Foreign Office, and has served in the US, Hong Kong and Paris, and at Nato headquarters in Brussels between 1978 and 1981.

The departure of Mr Ricketts to Nato means that two of Mr Blair's most senior foreign policy advisers will not be in London from the middle of next year. Sir David Manning, chief foreign policy adviser at Downing Street, takes over as ambassador in Washington in June. The outgoing ambassador, Sir Christopher Meyer, is returning to Britain to head the Press Complaints Commission.

¿ There is "some risk" of Britons being targeted by terrorists in South Africa, the Foreign Office said last night. Britons also risk being "caught up" in attacks aimed at others, amended travel advice added.

The White House called off George Bush's planned trip to Africa next month, citing the stand-off with Iraq and a desire to start work on domestic priorities as the reasons.