Details have emerged of the first conversation between US President-elect Donald Trump and Theresa May, the British Prime Minister.
In an exchange that astounded some political observers in the UK, Mr Trump told Mrs May: "If you travel to the US, you should let me know," seemingly oblivious to the months of preparation that go into an official visit, not to mention the usual diplomatic protocols.
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Trump name-checks Australia in Twitter rant
It's no surprise that US President-elect Donald Trump used his favourite social media platform to hit out at a New York Times story about his transition team.
The details emerged after a transcript of the call was leaked to the Times newspaper in the UK.
The Times reported that the "informality of the invitation raised eyebrows among British officials", while The Independent said Mr Trump's "extraordinarily casual phrase" was said to have "stunned civil servants".
The Daily Mirror called the invitation "bizarrely un-Presidential".
In the call, Mr Trump also asked Mrs May to pass his regards on to Queen Elizabeth during her next visit to Buckingham Palace.
Mr Trump told Mrs May the UK was a "very special place for me and my country".
He spoke about his late mother, who was born in Scotland, saying that she had been a big fan of the Queen's.
The pair spoke for around 10 minutes, with Mrs May well down the pecking order of world leaders to speak with Mr Trump in the first chaotic days after his shock election win.
The leader of the far-right UKIP Nigel Farage beat Mrs May – and everyone else – to an audience with Mr Trump, becoming the first foreign politician to meet the President-elect.
Australia skipped the queue when ambassador to the US, Joe Hockey, called in a favour from golfer Greg Norman to get hold of Mr Trump's personal mobile.
Mr Trump's dealings so far with foreign leaders have drawn criticism for their ad-hoc approach, with reports that many of the calls have been conducted casually and without briefings.
The President-elect himself sought to dampen criticism in a series of tweets on Wednesday morning.
Mr Trump was due to meet Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday (US time), but as late as Wednesday night Japanese officials said that plans had not been finalised and they did not know when or where in New York the meeting would take place, or who would be invited.
Japanese and US officials said on Wednesday the State Department had not been involved in planning the meeting, leaving the logistical and protocol details that normally would be settled far in advance still to be determined.
"There has been a lot of confusion," said one Japanese official.
While world leaders sometimes hold loosely planned bilateral meetings at regional summits, it is unusual for foreign leaders to hold high-level diplomatic talks in the United States without detailed planning. Mr Abe is on his way to an Asia-Pacific summit in Peru.
State Department spokesman John Kirby said that to his knowledge, Mr Trump's transition team had not been in contact with the Department either to discuss the transition of government or to seek information ahead of his meetings with foreign leaders.
Mr Trump is expected to use the meeting with Mr Abe to reassure Japan and other Asian allies rattled by his campaign rhetoric, advisers to Mr Trump said.
But Mr Trump, a brash outsider with no diplomatic or government experience, and Mr Abe, a veteran lawmaker, have differences on policy issues such as free trade.
Fairfax Media with Reuters