US President Joe Biden found himself at the centre of a political faux-pas when he got the pronunciation of the new British Prime Minister's name wrong.
Mr Biden was referring to Rishi Sunak during a speech on Diwali, marking the popular Hindu festival, but found himself way off in how he pronounced his name.
He said: "Just today we've got news...that Rashi Sunuk is now the prime minister.
"As my brother would say...go figure.
"And the Conservative Party. He is expected to become the Prime Minister I think tomorrow when he goes to see the King.
"Pretty astounding. A ground breaking milestone and it matters, it matters".
Rishi Sunak and Joe Biden spoke on Tuesday, with the US President calling the UK his country’s “closest ally”.
A Downing Street spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister spoke to the President of the United States, Joe Biden, this evening.
“President Biden congratulated the Prime Minister on his appointment and the leaders looked forward to working closely together. President Biden said that the UK remains America’s closest ally, and the Prime Minister agreed on the huge strength of the relationship.
“The leaders discussed the extent of UK-US cooperation, both bilaterally and in regions such as the Indo-Pacific where the Aukus pact forms part of our efforts to enhance stability and counter China’s malign influence.
“They reflected on the leading role our countries are playing in supporting the people of Ukraine and ensuring (Vladimir) Putin fails in this war.
“The Prime Minister and President Biden also agreed on the need to ensure the people of Northern Ireland have security and prosperity through preserving the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement. The leaders looked forward to meeting in person at the upcoming G20 Summit in Indonesia.”
