How to react

Rocking the free world is certainly the theme of the day. Europe at least quakes this morning.

At the weekend I wrote that one outcome of a Donald Trump victory would be Brussel's entry into the spying game.

With the world divided into blocs, Mrs Von der Leyen is now seeking the tools to match the EU’s economic might with its global strategic impact.

The organising feature is the need to have preparedness, by design, for whatever is coming down the track. Ursula Von der Leyen herself is currently transitioning for a second term. With Charles Michel and Josep Borrell leaving their posts as President of the European Council and High Representative for Foreign Affairs, respectively, the former German defence minister has a unique responsibility for drawing up the plans for after January 20, when the new American president is inaugurated.

Tariff wars have been much on the minds of some Brussels watchers, with Mr Trump vowing to impose levies of up to 60 per cent on goods. So, too, has been the fate of war-torn Ukraine. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is one of a rare breed of Trump backers in Europe’s power circles, is predicting a pivot there should the former president seal a remarkable comeback. “If Americans switch to peace, then we also need to adapt,” Mr Orban said this week.

Just the stuff for Europe cadre of intel officers to get to grips with even if allies don't formally spy on each other. You can read the whole argument here.

Doing good

But I really want to talk about something uplifting this week. We went behind the scenes at the Zayed Centre for Research into Rare Diseases, which is a big part of the Great Ormond Street Hospital family. It celebrates its fifth anniversary this month. Already renowned for research into gene therapy and the genomics of childhood cancers, its work has also included 3D development of laboratory-grown organs.

It was built partly with a ￡60 million donation from the UAE and is a partnership between Great Ormond Street Hospital, University College London and Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity.

The work at the centre feeds into the UAE’s own plans to develop a genomics programme and become a regional centre for health care. Over the past five years, Emirati researchers and doctors have been trained at Gosh before going back to the UAE.

One of those beneficiaries is Dr Mohammed Al Ameri, a former researcher in genomics and childhood leukaemias at the Zayed Centre for Research, who is now a genome lead at the Abu Dhabi Health Authority. “Because of the kinds of rare diseases that we've been seeing here in the Zayed Centre for Research and also back in the UAE, we needed a solution. The solution to these kinds of diseases is gene therapy, a one shot that will solve the issue,” Dr Al Ameri told The National.

Paediatric surgeon Alia Al Belushi said being at Great Ormond Street has helped her to improve her surgical skills and knowledge.

“You're learning from the best. In terms of surgery, it's not about being able to perform a procedure, it's about being able to perform it with excellence,” she said. She hopes to use her experience to establish a new paediatric urology unit in the UAE.

French fancy

Paris is embracing a new ZTL restricted area includes the Louvre museum, the glitzy Place Vendome, the Tuileries Garden and the historic Marais neighbourhood, as well as many cultural venues and shopping areas.

Ariel Weil, a city official, said new through-traffic rules require drivers to carry proof they are not just "using the centre of Paris as a short cut".

People who live or work in the area have free access, as do buses, taxis, emergency services and disabled drivers.

There are what might be called loopholes. Anyone who can show that they are "stopping there" for a doctor's visit or to make a delivery can pass, too. Going to the cinema or the theatre is also an acceptable reason to drive into the area.