Aides to President-elect Donald Trump have asked three senior career diplomats who oversee the U.S. State Department's workforce and internal coordination to step down from their roles, two U.S. officials familiar with the matter said, in a possible signal of deeper changes ahead for the diplomatic corps.

Ansari, adviser to the Qatari prime minister on Jan. 14 said ceasefire "talks are now underway on the final details" and that a deal is at the "closest point" it has ever been.