Baptism of fire as Liz Truss heads to US amid submarine row

As France accuses the US and Australia of lies and duplicity', new UK foreign secretary faces major diplomatic incident on her first official overseas trip

Liz Truss is heading for a furious diplomatic confrontation with France on her first trip abroad as foreign secretary, as anger mounts in Paris over the cancellation of a 48bn nuclear submarine contract.

Truss, whose appointment was one of the biggest surprises of Boris Johnson's cabinet reshuffle last Wednesday, will arrive in the US on Sunday before a four-day visit to New York and Washington during which she is aiming to promote the prime minister's vision of global Britain" to international leaders.